CN-122027746-A - Image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming units

Abstract

The invention provides an image forming apparatus which starts a proper cooperation target program without trial and error. An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes a storage device and a processor. The storage device stores a collaboration source application that performs various functions, a collaboration target application that performs collaboration with the collaboration source application, and collaboration target application management information including information on whether collaboration with the collaboration target application of the collaboration source application is possible. The processor executes the collaboration source application and the collaboration target application. The processor creates a candidate list of collaboration target applications capable of collaboration with the collaboration source application based on the collaboration target application management information, provides an environment in which the collaboration target application is selected from the candidate list, starts the collaboration target application selected from the candidate list, and transfers processing object data from the collaboration source application to the collaboration target application at the time of starting the collaboration target application.

Inventors

• KATO HIROYUKI

Assignees

• 爱创易联公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20250729

Priority Date

20241111

Claims (10)

1. 1. An image forming apparatus having various functions, the image forming apparatus comprising: A storage device storing a cooperation source application that performs the respective functions, a cooperation target application that cooperates with the cooperation source application, and cooperation target application management information including information on whether cooperation with the cooperation target application of the cooperation source application is possible, and A processor executing the collaboration source application and the collaboration target application, The processor performs: Creating a candidate list of candidates of the cooperation target application capable of cooperation with the cooperation source application based on the cooperation target application management information, Providing an environment for selecting the collaboration target application from the candidate list, Starting the collaboration target application selected from the candidate list, And transmitting processing object data from the collaboration source application to the collaboration target application at the starting of the collaboration target application.
2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The storage means stores authorization information of the cooperation target application, The processor creates the candidate list based on the authorization information.
3. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The storage means stores user management information including identification information of a user, The processor performs login authentication based on the user management information.
4. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The user management information includes authority information of the presence or absence of the utilization authority of the cooperation target application for each of the users, The processor creates the candidate list based on the rights information.
5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The storage means stores setting information of validity and invalidity of application cooperation of each function, The processor creates the candidate list based on the setting information.
6. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor obtains, for creating the candidate list, a cooperation target application capable of cooperation with the cooperation source application as a candidate of the cooperation target application capable of cooperation, and further, The cooperation target application management information has information in the form of an acceptable file of the cooperation target application, The processor acquires, for creating the candidate list, a collaboration target application in a file format including the processing object data in the acceptable file format, as a candidate of the collaboration target application capable of collaboration.
7. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The processor analyzes file cooperation protocol definition data included in a package file of the cooperation target application, acquires information in the form of the acceptable file, and stores the acquired information in the cooperation target application management information, when the cooperation target application is installed.
8. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The storage means stores authorization information of the cooperation target application, the authorization information including information of whether the authorization is required or not and validity of the authorization, The processor judges, for each candidate of the cooperation target application capable of cooperation, whether the candidate requires the authorization based on information on whether the authorization is required or not, Judging whether the authorization is valid or not based on the information of the validity of the authorization in the case that the authorization is required for the candidate, if the authorization is valid, acquiring the candidate as a secondary candidate of the cooperation target application capable of cooperation, In the case where the candidate does not require the authorization, the candidate is taken as a secondary candidate of the cooperation target application capable of cooperation, The processor creates the candidate list based on the secondary candidates.
9. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The storage device stores setting information of validity and invalidity of application cooperation set for each function of the image forming apparatus, The processor judges, for each candidate of the cooperative target application that can be cooperated, whether or not a function setting corresponding to the candidate is valid based on the setting information, and if the function setting is valid, acquires the candidate as a secondary candidate of the cooperative target application that can be cooperated, The processor creates the candidate list based on the secondary candidates.
10. 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The storage means stores user management information including identification information of users and authority information of the presence or absence of utilization authority of the cooperation target application for each of the users, The processor performs login authentication based on the user management information, The processor judges whether the user in login holds the utilization right or not based on the right information for each candidate of the cooperative target application capable of cooperation, acquires the candidate as a secondary candidate of the cooperative target application capable of cooperation if the user holds the utilization right, The processor creates the candidate list based on the secondary candidates.

Description

Image forming apparatus having a plurality of image forming units Technical Field Embodiments of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus placed at a work place. Background Conventionally, image forming apparatuses having various functions are known. Such an image forming apparatus has various applications that perform various functions, and for example, two applications are sometimes cooperated, and processing target data is transferred from a cooperation source application to a cooperation target application. At this time, data in the form of data which cannot be handled in the cooperation target application is sometimes transferred. In this case, the cooperation target application cannot process the processing target data at the stage of processing the processing target data, resulting in an error. Therefore, the user re-performs the job from the stage of starting the collaboration source application, resulting in that the job which is not easy to perform becomes useless. In this regard, a technique for starting an appropriate cooperative target application is known. Disclosure of Invention In the above technique, the cooperation target application and the cooperation source application are associated based on the number of start errors of the cooperation target application. Therefore, in order to determine to start an appropriate cooperative target application, a trial-and-error (erroneous trial-and-error in a certain period) must be performed. The invention provides an image forming apparatus for starting an appropriate cooperation target application without trial and error. An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes a storage device and a processor. The storage device stores a collaboration source application that performs various functions, a collaboration target application that performs collaboration with the collaboration source application, and collaboration target application management information including information on whether collaboration with the collaboration target application of the collaboration source application is possible. The processor executes the collaboration source application and the collaboration target application. The processor creates a candidate list of collaboration target applications capable of collaboration with the collaboration source application based on the collaboration target application management information, provides an environment in which the collaboration target application is selected from the candidate list, starts the collaboration target application selected from the candidate list, and transfers processing object data from the collaboration source application to the collaboration target application at the start of the collaboration target application. Drawings Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of file collaboration protocol definition. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a collaboration target application management table storing analysis information defined by a file collaboration protocol. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of application collaboration sequences. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a collaborative application selection screen. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the installation process of the cooperation target application in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of first application cooperation processing in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the first cooperation target application candidate list creation process in the first file cooperation process. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the second cooperation target application candidate list creation process in the first file cooperation process. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a function setting table. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the third cooperation target application candidate list creation process in the first file cooperation process. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the second application cooperation process in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the cooperation target application candidate list creation process in the second file cooperation process. Detailed Description (Image Forming apparatus) First, an image forming apparatus 1001 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1. Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a configuration example of an image forming apparatus 1001 according to the embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1001 is, for example, a MFP (multifunction peripheral: multifunctional complex) or a complex machine. The image forming apparatus 1001 has a printing function, a scanning function, a copying function, a facsimile