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EP-4057126-B1 - INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD OF SUCH AN INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

EP4057126B1EP 4057126 B1EP4057126 B1EP 4057126B1EP-4057126-B1

Inventors

  • KOBAYASHI, HIROAKI

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220215

Claims (12)

  1. An information processing apparatus (110) comprising: a first display means (3090) configured to display various screens and a transmission means (3400, 3050) configured to transmit screen information corresponding to an updated screen to a terminal (100) in communication with the information processing apparatus (110) each time a screen being displayed on the first display means (3090) is updated; wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to display a first software keyboard on the first display means in response to acceptance of a selection operation of an area for inputting a character (911, 912) on a screen (900, 910) being displayed on the first display means (3090), and characterized in that the information processing apparatus (110) is configured to transmit an instruction for displaying a second software keyboard (877, 1002) of the terminal (100) on a second display means (206) of the terminal and to perform control not to display the first software keyboard on the first display means (3090) that is capable of displaying the first software keyboard in response to acceptance of a selection operation of the area for inputting a character (911, 912) on a screen (860) that is displayed on the second display means (206) of the terminal (100) based on the screen information transmitted by the transmission means (3400, 3050) and receipt of information about the selection operation from the terminal (100).
  2. The information processing apparatus (110) according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus (110) is configured to receive operation information corresponding to an operation accepted on the screen (860) of the terminal (100) based on the screen information transmitted by the transmission means (3400, 3050) and to execute processing corresponding to the operation information and to update the screen being displayed on the first display means (3090), and the transmission means (3400, 3050) is configured to transmit screen information corresponding to the updated screen to the terminal (100).
  3. The information processing apparatus (110) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second software keyboard (877, 1002) is used for a plurality of applications operating on the terminal (100).
  4. The information processing apparatus (110) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the area for inputting a character (911, 912) is an item to which user information for logging into the information processing apparatus (110) is input.
  5. The information processing apparatus (110) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein, each time an input of a character is accepted via the second software keyboard (877, 1002) of the terminal (100), the information processing apparatus (110) is configured to receive information about the input character, and configured to display a screen to which the character is input, on the first display means (3090).
  6. The information processing apparatus (110) according to claim 5, wherein the screen to which the character is input is a screen in which the character is input to the character-input field and the rendering of the character is concealed.
  7. The information processing apparatus (110) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein, in a case where the information processing apparatus (110) accepts an input of a character via the second software keyboard (877, 1002) of the terminal (100) and receives information about the input character from the terminal (100), the information processing apparatus (110) is configured to perform control not to display a screen to which the character is input on the first display means (3090).
  8. The information processing apparatus (110) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the information processing apparatus (110) is a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having a plurality of functions including a printing function.
  9. The information processing apparatus (110) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the information processing apparatus (110) operates as a virtual network computing (VNC) server, and the terminal (100) operates as a VNC client.
  10. A system including the information processing apparatus (110) and the terminal (100) as defined in any one of the previous claims, wherein, the information processing apparatus (110) is configured to transmit an instruction for displaying the second software keyboard (877, 1002) of the terminal (100) to the terminal (100) and to perform control not to display the first software keyboard on the first display means (3090) in response to acceptance of a selection operation of the area for inputting a character on a screen of the terminal based on the screen information transmitted by the transmission means, and the terminal (100) is configured to display a screen based on the screen information transmitted by the transmission means (3400, 3050), and the second software keyboard (877, 1002) on the second display means (206).
  11. A method for an information processing apparatus (110) comprising a first display means (3090) configured to display various screens and a transmission means, the method comprising: transmitting (S704) screen information corresponding to an updated screen to a terminal (100) each time the screen being displayed on the first display means (3090) is updated; displaying, by the information processing apparatus, a first software keyboard on the first display means in response to acceptance of a selection operation of an area for inputting a character (911, 912) on a screen being displayed on the first display means (3090) that is capable of displaying a first software keyboard, ; transmitting, by the information processing apparatus, an instruction for displaying a second software keyboard (877, 1002) of the terminal (100) on the second display means (206) and performing control (S710) not to display the first software keyboard on the first display means (3090) that is capable of displaying the first software keyboard, in response to acceptance (S708) of a selection operation of the area for inputting a character (911, 912) on a screen (860) that is displayed on second display means (206) of the terminal (100) based on the screen information transmitted and receipt of information about the selection operation (S707) from the terminal (100).
  12. The information processing apparatus (110) according to claim 1, wherein the terminal communicates with the information processing apparatus using a communication compliant with a RFB protocol.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for displaying an operation screen of an information processing apparatus on a remote client and a control method of such an information processing apparatus. Description of the Related Art A method for utilizing a system called "Virtual Network Computing (VNC)" using a remote framebuffer (RFB) protocol to operate an operation screen of an information processing apparatus has been discussed to remotely operate operation screens of information processing apparatuses. Specifically, an information processing apparatus having a VNC server function transmits screen information of a screen being displayed on an operation panel of the information processing apparatus to a terminal having a VNC client function. Based on the received screen information, the terminal displays the same screen (remote operation screen) that the operation panel of the information processing apparatus displays, on an operation panel of the terminal. Then, based on an operation performed on the screen on the operation panel of the terminal, the terminal transmits information on the operation to the information processing apparatus to remotely operate the information processing apparatus. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-137671 discusses a method for inputting a character in remote operation of a screen of an information processing apparatus from a mobile terminal. According to the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-137671, in response to acceptance of an instruction for inputting a character in the remote operation of the screen of the information processing apparatus from the mobile terminal, a software keyboard of the mobile terminal is displayed on the remote operation screen. With the above-described method, inputting a character to the information processing apparatus can be performed by using the software keyboard of the mobile terminal. However, displaying the software keyboard of the mobile terminal on the mobile terminal remotely operating the screen of the information processing apparatus by using the conventional method may impair usability. In a case where an information processing apparatus that displays its own software keyboard in response to acceptance of an instruction for inputting a character is remotely operated from a mobile terminal, the information processing apparatus displays its own software keyboard and the mobile terminal also displays its own software keyboard in response to the acceptance of the instruction for inputting a character via a remote operation screen. Consequently, two software keyboards are displayed on the remote operation screen. If this happens, visibility will be degraded and operability will be lowered because setting items are hidden behind the software keyboards. This issue is not solved in the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-137671. Further, because a software keyboard of a mobile terminal is designed for performing a character input operation on the mobile terminal, it is desirable for the user to input a character by using the software keyboard of the mobile terminal as long as the user performs a character input operation on the mobile terminal even during a remote operation of the information processing apparatus. The prior art also includes document US 2015/264220 A1, which provides a technique for an image forming system for suppressing a possibility that a character input content in a character input process is peeped by another user. The prior art further includes document US 2017/371537 A1, which describes an image processing apparatus and a method for controlling the image processing apparatus, wherein the image processing apparatus determines, after receiving a character code, whether the screen currently displayed on the display is a screen allowing text input. The prior art further includes document JP 2010 262446 A, which relates to a thin client device connected to a server device via a network, and which seeks to reduce load on the network caused by transmitting keyboard images from the server to the client. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above-described situation, the present invention is directed to a method for preventing lowering operability in a character input operation using a software keyboard of a mobile terminal remotely operating a screen of an information processing apparatus that displays a software keyboard of the information processing apparatus in response to acceptance of an instruction for inputting a character. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus as specified in claims 1 to 9 and 12. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system as specified in claim 10. According to a third aspect of the present invention, ther