JP6233149B2 - Image forming system and image forming method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming system, a server, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method, and more particularly to an image forming system, a server, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method capable of executing an application.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a multifunctional peripheral (MFP) capable of printing a document or an image or a printer, an application software (hereinafter referred to as “application”) can be installed and executed. Exists.
With these applications, functions such as PDF creation, business card management, and book management can be added to the image forming apparatus. It is also possible to link with a device such as a camera by an application.

  With reference to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-260, there is described a technique of an image forming apparatus that includes a storage unit that stores such an application and performs image processing using various applications stored in the storage unit.

JP 2004-112785 A

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, in order to install an application in the image forming apparatus, a large storage area for the application is required in the storage unit, and it is necessary to increase the calculation capability of the control unit for executing the application. Therefore, there is a problem that the cost is higher than that of an image forming apparatus in which an application cannot be installed.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming system that solves the above-described problems.

The image forming system of the present invention, viewed contains an image forming apparatus for executing instructions of an application, and a connectable server and the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus, wherein the operation panel, the model-specific data server Corresponding to the model-specific information transmitted to the server by the model-specific information transmitting means, and a function control mediating means for controlling the function of each unit according to an instruction from the server. The server includes a storage unit for storing the application, a model specific information receiving unit for receiving the model specific information transmitted by the model specific information transmitting unit of the image forming apparatus, and the model specific information receiving unit. Application management means for managing and executing the application corresponding to the model-specific information acquired by Interface means for instructing the function control mediating means of the image forming apparatus to perform control corresponding to the model-specific information by an instruction for controlling the function of the image forming apparatus from the application executed by the application management means When the image forming apparatus transmits the model-specific information and an application list transmission request command to the server, the server searches for the application corresponding to the model-specific information, and Create an application list, send the application list to the image forming apparatus, and whether the created application list is already associated with the image forming apparatus and activated for the searched application The image forming apparatus displays the received application list on the operation panel unit, and includes information indicating whether each application in the displayed application list is activated, and the operation When the application that is not activated is selected from the application list in the panel unit, the authentication information including at least the identification information of the selected application and the activation key input through the operation panel unit When the server determines that the selected application can be activated based on the received authentication information, the server can use the selected application in association with the image forming apparatus. Condition The image forming apparatus activates the selected application when the activated application is selected from the application list in the operation panel unit. An instruction is transmitted to the server, and the server performs an execution process or an operation process of the selected application based on the received execution instruction or the operation instruction .
The image forming method of the present invention, an image forming apparatus for executing instructions of an application, executed by a connectable server and the image forming apparatus, by the image forming apparatus, to transmit the model-specific information to the server, The server receives the model specific information of the image forming apparatus, the server manages and executes the application corresponding to the acquired model specific information, and the server executes the application from the executed application. According to the function control instruction of the image forming apparatus, the function control of the image forming apparatus is instructed corresponding to the model specific information, and the image forming apparatus corresponds to the model specific information transmitted to the server. thereby controlling the functions of the respective units in response to an instruction when executed on the application that is the server In the image forming method, when the image forming apparatus transmits a command for requesting transmission of the model-specific information and an application list to the server, the server searches the application corresponding to the model-specific information to search for the application list. The application list is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, and the created application list includes information on whether or not the searched application is already associated with the image forming apparatus and activated. The image forming apparatus displays the received application list on the operation panel unit of the image forming apparatus, and displays the information on whether or not each application in the displayed application list is activated. When the application that is not activated is selected from the application list in the operation panel unit, at least the identification information of the selected application and the activation key input through the operation panel unit are included. When the authentication information is transmitted to the server and the server determines that the selected application can be activated based on the received authentication information, the selected application is associated with the image forming apparatus. Is activated when the application is activated and the image forming apparatus selects the already activated application from the application list in the operation panel unit. The execution instruction or operation instruction of the application is transmitted to the server, and the execution process or operation process of the selected application is performed by the server based on the received execution instruction or operation instruction. .

  According to the present invention, by transmitting device-specific information and executing an application corresponding to the image forming apparatus on the server, the image forming system can reduce the cost of the image forming apparatus even if the application can be used. Can be provided.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the server shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the image forming system illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a flowchart of the application installation process which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of application list presentation and authentication shown in FIG. 6. It is a flowchart of the application use process which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of GUI drawing shown in FIG.

<Embodiment>
[Configuration of image forming system X]

First, the configuration of the image forming system X will be described with reference to FIG.
The image forming system X includes, for example, an image forming apparatus 1 that issues an application execution instruction and a server 2 that can be connected to the image forming apparatus 1.
The image forming apparatus 1 is an MFP including a control panel 16 (FIG. 2), a single function printer, or the like, and can use an application associated with the device in cooperation with the server 2. .
The server 2 is an information processing device such as a PC server such as a PC / AT compatible machine installed in a so-called “cloud” such as a data center on the Internet (registered trademark), an ARM (registered trademark) server, or a server on an intranet. It is. The server 2 stores an application associated with the image forming apparatus 1 and can be executed in accordance with an instruction from the image forming apparatus 1.
The image forming apparatus 1 and the server 2 are connected to a network 5 such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless LAN, a WAN (Wide Area Network), and a mobile phone network.

[Entire Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 1]
Next, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image processing unit 11, a document reading unit 12, a document feeding unit 13, a conveyance unit (a paper feed roller 42 b, a conveyance roller pair 44, a discharge roller pair 45), a network transmission / reception unit 15, and an operation panel unit 16. The image forming unit 17 (image forming unit), the storage unit 19 and the like are connected to the control unit 10. The operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit 10.

The control unit 10 includes a general purpose processor (GPP), a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific processor (ASIC). Information processing means such as a processor for a specific application).
The control unit 10 reads out a control program stored in the ROM or HDD of the storage unit 19, develops the control program in the RAM, and executes it to operate as each unit of a functional block described later. Further, the control unit 10 controls the entire apparatus in accordance with predetermined instruction information input from an external terminal (not shown) or the operation panel unit 16.

The image processing unit 11 is control arithmetic means such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The image processing unit 11 is a unit that performs predetermined image processing on various types of image data, and performs various types of image processing such as enlargement / reduction, density adjustment, gradation adjustment, and image improvement.
The image processing unit 11 stores the image read by the document reading unit 12 in the storage unit 19 as print data. At this time, the image processing unit 11 can also convert the print data into a file unit in a format such as PDF or TIFF.

The document reading unit 12 is a (scan) unit that reads a set document.
The document feeding unit 13 is a unit that transports a document read by the document reading unit 12.
The image forming unit 17 is a unit that forms an image on a recording sheet from data stored in the storage unit 19 and read by the document reading unit 12 or acquired from an external terminal according to a user output instruction.
The transport unit (paper feed roller 42b, transport roller pair 44, and discharge roller pair 45) transports the recording paper from the paper feed cassette 42a (FIG. 3), forms an image in the image forming unit 17, and then to the stack tray 50. Transport.
The operations of the document reading unit 12, the document feeding unit 13, the transport unit, and the image forming unit 17 will be described later.

The network transmission / reception unit 15 is a network connection unit including a LAN board, a wireless transceiver, and the like for connecting to an external network such as a LAN, a wireless LAN, a WAN, and a mobile phone network.
The network transmission / reception unit 15 transmits / receives data on a data communication line and transmits / receives voice signals on a voice telephone line.
The network transmission / reception unit 15 may be connected to an external terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, a PDA (Personal Data Assistant), a mobile phone, or a server (not shown) via a network.

The operation panel unit 16 includes a display unit such as an LCD, a numeric keypad, a start button, a cancel button, a button for switching an operation mode such as copying, FAX transmission, and a scanner, and a job related to printing, transmission, storage, and recording of a selected document. And an input unit such as a button or a touch panel for giving an instruction related to the execution of.
The operation panel unit 16 acquires a user instruction. This user instruction includes an instruction to install and use an application 500 (FIG. 5) described later. It is also possible to input and change information of each user according to user instructions. For this reason, the operation panel unit 16 may include a dedicated control unit and a recording medium such as a ROM or a RAM, and may control GUI (Graphical User Interface) in cooperation with the control unit 10. Details of control of the operation panel unit 16 when the application 500 is installed and used will be described later.
Further, the operation panel unit 16 may be provided with a connection unit for connecting a USB memory or flash memory card recording medium or an external device incorporating the recording medium.

The storage unit 19 is a storage unit that uses a semiconductor memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).
Even if the RAM of the storage unit 19 is in a power saving state, the stored contents are held by a function such as self-refresh.
A control program for controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the ROM and HDD of the storage unit 19. In addition to this, the storage unit 19 also stores user account settings. Further, the storage unit 19 may include a document box area for each user or each application 500 (FIG. 5).

In the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit 10 and the image processing unit 11 may be integrally formed, such as a CPU with a built-in GPU or a chip-on-module package.
The control unit 10 and the image processing unit 11 may include a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, and the like.
Further, the image forming apparatus 1 may include a FAX transmission / reception unit that performs facsimile transmission / reception.

[Operation of Image Forming Apparatus 1]
Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The document reading unit 12 is arranged on the upper part of the main body unit 14, and the document feeding unit 13 is arranged on the upper side of the document reading unit 12. The stack tray 50 is disposed on the recording paper discharge port 41 side formed in the main body unit 14, and the operation panel unit 16 is disposed on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1.

The document reading unit 12 includes a scanner 12a, a platen glass 12b, and a document reading slit 12c. The scanner 12 a includes an exposure lamp, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) imaging sensor, and the like, and is configured to be movable in the document transport direction by the document feeder 13.
The platen glass 12b is an original table made of a transparent member such as glass. The document reading slit 12 c has a slit formed in a direction orthogonal to the document transport direction by the document feeding unit 13.

When reading a document placed on the platen glass 12b, the scanner 12a is moved to a position facing the platen glass 12b, and reads the document while scanning the document placed on the platen glass 12b to obtain image data. The acquired image data is output to the control unit 10 (FIG. 2) provided in the main body unit 14.
When reading the document conveyed by the document feeding unit 13, the scanner 12a is moved to a position facing the document reading slit 12c, and the document feeding unit 13 conveys the document through the document reading slit 12c. The document is read in synchronization with the operation to acquire image data, and the acquired image data is output to the control unit 10 provided in the main body unit 14.

The document feeding unit 13 includes a document placement unit 13a, a document discharge unit 13b, and a document transport mechanism 13c. The originals placed on the original placement unit 13a are sequentially fed out one by one by the original conveyance mechanism 13c, conveyed to a position facing the original reading slit 12c, and then discharged to the original discharge unit 13b.
The document feeding unit 13 is configured to be retractable, and the upper surface of the platen glass 12b can be opened by lifting the document feeding unit 13 upward.

The main body unit 14 includes the image forming unit 17, and includes a paper feeding unit 42, a paper conveyance path 43, a conveyance roller pair 44, and a discharge roller pair 45. The paper feed unit 42 includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes 42 a that store recording papers of different sizes or orientations, and a paper feed roller 42 b that feeds the recording papers one by one from the paper feed cassette 42 a to the paper transport path 43. Yes. The paper feed roller 42b, the transport roller pair 44, and the discharge roller pair 45 function as a transport unit. The recording paper is conveyed by this conveyance unit.
The recording paper fed to the paper transport path 43 by the paper feed roller 42 b is transported to the image forming unit 17 by the transport roller pair 44. Then, the recording paper on which recording is performed by the image forming unit 17 is discharged to the stack tray 50 by the discharge roller pair 45.

  The image forming unit 17 includes a photosensitive drum 17a, an exposure unit 17b, a developing unit 17c, a transfer unit 17d, and a fixing unit 17e. The exposure unit 17b is an optical unit including a laser device, a mirror, a lens, an LED array, and the like, and outputs light or the like based on image data to a photosensitive drum 17a that is primarily charged by a charging unit (not shown). And an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 17a. The developing unit 17c is a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 17a using toner, and forms a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 17a. The transfer unit 17d transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 17a by the developing unit 17c to a recording sheet. The fixing unit 17e heats the recording paper on which the toner image is transferred by the transfer unit 17d to fix the toner image on the recording paper.

[Entire configuration of server 2]
Next, the overall configuration of the server 2 (information processing apparatus) will be described with reference to FIG.
The server 2 includes a control unit 20, a network transmission / reception unit 25, and a storage unit 29. The operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit 20.

  The control unit 20 is an information processing unit having calculation / control capabilities such as GPP, CPU, MPU, DSP, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC, and the like. The control unit 20 executes the program stored in the storage unit 29 using hardware resources.

The network transmitting / receiving unit 25 is a standard LAN interface such as 1000BASE-T / 100BASE-TX, a wireless LAN interface, a portable radio wave transmitting / receiving device, or the like for connecting to the network 5. The server 2 can transmit / receive various data via the network transmitting / receiving unit 25.
The network transmitting / receiving unit 25 may be connected to an external hub, router, or the like and connected to the network 5.

  The storage unit 29 is a storage means including a RAM, a flash memory disk such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic tape device, an optical disk device, and the like. The storage unit 29 stores an OS (Operating System) for causing the server 2 to function and various programs and data of the server. Details of these programs and data will be described later.

[Control Configuration of Image Forming System X]
A control configuration of the image forming system X including the image forming apparatus 1 and the server 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 includes a model-specific information acquisition unit 110 (model-specific information acquisition unit), a model-specific information transmission unit 120 (model-specific information transmission unit), and a function control mediation unit 130 (function control mediation unit). It has.
The storage unit 19 of the image forming apparatus 1 stores model-specific information 400 and authentication information 410.
The control unit 20 of the server 2 includes a platform 200 that executes the application 500. The platform 200 includes a model-specific information receiving unit 210 (model-specific information receiving unit), an application management unit 220 (application management unit), and an API unit 230 (interface unit).
The storage unit 29 of the server 2 stores model-specific information 400, authentication information 410, and an application 500.

  The model-specific information acquisition unit 110 acquires model-specific information 400, authentication information 410, and the like, which are model identification information. The model-specific information acquisition unit 110 can acquire authentication information 410 necessary for using the application 500 in cooperation with a web browser (Web browser, hereinafter referred to as “browser”) of the operation panel unit 16. is there.

The model specific information transmission unit 120 transmits the model specific information 400 acquired by the model specific information acquisition unit 110 to the server 2.
The model-specific information transmission unit 120 can also transmit browser setting information of the operation panel unit 16.

The function control mediating unit 130 controls the function of each unit according to an instruction from the server 2 in response to the model specific information 400 transmitted to the server 2 by the model specific information transmitting unit 120.
The function control mediating unit 130 functions as a so-called “connector” that controls each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 corresponding to the function requested from the API unit 230 of the server 2. For this reason, when the function control mediating unit 130 receives the command of the function control instruction created by the API unit 230 of the server 2, the function control mediating unit 130 analyzes the command and instructs each unit corresponding to the function realizable by the image forming apparatus 1. Control in an appropriate manner. For example, the function control mediation unit 130 can call a copy function, a network scan function, a document box function, and the like in response to a function control instruction command. The function control mediation unit 130 selects which of these functions can be used according to the setting of the model specific information 400.
Further, the function control mediating unit 130 can directly control each unit. For example, the function control mediation unit 130 sets the resolution and color in the document reading unit 12, reads the document, stores it in the storage unit 19 as image data, and stores the image data and document data in the storage unit 19 in the image processing unit 11. It is also possible to perform image processing (not shown), draw an image on the browser of the operation panel unit 16, and form image data or document data in the image forming unit 17. Further, the function control mediating unit 130 may perform control closer to the hardware configuration of the device, for example, driving one of the motors of the transport unit. Further, the function control mediation unit 130 includes bookbinding and stapling when the finisher is present in the image forming apparatus 1. When the FAX transmission / reception unit is present, the facsimile transmission / reception, the IC card and the user authentication unit based on biometric authentication are present. Can call each function such as user authentication by the user authentication unit, camera image acquisition and line-of-sight detection when a camera is present. Whether or not these functions can be called can also be set in the model-specific information 400. The function control mediating unit 130 can also control other image forming apparatuses, terminals, and the like (not shown) via the network transmitting / receiving unit 15 (FIG. 2).
The function control mediating unit 130 may also perform processing such as acquisition of the status of each unit. The function control mediating unit 130 can transmit the acquired state of each unit, the result of calling the function of each unit, and the like to the server 2. At this time, the function control mediating unit 130 can also send and receive various files and the like to and from the server 2. For example, the function control mediating unit 130 can transmit and receive scanned image data, document data in a document box, and the like. The function control mediation unit 130 transmits / receives image data for facsimile transmission / reception when the FAX transmission / reception unit exists, the user authentication result when the user authentication unit exists, and the video data to the server 2 when the camera exists. It is also possible to perform transmission and reception.

  The operation panel unit 16 receives and displays the screen content of the application 500 from the platform 200. For this reason, the control unit for the operation panel unit 16 may execute a dedicated browser or the like stored in the ROM.

  The platform 200 is a program or data including an API (Application Programming Interface), middleware, runtime, or the like (hereinafter referred to as “API or the like”) that is an execution base of the application 500. The platform 200 also includes services that are programs (classes, routines, functions, etc.) called from the application 500 and data related thereto. Further, the platform 200 operates on an OS (not shown) installed in the storage unit 29 of the server 2.

  The model specific information receiving unit 210 receives the model specific information 400 transmitted from the model specific information transmitting unit 120 of the image forming apparatus 1 and stores it in the storage unit 19. At this time, the model-specific information acquisition unit 110 may check whether the model-specific information 400 is not illegal.

The application management unit 220 manages and executes the application 500 corresponding to the model specific information 400 acquired by the model specific information receiving unit 210. Specifically, the application management unit 220 manages the installation of the application 500, the activation, the execution, the execution termination, the uninstallation, and the like that can be used from the image forming apparatus 1 using the API of the platform 200 (hereinafter referred to as these). This process is referred to as “life cycle” management of the application 500.)
The application management unit 220 searches for the application 500 corresponding to the model-specific information 400 and presents it to the image forming apparatus 1. In addition, when the application management unit 220 acquires the authentication information 410 from the image forming apparatus 1, the application management unit 220 sets the application 500 to a usable state.

The API unit 230 instructs the function control mediation unit 130 of the image forming apparatus 1 to perform control corresponding to the model-specific information 400 according to an instruction from the application 500 being executed. That is, the API unit 230 provides an interface for controlling each function of the image forming apparatus 1 from the application 500.
Specifically, the API unit 230 refers to the acquired model specific information 400 and creates a command for an instruction (hereinafter referred to as “function control instruction”) for controlling the function of each unit provided in the image forming apparatus 1. And transmitted to the function control mediating unit 130 of the image forming apparatus 1. In addition, as a command for this function control instruction, the API unit 230 creates a command that associates parameters when the API of the platform 200 is called with a control method corresponding to the function of the image forming apparatus 1. May be.
In addition, the API unit 230 acquires the results of control of functions of the image forming apparatus 1 and information reference, and presents them to the application 500. At this time, the API unit 230 may acquire various files and the like as a result of function control from the image forming apparatus 1 and present them to the application 500.

  The model-specific information 400 includes a device-specific ID including the model identification number, serial number, manufacturing number, and unique number of the image forming apparatus 1, information about functions usable in the image forming apparatus 1, memory capacity, and print settings. Includes device settings, number of copies printed, billing information, etc. Information on the function of the model-specific information 400 includes the display size of the operation panel 16 or the browser display size, the size of paper that can be scanned or image-formed, the type of color or black and white for scanning or image formation, the finisher or FAX Information such as the presence / absence of optional equipment such as a transmission / reception unit, a user authentication unit, a camera, and a line-of-sight detection device is included. The model-specific information 400 may include various types of information such as the IP address of the image forming apparatus 1, the administrator's e-mail address, transmission destination, and address.

The authentication information 410 is information regarding the authentication of the application 500. The authentication information 410 includes user account information including an administrator, “activation key” information that is key information for activating the application 500, application identification information such as the identifier of the application 500 and the type of the application 500, and the like. May be included. Of the authentication information 410, the account information may include a user ID and a password. The account information may include a credit card number and authority information.
The authentication information 410 can be registered in advance by each user from the operation panel unit 16 or a user terminal (not shown).

The application 500 is a program of an application 500 (Application Software) that is installed in the server 2 and executed on the platform 200. The application 500 uses the function of the image forming apparatus 1 via the API unit 230 and functions in cooperation with the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, the application 500 can perform various processes that cannot be used by the image forming apparatus 1 alone.
A plurality of applications 500 may be stored in the storage unit 29 of the server 2. The application 500 includes, for example, OCR (Optical Character Recognition), surveillance camera application, watermark creation, bill creation, employee list management, slip management, contract management, business card management, PDF creation, book management, group It may be an application such as management.
Further, whether or not each application 500 can be executed corresponding to the model-specific information 400 of the image forming apparatus 1 may be selected. In this case, when there are a plurality of image forming apparatuses 1, each application 500 may be set as to whether or not each of the applications 500 can be used corresponding to each model specific information 400 of the image forming apparatus 1. In this case, the authentication information 410 of the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to perform “activation” that is associated with the image forming apparatus 1 and can be used. The application 500 may be installed from the image forming apparatus 1 or another terminal (not shown) and stored in the storage unit 29. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which a separate application 500 is installed for each model of the image forming apparatus 1.
The application 500 may include an execution file that operates on the platform 200 and various data including class information. In this case, the execution file of the application 500 may be, for example, an intermediate language file of a Java (registered trademark) application or an application binary file including a “native” exe file. In addition to this, the application 500 may include necessary data.

  The storage unit 19 and the storage unit 29 store various job data specified by the operation panel unit 16 of the image forming apparatus 1, image data scanned by the document reading unit 12, and images processed by the image processing unit 11. Data, print document data transmitted from another terminal (not shown), various files read from a connected recording medium, thumbnail image data, and the like may be stored. Further, the storage unit 19 and the storage unit 29 may include a document box area for each user.

[Application installation processing by image forming system X]
Next, application installation by the image forming system X according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The application installation process of the present embodiment enables the application 500 on the server 2 to be used according to a user instruction. In this application installation process, first, the model-specific information 400 is transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 to the server 2 to obtain a list of applications 500 that can be used in the image forming apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as “application list”). To do. When the user selects the application 500 in the application list and inputs an activation key, the image forming apparatus 1 includes the authentication key 410 and transmits it to the server 2. The server 2 activates the image forming apparatus 1 and the application 500 in association with each other with this activation key. As a result, the application 500 associated with the image forming apparatus 1 can be used.
In the application installation process according to the present embodiment, the control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, the operation panel unit 16, and the control unit 20 of the server 2 mainly store programs stored in the storage unit 19 and the storage unit 29. To work with hardware resources.
Hereinafter, the details of the application installation process will be described step by step with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(Step S101)
First, the control unit 10 performs an application list request process as the model-specific information acquisition unit 110. The control unit 10 starts a process for acquiring an application list from the server 2 when acquiring an instruction to display the usable application 500 from the user through the browser GUI of the operation panel unit 16.
The control unit 10 acquires the model specific information 400 from the storage unit 19 and instructs the model specific information transmission unit 120 to acquire the application list and transmit the model specific information 400.
At this time, the control unit 10 may encrypt the model-specific information 400 with a public key or the like.

(Step S102)
Next, the control unit 10 performs model-specific information transmission processing as the model-specific information transmission unit 120.
The control unit 10 transmits the model-specific information 400 instructed to be transmitted and a command for requesting transmission of the application list to the server 2 (timing T101).

(Step S201)
Here, the processing of the server 2 will be described.
The server control unit 20 performs model-specific information reception processing as the model-specific information reception unit 210. The control unit 20 receives the model specific information 400 and stores it in the storage unit 29. At this time, the control unit 20 may check whether the model-specific information 400 is invalid by decrypting with the secret key.
Here, the control unit 20 receives a command for requesting acquisition of an application list and notifies the application management unit 220 of the command.

(Step S202)
Next, the control unit 20 performs an application search process as the application management unit 220.
The control unit 20 refers to the model specific information 400, searches the storage unit 29 for the application 500, searches for the application 500 corresponding to the model specific information 400, and creates an application list.
At this time, the control unit 20 also adds information about whether or not each searched application 500 is already associated with the image forming apparatus 1 and activated, to the application list.

(Step S203)
Next, the control unit 20 performs an application list transmission process as the application management unit 220.
The control unit 20 transmits the created application list to the image forming apparatus 1 (timing T201).

(Step S103)
Here, the processing of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described again.
The operation panel unit 16 performs an application list presentation process. The operation panel unit 16 acquires the application list of the application 500 searched from the server 2 and displays it on the display unit with a browser.
A screen example 600 in FIG. 7A shows an example of the displayed application list. In the display column 610, a user name, a model, names of usable applications 500, and the like are displayed in a list format. Each application 500 in the display column 610 also displays information about whether or not it is activated. The button 700 is a button for giving an instruction to end the display of the application list.

(Step S104)
Next, the operation panel unit 16 performs an application selection process.
The operation panel unit 16 issues an activation instruction when the user selects an application 500 that is not yet available from a list of available application 500 names or the like on the GUI.
According to the screen example 601 in FIG. 7B, the operation panel unit 16 displays a dialog box or the like for requesting an activation key in the display field 620. When the user inputs the activation key with the GUI, the operation panel unit 16 instructs to acquire the key and transmit it to the control unit 10.
Note that the operation panel unit 16 may perform user authentication or the like before inputting the activation key. In addition, when the activated application 500 is selected, the operation panel unit 16 may instruct to use the application 500.

(Step S105)
Next, the control unit 10 performs an authentication information transmission process as the model-specific information transmission unit 120.
The control unit 10 includes the activation key input on the operation panel unit 16, application identification information of the selected application 500, account information, and the like in the authentication information 410 and transmits the authentication information 410 to the server 2.
In the example of FIG. 7B, the control unit 10 displays the “Send” button 720 in the display field 620 when the user completes the input, and transmits the authentication information 410 when this pressing is detected. (Timing T102).

(Step S204)
Here, the processing of the server 2 will be described again.
The control unit 20 of the server 2 performs authentication information reception processing as the application management unit 220.
When receiving the authentication information 410 from the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit 20 stores the authentication information 410 in the storage unit 29.

(Step S205)
Next, the control unit 20 determines whether activation is possible as the application management unit 220. The control unit 10 decrypts the received activation key with a secret key or the like (not shown), determines whether or not it is valid, determines Yes if it is valid, and determines No otherwise. . At this time, the control unit 10 compares the application identification information of the authentication information 410 with the model-specific information 400, and checks again whether the application 500 can be used in the image forming apparatus 1, and the device, user, etc. Then, if it cannot be used, it may be determined as No. Moreover, the control part 20 may determine with No, when there is not enough balance in billing information.
In the case of Yes, the control part 20 advances a process to step S206.
In No, the control part 20 advances a process to step S2207.

(Step S206)
When the application 500 can be activated, the control unit 20 performs an application 500 activation process as the application management unit 220.
The control unit 20 activates the application 500 having the application identification information of the acquired authentication information 410 by associating it with the image forming apparatus 1 and making it usable. Thereafter, the application 500 can be executed and used according to an instruction from the image forming apparatus 1.
Note that the control unit 20 may separately prepare a database in the storage unit 29 and store the presence / absence of activation.

(Step S207)
Here, the control unit 20 performs activation result transmission processing as the application management unit 220.
The control unit 20 transmits activation result information, which is information indicating whether or not the application 500 has been activated, to the image forming apparatus 1 (timing T202).

(Step S106)
Here, the processing of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described again.
The operation panel unit 16 performs activation result display processing.
When receiving the activation result information from the server 2, the operation panel unit 16 causes the browser to display the activation result information.
Thus, the application installation process according to the embodiment of the present invention is completed.

[Application usage processing by image forming system X]
Next, with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 9, application use processing by the image forming system X according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the application use process of the present embodiment, the application 500 that is ready for use in the server 2 is used according to a user instruction. First, when an execution instruction is issued in the image forming apparatus 1, the application 500 of the server 2 is executed. At this time, browser drawing and input instructions (hereinafter referred to as “GUI instructions”) on the operation panel unit 16 are transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1. Similarly, a function control instruction command of the image forming apparatus 1 is also transmitted. The image forming apparatus 1 determines and processes these.
In the application use process according to the present embodiment, the control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, the operation panel unit 16, and the control unit 20 of the server 2 mainly store programs stored in the storage unit 19 and the storage unit 29. To work with hardware resources.
Hereinafter, the details of the application use process will be described step by step with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

(Step S111)
First, the operation panel unit 16 performs an application execution instruction acquisition process.
When the user instructs execution of the application 500 through the GUI, the operation panel unit 16 acquires this as an application execution instruction.
Prior to the execution of the application 500, the application list of the executable application 500 may be acquired by performing the same processes as the application list request process and the model-specific information transmission process of FIG.
The application execution instruction may include model-specific information 400 or authentication information 410. Further, the operation panel unit 16 may perform user authentication before obtaining the application execution instruction.

(Step S112)
Next, the operation panel unit 16 performs an application execution operation instruction transmission process.
The operation panel unit 16 acquires an instruction for the user's application. This instruction includes the above-described application execution instruction and an operation instruction to the application 500 when executing the application.
The control unit 10 transmits an application execution instruction and an instruction to the application 500 being executed to the server 2 (timing T111).

(Step S211)
Here, the processing of the server 2 will be described.
The control unit 20 of the server 2 determines, as the application management unit 220, whether or not the application 500 instructed to be executed by the application execution instruction or the operation instruction can be executed.
When the application execution instruction is received, the control unit 20 is activated in association with the image forming apparatus 1 and the application 500 instructed to be executed is usable in the image forming apparatus 1. It determines with Yes. The control unit 20 also determines Yes when the application is already being executed. In other cases, the control unit 20 determines No because it is an illegal application execution instruction.
In the case of Yes, the control part 20 advances a process to step S212.
In No, the control part 20 complete | finishes the process of the server 2 of an application use process.

(Step S212)
When the application execution instruction application 500 can be executed, the control unit 20 performs an application execution process as the application management unit 220.
The control unit 20 executes the application 500 stored in the storage unit 29. In addition, when the application 500 is already executed, the control unit 20 performs various controls according to an operation instruction to the application 500.
At this time, the control unit 20 also reads out the model-specific information 400 corresponding to the application 500 so that it can be referred to.
Further, the executed application 500 may exchange information with the image forming apparatus 1 via the platform 200.

(Step S213)
Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the application management unit 220 is a GUI instruction.
The control unit 20 determines Yes when the application 500 is executed and there is a GUI instruction such as GUI display or input from the application 500 to the service of the platform 200. In other cases, the control unit 20 determines No.
In the case of Yes, the control part 20 advances a process to step S214.
In No, the control part 20 advances a process to step S215.

(Step S214)
When there is a GUI instruction, the control unit 20 performs a GUI instruction transmission process as the application management unit 220.
The control unit 20 creates and transmits GUI instruction information to the image forming apparatus 1 (timing T211).
The GUI instruction information may include a socket communication command such as an HTML file or an XML file that can be displayed by a browser, a file displayed on the operation panel unit 16 of the image forming apparatus 1, or the like. At this time, the control unit 20 may determine the display size of the display unit of the operation panel unit 16 or the browser based on the acquired model-specific information 400 and adjust the GUI instruction information to have an appropriate layout.

(Step S113)
Here, the processing of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described again.
The operation panel unit 16 of the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether a GUI instruction has been received. The operation panel unit 16 determines Yes when the information on the GUI instruction is received. In other cases, the operation panel unit 16 determines No.
In the case of Yes, the operation panel unit 16 advances the process to step S114.
In No, the operation panel part 16 advances a process to step S115.

(Step S114)
When the GUI instruction is received, the operation panel unit 16 performs an application GUI drawing process.
The operation panel unit 16 performs drawing corresponding to information of the GUI instruction on the display unit by a browser. The operation panel unit 16 can also obtain an input instruction from the user through the GUI.
A screen example 602 in FIG. 9 shows an example in which the OCR application 500 is executed on the server 2 on the operation panel unit 16. The operation panel unit 16 displays an OCR preview and a character recognition result in the display field 630. In the example of the display field 630, when the OCR scan or the like is not actually performed, each result is not displayed. In the example of FIG. 9, the operation panel unit 16 draws a button 710 that allows the user to input an instruction to execute OCR and a button 720 that allows the user to input a cancel instruction.
In the example of FIG. 9, the control unit 20 of the server 2 transmits the OCR result document file to the image forming apparatus 1 as the application management unit 220, and the operation panel unit 16 receives this and displays it in the display field 630. It is displayed as a character recognition result. The control unit 10 or the operation panel unit 16 may store the document file in a document box in the storage unit 19.

(Step S215)
Here, the processing of the server 2 will be described again.
The control unit 20 of the server 2 determines whether or not there is a function control instruction as the API unit 230. When the application 500 is executed and a function control instruction such as calling an API of the platform 200 that controls the function of the image forming apparatus 1 is called from the application 500, the control unit 20 determines Yes. The control unit 20 determines No in other cases.
In the case of Yes, the control part 20 advances a process to step S216.
In No, the control part 20 advances a process to step S217, and will be in a standby state.

(Step S216)
When there is a function control instruction, the control unit 20 performs function control instruction transmission processing as the API unit 230.
The control unit 20 refers to the model specific information 400 and creates a function control instruction command corresponding to the function of the image forming apparatus 1. The control unit 20 transmits this function control instruction command to the image forming apparatus 1 (timing T212).

(Step S115)
Here, processing of the control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described again.
The control unit 10 determines whether a function control instruction command is received as the function control mediating unit 130. The control unit 10 determines Yes when the function control instruction command is received. In other cases, the control unit 10 determines No.
In the case of Yes, the control part 10 advances a process to step S116.
In No, the control part 10 advances a process to step S117.

(Step S116)
When the function control instruction command is received, the control unit 10 performs each unit function control process as the function control mediating unit 130.
The control unit 10 analyzes a function control instruction command and performs control corresponding to the function of each unit of the image forming apparatus 1. Further, the control unit 10 directly controls each unit, acquires the state of each unit, acquires the result of function control and transmits it to the server 2, and transmits various files between the image forming apparatus 1 and the server 2. It is also possible to perform transmission / reception processing.

  In the example of FIG. 9 described above, scanning is performed by the document reading unit 12, an image file as a result of the scanning is transmitted to the server 2, and OCR is performed by the application 500. At this time, the control unit 20 of the server 2 temporarily stores the document file as a result of the OCR in the storage unit 29 of the server 2 and transmits it according to an instruction from the operation panel unit 16 of the image forming apparatus 1. Is possible.

(Step S117)
Next, the operation panel unit 16 determines whether or not there is an application termination instruction. The operation panel unit 16 determines Yes when an instruction to end the application 500 by the user is acquired. In the example of FIG. 9, the operation panel unit 16 determines Yes when the “cancel” button 720, the upper right “x” button, or the like is pressed. The operation panel unit 16 determines No in other cases.
In the case of Yes, the operation panel unit 16 advances the process to step S118.
In No, the operation panel part 16 returns a process to step S112, and waits for the instruction | indication from a user.

(Step S118)
When the application end instruction is acquired, the operation panel unit 16 performs an application end instruction transmission process.
The operation panel unit 16 transmits an application termination instruction command to the server 2 (timing T112).
The operation panel unit 16 may include application identification information in the application termination instruction command.

(Step S217)
Here, the process of the control unit 20 will be described again.
The control unit 20 performs an application termination process as the application management unit 220.
Upon receiving an application end instruction command from the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit 20 ends the execution of the corresponding application 500 and enters a standby state.
Thus, the application use process according to the embodiment of the present invention is completed.

With the configuration described above, the following effects can be obtained.
The image forming system X of the present invention includes an image forming apparatus 1 that gives an instruction to execute the application 500 and a server 2 that can be connected to the image forming apparatus 1, and the image forming apparatus 1 acquires the model-specific information 400. The unique information acquisition unit 110, the model specific information transmission unit 120 that transmits the model specific information 400 acquired by the model specific information acquisition unit 110 to the server 2, and the model specific information transmitted to the server 2 by the model specific information transmission unit 120 Corresponding to the information 400, a function control mediating unit 130 that controls the function of each unit according to an instruction from the server 2 is provided. The server 2 is model-specific transmitted by the model-specific information transmitting unit 120 of the image forming apparatus 1. The model-specific information receiving unit 210 that receives the information 400 and the application 50 corresponding to the model-specific information 400 acquired by the model-specific information receiving unit 210 The image forming apparatus 220 performs control corresponding to the model-specific information 400 in accordance with an instruction for controlling the function of the image forming apparatus 1 from the application 500 executed by the application managing section 220. And an API unit 230 for instructing one function control mediating unit 130.
With this configuration, in the image forming system X, the application 500 and the execution base are managed on the server 2, so the capabilities of the control unit 10 and the storage unit 19 of the image forming apparatus 1 do not install the application 500. Even if it is the same as the device, the application 500 can be used. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 that can use the application 500 can be provided at low cost.
Further, the image forming system X improves the performance because it is not necessary to perform processing unique to the application 500 even if the control calculation capability of the control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 and the storage capacity of the storage unit 19 are limited. .
In addition, since the image forming system X does not require the application 500 to be installed in the image forming apparatus 1 or a special server, it is possible to reduce the labor and cost of management such as setup.
Further, the image forming system X can select a corresponding application 500 from a plurality of applications 500 based on the model-specific information 400. Therefore, it is not necessary to store the application 500 for each model on the server 2, and the memory of the server 2 is stored. The storage area for the application 500 of the unit 29 can also be saved.
Further, since the image forming system X executes the application 500 on the server 2, it is possible to reduce the risk of hacking the image forming apparatus 1 that is not managed and to reduce the security risk.

In addition, the application management unit 220 of the server 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention searches for the application 500 corresponding to the model-specific information 400 and presents the application 500 to the image forming apparatus 1, and the authentication information 410 from the image forming apparatus 1. The acquired application 500 is put into a usable state.
With this configuration, the model-specific information 400 of the image forming apparatus 1 can be transmitted to the server 2 and an appropriate application 500 can be presented to the user. For this reason, it is not necessary for the user to install the application 500 by himself / herself, and the labor and cost of management can be reduced.
In addition, it is not necessary for the user to check the setting information of the image forming apparatus 1 or the user in order to install or set up the application 500 in the server 2, and the usability of the user is improved. In addition, since it is not necessary for the user to make settings, the security risk can be reduced.
Further, by providing a so-called “cloud” service rather than a simple client / server configuration, the licenses of the application 500 can be collectively managed, and the management cost of the provider of the application 500 can be reduced.
In addition, even if the user tries to install an illegal application 500 that has been pirated or modified, a security program can be introduced into the server 2 to be discovered, and distribution and use of the unauthorized application 500 can be prevented.

Further, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus includes a platform for operating the application. For this reason, although an optimal size is allocated for the data storage area of the storage unit platform of the image forming apparatus and the work memory area, a part of valuable resources is used. As for the applications running on the platform, the data storage area and work memory area had to be expanded according to the number of applications that can be installed. For this reason, if many applications and platforms can be introduced, it is necessary to expand the capacity of the storage unit, which increases the cost. Conversely, if the capacity of the conventional storage unit is left as it is, valuable resources are used, which may affect the overall performance of the image forming apparatus and impair the advantages of function expansion by an application.
On the other hand, in the image forming system X of the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 does not store the main body of the application 500, and the operating place of the platform 200 and the application 500 is on the server 2, so that the image forming apparatus 1 It is no longer necessary to expand the storage area of one storage unit 19, cost increase can be suppressed, and performance degradation can be suppressed.

In the above-described embodiment, the browser of the image forming apparatus 1 is described to be executed by the control unit of the operation panel unit 16.
However, this browser may be executed by the model-specific information acquisition unit 110 of the control unit 10 based on the browser program and setting information stored in the storage unit 19. Also, browser setting information may be stored in the ROM of the storage unit 19 or the operation panel unit 16.
In the above-described embodiment, the application management unit 220 of the server 2 is described so as to determine the display size of the operation panel unit 16 or the browser.
In response to this, the API unit 230 of the server 2 also creates a function control instruction command that determines the display size of the display unit of the operation panel unit 16 or the browser when creating the command of the function control instruction transmission process. May be.
By comprising in this way, control of each part can be performed flexibly and cost can be reduced.

The application 500 may be associated with each user instead of the image forming apparatus 1.
As a result, a different application 500 can be used for each user who has logged into the image forming apparatus 1.
Further, the application 500 may include a “general application” for calling each function of the image forming apparatus 1 to realize a desired function, and a “management application” for managing the general application 500. The application 500 may include a control program and data for the image forming apparatus 1 or the server 2 for using the functions of the image forming apparatus 1.
With this configuration, the image forming apparatus 1 can be flexibly controlled by an application, and security can be improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the application 500 has been described as being already stored in the storage unit 29 of the server 2.
However, the application 500 may be separately introduced and stored in the storage unit 29 from an external recording medium connected to the image forming apparatus 1, a recording medium connected to the server 2, an external terminal connected via the network 5, or the like. Is possible. In this case, the application 500 may be set to be usable only from the installed user, the image forming apparatus 1, or the terminal. In addition, the administrator of the server 2 can update the application 500. Similarly, the administrator of the server 2 changes the association information or the like of the application 500 with the image forming apparatus 1 or changes the association information or the like between the model-specific information 400 and the application 500. It is also possible.
By configuring in this way, function expansion can be flexibly realized, and management cost can be reduced by managing on the server 2.

Further, the storage unit 19 of the image forming apparatus 1 or the storage unit 29 of the server 2 can store an application different from the application 500 based on the API of the platform 200. For example, the storage unit 19 or the storage unit 29 may store Web applications other than the application 500 (hereinafter referred to as “external application”), user data, and the like. The external application is called by a user instruction on the operation panel unit 16 of the image forming apparatus 1 and is read and executed by the image forming apparatus 1 or executed on the server 2, or user data is called by the image forming apparatus 1 and operated. It may be displayed on the panel unit 16.
By configuring in this way, it is possible to flexibly use the application of the platform 200 and the external application, thereby improving the usability of the user.

  The present invention is also applicable to various information processing apparatuses other than the image forming apparatus. That is, a configuration using a network scanner, a server to which the scanner is separately connected via USB, or the like may be used. The present invention can also be applied to PCs, smartphones, mobile phones, office equipment, industrial equipment, etc., which are information processing apparatuses capable of installing applications.

  Note that the configuration and operation of the above-described embodiment are examples, and it is needless to say that the configuration and operation can be appropriately changed and executed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Server 5 Network 10, 20 Control part 11 Image processing part 12 Original reading part 12a Scanner 12b Platen glass 12c Original reading slit 13 Original feeding part 13a Original placing part 13b Original discharge part 13c Original conveyance mechanism 14 Main body Sections 15 and 25 Network transmission / reception section 16 Operation panel section 17 Image forming section 17a Photosensitive drum 17b Exposure section 17c Development section 17d Transfer section 17e Fixing sections 19 and 29 Storage section 41 Discharge port 42 Paper feed section 42a Paper feed cassette 42b Paper feed Roller 43 Paper transport path 44 Transport roller pair 45 Discharge roller pair 50 Stack tray 110 Model specific information acquisition unit 120 Model specific information transmission unit 130 Function control mediation unit 200 Platform 210 Model specific information reception unit 220 Application management unit 230 API unit 400 Model Inherent Broadcast 410 authentication information 500 application 600, 601, 602 screen example 610, 620, and 630 display column 700, 710, 720 button

Claims (2)

And an image forming apparatus that performs application execution instruction, a connectable server and the image forming apparatus seen including,
The image forming apparatus includes:
Operation panel,
Model-specific information transmitting means for transmitting model-specific information to the server;
Corresponding to the model-specific information transmitted to the server by the model-specific information transmitting unit, a function control intermediary unit that controls the function of each unit according to an instruction from the server,
The server
A storage unit for storing the application;
Model-specific information receiving means for receiving the model-specific information transmitted by the model-specific information transmitting means of the image forming apparatus;
Application management means for managing and executing the application corresponding to the model-specific information acquired by the model-specific information receiving means;
An interface for instructing the function control mediating unit of the image forming apparatus to perform control corresponding to the model-specific information in response to an instruction for controlling the function of the image forming apparatus from the application executed by the application managing unit. And an image forming system comprising:
When the image forming apparatus transmits the model-specific information and an application list transmission request command to the server, the server searches the application corresponding to the model-specific information to create the application list, and the application list And the created application list includes information on whether or not the searched application is already associated with the image forming apparatus and activated.
The image forming apparatus displays the received application list on the operation panel unit, and includes the information on whether or not each application of the displayed application list is activated, and the operation panel unit When the application that is not activated in the application list is selected, authentication information including at least the identification information of the selected application and the activation key input through the operation panel unit is transmitted to the server. ,
When the server determines that the selected application can be activated based on the received authentication information, the server associates the selected application with the image forming apparatus to make it usable. Perform the activation,
The image forming apparatus transmits an execution instruction or an operation instruction of the selected application to the server when the activated application is selected from the application list in the operation panel unit,
The server performs an execution process or an operation process of the selected application based on the received execution instruction or the operation instruction . Executed by an image forming apparatus that issues an application execution instruction and a server connectable to the image forming apparatus ;
The image forming apparatus transmits model-specific information to the server,
The server receives the model-specific information of the image forming apparatus,
The server manages and executes the application corresponding to the acquired model-specific information,
By the control instruction of the function of the image forming apparatus from the executed application by the server, the control of the function of the image forming apparatus is instructed corresponding to the model-specific information,
By the image forming apparatus, in the image forming method of the application corresponding to the model-specific data that is sent to the server to control the functions of the respective units in response to an instruction when executed by the server,
When the image forming apparatus transmits the model-specific information and an application list transmission request command to the server, the server searches the application corresponding to the model-specific information to create the application list, The application list is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, and the created application list includes information on whether or not the searched application is already associated with the image forming apparatus and activated.
The image forming apparatus displays the received application list on the operation panel unit of the image forming apparatus, and each of the applications in the displayed application list includes the information indicating whether or not the application list is activated, When the application that is not activated is selected from the application list in the panel unit, the authentication information including at least the identification information of the selected application and the activation key input through the operation panel unit To the server,
When the server determines that the selected application can be activated based on the received authentication information, the selected application is made available in association with the image forming apparatus. Perform the activation,
When the image forming apparatus selects the application already activated from the application list in the operation panel unit, the execution instruction or operation instruction of the selected application is transmitted to the server,
An image forming method , wherein the server performs execution processing or operation processing of the selected application based on the received execution instruction or operation instruction .

Images