Information processing apparatus, peripheral device use method, and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10225420-B2
Application number	US-201715646129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2017
Priority date	Jul 14, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a display; a first processing unit; and a second processing unit, wherein the first processing unit includes a transmitter configured to transmit a first screen relating to first processing performed by the first processing unit to the second processing unit, the second processing unit includes a mounting section in which a peripheral device is mounted and a hardware processor, the hardware processor configured to: cause the display to selectively display either one of the first screen and a second screen relating to second processing performed by the second processing unit, and when the display displays the first screen, allow the peripheral device to be used for the first processing and, when the display displays the second screen, allow the peripheral device to be used for the second processing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a display;
a first processing unit; and
a second processing unit, wherein the first processing unit and the second processing unit are housed in a single housing,
the first processing unit includes a transmitter configured to transmit a first screen relating to first processing performed by the first processing unit to the second processing unit,
the second processing unit includes a mounting section in which a peripheral device is mounted and a hardware processor, wherein the peripheral device is not part of the first processing unit;
the hardware processor configured to:
cause the display to selectively display either one of the first screen and a second screen relating to second processing performed by the second processing unit, and
when the display displays the first screen, allow the peripheral device to be used for the first processing and, when the display displays the second screen, allow the peripheral device to be used for the second processing;
wherein the hardware processor facilitates integration of the first processing unit, the second processing unit, and the peripheral device.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor causes the display to display a changeover image together with either one of the first screen and the second screen and, when the changeover image is selected while the first screen is being displayed, the hardware processor causes the display to display the second screen in place of the first screen and when the changeover image is selected while the second screen is being displayed, the hardware processor causes the display to display the first screen in place of the second screen.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when a need arises to display the second screen while the peripheral device is being used for the first processing, the hardware processor causes the display to display the second screen after use of the peripheral device has been completed and, when a need arises to display the first screen while the peripheral device is being used for the second processing, the hardware processor causes the display to display the first screen after the use of the peripheral device has been completed.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the second processing unit further comprises:
an acquisition module configured to acquire from the peripheral device information on a directory structure of the peripheral device when the peripheral device is a storage, wherein
the hardware processor causes the display to display the information during a period of time that starts when a need arises to display the second screen while the peripheral device is being used for the first processing and ends when the use is completed or during a period of time that starts when a need arises to display the first screen while the peripheral device is being used for the second processing and ends when the use is completed.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the display displays the second screen in place of the first screen while the peripheral device is being used for the first processing, the hardware processor allows the peripheral device to be used for the second processing after the use has been completed and, when the display displays the first screen in place of the second screen while the peripheral device is being used for the second processing, the hardware processor allows the peripheral device to be used for the first processing after the use has been completed.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processing unit includes at least one of a printer and a scanner, and
the second processing unit includes neither the printer nor the scanner.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device is a detachable memory.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a mounting section in which a peripheral device is mounted;
a receptor configured to receive from another apparatus a first screen relating to first processing performed by the other apparatus, wherein the peripheral device is not part of the other apparatus; and
a hardware processor configured to:
cause a display to selectively display either one of the first screen and a second screen relating to second processing performed by the information processing apparatus, and
when the display displays the first screen, allow the peripheral device to be used for the first processing and, when the display displays the second screen, allow the peripheral device to be used for the second processing;
wherein the hardware processor facilitates integration of the other apparatus, the information processing apparatus, and the peripheral device.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor causes the display to display a changeover image together with either one of the first screen and the second screen and, when the changeover image is selected while the first screen is being displayed, the hardware processor causes the display to display the second screen in place of the first screen and when the changeover image is selected while the second screen is being displayed, the hardware processor causes the display to display the first screen in place of the second screen.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, when a need arises to display the second screen while the peripheral device is being used for the first processing, the hardware processor causes the display to display the second screen after use of the peripheral device has been completed and, when a need arises to display the first screen while the peripheral device is being used for the second processing, the hardware processor causes the display to display the first screen after the use of the peripheral device has been completed.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the hardware processor acquires, when the peripheral device is a storage, information on a directory structure of the peripheral device from the peripheral device, and
the hardware processor causes the display to display the information during a period of time that starts when a need arises to display the second screen while the peripheral device is being used for the first processing and ends when the use is completed or during a period of time that starts when a need arises to display the first screen while the peripheral device is being used for the second processing and ends when the use is completed.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, when the display displays the second screen in place of the first screen while the peripheral device is being used for the first processing, the hardware processor allows the peripheral device to be used for the second processing after the use has been completed and, when the display displays the first screen in place of the second screen while the peripheral device is being used for the second processing, the hardware processor allows the peripheral device to be used for the first processing after the use has been completed.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the other apparatus includes at least one of a printer and a scanner.

14. A method for using a peripheral device in an information processing apparatus including a first processing unit, a second processing unit including a mounting section in whi

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Shozaki Toshiya
• Shiraishi Jun
• Matsuda Hideyuki
• Kawabata Mie
• Ohno Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H04N1/00411

  the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen · CPC title

• H04N2201/3273

  Display · CPC title

• H04N1/00506 Primary

  Customising to the data to be displayed · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• H04N1/32122

  in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data · CPC title