Image forming apparatus and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9942433-B2
Application number	US-201615140978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	May 12, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an installer portion, the installer portion being capable of installing a translation data application and an add-on application on the image forming apparatus, the add-on application for customizing functions of the image forming apparatus. The translation data application has a data structure including: a translation data file containing multiple terms in one or more languages; and a definition file specifying an access method for the add-on application to access the translation data application and a function for the add-on application to extract a target term in a target language from the translation data file. Upon activation of the add-on application, the add-on application performs the following operations: accessing the translation data application by the access method; extracting a target term in a target language from the translation data file by the function; and generating a display screen using the extracted term.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising a hardware processor, the hardware processor configured to install a translation data application and an add-on application on the image forming apparatus, the add-on application for customizing functions of the image forming apparatus, wherein:
the translation data application installed by the hardware processor has a data structure including:
a translation data file containing multiple terms in one or more languages; and
a definition file specifying an access method for the add-on application to access the translation data application and a function for the add-on application to extract a target term in a target language from the translation data file; and
upon activation of the add-on application installed by the hardware processor, the add-on application performs the following operations:
accessing the translation data application by the access method specified by the definition file, the definition file being included in the translation data application;
extracting a target term in a target language from the translation data file by the function specified by the definition file; and
generating a display screen using the extracted term.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a proxy function serving as an intermediary that blocks the add-on application from directly accessing the translation data application.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the translation data application includes an icon image data file in addition to or instead of the translation data file, the icon image data file containing icon images; and
the add-on application extracts a target icon image from the icon image data file by the function and generates a display screen using the extracted icon image.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the access method for the add-on application to access the translation data application is a link to an internal module of the image forming apparatus, the access method being specified by the definition file.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the module is enabled upon installation of the translation data application.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the translation data file included in the translation data application is one of the translation data files classified into groups; and
the data structure of the translation data application further includes a program for the image forming apparatus to download and install at least one of the translation data files from an external server.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data structure of the translation data application further includes information defining the translation data application as being accessible from the add-on application.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data structure of the translation data application further includes:
definition information defining the add-on application as being or not being allowed to access the translation data application; and
a prohibiting portion that prohibits the add-on application from accessing the translation data application or from being installed on the image forming apparatus, the add-on application not being allowed to access the translation data application.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a translation data application, the translation data application being installed on an image forming apparatus, the translation data application providing a translation data file to an add-on application, the add-on application for customizing functions of the image forming apparatus, wherein:
the translation data application includes: the translation data file containing multiple terms in one or more languages; and
a definition file specifying an access method for the add-on application to access the translation data application, the definition file specifying a function for the add-on application to extract a target term in a target language from the translation data file;
wherein, upon activation of the add-on application installed on the image forming apparatus, the add-on application performs the following operations:
accessing the translation data application by the access method specified by the definition file, the definition file being included in the translation data application;
extracting a target term in a target language from the translation data file by the function specified by the definition file; and
generating a display screen using the extracted term.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein the translation data file includes icon images.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein the access method for the add-on application to access the translation data application is a link to an internal module of the image forming apparatus, the access method being specified by the definition file.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein:
the translation data file included in the translation data application is one of the translation data files classified into groups; and
the translation data application further includes a program for the image forming apparatus to download and install at least one of the translation data files from an external server.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein the translation data application further includes information defining the translation data application as being accessible from the add-on application.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 9 , wherein the translation data application further includes definition information defining the add-on application as being or not being allowed to access the translation data application.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Kano Takahiro

Classifications

• G06F21/6209

  to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself · CPC title

• H04N1/00474

  outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print · CPC title

• G06F9/454

  Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation · CPC title

• G06F21/44

  Program or device authentication · CPC title

• H04N1/0097

  Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs · CPC title