JP2003005937A - Processing device, processing method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] An object of the present invention is to make it possible to simultaneously operate peripheral devices attached to a computer icon by operating the icon. SOLUTION: The processing apparatus of the present invention obtains information of a computer on a network and connection information of a peripheral device connected thereto, and a computer on the network and a computer connected thereto based on the obtained connection information. Display means for displaying, on a display screen, the connection status of peripheral devices connected thereto, selecting means for selecting a computer on a network displayed on the display screen, and means for connecting to a computer selected based on the connection information. Search means for searching for a peripheral device present, and processing means for performing the same operation process on the searched peripheral device when operated on the selected computer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to display and processing techniques.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a PC (personal computer)
With the spread of peripheral devices such as a printer, a scanner, a digital camera, and a multi-function peripheral (also referred to as an MFP or a multifunction printer, which has a printer, a scanner, a fax function, etc. in one unit), a printer on a network, There is also an increasing need to share modems, scanners, etc. By sharing peripheral devices such as printers and scanners on the network, it is possible to reduce costs and minimize the installation location.

There is an application for displaying the connection status on the screen with an icon or the like in order to effectively use the devices for which sharing is set. Usually, the machine name and address are often used to uniquely determine the order, and it is difficult to find the device you use, so you can display the physical position by arranging and displaying the device you want to use. It has been proposed to create a network diagram that takes into consideration.

[0004]

However, in the prior art as described above, when a large number of peripheral devices are connected to the network, the network diagram in consideration of the physical position is taken into consideration. Very cumbersome to create,
Moreover, there were many errors and work efficiency was poor.

An object of the present invention is to operate (register or register) an icon on the PC main body when there is a peripheral device physically connected or when it is determined that the device should be physically located nearby. By moving the device, it is possible to easily create a layout diagram of the device in consideration of the physical position by having an operation such that the device associated therewith can be operated (registered or moved) at the same time.

Another object of the present invention is to have an operation such that by moving an icon on the main body of a device having a plurality of functions, such as a multifunction peripheral, functions associated with the icon can be moved at the same time. By doing so, it is possible to easily create a device layout drawing in consideration of the physical position.

[0007]

According to one aspect of the present invention, an acquisition means for acquiring the arrangement information of the main object and the sub-objects connected to it or arranged in the vicinity thereof, and the obtained arrangement information are used as a basis. A display means for displaying the arrangement status of the main object and the sub-object on a display screen, a selection means for selecting the main object displayed on the display screen, and the aforesaid arrangement information based on the arrangement information. Retrieval means for retrieving sub-objects connected to or arranged around the selected main object, and sub-objects retrieved by the retrieving means when operated on the selected main object Also, there is provided a processing device characterized by comprising processing means for performing the same operation processing.

According to another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition means for acquiring information about a computer on the network and connection information about peripheral devices connected thereto, and a computer on the network based on the acquired connection information Display means for displaying on the display screen the connection status of the peripheral devices connected thereto, selecting means for selecting a computer on the network displayed on the display screen, and the selection means based on the connection information. Searching means for searching peripheral devices connected to the computer, and processing for performing similar operation on the peripheral devices searched by the searching means when operated on the selected computer There is provided a processing device comprising:

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition unit for acquiring information on a plurality of functions possessed by a device in which a plurality of functional devices physically consist of one main device, and the acquired function information. Display means for displaying the main body device and the functional device included in the main body device on the display screen based on the above, selection means for selecting the main body device displayed on the display screen, and the selected based on the function information. Search means for searching a functional device included in the main body device; and processing means for performing a similar operation process on the functional device searched by the search means when operated on the selected main body device. There is provided a processing device comprising:

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition step of acquiring the arrangement information of the main object and the sub-objects connected to it or arranged in the periphery thereof, and the main object based on the acquired arrangement information. A display step of displaying the arrangement status of the object and the sub-object on the display screen, a selection step of selecting the main object displayed on the display screen, and the selected main object based on the arrangement information. A search step for searching for sub-objects that are connected to or located in the vicinity of the object,
A processing method is provided, which further comprises a processing step of performing a similar operation processing on the searched sub-object when the selected main object is operated. .

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition step of acquiring information of a computer on the network and connection information of a peripheral device connected thereto, and a computer on the network based on the acquired connection information. And a display step of displaying a connection status of peripheral devices connected thereto on a display screen, a selection step of selecting a computer on a network displayed on the display screen, and the selection based on the connection information. A searching step for searching for a peripheral device connected to the searched computer; and a processing step for performing a similar operation process on the searched peripheral device when operated on the selected computer. There is provided a processing method comprising:

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition step of acquiring information on a plurality of functions of a device in which a plurality of functional devices physically consist of one main device, and the acquired function information. A display step of displaying a main body device and a functional device included in the main body device on a display screen based on, a selection step of selecting a main body device displayed on the display screen, and the selection based on the function information. The system includes a search step of searching for a functional device included in the main body device, and a processing step of performing a similar operation process to the searched functional device when the selected main body device is operated. There is provided a processing method characterized by the above.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition procedure for acquiring the arrangement information of the main object and the sub-objects connected to or around the main object and the main object based on the acquired arrangement information. A display procedure for displaying the arrangement status of the object and the sub-object on the display screen, a selection procedure for selecting the main object displayed on the display screen, and the selected main object based on the arrangement information. A search procedure for searching for sub-objects that are connected to or located in the vicinity of the target object, and when operated on the selected main target object, the same operation is performed on the searched sub-target object. There is provided a program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure for performing the processing.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition procedure for acquiring information on a computer on a network and connection information on peripheral devices connected thereto, and a computer on the network based on the acquired connection information. And a display procedure for displaying the connection status of peripheral devices connected thereto on the display screen, a selection procedure for selecting a computer on the network displayed on the display screen, and the selection based on the connection information. A search procedure for searching for a peripheral device connected to the searched computer; and a processing procedure for performing a similar operation process on the searched peripheral device when operated on the selected computer. A program for causing a computer to execute is provided.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an acquisition procedure for acquiring information on a plurality of functions of a device in which a plurality of functional devices physically consist of one main device, and the acquired function information. Based on the display procedure of displaying the main body device and the functional device it has on the display screen, the selection procedure of selecting the main body device displayed on the display screen, and the selection based on the functional information. A computer is provided with a search procedure for searching for a functional device included in the main body device, and a processing procedure for performing a similar operation process on the searched functional device when the selected main device is operated. A program is provided to execute.

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to select only necessary devices from the peripheral devices shared on the network and display them in a layout that is easy for the user to understand. Information can be displayed on the screen and can be performed very efficiently when using these devices.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings along with examples. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the arrangement of a document processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a system bus, and each constituent block to be described below is connected to this system bus. 2 is CPU
(Central Processing Unit). 3 is a program memory (called PMEM),
A program for this processing is installed on the hard disk 10 as appropriate.
Select / read from and execute with 2 CPUs. Further, the data input from the keyboard 12 is stored as code information in the PMEM which is also a text memory. Four
Is a communication control unit, which controls input / output data at the communication ports 5. The signal output from the communication port 5 is transmitted to the communication port of another device on the network via the communication line 6. For communication with printers and image reading devices shared on the network,
This is performed via the communication control unit 4.

Although a network such as a LAN will be described in this embodiment, it goes without saying that this embodiment is applicable even if the communication port and the communication line connected to this communication control unit are general public lines. Yes.

Reference numeral 8 is an external storage control unit, 9 and 10 are disks for data files, for example, 9 is a floppy (R) disk (referred to as FD), and 10 is a hard disk (referred to as HD). Is.

An input control unit 11 is connected with input devices such as a keyboard 12 and a mouse 13. The operator operates the keyboard 11 to issue operation commands for the system. Further, 13 is a pointing device (PD) for instructing processing of image information on 16 CRTs.
In this embodiment, a mouse is used. As a result, the cursor on the CRT 16 is arbitrarily moved in the X and Y directions to select a command icon on the command menu to instruct processing, and also to instruct an object to be edited and instruct a drawing position. 14 is a video image memory (V
Referred to as RAM), 15 is a display output control unit, and 16 is a CRT.
Is. The data displayed on 16 CRTs are 11 VRs.
It is developed as bitmap data on AM. 1
A printer control unit 7 controls data output to the connected printer 18. An image reading apparatus control unit 1A controls the connected image reading device 1B. In the present embodiment, the image reading server device requires the components 1A and 1B, but the client side device, as described above, uses the communication control unit 4 and the communication port 5 to connect to the server side. The same shared components of can be used.

Further, the configuration of FIG. 1 has the same function even if the image reading device and the image reading device are physically separate components, or if the image reading device is one component including the image reading device. To have.

The program stored in the ROM in this embodiment is the hard disk (H
It may also be stored in a storage medium such as D) or FD. Further, it may be stored on another device connected to the network. In addition, the program of this embodiment is FD
It can be supplied to a system or device via a storage medium such as or HD or a network.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing this embodiment. First, in step S101, it is determined what display method should be used. Here, the determination is made according to the display method setting data stored in the memory or the like. There are two types of display methods: "list display" that displays all PCs or peripheral devices on the network and "personal map display" that displays only registered PCs or peripheral devices. Here, the registration information stored in the memory is read, and information such as the connection status and usage status of those devices is acquired, but in "List display", it is acquired for all PCs or peripheral devices on the network. In contrast to the display processing, the "personal map display" is performed only for the registered PC or peripheral device.

If the personal map display setting is not made in S101, the normal list display setting is made, and the process proceeds to S102. Here, information such as connection status and usage status of all PCs and peripheral devices on the network is acquired. Then, based on the acquired information, icons representing all PCs and peripheral devices are displayed on the screen.

FIG. 3 is an example of a list display screen for displaying a list of devices connected to the network. Reference numeral 301 denotes a screen of an application that realizes the present exemplary embodiment. On this display screen, focusing on the PC connected to the network,
Scanners and printers connected to them, for example,
Depending on the order of PC names, they are displayed in a staircase. Reference numeral 301 denotes a menu, a toolbar, and a main window in which icons representing PCs and peripheral devices are displayed.
Reference numerals 301a to 301j are toolbars having respective functions. 302a is the entire network, 302b is the domain to which it belongs, and 302c is an icon representing itself. The shape of the icon is PC, printer, scanner, FA
It is changed depending on the type of device such as X modem and MFP. Further, since its own device is a special device, it is displayed separately from other PCs. The icons 302d to 302j and other icons are icons representing the registered PCs or peripheral devices, respectively. Various processes can be performed by operating a mouse or a key on these icons. For example, when 301i is selected, the display can be switched to the personal map display. If 301j is selected, the mode is switched to the personal map display edit mode.

If the personal map display setting is made in S101, the process proceeds to S103. Here, of the PCs and peripheral devices on the network, information such as the connection status and the usage status of the devices registered on the personal map screen is acquired. Then, based on the acquired information, the PC
And icons representing peripheral devices are displayed on the screen.

FIG. 4 is an example of a personal map display screen.
In the personal map display, each individual selects / registers and displays only what he / she wants to display from the network connection device list. In this embodiment, it is possible to create a personal map screen in which it is easy to recognize the physical positional relationship by simultaneously displaying a drawing showing an office such as a desk or a chair. 401 includes a menu, a toolbar, and a main window in which icons representing PCs and peripheral devices are displayed. The toolbar is similar to that shown in FIG. For example, when 401j is selected, the display can be switched to the list display. Also, 401
When k is selected, the mode is switched to the personal map display edit mode. 403a is a figure showing a desk. 403b
Is a figure representing a chair. The desk parts and chair parts are created on the same screen as the device parts, but when the two parts overlap, the device parts are displayed in front.

In step S104, the editing of the personal map screen is selected to become the personal map editing screen.

Editing the personal map display is done by selecting an item from the menu or by selecting the 401k tool icon in FIG. If the personal map display editing is instructed here, the process proceeds to S105. Here, the data of the PC and peripheral devices registered in the personal map display are read from the stored data and displayed in the upper part of the application window. In addition, data such as the connection status and usage status of all PCs and peripheral devices on the network are also read and simultaneously displayed in the lower part of the window.

FIG. 5 is an example of a personal map edit screen, which is one of the screens of the application for realizing the present embodiment. 501, like 301, has a menu, a toolbar, and a main window in which icons representing a PC and peripheral devices are displayed. However, the toolbar is changed to an icon for editing, unlike FIG. 501a to 501h are toolbars.
Further, 502 is a "personal map display" window in which PCs and peripheral devices registered in the personal map display are displayed, and 503 is "list display" in which all PCs and peripheral devices on the network are displayed. It is a window. 502a to 502g and other 502
The icons in the window are icons indicating PCs and peripheral devices registered in the personal map display. The method of displaying these icons is as described above. The icons in the windows 503a to 503g and other 503 are icons representing all PCs and peripheral devices on the network. In this example, all the icons are not displayed for the convenience of the screen, but all P icons are displayed by using the scroll bar arranged on the side of the screen.
C and peripherals can be confirmed. Also, 50
PCs and peripheral devices that are already registered in the personal map display, such as 3b and 503d to 503g, are displayed with different icon display shapes, and the registration can be confirmed. The boundary line between the upper and lower rows can be moved up and down.

Reference numeral 504a is a created desk part, which is 5
Reference numeral 04b is the placed chair part. In this screen,
Apart from editing the layout of the icons of PCs and peripheral devices, it is possible to edit the graphics of office parts such as desks and chairs so that the physical position is easy to understand.

Next, in step S106, the PC is displayed on the personal map display.
And register peripheral devices. As an operation method,
There is a mouse operation. By dragging and dropping each icon from the list display window to the personal map display window, the icon can be registered at the position where the mouse is released. Conversely, by dragging and dropping the icon from the personal map display window to the list display window, the personal map display registration can be canceled. Further, as another operation, a pop-up menu can be displayed on the icon of each window to perform registration or cancellation. It is also possible to select a device and register or delete it from the menu. When the personal map display is registered by these operation methods, the icon is registered in the upper left of the personal map display window. If an icon already exists at this position, it is registered at the position that can be registered closest to that point.

FIG. 6 is a diagram in which a PC to which a plurality of image reading devices are connected is selected. The devices connected to each PC are displayed in the form of hanging under the PC. In this case, since the driver of the corresponding scanner is held inside the PC, it is determined that the scanner is connected, and the scanner icon is displayed. 602 and 603 are
The scanner has a driver stored inside the PC 601.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing dragging by designating a PC. Although the device can be registered in the personal map using other menus, in order to directly specify the arrangement position, in this embodiment, the device is dragged and dropped at the desired position. While dragging, the PC icon is displayed at the mouse position (701) and is moved and displayed as the mouse is moved.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the state where the mouse button is released and the PC icon is dropped. When dropped, it is searched whether or not there is a device connected to the PC (S108). Scanners, small printers, and the like are usually connected to a PC by a relatively short cable such as SCSI, Centro, or USB, and are often placed near the PC. Therefore, if there are connected devices 802 and 803 in the PC 801, they are arranged and registered in the vicinity (S109).

On the other hand, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a case where only connected devices are registered. When an image reading device is designated and dragged, an image reading function icon is similarly displayed with the mouse (902). When the image is dropped at the desired position, only the instructed image reading device is registered as shown in 1002 in FIG. 10 (S110).

FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart of the process of searching for a device connected to the PC in S108. 12 is an example of device list management data for displaying a device list.
Reference numeral 1201 represents the type of device, and data of a PC, a scanner, a printer, an MFP, etc. is stored therein. 1202
Is the name of the device, and the user has input the name. 1203 is attribute data and 1204 is status information. If the type of device is a scanner, a printer, an MFP, or the like, 1205 is the name of the host PC to which the device is connected and is controlled.
1206 is a comment.

First, in S1101, the data of the PC registered by the user is read from the device management data, and the name data is acquired. Next, in S1102, a search is performed for data that uses the name data as the host PC. That is, in FIG. 12, the device holding the name data is searched for in the portion 1205. When the corresponding device exists, the data of the device is read (S1104). The search is continuously performed (S1105), and the device data is read every time the corresponding device exists. After searching to the last data, end. Cancellation of registration is performed by the same procedure.

In step S111, the operation of canceling the registration of the PC and peripheral devices from the personal map screen is performed. As an operation method,
There is a mouse operation. You can cancel the personal map display registration by dragging and dropping the icon from the personal map display window to the list display window. In addition, as another operation, a pop-up menu can be displayed on the icon to cancel the registration. You can also select the device and cancel the registration from the menu.

When the registration is canceled, it is searched whether or not there is a device connected to the PC (S113). The P
If there is a connected device in C, the registration is canceled from the personal map at the same time as the PC (S114). If the deregistered device is not a PC, only the device is deregistered (S115).

FIG. 13 shows an example of a structure for storing registered information. 131 is a header part. 131a is the number of registered PCs or peripheral devices, 131b is the number of drawn graphic parts, and 131c is a comment. Reference numeral 132 is a data section. 132a is a registered device name, and 132b is attribute data. The attribute data represents the type of the device, and P
C, printers, scanners, fax modems, etc. 1
32c is status information. Status information includes
There is information such as "in use", "out of paper", and "driver not installed". 132d is display position information. It is the screen display position information of the device. 132
e is a comment. Similarly, 131a is stored in the data section.
The data is stored for the number of registrations stored in. Further, 133 is a parts data section. 133a is the type of the part being drawn, 133b is the size information of the part, 133c is the display position of the part, and 133d is a comment. Similarly, as many data as the number of registrations stored in 131b are stored in the parts data section.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing another embodiment. In step S1401, it is determined whether it is the desk that is being moved. If the desk is being moved, the current placement information of the desk is read according to 133 in FIG. 13 and the position occupied by the desk is calculated (S1402). Also, at this time, the movement amount of the desk is acquired. After that, the device information located in the position occupied by the desk is searched from the device information 132 in FIG. 13 (S1403). If there is a corresponding device, the device information is read (S1405). Repeat until the device data is completed (S1406). Next, in S1407, 13 of FIG.
From the parts information of 3, search for chair parts adjacent to the position occupied by the desk. If there is a corresponding chair part, the chair part information is read (S1409). Repeat until the parts data is completed (S1410). When the search of all the data is completed, S1402 is added to the position information of the information read in S1405 and S1409.
The movement amount of the desk acquired in step S14 is added to obtain new parts information (S1411).

FIG. 15 shows a state in which the desk part 1501 created on the personal map screen is selected.

FIG. 16 shows a state in which desk parts are selected and dragged for movement. As the mouse moves, a desk-shaped dotted line is displayed.

FIG. 17 is a view in which parts of the desk are arranged. A chair attached to the desk, a PC placed on the desk, and
It seems that the printing device and the image reading device have moved along with the movement of the desk.

As described above, the P registered by the user
In order to provide a method for displaying only C and peripheral devices, and for setting the same, a window displaying all of the PC and peripheral devices shared on the network and a window displaying only those registered by the user. On the same screen, an easy-to-see and easy-to-understand edit screen is provided, and at the time of registration / cancellation operations, all connected devices are registered when the PC is instructed, and only those peripheral devices are registered when only peripheral devices are specified. By setting it as a target of / cancellation, the personal map screen can be edited efficiently.

(Second Embodiment) The structure of the document processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as that shown in FIG. FIG.
2 is a flow chart showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
First, in step S201, it is determined what display method to use. Here, the determination is made according to the display method setting data stored in the memory or the like. There are two types of display methods: "list display" for displaying all PCs or peripheral devices on the network and "personal map display" for displaying only registered PCs or peripheral devices.
Here, the registration information stored in the memory is read, and information such as the connection status and the usage status of those devices is acquired. In "List display", all P on the network
Whereas the acquisition / display processing is performed for C or the peripheral device, the "personal map display" is performed only for the registered PC or the peripheral device.

If the personal map display setting is not made in S201, it is the normal list display setting and the process proceeds to S202. Here, information such as connection status and usage status of all PCs and peripheral devices on the network is acquired. Then, based on the acquired information, icons representing all PCs and peripheral devices are displayed on the screen.

An example of a list display screen for displaying a list of devices connected to the network is the same as in FIG.

If the favorite display setting is made in S201, the process proceeds to S203. Here, of the PCs and peripheral devices on the network, information such as the connection status and the usage status of the devices registered on the personal map screen is acquired. Then, based on the acquired information, the PC
And icons representing peripheral devices are displayed on the screen.

An example of the personal map display screen is the same as in FIG.

In S204, the edit of the personal map screen is selected, and the personal map edit screen is displayed. Editing the personal map display is done by selecting an item from the menu or by selecting the 401k tool icon in FIG. If the personal map display editing is instructed here, the process proceeds to S205. Here, the data of the PC and peripheral devices registered in the personal map display are read from the stored data and displayed in the upper part of the application window. In addition, data such as the connection status and usage status of all PCs and peripheral devices on the network are also read and simultaneously displayed in the lower part of the window.

The screen of the application for realizing this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. Here, 505a is an icon of the MFP main body, 505b is an icon representing the fax function of the MFP, and 505c is an icon representing the printer function.

The method of displaying the list of FIG. 5 will be described in detail below. FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a display method when a device driver is detected. Also,
FIG. 26 is an example of device list management data for displaying a device list.

Reference numeral 1301 represents the type of device,
Data of PC, scanner, printer, MFP, etc. are stored. 1302 is the name of the device. The presence / absence of peripheral devices connected to the PC is detected by the presence / absence of a driver for the function of each device installed in the PC. 1303 is attribute data, 1304 is status information, and 1305 is a comment.

First, in step S601, a driver installed in the PC is searched. If found (S602), the driver name is acquired (S60).
3), add to the device list management data together with the device type (S604).

FIG. 20 is an MFP driver correspondence table.
A device name of the MFP and a plurality of device driver names that the MFP can have are stored. That is,
The MFP driver correspondence table includes a device name S in addition to the index.
701, a printer driver name S702, a scanner driver name S703, and a fax driver name S704.
It is searched whether the added device driver name exists in the correspondence table of FIG. 20 (S605). If the device driver does not exist, the device driver independently represents one device, and therefore the corresponding icon is displayed as it is (S6).
10).

If it exists, the device driver acquires the device name to display the device icon because it is one of the functions that the MFP device should have (S607). Then, the icon corresponding to the device is displayed (S608), and then the icon corresponding to the device driver is displayed (S609). The search is continued until the driver search is completed (S602).

Next, in step S206, the MF for displaying the personal map is displayed.
Perform P registration operation. As an operation method, there is an operation using a mouse. By dragging and dropping each icon from the list display window to the personal map display window, the icon can be registered at the position where the mouse is released. Conversely, by dragging and dropping the icon from the personal map display window to the list display window, the personal map display registration can be canceled. Further, as another operation, a pop-up menu can be displayed on the icon of each window to perform registration or cancellation. It is also possible to select a device and register or delete it from the menu. When the personal map display is registered by these operation methods, the icon is registered in the upper left of the personal map display window. If an icon already exists at this position, it is registered at the position that can be registered closest to that point.

FIG. 21 is a diagram in which an MFP (multifunction printer: one having a plurality of functions such as a scanner, a printer, and a fax) is selected. M
The FP 1801 is displayed in a form in which an icon is hung under the main body for each function. In the figure, two icons, an MFP_FAX 1802 having a fax function and an MFP_PRN 1803 having a printer function, are hanging.

FIG. 22 is a diagram in which the MFP main body is designated and dragged. The device can be registered in the personal map using other menus, but in order to directly specify the arrangement position, in this embodiment, the device is dragged and dropped at the desired position. While dragging, at the mouse position,
The icon of the MFP body is displayed (1901) and is moved and displayed as the mouse is moved.

In FIG. 23, when the mouse button is released, the MF
It is a figure where the icon of P is dropped.

The MFP usually has the same size as a large-sized copying machine, and it is necessary to show that it occupies a certain range in the figure showing the physical position. The fax function icon 4002 and the printer function icon 4003 installed in the MFP 4001 are simultaneously registered in the personal map screen (S208).

On the other hand, FIG. 24 is a diagram when registering the printer function portion of the MFP. When the icon MFP_PRN 4101 of the printer portion is designated and dragged, the icon 4102 of the printer function is similarly displayed according to the mouse operation. When dropped at the desired position, a printer icon 4202 is displayed along with the icon 4204 indicating the main body as shown in FIG. 25 (S209). Cancellation of registration is performed by the same procedure.

In step S210, the operation for canceling the registration of the MFP from the personal map screen is performed. As an operation method, there is an operation using a mouse. By dragging and dropping the icon from the personal map display window to the list display window,
You can cancel the personal map display registration.

As another operation, the registration can be canceled by displaying a pop-up menu on the icon. You can also select the device and cancel the registration from the menu.

When the registration is canceled, it is searched whether the icon is the MFP main body icon (S211). If it is the MFP main body icon, at the same time as the MFP main body icon, MF
Unregister the P function icon from the personal map (S2
12). When the deregistered device is the MFP function icon, only the function is deregistered (S213).
An example of the structure that stores the registered information is the same as in FIG.

As described above, the M registered by the user
In order to set the method to display only FP, and to perform the setting, it is easy to see on the same screen a window that displays all the MFPs shared on the network and a window that displays only those registered by the user. An edit screen that is easy to cut is provided, and if the devices are physically the same among multiple device drivers, a device icon that collectively displays the device drivers is provided, and the device icon can be displayed during registration / cancellation operations. If you specify the icon, all the device drivers in the list are
Further, when each function is instructed, only the function is targeted for registration / cancellation, so that the personal map screen can be efficiently edited.

This embodiment can be realized by the computer executing the program. Further, means for supplying the program to the computer, for example, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM storing the program or a transmission medium such as the Internet for transmitting the program can be applied as the embodiment of the present invention.
The above program, recording medium, and transmission medium are included in the scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that each of the above embodiments is merely an example of the embodiment in carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be limitedly interpreted by these. Is. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its technical idea or its main features.

[0071]

As described above, according to the present invention, for example, it is possible to select only a necessary device from the peripheral devices shared on the network and set it so that the user can display it in an easy-to-understand arrangement. The minimum connection status information of the devices can be displayed on the screen, which can be performed very efficiently when using those devices.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a network device list screen display according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map display screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map edit screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of this embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a structure for storing network list information according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a structure for storing registered information according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of this embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map edit screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map edit screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map edit screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of device icon display according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an MFP function correspondence table of the present embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map edit screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map editing screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a personal map edit screen of the present embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a structure for storing device list information according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 system bus 2 CPU 3 program memory 4 Communication control unit 5 communication ports 6 communication lines 7 Other devices on the network 8 External storage device controller Disk for data files 11 Input control unit 12 keyboard 13 Input device such as mouse 14 Video image memory 15 Display output controller 16 CRT 17 Printer control unit 18 Printer 19 External device controller 1A Image input device controller 1B image input device

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. An acquisition unit for acquiring arrangement information of a main object and a sub-object connected to or around the main object, and an arrangement situation of the main object and the sub-object based on the acquired arrangement information. Display means for displaying on the display screen, selecting means for selecting the main object displayed on the display screen, and connected to or around the selected main object based on the arrangement information. Searching means for searching a sub-object that is present, and processing means that, when operated on the selected main object, performs similar operation processing on the sub-object searched by the searching means. And a processing device. 2. The search means further comprises means for determining that the selected main object is a computer, and means for determining that the operation on the computer is registration or deregistration. , Searching for the peripheral device as the sub-object connected to the selected main object is a peripheral device, and the processing means performs an operation of registering or canceling the selected computer. 2. The processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: performing the same operation processing on the peripheral device searched by the searching means. 3. The search means further comprises means for determining that the selected main object is a desk, and means for determining that the operation on the desk is moving or deleting. The sub-objects arranged around the selected main object are searched, and when the processing means moves or deletes the selected desk, the processing means searches the sub-objects. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the same operation processing is performed on the sub-object. 4. The apparatus further comprises means for determining that the selected main object is a main body device, and means for determining that the operation on the main body device is registration or deregistration. The means searches the functional device as the sub-objects connected to the selected main device as a plurality of functional devices included in the main device, the processing means 2. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein when a registration or cancellation operation is performed by performing the registration operation, the same operation process is performed on the functional device searched by the search means. 5. An acquisition unit that acquires information about a computer on a network and connection information about a peripheral device connected thereto, and a computer on the network and peripheral devices connected thereto based on the acquired connection information. Display means for displaying the connection status on a display screen, selection means for selecting a computer on the network displayed on the display screen, and peripherals connected to the selected computer based on the connection information. And a processing unit that, when operated on the selected computer, performs a similar operation on the peripheral device searched by the searching unit. And processing equipment. 6. The computer further comprises means for acquiring usage status information of the computer and / or peripheral equipment connected thereto, wherein the display means is connected to the computer and / or the computer based on the usage status information. The processing device according to claim 5, wherein the usage status of the peripheral device being displayed is displayed. 7. The process according to claim 6, further comprising means for selecting and registering a computer or peripheral device, and the display means simultaneously displays a connection status list screen and a registration screen. apparatus. 8. The processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for switching the list screen and the registration screen. 9. The computer according to claim 7, wherein the registration unit registers the computer or the peripheral device and the position thereof, and the display unit displays the computer or the peripheral device based on the position information. Processing equipment. 10. An acquisition unit that acquires information on a plurality of functions of a device in which a plurality of functional devices are physically configured by one main device, and a main device and the main device based on the acquired function information. Display means for displaying the functional device on the display screen, selecting means for selecting the main body device displayed on the display screen, and searching for the functional device of the selected main body device based on the functional information. A process comprising: a search unit, and a processing unit that, when operated on the selected main unit, performs the same operation process on the functional device searched by the search unit. apparatus. 11. The apparatus further comprises means for selecting and registering a main body device or a functional device, wherein the display means simultaneously displays a list screen and a registration screen of the main body device and the functional devices included therein. The processing device according to claim 10. 12. The processing device according to claim 11, further comprising means for switching the list screen and the registration screen. 13. The registration means registers the main body device or the functional device and its position, and the display means displays the main body device or the functional device based on the position information. The processing device described. 14. An acquisition step of acquiring arrangement information of a main object and a sub-object connected to or around the main object, and a disposition state of the main object and the sub-object based on the acquired arrangement information. A display step of displaying on the display screen, a selection step of selecting the main object displayed on the display screen, and a connection step or a peripheral area to the selected main object based on the arrangement information. And a processing step of performing a similar operation process on the searched sub-object when the selected main object is operated. A processing method characterized by that. 15. An acquisition step of acquiring information of a computer on a network and connection information of a peripheral device connected thereto, and a computer of the network and peripheral devices connected thereto based on the acquired connection information. A display step of displaying the connection status on a display screen, a selection step of selecting a computer on the network displayed on the display screen, and a peripheral connected to the selected computer based on the connection information. A process comprising: a search step of searching for a device; and a processing step of performing a similar operation process on the searched peripheral device when operated on the selected computer. Method. 16. An acquisition step of acquiring information on a plurality of functions of a device in which a plurality of functional devices physically consist of one main device, and a main device and the main device based on the acquired function information. A display step of displaying the functional device on a display screen; a selection step of selecting a main device displayed on the display screen; and a search for a functional device of the selected main device based on the functional information. A processing method comprising: a search step; and a processing step of performing a similar operation process on the searched functional device when the selected main device is operated. 17. An acquisition procedure for acquiring the arrangement information of the main object and the sub-objects connected to or around the main object, and the arrangement situation of the main object and the sub-object based on the acquired arrangement information. A display procedure to be displayed on a display screen, a selection procedure to select the main object displayed on the display screen, and a connection to or around the selected main object based on the arrangement information. A computer that has a search procedure for searching for a sub-object that is present, and a processing procedure that, when operated on the selected main object, performs a similar operation on the searched sub-object. Program to run on. 18. An acquisition procedure for acquiring information of a computer on a network and connection information of a peripheral device connected thereto, and a computer of the network and peripheral devices connected thereto based on the acquired connection information. A display procedure for displaying the connection status on a display screen, a selection procedure for selecting a computer on the network displayed on the display screen, and a peripheral connected to the selected computer based on the connection information. A program for causing a computer to execute a search procedure for searching for a device and a processing procedure for performing a similar operation process on the searched peripheral device when operated on the selected computer. 19. An acquisition procedure for acquiring information on a plurality of functions possessed by a device in which a plurality of functional devices are physically configured by one main device, and a main device and the main device based on the acquired function information. A display procedure for displaying the functional device on the display screen, a selection procedure for selecting the main device displayed on the display screen, and a search for a functional device included in the selected main device based on the functional information. A program for causing a computer to execute a search procedure and a processing procedure for performing a similar operation process on the searched functional device when operated on the selected main device.