# US 10,310,782 B2 · Image forming apparatus having a scanner, information processing system having the same, and information processing method using the same

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- Number: US 10,310,782 B2
- Document ID: US10310782B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/480,580
- Filed: 2017-04-06
- Published: 2017-10-26
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-20
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Hideki Yanagi
- Inventors: Hideki Yanagi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310782B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/1236: {Connection management}
- G06F 3/1203: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management}
- G06F 3/1285: {Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server}
- H04N 1/00244: {with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324)}
- H04N 1/4413: {involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN}
- G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job}
- G06F 3/1238: {Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs}
- H04L 67/146: Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
- H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

An information processing apparatus having an image processing function is provided that includes a memory storing a program and a processor configured to execute the program to implement processes of accepting an input of server information for establishing connection with a server apparatus that is connected to the information processing apparatus via a network, determining whether the accepted server information is valid, generating connection destination information including the accepted server information that has been determined to be valid and registering the generated connection destination information, and transmitting a processing result of the image processing function to the server apparatus using the registered connection destination information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a scanner;
a memory storing a program; and
a circuitry configured to execute the program to implement processes of
accepting an input of server information to be registered in the image forming apparatus for establishing connection between the image forming apparatus and a server apparatus via a network;
determining whether the accepted server information is valid in advance of registering connection destination information including the server information in the image forming apparatus; and
registering the connection destination information in the image forming apparatus; and
transmitting image data scanned by the scanner to the server apparatus using the registered connection destination information,
wherein the determining is performed after the server information is input and after an operation for a screen transition of an operation panel of the image forming apparatus is performed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry determines whether the accepted server information is valid based on address information included in the accepted server information; and
the circuitry determines that the accepted server information is invalid when the server apparatus specified by the address information included in the accepted server information does not exist.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the circuitry requests the server apparatus specified by address information included in the accepted server information to perform an authentication process using authentication information included in the accepted server information; and
the circuitry determines that the accepted server information is valid when the authentication process results in successful authentication of the authentication information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry further implements processes of
acquiring folder information indicating a hierarchy of folders in the server apparatus upon determining that the accepted server information is valid;
displaying a folder selection field based on the acquired folder information; and
generating the connection destination information that includes the accepted server information and information relating to a selected folder selected by a user via the displayed folder selection field.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
the circuitry determines that the accepted server information is valid before registering the connection destination information in the image forming apparatus.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an operation apparatus that is operated by a user; and
a main apparatus having the image processing function;
wherein the circuitry accepts the server information that has be generated by the user using the operation apparatus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the connection destination information includes variable information including the server information and fixed information including predetermined information stored in a first storage unit of the operation apparatus, the fixed information being referenced based on the variable information.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
when the circuitry determines that the accepted server information is invalid, the processor causes the operation apparatus to display a screen indicating that the accepted server information is invalid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
when the circuitry determines that the accepted server information is invalid, the processor causes the operation apparatus to display a screen for editing the server information.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the image processing function includes a scan function; and
the circuitry transmits image data of a scanned document generated by the scan function to the server apparatus using the registered connection destination information.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection information includes both fixed information including a server icon image and variable information including a server address.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to execute the program to implement processes of:
displaying a screen for a list of destination folders of scanned image indicated by the server information upon performing the screen transition,
wherein the determining is performed after the server information is input but before the screen transition to the list of destination folders of the scanned image is completed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining is performed after the server information is input and before finishing of user operation of registering the connection destination information including the server information in the image forming apparatus.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the screen transition is a transition from a screen to input the server information to a next screen, and is performed by a user for registering the connection destination information including the server information in the image forming apparatus.

### Claim 15

An information processing system including a information processing apparatus operated by a user and an image forming apparatus having an image processing function, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a scanner;
a memory storing a program; and
a circuitry configured to execute the program to implement processes of
accepting an input of server information to be registered in the image forming apparatus for establishing connection between the image forming apparatus and a server apparatus via a network;
determining whether the accepted server information is valid in advance of registering connection destination information including the server information in the image forming apparatus; and
registering the connection destination information in the image forming apparatus; and
transmitting image data scanned by the scanner to the server apparatus using the registered connection destination information,
wherein the determining is performed after the server information is input and after an operation for a screen transition of an operation panel of the image forming apparatus is performed.

### Claim 16

An image forming method that is implemented by an image forming apparatus having a scanner and an image processing function, the information processing method comprising:
accepting an input of server information to be registered in the image forming apparatus for establishing connection between the image forming apparatus and a server apparatus via a network;
determining whether the accepted server information is valid in advance of registering connection destination information including the server information in the image forming apparatus; and
registering the connection destination information in the image forming apparatus; and
transmitting image data scanned by the scanner to the server apparatus using the registered connection destination information,
wherein the determining is performed after the server information is input and after an operation for a screen transition of an operation panel of the image forming apparatus is performed.
