Communication system for executing coordinated operations using image processing apparatus, server and mobile terminal device

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• an image processor;
• a communication interface configured to communicate with a server via an Internet;
• a network interface configured to perform wireless communication with a mobile terminal device, using a wireless communication protocol;
• an operation interface;
• and
• a controller configured to execute a coordinated operation by sequentially performing a plurality of unit operations included in the coordinated operation, the plurality of unit operations being respectively defined by a plurality of pieces of operation definition information sequentially received from the server, the controller being further configured to:
• execute the coordinated operation by:
• receiving N-th operation definition information of the plurality of pieces of operation definition information from the server via the communication interface, N being a variable natural number equal to or more than one, the N-th operation definition information being for defining an N-th unit operation included in the coordinated operation;
• determining which one of an option selecting instruction and an operation instruction is included in the received N-th operation definition information;
• in response to determining that the N-th operation definition information includes the option selecting instruction to select one of options selectable in the coordinated operation, setting the operation interface into an acceptable state where the operation interface is allowed to accept an option selecting operation to select one of the selectable options;
• in response to accepting the option selecting operation via the operation interface, transmitting next-operation request information to the server via the communication interface, the next-operation request information being for requesting the server to transmit (N+1)th operation definition information that defines an (N+1)th unit operation following the N-th unit operation in the coordinated operation;
• and
• in response to determining that the N-th operation definition information includes the operation instruction that instructs the image processor to perform image processing, controlling the image processor to perform image processing as instructed by the operation instruction, in accordance with the selected option;
• set the network interface into a receivable state where the network interface is allowed to receive shortcut information from the mobile terminal device, the shortcut information indicating that the coordinated operation is started from an M-th unit operation of the plurality of unit operations, the M-th unit operation being defined by M-th operation definition information, M being a specific natural number equal to or more than two;
• and
• in response to receiving the shortcut information from the mobile terminal device via the network interface, transmit the received shortcut information to the server via the communication interface.

A server comprising:

• a storage configured to store a plurality of pieces of operation definition information;
• a communication interface configured to communicate with an external device via an Internet;
• and
• a controller configured to cause an image processing apparatus to execute a coordinated operation, by sequentially transmitting the plurality of pieces of operation definition information stored in the storage, the coordinated operation comprising a plurality of unit operations, the plurality of unit operations being respectively defined by the plurality of pieces of operation definition information, the controller being further configured to:
• receive coordinated-operation request information from the image processing apparatus via the communication interface;
• in response to receiving the coordinated-operation request information, transmit acquisition instruction information to the image processing apparatus via the communication interface, the acquisition instruction information being for instructing the image processing apparatus to receive shortcut information via wireless communication, the shortcut information indicating that the coordinated operation is started from an M-th unit operation of the plurality of unit operations, the M-th unit operation being defined by M-th operation definition information, M being a specific natural number equal to or more than two;
• receive the shortcut information from the image processing apparatus via the communication interface;
• and
• in response to receiving the shortcut information, transmit the M-th operation definition information to the image processing apparatus via the communication interface.

A mobile terminal device configured to cause an image processing apparatus to execute a coordinated operation, the coordinated operation comprising a plurality of unit operations that are defined by a plurality of pieces of operation definition information, respectively, the mobile terminal device comprising:

• a user interface;
• a storage configured to store shortcut information, the shortcut information indicating that the coordinated operation is started from an M-th unit operation of the plurality of unit operations, the M-th unit operation being defined by M-th operation definition information, M being a specific natural number equal to or more than two, the shortcut information comprising:
• identification information that identifies the M-th operation definition information;
• and
• option information indicating one or more particular options, the one or more particular options comprising one or more options that are selectable in each unit operation of first to (M-1)th unit operations and are to be used in each unit operation of the M-th and following unit operations;
• a network interface configured to communicate with an external device, using a wireless communication protocol;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• accept, via the user interface, a shortcut selecting operation to select the shortcut information stored in the storage;
• determine whether the shortcut information selected by the accepted shortcut selecting operation contains all of the option information necessary for the selected shortcut information;
• in response to determining that the shortcut information selected by the first shortcut selecting operation does not contain all of the option information necessary for the selected shortcut information, acquire necessary option information that is not contained in the shortcut information;
• and
• transmit the shortcut information containing the identification information and all of the necessary option information, to the image processing apparatus via the network interface.