Image processing apparatus, and remote operation system for image processing apparatus

Abstract

An image processing apparatus is configured to be capable of being remotely operated by a terminal device via a wireless communication line. The image processing apparatus is equipped with a body control unit, a LAN interface, and a body operation unit. The body operation unit is capable of displaying a plurality of operation keys and capable of receiving a touch operation with respect to each of the plurality of operation keys. The LAN interface is used in order to acquire a positional relationship between the terminal device and the image processing apparatus. The body control unit, when determining that the terminal device is located close to the image processing apparatus, disables a touch operation with respect to a specific operation key among the plurality of operation keys on the body operation unit.

1 . A remote operating system comprising a terminal device and an image processing apparatus which is capable of communicating with the terminal device via a wireless communication line,
 wherein the image processing apparatus comprises a main body controlling unit configured to selectively enable or disable at least a part of functions of the image processing apparatus in accordance with a type of the wireless communication line, and   wherein the main body controlling unit disables the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is a wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         2 . The remote operating system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the terminal device comprises a terminal controlling unit configured to selectively enable or disable at least a part of functions of the terminal device in accordance with a type of the wireless communication line, and   wherein the terminal device controlling unit enables the part, which corresponds to the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which is disabled, of the functions of the terminal device in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         3 . The remote operating system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the main body controlling unit enables the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus and the terminal device controlling unit disables the part of the functions of the terminal device in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is other than the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         4 . The remote operating system according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the part of the functions of the terminal device which is disabled is different from the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which is enabled in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is other than the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         5 . The remote operating system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, when the wireless local area network line which has been established between the image processing apparatus and the terminal device is disconnected, the main body controlling unit enables the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which has been disabled while the wireless local area network line which has been established.   
     
     
         6 . A method for controlling a remote operating system in which a terminal device and an image processing apparatus are capable of communicating with each other via a wireless communication line, comprising the steps of:
 causing the image processing apparatus to selectively enable or disable at least a part of the functions of the image processing apparatus; and   causing the image processing apparatus to disable the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is a wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         7 . The method for controlling the remote operating system according to  claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
 causing the terminal device to selectively enable or disable at least a part of functions of the terminal device in accordance with a type of the wireless communication line, and   causing the terminal device to enable the part, which corresponds to the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which is disabled, of the functions of the terminal device in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         8 . The method for controlling the remote operating system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus is enabled and the part of the functions of the terminal device is disabled in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is other than the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         9 . The method for controlling the remote operating system according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the part of the functions of the terminal device which is disabled is different from the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which is enabled in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is other than the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         10 . The method for controlling the remote operating system according to  claim 6 , further comprising the step of, when the wireless local area network line which has been established between the image processing apparatus and the terminal device is disconnected, enabling the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which has been disabled while the wireless local area network line which has been established. 
     
     
         11 . An image processing apparatus which is capable of communicating with a terminal device via a wireless communication line, comprising:
 a main body controlling unit configured to selectively enable or disable at least a part of functions of the image processing apparatus in accordance with a type of the wireless communication line,   wherein the main body controlling unit disables the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus, while the part of the functions of the terminal device is enabled, in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is a wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         12 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the part of functions of the image processing apparatus which is disabled corresponds to the part of the functions of the terminal device which is enabled in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is a wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         13 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the main body controlling unit enables the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus, while the part of the functions of the terminal device is disabled, in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is other than the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         14 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which is enabled is different from the part of the functions of the terminal device which is disabled in a case where the type of the wireless communication line used is other than the wireless local area network line.   
     
     
         15 . The remote operating system according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein, when the wireless local area network line which has been established between the image processing apparatus and the terminal device is disconnected, the main body controlling unit enables the part of the functions of the image processing apparatus which has been disabled while the wireless local area network line which has been established.