JP5286312B2 - Server device and server application program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a server device and a server application program.

  In recent years, services that provide storage on the Web (online storage) for a fee are increasing. In conventional online storage, the billing amount is determined based on the maximum storage capacity, the total available HDD capacity, the number of servers, and the like. For this reason, as long as it was within that range, the charge amount was constant no matter how much it was stored.

  However, some of the online storage services provided by the recently introduced “cloud computing” have virtually unlimited maximum storage capacity, and are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis based on the amount of data stored and the amount of data communicated. A service to decide has appeared. Since the total charge amount is not fixed in advance, if the data amount is stored without worrying about the amount of data, there is a possibility that an amount more than expected may be charged.

  For example, it is assumed that there are two online storages A and B in which a rate plan as shown in FIG. 8 is set. In the rate plan shown in FIG. 8, a storage usage fee (storage fee), a request fee, and a communication fee (uplink and downlink) are set, and the setting contents are different between the online storages A and B.

  When online storage A and B are both contracted and available for use, the total fee varies depending on the data size and usage frequency, so it is better to use which online storage depending on the usage situation. It is necessary to judge each time.

  Patent Document 1 describes an optimum telephone company selection method that can always accurately select a telephone company with the lowest communication charge. In the optimum telephone company selection method of Patent Document 1, prior to file transfer, the capacity of a file to be transferred notified from the FTP server is detected, and the time required for communication is calculated. In addition, taking into account the time of communication, the telephone company that minimizes the communication charge is automatically selected based on the time required for communication, the time when file transfer is performed, and the billing correction information that differs for each telephone company. select.

  Patent Document 2 describes a data transfer system that automatically selects a line for which the communication fee is low according to the amount of transferred data, among packet-switched calls or line calls. In the data transfer system of Patent Document 2, the communication fee is reduced by referring to the file size of the transfer file described in the code file and the data table that is the basis for calculating the communication fee for packet-switched calls and circuit-switched calls. Automatically select the line and connect.

  As described above, conventionally, a technique for minimizing the billing amount at the time of communication has been proposed. However, with the subsequent spread of broadband, communication charges became flat-rate, and billing for communication infrastructure became no problem. Further, unlike the communication targeted in Patent Documents 1 and 2, as shown in FIG. 8, in online storage, charging is also performed when data is stored and when the stored data is acquired (read). For this reason, online storage usage fees are not uniquely determined at the time of storage, and it is necessary to estimate the total amount of charges in consideration of the fees after storage and compare which online storage is better .

  However, it is difficult to determine an appropriate storage location because it takes a lot of labor to make comparisons every time online storage is used, and the data size and data contents stored in online storage differ each time. It was.

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to determine a storage location where a chargeable total amount is advantageous from a plurality of online storages and store a data file. And a server application program.

The present invention provides a storage information recording means for recording fee information for using the online storage, a file input means for inputting a data file, and a file input means for each of a plurality of online storages that are data file storage destination candidates. A usage frequency input unit that inputs an expected usage frequency for the data file input by the file input unit, and a file size before and after the data file is compressed and the prediction for each of a plurality of online storages that are data file storage destination candidates Calculation means for calculating a comparison value based on usage frequency and the fee information, and online storage as a storage destination of the data file based on the comparison value for each of the plurality of online storages calculated by the calculation means determining means for determining, in the determination unit When the online storage determined as the storage destination is determined based on the comparison value calculated based on the file size after compressing the data file, the data file input by the file input means is stored. Compression means for compressing .

  According to the present invention in which such a measure is taken, the data file can be stored by determining a storage destination where the total charge amount is advantageous from a plurality of online storages.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the system in this embodiment. The block diagram which shows the function provided by the server application of the server apparatus in this embodiment. The flowchart shown about operation | movement of the server apparatus in this embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of image data file storage destination determination processing of the server device in the present embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the operation content determination screen. The figure which shows an example of a utilization frequency setting screen. The figure which shows an example of the email for notifying the storage location of a data file. The figure which shows an example of the charge plan of online storage. The figure which shows the value used with a calculation formula. The figure which shows the example of the comparison value calculated about online storage 16A, 16B according to the difference of use frequency and data size. The figure which shows the example of the comparison value calculated about online storage 16A, 16B according to the difference of use frequency and data size. The figure which shows the example of the comparison value calculated about online storage 16A, 16B according to the difference of use frequency and data size.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system in the present embodiment. The server device 10 uses a data file transmitted by the control operation of the user 14 from the information processing device 12 connected via the network, and the charge is advantageous to the user among the plurality of online storages 16 (16A, 16B). Select and store services.

  The server device 10 has a computer function, and provides various functions by executing an OS (Operating System) and various application programs recorded on a recording medium by a processor. In the present embodiment, the server application 10a that provides a service for storing the data file in the online storage 16 is realized by the server application program. A plurality of information processing devices 12 are connected to the server device 10 via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), an intranet, or the Internet, and a data file storage request is received from these information processing devices 12.

  The information processing apparatus 12 is an apparatus that processes various data files. For example, an MFP (Multi Function Printer) having a printer function, a scanner function, and a FAX function is used. The information processing apparatus 12 is equipped with computer functions, and implements various functions by executing an OS and application programs recorded on a recording medium. The MFP is equipped with, for example, a scan API (Application Programming Interface), and the server device 10 stores an image data file (image data file) read by the scan function as a data file to be stored in the online storage 16. Obtained by.

  In addition, the information processing apparatus 12 incorporates a program for browsing information such as a Web browser, for example, through which the operation screen provided by the server apparatus 10 is presented to the user 14 and control operations from the user. And various data.

  The plurality of online storages 16 (16A, 16B) provide online storage services, store data files received via a network such as the Internet, and request data files stored in response to read requests. Send to the original. In the present embodiment, in order to use the service of the online storage 16, it is necessary to register in advance, and an authentication process is required when accessing the online storage 16 (storage and reading of a data file). .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating functions provided by the server application 10 a of the server device 10.
As shown in FIG. 2, the server application 10a implements the functions of an input control unit 20, a data recording unit 21, a control unit 22, a file input unit 23, a file output unit 24, and a notification unit 25.

  The input control unit 20 provides an operation screen to the information processing apparatus 12 and accepts a control operation and various data from the user through the operation screen. The input control unit 20 includes a login information input unit 20 a that inputs login information for performing an authentication process in response to an access request from the information processing apparatus 12, and a usage frequency indicating a usage frequency of file data stored in the online storage 16. A usage frequency input unit 20b for inputting data is provided. The input control unit 20 provides an operation screen to the user through the Web browser of the information processing apparatus 12.

  The file input unit 23 inputs a data file to be stored in the online storage 16 from the information processing apparatus 12. The file input unit 23 causes the data recording unit 21 to temporarily record a data file (for example, an image data file) received from the information processing apparatus 12.

  The file input unit 23 does not access the information processing device 12 and input a data file, but rather a predetermined recording location (server 10 or other location) where the data file is recorded by the information processing device 12. The storage area (holder) secured in the data storage server may be monitored, and when it is detected that the data file is stored, the data file may be input via this storage area.

  The data recording unit 21 records various data processed by the server device 10, and records various data in addition to the data file received from the information processing device 12 by the file input unit 23. The data recorded in the data recording unit 21 includes rate plan information 21a, connection information 21b, user information 21c, and the like.

  The charge plan information 21a is information related to a charge plan determined for each of the plurality of online storages 16 (16A, 16B) that can store data files from the server device 10. The rate plan information 21a includes, for example, a storage usage fee (storage fee), a request fee, a communication fee (up and down), and the like. It is assumed that the fee plan information 21a is recorded in advance by the administrator of the server device 10, for example.

  The connection information 21b is information necessary for accessing the online storage 16, and includes an address for accessing the online storage 16.

  The user information 21c is information related to a user who uses a service provided by the server device 10, and is set at the time of user information or personal information provided in advance by the user in order to use the service provided by the server device 10, for example. Authentication information etc. shall be included. The personal information includes, for example, an e-mail address. The authentication information requires two types of authentication information required for authentication from the information processing device 12 to the server device 10 (server application 10a) and authentication information required for authentication from the server device 10 to the online storage 16. . When the user can use a plurality of online storages 16, a plurality of pieces of authentication information corresponding to the respective online storages 16 are included. In this embodiment, the server application 10a executes authentication processing (authentication function unit 22a and storage authentication function unit 22e described later), but authentication processing is performed in an external authentication server connected via a network. You may make it perform.

  Note that authentication from the information processing apparatus 12 to the server apparatus 10 (server application 10a) can be made unnecessary. In this case, the user can be specified by sending only the user name included in the personal information from the information processing device 12 to the server device 10, for example, and authentication information such as a password can be made unnecessary.

  The control unit 22 controls each function constituting the server application 10 a and executes processing for storing the data file in the online storage 16. The control unit 22 includes functions of an authentication function unit 22a, a data size confirmation unit 22b, a calculation processing unit 22c, a compression processing unit 22d, and a storage authentication function unit 22e.

  In response to the login request from the information processing apparatus 12, the authentication function unit 22 a performs authentication processing with reference to authentication information in the user information 21 c recorded in advance in the data recording unit 21. As authentication information for specifying a user, for example, an ID or password indicated by characters such as alphanumeric characters, biometric information based on a fingerprint, a vein pattern, or the like is used.

  The data size confirmation unit 22 b confirms the data size of the data file to be stored in the online storage 16 input by the file input unit 23.

  The calculation processing unit 22c is for executing various types of calculation processing. When there is a storage request from the information processing apparatus 12 to the online storage 16 of the data file, a plurality of online processing candidates for data file storage destinations are provided. For each storage, a comparison value that is referred to in order to determine an online storage as a data file storage destination is calculated.

  For example, the calculation processing unit 22c determines that the expected usage frequency is high based on the upstream communication fee for storing the data file in the online storage and the downstream communication fee for reading the stored data file from the online storage. The comparison value is calculated based on the condition that the influence of the down charge is stronger than the up charge, and that the influence of the up charge is stronger than the down charge when the expected usage frequency is low. Furthermore, the calculation processing unit 22c is based on the storage fee when storing the data file in the online storage, and if the size of the input data file is large, the influence of the storage fee and the down charge increases and the input is performed. When the size of the data file is small, the comparison value is calculated based on the condition that the influence of the storage fee and the downstream fee is weakened.

  The control unit 22 determines an online storage as a data file storage destination based on the comparison value for each of the plurality of online storages calculated by the calculation processing unit 22c. When the data file is compressed by the compression processing unit 22d and stored in the online storage 16, the comparison value is calculated based on the file size of the data file after being compressed by the compression processing unit 22d. To do.

  The compression processing unit 22d compresses the data file input by the file input unit 23. The compression processing unit 22d uses a compression method that uses a moderately reversible compression method, such as ZIP compression, and a high compression rate, such as a high-compression PDF file, that makes editing impossible. An irreversible compression method may be used. Whether to compress the data file and whether to use a reversible method or an irreversible compression method when compressing the data file may be determined in advance by the server application 10a or may be specified by the user. Anyway.

  The storage authentication function unit 22e executes authentication processing for the online storage 16 determined as the data file storage destination by the control unit 22 based on the authentication information for the online storage 16 recorded in the data recording unit 21.

  The file output unit 24 sends the data file to be stored temporarily recorded in the data recording unit 21 to the online storage as the storage destination of the data file determined by the control unit 22 via the network (Internet). Output.

  The notification unit 25 notifies the user of the online storage determined as the data file storage destination determined by the control unit 22. The notification unit 25 uses e-mail as a notification method, for example, refers to the user information 21c corresponding to the user who is authenticated at the time of login, and uses the e-mail address of the user information 21c to store the storage location notification e-mail. Generate and send an email.

  Next, the operation of the server device 10 (server application 10a) in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the data file can be stored in the plurality of online storages 16A and 16B from the server device 10. In the server application 10a, it is assumed that the administrator records the charge plan information 21a and connection information 21b for each of the online storages 16A and 16B in the data recording unit 21 in advance. Further, it is assumed that user information 21c is acquired at the time of user registration and recorded in the data recording unit 21 for a user who uses the service of the server application 10a.

  Note that the charge plan information 21a of the online storages 16A and 16B is not recorded in advance by the administrator, but may be acquired whenever the information is required. For example, when the server application 10a is provided with an acquisition function for acquiring rate plan information and the rate plan information is required (for example, when a data file storage request is made), for example, the rates for a plurality of online storages The server that provides the plan information and the online storages 16A and 16B that are candidates for the storage destination are accessed to acquire the charge plan information and record it in the data recording unit 21.

  First, the user accesses the server apparatus 10 through the information processing apparatus 12 when using the service provided by the server apparatus 10 (server application 10a) to store the data file in the online storage.

  The input control unit 20 (login information input unit 20a) of the server apparatus 10 causes the information processing apparatus 12 that has accessed to input login information (authentication information) for specifying the user (FIG. 1 (1)). . As a login method, various methods such as a method of inputting an ID or a password, a method of using a medium including authentication information such as an IC card or biometric information, and a reader terminal thereof can be considered.

  The authentication function unit 22a performs login (authentication) processing on the login information input by the login information input unit 20a with reference to the user information 21c recorded in the data recording unit 21, and is registered as a user. It is discriminated whether the access is from a user who is currently on (step A1). Here, the control unit 22 retains login information that is input by the login information input unit 20a and identifies the logged-in user.

  After the user is confirmed by the login (authentication) process, the input control unit 20 displays an operation content determination screen through the Web browser of the information processing apparatus 12 (step A2).

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the operation content determination screen. From the operation content determination screen shown in FIG. 5, any of the operations “scan”, “print”, and “send fax” can be selected in the information processing apparatus 12 (MFP) (FIG. 1 (2)). . Here, it is assumed that “scan” is selected as the operation content in order to store the image data file read by the scanner function of the information processing apparatus 12 (MFP) in the online storage 16 (step A3, Yes). ).

  When “scan” is selected, the usage frequency input unit 20 b of the input control unit 20 causes the information processing apparatus 12 to display a usage frequency setting screen. The usage frequency setting screen is a screen for designating the user's expected usage frequency for the data file when the data file is stored in the online storage 16.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the usage frequency setting screen. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the stored data file is divided into five stages (1 to 5) from “record storage purpose” to “frequently refer to” which are not normally used, and any one of the stages is selected. Can be selected.

  Here, when any stage is selected on the usage frequency setting screen by the user operation and the start of scanning is requested through the “start” button, the information processing apparatus 12 (MFP) is set as the storage target set. Scan the document and read the image data. Also, the usage frequency input unit 20b receives usage frequency data indicating the expected usage frequency selected on the usage frequency setting screen in response to the scan start request (step A5, Yes) and records it in the data recording unit 21 ( Step A6).

  On the other hand, the file input unit 23 outputs an image data acquisition instruction to the information processing apparatus 12, for example, and receives image data output from the information processing apparatus 12 in response to the acquisition instruction (step A7) (FIG. 1 (3)). The image data 21d received by the file input unit 23 is temporarily recorded in the data recording unit 21 (step A8).

  The server application 10a executes image data file storage destination determination processing for determining the storage destination of the image data file input from the information processing apparatus 12 as one of a plurality of online storages (step A9). In the image data file storage destination determination process, a storage destination where the total charge is advantageous is determined from a plurality of online storages. Here, the online storages 16A and 16B are data file storage destination candidates. The storage destination candidate is, for example, the online storage 16 registered by the user who requested the storage of the data file, that is, the online storage 16 corresponding to the authentication information acquired from the user.

  First, the calculation processing unit 22c obtains an online storage parameter corresponding to each charge amount for each of the online storages 16A and 16B (step B1). The online storage parameter is used to calculate a comparison value (described later) for determining an online storage that is advantageous in the total charge amount.

  The online storage can be calculated and obtained based on the charge plan information 21a for each of the online storages 16A and 16B registered in advance in the server application 10a, for example. The calculation may be performed based on the communication records with the online storages 16A and 16B. Furthermore, when a function for confirming the charge amount is provided for the online storages 16A and 16B, the online storages 16A and 16B may be accessed for confirmation (FIG. 1 (4)). ).

The data size confirmation unit 22b confirms the data size of the image data file temporarily stored as the storage target (step B2). When the image data file is compressed and stored in the online storage 16, the data size of the image data file after being compressed by the compression processing unit 22d is confirmed.

  The calculation processing unit 22c calculates a comparison value for each of the online storages 16A and 16B based on the file size of the image data file confirmed by the data size confirmation unit 22b, the usage frequency data specified by the user, and the online storage parameters. Calculate (step B3) (FIG. 1 (5)).

  The comparison value is basically calculated so that all the charges are low, and the degree of influence of each charge varies depending on the conditions (high influence = higher the charge is advantageous). In other words, “the lower the frequency of use, the stronger the impact of the upstream fee and the weaker the impact of the downstream fee” “the higher the usage frequency, the weaker the impact of the upstream fee and the stronger the impact of the downstream fee” “the smaller the data size, the lower the storage fee "The impact of download charges will be weakened" and "the larger the data size, the stronger the effects of storage charges and download charges" will be comprehensively judged by the storage usage charges and conditions at that time, and the storage with the most advantageous total charge An operation is performed so that can be selected. A specific comparison value calculation will be described later.

  Based on the comparison values for the online storages 16A and 16B calculated by the calculation processing unit 22c, the control unit 22 determines the online storage 16 that is advantageous in the total charge when the image data file is stored ( Step B4).

  When the storage destination online storage 16 is thus determined by the image data file storage destination determination process, the storage authentication function unit 22e uses the authentication information of the online storage 16 determined as the storage destination included in the user information 21c. Then, an authentication process at the time of data storage is executed for the online storage 16 via the network (step A10).

  After completing the authentication process, the file output unit 24 outputs and stores the image data file input from the information processing apparatus 12 in the online storage 16 determined as the storage destination (step A11) (FIG. 1 (6)). )).

  Further, the notification unit 25 notifies the user of the online storage 16 that is the storage destination of the image data file determined by the control unit 22 (step A12). In this embodiment, the user is notified by e-mail. The notification unit 25 creates an e-mail for notifying the online storage 16 determined by the control unit 22, and transmits it to the e-mail address included in the personal information of the user information 21c.

FIG. 7 shows an example of an e-mail for notifying the storage location of the data file received by the user.
As shown in FIG. 7, the e-mail received from the server apparatus 10 indicates that the image data file “file20090820_001.pdf” is stored in the online storage “www.foo.com”. As a result, the user can recognize which online storage is stored as a result of operating the information processing apparatus 12 and requesting the server apparatus 10 to store the image data file.

  In this way, by requesting the server device 10 to store the data file, it is estimated that the total charge amount is minimized without the user directly specifying the online storage as the data file storage destination. Can be stored in online storage.

Next, a specific calculation example for determining the online storage 16 as a data file storage destination will be described.
As parameters for determining the storage destination, in the following example, the “storage fee (use fee)”, “uplink (communication) fee”, “downlink (communication) fee” charged when the online storage 16 is used, and the data file to be stored The “data size” that varies depending on the user's usage and the expected “usage frequency” determined by the user's usage situation are used.

  Here, the charge plans of the online storages 16A and 16B shown in FIG. 8 are targeted. The values used in the calculation examples in the rate plan are “storage fee”, “uplink fee”, and “downlink fee” shown in FIG. 9 (in FIG. 9, the charge unit is changed to cent / (GB / month). is there).

Further, the online storage parameter a is calculated as follows, for example.
Online storage parameter a
= (Squared of down charge / (square of storage charge x up charge)) x 100
(The unit of charge is cent / (GB / month))
Here, for example, a calculation formula for calculating a comparison value for online storage is as follows:
Comparison value y = 1 / (log a (N) + (b × s))
And In the calculation formula,
a: Online storage parameter N: Frequency of use
b: Downhill charges (unit is cents / (GB / month))
s: Data size (GB)
Represents. It can be estimated that the smaller the value of the comparison value y that is the calculation result, the lower the total charge amount.

  10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 show examples of comparison values calculated for the online storages 16A and 16B according to the difference in usage frequency and data size.

  FIG. 10 shows a comparison value corresponding to a difference in data size when the usage frequency is “1”. As shown in FIG. 10, when the usage frequency is 1 (the stored data file is rarely used for the purpose of storage), it is better to store it in the online storage 16B regardless of the size of the stored data file. Then, it can be determined that the total charge amount is reduced. Therefore, in this case, the online storage 16B is determined as the data file storage destination.

  FIG. 12 shows a comparison value corresponding to the difference in data size when the usage frequency is “5”. As shown in FIG. 12, when the usage frequency is 5 (reading and using frequently stored data files), it is generally charged that the data is stored in the online storage 16A regardless of the size of the stored data file. It can be determined that the total amount is cheap. Accordingly, in this case, the online storage 16A is determined as the data file storage destination.

  FIG. 11 shows a comparison value corresponding to a difference in data size when the usage frequency is “3”. As shown in FIG. 11, when the usage frequency is 3, the size of the stored data file is smaller than about 0.08 (80 MB) (between the data sizes 0.01 and 0.1 shown in FIG. 12). If it is within the range, it can be determined that the total charge amount is lower when stored in the online storage 16A, but it can be determined that the total charge amount is lower when stored in the online storage 16A at about 0.08 or more. As described above, although the total billing amount varies depending on the size and usage frequency of the data file, the server device 10 can appropriately determine online storage that is advantageous to the user and store the data file.

  Note that the above-described calculation formula employs a calculation formula and a calculation unit that match the value that is the calculation parameter for the charge amount in the current online storage 16 and the data size that is frequently used in the MFP. Therefore, it is assumed that the calculation formula is adjusted as needed according to the charge system and the actual usage of the online storage 16.

  It is also possible to compare storage destinations between online storage and local storage (in-house file server). Instead of being charged for local storage, access from outside the company can be restricted. In this case, it is also conceivable to select a main usage device (for example, a mobile phone, a mobile PC, or an in-house PC) instead of the usage frequency, thereby calculating the same coefficient as the usage frequency and determining the storage destination.

  In addition to the data file compression, the file may be automatically compressed based on the calculation result by the calculation processing unit 22c. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the usage frequency is “3”, the advantageous online storage 16 changes with a file size of about 80 MB as a boundary, so if a file that was 100 MB before compression becomes 50 MB after compression, A more advantageous storage location can be selected by compressing. In such a situation, the compression processing unit 22d automatically compresses the data file. By using this, it is possible to reduce the size of the data file and save the total billing.

  Further, in the above description, the information processing apparatus 12 (MFP) executes image scanning to generate a data file to be stored, but other data files can also be targeted. It is. For example, when the information processing apparatus 12 is a device such as a PC or a mobile phone that holds a data file and can use a browser instead of the MFP, various data files are sent to the server application 10a. Is possible. In accordance with the type of data file transmitted as a storage target from various devices, a calculation formula suitable for the actual situation is applied to determine an appropriate online storage as the storage target.

  In the above description, the online storage 16 storing the data file is notified to the user 14 by e-mail, but may be notified in another format. For example, the notification unit 25 saves each data file so that it can be viewed from a plurality of information processing apparatuses 12 (MFPs) through a network unless it is necessary to limit the notification partner to a specific user. It is only necessary to publish information representing. In this case, it is not necessary to specify the user who requested the storage of the data file based on the login information, and information indicating the online storage 16 that is the storage destination of the data file may be recorded in a predetermined format. .

  The service provided by the server device 10 is such that the user is identified by logging in from the information processing device 12 (authentication process), the user's email address in the user information is acquired and the email is transmitted. If a login procedure is not required when using the, information indicating the notification destination may be input (or selected) by the user when a data file storage request is made. At this time, the notification method (e-mail, browsing, etc.) may be designated by the user.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the server application program for realizing the invention has been recorded in the server device 10 in advance. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the server application program is downloaded to the server device 10 through the network. Alternatively, a server application program recorded on a portable recording medium may be installed in the server device 10. The recording medium may take any form as long as it can record a program such as a CD-ROM and can be read by the apparatus. In addition, the function obtained by installing or downloading in advance may be realized in cooperation with the OS or the like inside the apparatus.

  In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, the constituent elements over different embodiments may be combined.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Server apparatus 10, 10a ... Server application 10a, 12 ... Information processing apparatus 12, 16 (16A, 16B) ... Online storage 16, 20 ... Input control part 20, 20a ... Login information input part 20a, 20b ... Usage frequency input Unit 20b, 21 ... data recording unit 21, 21a ... rate plan information 21a, 21b ... connection information 21b, 21c ... user information 21c, 22 ... control unit 22, 22a ... authentication function unit 22a, 22b ... data size confirmation unit 22b, 22c, calculation processing units 22c, 22d, compression processing units 22d, 22e, storage authentication function units 22e, 23, file input units 23, 24, file output units 24, 25, notification unit 25.

JP 2003-319101 A JP 2004-040463 A

Claims (8)

For each of multiple online storages that are candidates for data file storage,
Storage information recording means for recording fee information for using the online storage;
A file input means for inputting a data file;
Usage frequency input means for inputting an expected usage frequency for the data file input by the file input means;
Calculation means for calculating a comparison value based on the file size before and after compressing the data file, the expected usage frequency, and the fee information for each of the plurality of online storages that are data file storage destination candidates;
Determining means for determining an online storage as a storage destination of the data file based on the comparison value for each of the plurality of online storages calculated by the calculating means ;
The online storage determined as the storage destination by the determining means is input by the file input means when determined based on the comparison value calculated based on the file size after compressing the data file A server device comprising compression means for compressing a data file . The fee information includes information regarding an upstream communication fee when storing a data file in the online storage and a downstream communication fee when reading the stored data file from the online storage,
The calculation means is such that the influence of the downstream charge is stronger than the upstream charge when the predicted usage frequency is high, and the influence of the upstream charge is stronger than the downstream charge when the predicted usage frequency is low. The server device according to claim 1, wherein the comparison value is calculated based on a condition. The fee information includes information related to a storage fee when the data file is stored in the online storage,
The calculation means increases the influence of the storage fee and the downstream fee when the size of the input data file is large, and the storage fee and the downstream fee when the size of the input data file is small. The server device according to claim 2, wherein the comparison value is calculated based on a condition such that the influence of the server is weakened. The file input means inputs an image data file from an information processing apparatus having an image scanning function,
2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a file output means for outputting the image data file to the online storage determined by the determining means.   2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising notification means for notifying an online storage as a storage destination of the data file determined by the determination means. An information input means for inputting information for identifying the user when the data file is requested to be stored;
A notification destination determination unit that determines a notification destination according to the information input by the information input unit;
The server device according to claim 5, wherein the notification unit notifies the notification destination determined by the notification destination determination unit. Storage authentication information recording means for recording authentication information required for authentication processing for the plurality of online storages;
Storage authentication means for executing authentication processing for the online storage based on the authentication information recorded in the storage authentication information recording means corresponding to the online storage determined by the determining means. The server device according to claim 1. Computer
For each of multiple online storages that are candidates for data file storage,
Storage information recording means for recording fee information for using the online storage;
A file input means for inputting a data file;
Usage frequency input means for inputting an expected usage frequency for the data file input by the file input means;
Calculation means for calculating a comparison value based on the file size before and after compressing the data file, the expected usage frequency, and the fee information for each of the plurality of online storages that are data file storage destination candidates;
Determining means for determining an online storage as a storage destination of the data file based on the comparison value for each of the plurality of online storages calculated by the calculating means ;
The online storage determined as the storage destination by the determining means is input by the file input means when determined based on the comparison value calculated based on the file size after compressing the data file server application program for causing to function as a compression means for compressing the data file.

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