Image forming apparatus, method for controlling operation screen of image forming apparatus

• US 10,122,874 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Santillan, Princess Jill, Montejo, Jennen Bernadette
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hien L
• Application Number:
  US15/002,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/442 using a biometric data reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a touch panel unit, a standard menu screen control portion, a shortcut menu screen output portion and a shortcut processing portion. In the image forming apparatus, when a shortcut call operation is performed, a control portion causes the touch panel unit to display a shortcut menu screen over a standard menu screen. The control portion adds a shortcut icon to the shortcut menu screen and store, into a storage portion, information indicating correspondence between the added icon and the standard menu screen. When the shortcut icon is operated, the control portion causes the touch panel unit to display the standard menu screen that is associated with the operated shortcut icon.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a touch panel unit including a panel which serves as both an operation portion and a screen display portion; and

a processor configured to execute;

a standard menu screen control portion configured to, in response to a selection operation performed on the panel, cause the panel to display a standard menu screen among a plurality of standard menu screens for image processing;

a shortcut menu screen output portion configured to, when a shortcut call operation is performed on the panel that is displaying the standard menu screen, display a shortcut menu screen over the standard menu screen;

a shortcut processing portion configured to execute a process in response to an operation performed on the shortcut menu screen, the shortcut processing portion including;

a shortcut icon addition processing portion configured to, when a predetermined icon addition operation is performed on the shortcut menu screen, add a shortcut icon to the shortcut menu screen and store first shortcut information into a first storage portion, the first shortcut information indicating correspondence between the added shortcut icon and the standard menu screen being displayed on the panel; and

a first shortcut output portion configured to, when the shortcut icon is operated, cause the panel to display the standard menu screen that is associated with the operated shortcut icon, based on the first shortcut information;

a gesture registration portion configured to, when a predetermined gesture registration operation is performed on the shortcut menu screen, store second shortcut information into a second storage portion in accordance with an operation performed on the panel, the second shortcut information indicating correspondence between the shortcut icon and a registration gesture operation that is a gesture operation registered by the predetermined gesture registration operation; and

a second shortcut output portion configured to, when the registration gesture operation is performed on the panel that is displaying any of the plurality of standard menu screens, cause the panel to display the standard menu screen associated with the shortcut icon that is associated with the registration gesture operation, wherein

the shortcut call operation is a predetermined gesture operation performed on the panel that is displaying the standard menu screen,

the registration gesture operation is a gesture operation that is performed on the panel and is different from the shortcut call operation,

the registration gesture operation includes at least six types of swipe operations of moving a touch position toward an inside of the panel, an origin of movement of the touch position being any of a plurality of sides and a plurality of corners of the panel, and

the gesture registration portion and the second shortcut output portion execute processes by distinguishing among a plurality of swipe operations that have different origins.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the gesture registration portion and the second shortcut output portion execute processes by distinguishing among the following three types of swipe operations that have different movement directions of the touch position moved from a side of the panel toward the inside of the panel:

a swipe operation of moving the touch position from the side of the panel in a direction perpendicular to the side of the panel;

a swipe operation of moving the touch position from the side of the panel in a first diagonal direction with respect to the side of the panel; and

a swipe operation of moving the touch position from the side of the panel in a second diagonal direction with respect to the side of the panel.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the gesture registration portion sets information of display format of the standard menu screen into the second shortcut information for each of the plurality of swipe operations that have different origins,

the second shortcut output portion causes the panel to display the standard menu screen in a display format that is associated with the registration gesture operation, and

display formats that can be set by the gesture registration portion include one or more among a display size, a display color, brightness, and a display angle.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is further configured to execute an authentication control portion configured to execute an authentication process of determining whether or not an authentication is successful or not by comparing authentication input information that is input via the panel or another information input portion, with authentication information that is stored in a third storage portion in advance, and when the authentication process is successful, permit the standard menu screen to be operated, and

the shortcut icon addition processing portion and the first shortcut output portion respectively execute processes for each piece of authentication information that was used in the authentication process when the authentication was determined successful.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the processor is further configured to execute an authentication control portion configured to execute an authentication process of determining whether or not an authentication is successful or not by comparing authentication input information that is input via the panel or another information input portion, with authentication information that is stored in a third storage portion in advance, and when the authentication process is successful, permit the standard menu screen to be operated, and

the shortcut icon addition processing portion, the first shortcut output portion, and the second shortcut output portion respectively execute processes for each piece of authentication information that was used in the authentication process when the authentication was determined successful.

6. A method for controlling an operation screen of an image forming apparatus that includes a touch panel unit having a panel which serves as both an operation portion and a screen display portion,

the method comprising the following that are executed by a processor that controls the touch panel unit:

causing, in response to a selection operation performed on the panel, the panel to selectively display a standard menu screen among a plurality of standard menu screens for image processing;

displaying a shortcut menu screen over the standard menu screen when a shortcut call operation is performed on the panel that is displaying the standard menu screen;

executing a process in response to an operation performed on the shortcut menu screen, the process including;

when a predetermined icon addition operation is performed on the shortcut menu screen, adding a shortcut icon to the shortcut menu screen and storing first shortcut information into a first storage portion, the first shortcut information indicating correspondence between the added shortcut icon and the standard menu screen being displayed on the panel; and

when the shortcut icon is operated, causing the panel to display the standard menu screen that is associated with the operated shortcut icon, based on the first shortcut information;

storing second shortcut information into a second storage portion in accordance with an operation performed on the panel when a predetermined gesture registration operation is performed on the shortcut menu screen, the second shortcut information indicating correspondence between the shortcut icon and a registration gesture operation that is a gesture operation registered by the predetermined gesture registration operation; and

causing the panel to display the standard menu screen associated with the shortcut icon that is associated with the registration gesture operation when the registration gesture operation is performed on the panel that is displaying any of the plurality of standard menu screens, wherein

the shortcut call operation is a predetermined gesture operation performed on the panel that is displaying the standard menu screen,

the registration gesture operation is a gesture operation that is performed on the panel and is different from the shortcut call operation,

the registration gesture operation includes at least six types of swipe operations of moving a touch position toward an inside of the panel, an origin of movement of the touch position being any of a plurality of sides and a plurality of corners of the panel, and

the registration gesture operation is distinguished from among a plurality of swipe operations that have different origins.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising, for the registration gesture operation, distinguishing among the following three types of swipe operations that have different movement directions of the touch position moved from a side of the panel toward the inside of the panel:

a swipe operation of moving the touch position from the side of the panel in a direction perpendicular to the side of the panel;

a swipe operation of moving the touch position from the side of the panel in a first diagonal direction with respect to the side of the panel; and

a swipe operation of moving the touch position from the side of the panel in a second diagonal direction with respect to the side of the panel.