Image forming apparatus

• US 10,248,286 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2013
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Furukawa, Manabu, Matsuda, Hideyuki, Mishima, Nobuhiro, Takahashi, Kazusei, Nagai, Mitsuharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chuang, Jung-Mu T
• Application Number:
  US13/742,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

An image forming apparatus comprises: a display which allows users to connect a first icon to a second icon on a first screen and is capable of displaying the first screen with a still image of the first icon in motion and a second screen matching an event; a completion detector which detects completion of the connecting operation; a processor which performs an operation predetermined for the first and second icon when the connecting operation is completed; an event detector which detects occurrence of an event during the connecting operation; and a controller which performs, if an event occurs before completion of the connecting operation, a control operation consisting of: storing composition information of the first screen with a still image of the first icon in motion; interrupting the first screen; and reproducing the first screen after disappearance of the second screen on the basis of the composition information.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a display portion which allows a user to connect a first icon to a second icon by specifying the first icon and moving it to the second icon on a first screen and is capable of displaying the first screen with a still image of the first icon in motion on a way to the second icon and a second screen matching an event that occurs to a body of the image forming apparatus;

one or more hardware processors configured to;

detect when the first icon has been moved to the second icon thus completing a connecting operation between the first icon and the second icon;

perform an operation predetermined for the first icon and the second icon when completion of the icon connecting operation is detected;

detect occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus during the icon connecting operation before completion of the icon connecting operation, the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is caused by an action other than the icon connecting operation to connect the first icon to the second icon; and

perform, when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected before completion of the icon connecting operation is detected, a first control operation consisting of;

storing on a memory, composition information of the first screen with the still image of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon;

interrupting the first screen by making the second screen appear on the display portion; and

reproducing the first screen on the display portion after disappearance of the second screen on a basis of the composition information stored on the memory so that the still image of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon is displayed again so as to enable the user to resume the icon connecting operation connecting the first icon to the second icon, wherein the connecting operation resumes from a position of the first icon interrupted by the second screen, wherein;

the display portion displays the first screen by displaying a base screen with a drawing layer carrying a drawing of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon, the drawing layer being put on the base screen;

the first control operation further consisting of;

storing on the memory, a positional coordinate of the first icon on the drawing layer;

allowing the user to resume the icon connecting operation if an area in a predetermined range based on the positional coordinate of the first icon on the drawing layer is specified by a user operation after reproduction of the first screen; and

making the first screen disappear from the display portion without completing the icon connecting operation when at least one of following conditions is satisfied;

a) the icon connecting operation is cancelled by the user operation;

b) the first icon is connected to another object than the second icon; and

c) a predetermined period of time has lapsed after reproduction of the first screen.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to judge whether or not the first icon has been moved to an area adjacent to the second icon, the adjacent area being specified in advance, and

perform, when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected before the first icon has been moved to the area adjacent to the second icon, a second control operation consisting of:

storing on the memory, composition information of the first screen with the still image of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon;

interrupting the first screen by making the second screen appear on the display portion; and

reproducing the first screen on the display portion after disappearance of the second screen on a basis of the composition information stored on the memory, in order for the user to resume the icon connecting operation; and

perform, when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected after the first icon has been moved to the adjacent area but before completion of the icon connecting operation is detected, a third control operation consisting of;

continuously displaying the first screen on the display portion until completion of the icon connecting operation is detected; and

making the second screen appear on the display portion after completion of the icon connection operation is detected.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first icon overlaps with the second icon at least partially in the area adjacent to the second icon.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected after completion of the icon connecting operation is detected, the one or more processors make a message stating the predetermined operation for the first icon and the second icon has successfully been completed, appear on the display portion after disappearance of the second screen.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors make a message stating that the first screen will be reproduced, appear on the display portion before reproducing the first screen thereon.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user is allowed to connect the first icon to the second icon by dragging and dropping the first icon to the second icon on the first screen.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a display portion which allows a user to connect a first icon to a second icon by specifying the first icon and moving it to the second icon on a first screen and is capable of displaying the first screen with a still image of the first icon in motion on a way to the second icon and a second screen matching an event that occurs to a body of the image forming apparatus;

one or more processors configured to;

detect completion of the icon connecting operation;

perform an operation predetermined for the first icon and the second icon when completion of the icon connecting operation is detected;

detect occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus during the icon connecting operation, the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is caused by an action other than the icon connecting operation to connect the first icon to the second icon;

judge whether or not the first icon has been moved to an area adjacent to the second icon, the adjacent area being specified in advance;

allow the user to select any one of an interrupt mode, a user operation first mode, and a switch back and forth mode and turns on the selected mode; and

perform;

when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected during the interrupt mode which is turned on by a mode setting portion, before completion of the icon connecting operation is detected, a first control operation consisting of;

storing on a memory, composition information of the first screen with the still image of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon;

interrupting the first screen by making the second screen appear on the display portion; and

reproducing the first screen on the display portion after disappearance of the second screen on a basis of the composition information stored on the memory so that the still image of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon is displayed again, in order for the user to resume the icon connecting operation;

when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected during the user operation first mode which is turned on by the mode setting portion, after completion of the icon connecting operation is detected, a second control operation consisting of;

continuously displaying the first screen on the display portion until completion of the icon connecting operation is detected; and

making the second screen appear on the display portion after completion of the icon connecting operation is detected;

when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected during the switch back and forth mode which is turned on by the mode setting portion, before the first icon has been moved to the adjacent area according to a judgment portion, a third control operation consisting of;

storing on the memory, the composition information of the first screen with the still image of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon;

interrupting the first screen by making the second screen appear on the display portion; and

reproducing the first screen on the display portion after disappearance of the second screen on the basis of the composition information stored on the memory, in order for the user to resume the icon connecting operation;

when occurrence of the event on the body of the image forming apparatus is detected after the first icon has been moved to the adjacent area according to the judgment portion but before completion of the icon connecting operation is detected, a fourth control operation consisting of;

continuously displaying the first screen on the display portion until completion of the icon connecting operation is detected; and

making the second screen appear on the display portion after completion of the icon connecting operation is detected.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the still image of the first icon in motion on the way to the second icon is displayed again, the connecting operation resumes from a position of the first icon interrupted by the second screen.