User interface apparatus capable of providing support to user

• US 20060294464A1
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Mishima, Kimie, Inui, Kazuo, Tokimoto, Yoshiki
• Application Number:
  US11/232,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5091 for user-identification or authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host

Abstract

Necessity/no necessity for user support (such as enlarged display) is registered for each user or for each screen displayed on the apparatus. A user using the apparatus is specified by means of user authentication. Every time the screen is to be displayed, it is done based on information of necessity/no necessity for user support that has been registered. Thus, operability for the user can be improved.

Claims

1. A user interface apparatus, comprising:

a displaying portion capable of displaying a plurality of types of screens;

a determining portion determining whether or not support is necessary for a user at each of said plurality of types of screens; and

an executing portion executing support in displaying on said displaying portion, in accordance with a result of the determination by said determining portion.

2. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an identifying portion identifying a user using the apparatus, wherein

said determining portion determines whether or not support is necessary at each of said plurality of types of screens for said specified user.

3. The user interface apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said executing portion is capable of executing a plurality of types of support for one screen, and

said determining portion includes a storage portion storing user information for each of a plurality of users, and determines which type of support is to be executed for a screen by using the user information in said storage portion.

4. The user interface apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a registering portion registering the user information in said storage portion.

5. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a switching portion switching between whether or not support is executed by said executing portion, in accordance with a user'"'"'s input.

6. The user interface apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said determining portion determines whether or not support is necessary for a user, based on a state of switching by said switching portion.

7. The user interface apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said determining portion includes a counter counting for each screen times of switching by said switching portion, and determines whether or not support is necessary for a user based on the count.

8. The user interface apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a changing portion changing a count reference for determining whether or not support is necessary for a user.

9. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in a situation where said executing portion is incapable of executing a certain type of support, said execution portion executes another type of support.

10. The user interface apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

said situation where said executing portion is incapable of executing a certain type of support is a situation where a screen with a support function used by the user shifts to a screen without support, and upon such a situation, said executing portion informs the user of the shift to the screen without support, and executes alternative support according to the user.

11. The user interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said execution of support is at least one of:

display of a screen being different in size of characters;

display of a screen being different in colors to be displayed; and

provision of an audio guide.

12. A control method for a user interface apparatus having a displaying portion capable of displaying a plurality of types of screens, comprising:

a determining step determining whether or not support is necessary for a user at each of said plurality of types of screens; and

an executing step executing support in displaying on said displaying portion, in accordance with a result of the determination at said determining step.

13. A control program product for a user interface apparatus having a displaying portion capable of displaying a plurality of types of screens, causing a computer to execute:

a determining step determining whether or not support is necessary for a user at each of said plurality of types of screens; and

an executing step executing support in displaying on said displaying portion, in accordance with a result of the determination at said determining step.

14. A user interface apparatus, comprising:

a displaying portion for displaying a first screen;

an instructing portion for instructing to display a next screen on the displaying portion by a user;

a selecting portion for selecting one of plurality of screens, which are different types respectively, as the next screen, corresponding to the user; and

a display control portion for controlling the displaying portion so that the displaying portion displays the next screen selected by the selecting portion.

15. The user interface apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of screens are similar but nonidentical in their respective contents to be displayed.

16. The user interface apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of screens are different in size of characters to be displayed at respective screens.

17. The user interface apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of screens are different in color to be displayed at respective screens.

18. The user interface apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising

a changing portion for changing the next screen to another screen which is one of the plurality of screens.

19. The user interface apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising

a counter for counting times of changing by the changing portion, wherein based on the count of the counter, the selecting portion selects one of the plurality of screens as the next screen.

20. The user interface apparatus according to claim 14, wherein specifying of the user is performed by a user authentication that is conducted prior to the instruction by the instructing portion.

21. A control method for a user interface apparatus, comprising the following steps of:

displaying a first screen on a displaying portion;

accepting an instruction for displaying a next screen on the displaying portion by a user;

selecting one of plurality of screens, which are different types respectively, as the next screen, corresponding to the user; and

displaying the next screen on the displaying portion.

22. A control program product for a user interface apparatus, causing a computer to execute:

displaying a first screen on a displaying portion;

accepting an instruction for displaying a next screen on the displaying portion by a user;

selecting one of plurality of screens, which are different types respectively, as the next screen, corresponding to the user; and

displaying the next screen on the displaying portion.