IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20070214409A1
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: MIYATA, Junichi
• Application Number:
  US11/682,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214409A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1256 User feedback, e.g. print preview, test print, proofing, pre-flight checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus includes a database storing a layout template made up of containers, each representing a display area for a part of a user interface (UI). The user interface is configured by embedding display content in each container of the layout template in the database. On the occurrence of an event for changing arrangement of the user interface, the user interface is reconfigured by calculating arrangement of each container according to the size of the display content in one of the containers and embedding the display content in each container subjected to the calculation.

Claims

1. An image-forming apparatus in which a user interface is configured on an operation unit in response to execution of an application, comprising:

a storage unit adapted to store a layout template made up of containers, each representing a display area for a part of the user interface;

a configuration unit adapted to configure the user interface by embedding display content in each container of the layout template;

a calculation unit adapted to calculate arrangement of each container according to the size of the display content in one of the containers on the occurrence of an event for changing arrangement of the user interface; and

a reconfiguration unit adapted to reconfigure the user interface by embedding the display content in each container subjected to the calculation by said calculation unit.

2. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a moving range is set for each side of each container in the layout template, and said calculation unit calculates the arrangement of each container within the moving range for the container.

3. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the order of priority in calculation by said calculation unit is further given to each container in the layout template, and the one of the containers is set to first priority.

4. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image of a variable size is placed in the one of the containers.

5. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image is a preview image of a document.

6. The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a character string to be displayed with a variable number of characters or lines is placed in the one of the containers.

7. A method for controlling an image-forming apparatus in which a user interface is configured on an operation unit in response to execution of an application, comprising the steps of:

configuring the user interface by embedding display content in each container of a layout template made up of containers, each representing a display area for a part of the user interface;

calculating arrangement of each container according to the size of the display content in one of the containers on the occurrence of an event for changing arrangement of the user interface; and

reconfiguring the user interface by embedding the display content in each container subjected to the calculation.

8. A computer program for controlling an image-forming apparatus including a computer executing the program, and an operation unit on which a user interface is configured, the program comprising code for performing the following steps:

configuring the user interface by embedding display content in each container of a layout template, the layout template being a pattern of arrangement of the user interface made up of containers, each representing a display area for a part of the user interface;

calculating arrangement of each container according to the size of the display content in one of the containers on the occurrence of an event for changing arrangement of the user interface; and

reconfiguring the user interface by embedding the display content in each container subjected to the calculation.

9. An image-forming system comprising an image-forming apparatus in which a user interface is configured on an operation unit in response to execution of an application, and an information processing apparatus communicatively connected with said image-forming apparatus,

said information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit adapted to store a layout template made up of containers, each representing a display area for a part of the user interface; and

a first transmission unit adapted to transmit coordinate information about each container in the layout template to said image-forming apparatus, and

said image-forming apparatus comprising;

a configuration unit adapted to configure the user interface by embedding display content in areas specified by the coordinate information received from said information processing apparatus; and

a second transmitting unit adapted to transmit, to said information processing apparatus, identification information about containers to be changed in the configured user interface, and size information about the display content in the containers to be changed, and

said information processing apparatus further comprising;

a changing unit adapted to change arrangement of each container according to the identification information and the size information received from said image-forming apparatus; and

a third transmission unit adapted to transmit arrangement information about each changed containers to said image-forming apparatus, and

said image-forming apparatus further comprising

a reconfiguration unit adapted to reconfigure the user interface by embedding the display content according to the arrangement information about each containers received from said information processing apparatus.