Image forming apparatus, control method, and computer-readable recording medium storing control program

• US 20080141167A1
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kubo, Naohiko, Uruta, Hiroya, Iwata, Nobuyuki, Hirakawa, Takahiro, Ogasawara, Naruhiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/796
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00514 for individual users
• 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 is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a displaying unit which displays a predetermined number of menu items in plural menu items on a screen, an inputting unit which selects a menu item from the menu items displayed on the screen by the displaying unit, and a storing unit which registers the menu item selected by the input unit in a user custom menu table for each user having registration regions where a predetermined number of menu items are stored.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a displaying unit which displays a predetermined number of menu items in plural menu items on a screen;

an inputting unit which selects a menu item from the menu items displayed on the screen by the displaying unit; and

a storing unit which registers the menu item selected by the input unit in a user custom menu table for each user having registration regions where a predetermined number of menu items are stored.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storing unit controller which controls writing data/reading data to/from the storing unit;

wherein

in a case where the menu item selected by the inputting unit is registered in the user custom menu table for each user, the storing unit controller registers the selected menu item in a registration region of the user custom menu table when the registration region is an unregistered registration region.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a screen generating unit which generates the screen to be displayed by the displaying unit;

wherein

in a case where the menu item selected by the inputting unit is registered in the user custom menu table, when the unregistered registration region does not exist in the user custom menu table and the selected menu item is overwritten on a registration region where a menu item has been registered,

the screen generating unit generates a screen which urges a user to select a registration region where a menu item has been registered as a registration region where the selected menu item is overwritten.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a counting unit which counts the number of used times of each menu item registered in the user custom menu table stored in the storing unit;

wherein

the storing unit has a region where the number of used times of each menu item is stored;

in a case where the menu item selected by the inputting unit is registered in the user custom menu table, when the unregistered registration region does not exist in the user custom menu table and the selected menu item is overwritten on a registration region where a menu item has been registered,

the screen generating unit generates a screen which urges a user to select a registration region where a menu item whose number of used times is lowest has been registered as a registration region where the selected menu item is overwritten.

5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a registered date and time measuring unit which measures a registered date and time of each menu item registered in the user custom menu table stored in the storing unit;

wherein

the storing unit has a region where the registered date and time of each menu item is stored;

in a case where the menu item selected by the inputting unit is registered in the user custom menu table, when the unregistered registration region does not exist in the user custom menu table and the selected menu item is overwritten on a registration region where a menu item has been registered,

the screen generating unit generates a screen which urges a user to select a registration region where a menu item whose registered date and time is oldest has been registered as a registration region where the selected menu item is overwritten.

6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a last used date and time measuring unit which measures a last used date and time of each menu item registered in the user custom menu table stored in the storing unit;

wherein

the storing unit has a region where the last used date and time of each menu item is stored;

in a case where the menu item selected by the inputting unit is registered in the user custom menu table, when the unregistered registration region does not exist in the user custom menu table and the selected menu item is overwritten on a registration region where a menu item has been registered,

the screen generating unit generates a screen which urges a user to select a registration region where a menu item whose last used date and time is oldest has been registered as a registration region where the selected menu item is overwritten.

7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a calculating unit which calculates the number of used times in a predetermined period of each menu item registered in the user custom menu table stored in the storing unit;

wherein

the storing unit has a region where the umber of used times in a predetermined period of each menu item is stored;

in a case where the menu item selected by the inputting unit is registered in the user custom menu table, when the unregistered registration region does not exist in the user custom menu table and the selected menu item is overwritten on a registration region where a menu item has been registered,

the screen generating unit generates a screen which urges a user to select a registration region where a menu item whose number of used times in a predetermined period is lowest has been registered as a registration region where the selected menu item is overwritten.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

when the menu items registered in the user custom menu table are displayed on the screen,

the screen generating unit generates a screen where the menu items are displayed in a predetermined priority order.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

when the menu items registered in the user custom menu table are displayed on the screen,

the screen generating unit generates a screen where the menu items are displayed in a priority order in which the higher the number of used times is, the higher on the screen the menu item is displayed.

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

when the menu items registered in the user custom menu table are displayed on the screen,

the screen generating unit generates a screen where the menu items are displayed in a priority order in which the newer the registered date and time is, the higher on the screen the menu item is displayed.

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

when the menu items registered in the user custom menu table are displayed on the screen,

the screen generating unit generates a screen where the menu items are displayed in a priority order in which the newer the last used date and time is, the higher on the screen the menu item is displayed.

12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

when the menu items registered in the user custom menu table are displayed on the screen,

the screen generating unit generates a screen where the menu items are displayed in a priority order in which the higher the number of used times in a predetermined period is, the higher on the screen the menu item is displayed.

13. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

when a menu item registered in the user custom menu table is an information displaying type menu item and the menu item is used;

the screen generating unit generates a screen where the contents of information of the menu item are displayed.

14. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a controlling unit which controls the user custom menu table stored in the storing unit when a menu item is registered or the registered menu item is read based on user information received from an external device connected to the image forming apparatus via a network.

15. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the user custom menu table has an individual user custom menu table, a positional user custom menu table, and a common user custom menu table;

an individual user registers menu items in the individual user custom menu table and uses the registered menu items;

only specific users having corresponding specific positions in an organization register menu items in the positional user custom menu table and uses the registered menu items; and

when the user custom menu table is used in common by all users, all the users register menu items in the common user custom menu table and use the registered menu items.

16. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an output unit which outputs the menu item registered in the user custom menu table.

17. A control method in an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

displaying a predetermined number of menu items in plural menu items on a screen;

selecting a menu item from the menu items displayed on the screen;

registering the selected menu item in a registration region of a user custom menu table for each user having plural registration regions where a predetermined number of menu items are registered;

selecting a menu item registered in the registration region of the user custom menu table; and

executing a job of the selected menu item.

18. The control method in the image forming apparatus, as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

when the registration region where the selected menu item is registered is not an unregistered region in the user custom menu table for each user,

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose number of used times is lowest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region;

or

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose registered date and time is oldest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region;

or

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose last used date and time is oldest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region;

or

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose number of used times in a predetermined period is lowest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region.

19. A computer-readable recording medium storing a control program in an image forming apparatus, the control program includes the steps of:

displaying a predetermined number of menu items in plural menu items on a screen;

selecting a menu item from the menu items displayed on the screen;

registering the selected menu item in a registration region of a user custom menu table for each user having plural registration regions where a predetermined number of menu items are registered;

selecting a menu item registered in the registration region of the user custom menu table; and

executing a job of the selected menu item.

20. The computer-readable recording medium storing the control program in the image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 19, the control program further includes the steps of:

when the registration region where the selected menu item is registered is not an unregistered region in the user custom menu table for each user,

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose number of used times is lowest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region;

or

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose registered date and time is oldest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region;

or

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose last used date and time is oldest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region;

or

selecting a registration region where a menu item whose number of used times in a predetermined period is lowest is stored; and

overwriting the selected menu item on the selected registration region.