INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20090077481A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: ISHII, Yuuichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00435 arranged in a predetermined sequence, e.g. using next and previous buttons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A disclosed information processing method for use in an information apparatus including a display unit comprises a creating step of creating screen components based on screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on the display unit is previously defined, a display controlling step of displaying the screen formed with the screen components created in the creating step, and a storing step of storing, upon transition from the screen displayed in the display controlling step, all or a part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition. The information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function.

Claims

1. An information processing method for use in an information apparatus including a display unit, the method comprising:

a creating step of creating screen components based on screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on the display unit is previously defined;

a display controlling step of displaying the screen formed with the screen components created in the creating step; and

a storing step of storing, upon transition from the screen displayed in the display controlling step, all or a part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition;

wherein the information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function.

2. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screen definition data include data in an XML format.

3. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a specifying step of specifying whether to perform, in the storing step, the storing for the screen displayed before the transition.

4. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storing mode specifying step of specifying a storing mode whether to store, in the storing step, all the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition or to store, in the storing step, a part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition.

5. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a switching step of switching, if the size of the screen components to be stored in the storing step is greater than a predetermined size, a storing mode of the screen all the screen components of which are stored in the storing step to store a part of the screen components of the screen.

6. The information processing method as claimed in claim 5, wherein, if there are plural screens all the screen components of which are stored in the storing step, a storing mode of a predetermined number of older or less frequently displayed screens all the screen components of which are stored is switched to store a part of the screen components of the predetermined number of the older or less frequently displayed screens.

7. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

another storing step of storing the screen components, the other storing step being performed when the size of the screen components to be stored in the storing step is greater than a predetermined size.

8. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the storing step prevents discarding the stored screen components of the screen that takes time to be restored.

9. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storing step discards, upon the transition from the screen displayed in the display controlling step, the screen components stored before the transition.

10. The information processing method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a selecting step of prompting selection of one or more of the screens of which screen components stored in the storing step are to be discarded.

12. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program, the program including computer-executable instructions for executing the method of claim 1.

11. An information processing apparatus including a display unit, the apparatus comprising:

a creating unit configured to create screen components based on a screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on the display unit is previously defined;

a display control unit configured to display the screen formed with the screen components created by the creating unit; and

a storing unit configured to store, upon transition from the screen displayed by the display controlling unit, all or a part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition;

wherein the information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function.