IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, OPERATION-SCREEN CHANGING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20090235173A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: ICHIHARA, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• 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 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• 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 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00949 Combining applications, e.g. to create workflows allocation of computer machine resources considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks G06F9/5038
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus, a plurality of sets of flow definition data and screen definition data are stored in associated manner in a storage unit. A client device selects one of the sets of the flow definition data. Screen definition data corresponding to a process defined by the selected flow definition data is acquired from the storage unit and an editing screen is created from this screen definition data. The editing screen is sent to the client device and a predetermined operation with respect to a component of the editing screen is received from the client device. Screen definition data is created based on the changed editing screen in accordance with the predetermined operation, and the new screen definition data is stored in the storage unit so as to be associated with the flow definition data.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that is connected to a client device via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a storage unit that stores therein a plurality of sets of flow definition data and screen definition data in associated manner, the flow definition data defining a flow of at least one process to be executed by the image forming apparatus, the screen definition data defining an operation screen to be displayed on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus depending on the process;

a selection receiving unit that receives a selection of a set of the flow definition data among the sets of the flow definition data stored in the storage unit from the client device;

an acquiring unit that acquires screen definition data corresponding to a process defined by the flow definition data received by the selection receiving unit from the storage unit;

an editing-screen creating unit that creates an editing screen for editing the operation screen based on the screen definition data acquired by the acquiring unit;

a transmitting unit that transmits the editing screen created to the client device;

an operation receiving unit that receives a predetermined operation with respect to a component of the editing screen from the client device;

a screen-definition-data creating unit that creates screen definition data based on changed editing screen in accordance with the predetermined operation received by the operation receiving unit; and

a storing control unit that stores the screen definition data created by the screen-definition-data creating unit in the storage unit so as to be associated with the flow definition data which selection is received by the selection receiving unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the operation receiving unit receives an operation of migrating the component from a display area to a non-display area on the editing screen, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which the component migrated from the display area to the non-display area is changed to be non-displayed in accordance with the operation received by the operation receiving unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the selection receiving unit receives a selection from settable values of the component displayed on the non-display area, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which a default value of the component is changed to a value selected from the settable values in accordance with the selection received by the selection receiving unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the operation receiving unit receives an operation of migrating the component within the display area on the editing screen, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which a display position of the component is changed in accordance with the operation received by the operation receiving unit.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the operation receiving unit receives an operation of migrating the component from the display area to a half-bright display area on the editing screen, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which the component is changed to be displayed on half-bright display in accordance with the operation received by the operation receiving unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the selection receiving unit receives a selection from settable values of the component displayed on the half-bright display area, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which a default value of the component is changed to a value selected from the settable values in accordance with the selection received by the selection receiving unit.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the editing-screen creating unit creates an editing screen including a non-display drop area instead of the non-display area when a screen size is not enough to display both the display area and the non-display area on same screen,

the operation receiving unit receives an operation of dragging and dropping a component displayed on the display area onto the non-display drop area, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which the component dragged and dropped onto the non-display drop area is changed not to be displayed in accordance with the operation received by the operation receiving unit.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selection receiving unit receives a selection whether each of settable values of the component is to be displayed or non-displayed, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which each of the settable values of the component is changed to be displayed or non-displayed in accordance with the selection received by the selection receiving unit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the selection receiving unit receives a selection whether each of settable values of the component is to be displayed normally or displayed in half-bright, and

the screen-definition-data creating unit creates screen definition data for which each of the settable values of the component is changed to be displayed normally or displayed in half-bright in accordance with the selection received by the selection receiving unit.

10. An operation-screen changing method that is implemented on an image forming apparatus that is connected to a client device via a network, the operation-screen changing method comprising:

storing in a storage unit a plurality of sets of flow definition data and screen definition data in associated manner, the flow definition data defining a flow of at least one process to be executed by the image forming apparatus, the screen definition data defining an operation screen to be displayed on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus depending on the process;

receiving a selection of a set of the flow definition data among the sets of the flow definition data stored in the storage unit from the client device;

acquiring screen definition data corresponding to a process defined by the flow definition data received at the receiving a selection from the storage unit;

creating an editing screen for editing the operation screen based on the screen definition data acquired at the acquiring;

transmitting the editing screen created to the client device;

receiving a predetermined operation with respect to a component of the editing screen from the client device;

creating screen definition data based on changed editing screen in accordance with the predetermined operation received at the receiving a predetermined operation; and

causing the storage unit to store the screen definition data created at the creating unit so as to be associated with the flow definition data which selection is received at the receiving a selection.

11. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 10, wherein

the receiving a predetermined operation includes receiving an operation of migrating the component from a display area to a non-display area on the editing screen, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which the component migrated from the display area to the non-display area is changed to be non-displayed in accordance with the operation received at the receiving a predetermined operation.

12. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 11, wherein

the receiving a selection includes receiving a selection from settable values of the component displayed on the non-display area, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which a default value of the component is changed to a value selected from the settable values in accordance with the selection received at the receiving a selection.

13. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 11, wherein

the receiving a predetermined operation includes receiving an operation of migrating the component within the display area on the editing screen, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which a display position of the component is changed in accordance with the operation received at the receiving a predetermined operation.

14. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 11, wherein

the receiving a predetermined operation includes receiving an operation of migrating the component from the display area to a half-bright display area on the editing screen, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which the component is changed to be displayed on half-bright display in accordance with the operation received at the receiving a predetermined operation.

15. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 14, wherein

the receiving a selection includes receiving a selection from settable values of the component displayed on the half-bright display area, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which a default value of the component is changed to a value selected from the settable values in accordance with the selection received at the receiving a selection.

16. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 11, wherein

the creating editing-screen includes creating an editing screen including a non-display drop area instead of the non-display area when a screen size is not enough to display both the display area and the non-display area on same screen,

the receiving a predetermined operation includes receiving an operation of dragging and dropping a component displayed on the display area onto the non-display drop area, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which the component dragged and dropped onto the non-display drop area is changed not to be displayed in accordance with the operation received at the receiving a predetermined operation.

17. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 10, wherein

the receiving a selection includes receiving a selection whether each of settable values of the component is to be displayed or non-displayed, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which each of the settable values of the component is changed to be displayed or non-displayed in accordance with the selection received at the receiving a selection.

18. The operation-screen changing method according to claim 10, wherein

the receiving a selection includes receiving a selection whether each of settable values of the component is to be displayed normally or displayed in half-bright, and

the creating screen definition data includes creating screen definition data for which each of the settable values of the component is changed to be displayed normally or displayed in half-bright in accordance with the selection received at the receiving a selection.

19. A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program which when executed on a computer causes the computer to execute an operation-screen changing method on an image forming apparatus that is connected to a client device via a network, the computer program causing the computer to execute:

storing in a storage unit a plurality of sets of flow definition data and screen definition data in associated manner, the flow definition data defining a flow of at least one process to be executed by the image forming apparatus, the screen definition data defining an operation screen to be displayed on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus depending on the process;

receiving a selection of a set of the flow definition data among the sets of the flow definition data stored in the storage unit from the client device;

acquiring screen definition data corresponding to a process defined by the flow definition data received at the receiving a selection from the storage unit;

creating an editing screen for editing the operation screen based on the screen definition data acquired at the acquiring;

transmitting the editing screen created to the client device;

receiving a predetermined operation with respect to a component of the editing screen from the client device;

creating screen definition data based on changed editing screen in accordance with the predetermined operation received at the receiving a predetermined operation; and

causing the storage unit to store the screen definition data created at the creating unit so as to be associated with the flow definition data which selection is received at the receiving a selection.