Image forming apparatus and control method thereof

• US 20120099131A1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tani, Takeshi, Okada, Mikiya
• Granted Patent: US 10,061,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• 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

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a display device that displays an input screen image and a touch-panel arranged on the display device, and has a trial copy function of producing, when instructed to produce multiple copies of a document, a copy or copies to allow the user to confirm that the copy or copies are well. When the trial copy function is designated and a copy start key displayed on the input screen image is pressed, the image forming apparatus produces one copy or copies of the document, erases the copy start key from the input screen image, and displays a trial copy key, a trial end key and a balloon including help information. Since keys related to the trial copy are displayed in place of normally displayed keys, operation errors can be reduced and the user can easily execute the trial copy function.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus including a display unit that displays an information input screen image allowing input of information, and an input unit that is arranged on said display unit and specifies a designated position on said information input screen image, and

having a trial copy function of producing, when an instruction to produce multiple set of copies of a one- or multi-page document is given, a copy or a set of copies to allow a user to confirm that the copy or the set of copies are well;

wherein

if said trial copy function is designated and a position of one or a plurality of copy start keys displayed on said information input screen image is specified by said input unit, after the copy or the set of copies of said document are produced, said display unit erases said one or a plurality of copy start keys from said information input screen image, and displays a first key for executing the trial copy and a second key for producing copies of remaining number of set number of copies, on said information input screen image.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display unit changes said one or a plurality of copy start keys to said first key or said second key.

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

said plurality of copy start keys include a monochrome copy start key and a color copy start key;

and

said display unit changes said monochrome copy start key and said color copy start key to said first key or said second key.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input unit is a touch-panel.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second keys are displayed on an area of said information input screen image including an area where said one or a plurality of copy start keys are displayed adjacent to and parallel to each other.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display unit displays first help information near said first key or said second key.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said display unit displays second help information having said first help information of reduced amount, in place of the first piece of help information in a prescribed situation.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said prescribed situation is when a piece of information to be newly displayed on said information input screen image is overlapped on said first help information, or when a position on said first help information displayed on said information input screen image is specified by said input unit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said display unit displays said first help information in place of said second help information, if a position on said second help information displayed on said information input screen image is specified by said input unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display unit erases said copy start key from said information input screen image, displays a stop copy key to stop copying on said information input screen image and displays third help information near said stop copy key, in a time period from when said trial copy function is designated until one copy of said document is produced.

11. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus that includes a display unit that displays an information input screen image allowing input of information, and an input unit that is arranged on said display unit and specifies a designated position on said information input screen image;

and

has a trial copy function of producing, when an instruction to produce multiple set of copies of a one- or multi-page document is given, a copy or a set of copies to allow a user to confirm that the copy or the set of copies are well;

said method comprising the steps of;

determining whether or not said trial copy function is designated;

determining whether or not a position on one or a plurality of copy start keys displayed on said information input screen image is specified by said input unit; and

if it is determined that said trial copy function is designated and a position on one or a plurality of copy start keys displayed on said information input screen is specified by said input unit, producing the copy or the set of copies of said document, erasing said one or a plurality of copy start keys from said information input screen image, and displaying a first key for executing the trial copy and a second key for producing copies of remaining number of set number of copies, on said information input screen image.

12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein at said step of displaying said first and second keys on said information input screen image, said one or a plurality of copy start keys are changed to said first key or said second key.

13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein

said plurality of copy start keys include a monochrome copy start key and a color copy start key;

and

at said step of displaying said first and second keys on said information input screen image, said monochrome copy start key and said color copy start key are changed to said first key or said second key.

14. The control method according to claim 11, wherein said input unit is a touch-panel.

15. The control method according to claim 11, wherein said first and second keys are displayed on an area of said information input screen image including an area where said one or a plurality of copy start keys are displayed adjacent to and parallel to each other.

16. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of displaying first help information near said first key or said second key.

17. The control method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of displaying second help information having said first help information of reduced amount, in place of said first help information, in a prescribed situation.

18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein said prescribed situation is when a piece of information to be newly displayed on said information input screen image is overlapped on said first help information, or when a position on said first help information displayed on said information input screen image is specified by said input unit.

19. The control method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of displaying said first help information in place of said second help information, if a position on said second help information displayed on said information input screen image is specified by said input unit.

20. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of erasing said copy start key from said information input screen image, displaying a stop copy key to stop copying on said information input screen image and displaying third help information near said stop copy key, in a time period from when said trial copy function is designated until one copy of said document is produced.