IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND TERMINAL DEVICE EACH HAVING TOUCH PANEL

• US 20120206388A1
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsuboi, Tomo, Iwai, Toshimichi, Yamaguchi, Takehisa, Sawayanagi, Kazumi, Torigoshi, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,733,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar

Abstract

Continuously after two contacts are made on a touch panel, when a gesture of moving the two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing the two contacts after being moved is detected, an image forming apparatus identifies a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by the two contacts at least either of before and after being moved, as a program subjected to the gesture, and stores information that identifies the program subjected to the gesture. The image forming apparatus reads the information that identifies the program subjected to the gesture in accordance with a command related to the program subjected to the gesture to execute an operation related to the program, and transmits information depending on the operation to another device indicated by the command.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a touch panel;

a controller connected to said touch panel;

a memory; and

a communication device for communicating with an other device, wherein said controller executes the processes of

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a first gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by said two contacts at least either of before and after being moved, as a program subjected to said first gesture, and storing information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture in said memory,

reading said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture from said memory in accordance with a command related to said program subjected to said first gesture to execute an operation related to said program subjected to said first gesture, and

transmitting information depending on said operation to an other device indicated by said command.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, upon receipt of, from said other device, a report that continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, a second gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved has been detected as well as information that identifies a program subjected to said second gesture, said controller further executes the process of determining an operation to be executed by said image forming apparatus based on said program subjected to said first gesture and said program subjected to said second gesture, said program subjected to said second gesture being a program being executed when said second gesture has been detected.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller previously stores an operation to be executed by said image forming apparatus in association with a combination of programs, and reads an operation associated with said program subjected to said first gesture and said program subjected to said second gesture, thereby determining said operation to be executed by said image forming apparatus.

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

said controller further executes a login process of performing user authentication using user information,

said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture includes said user information,

said information that identifies said program subjected to said second gesture includes information that identifies a login user when said program subjected to said second gesture has been executed in said other device, and

said controller determines said operation when said user information included in said program subjected to said first gesture indicates the login user when said program subjected to said second gesture has been executed.

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

said controller further executes the process of when said first gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to a server previously defined using said communication device, and transmitting said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture to said server, and

said command is transmitted from said server.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said controller further executes the processes of:

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a second gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying said program being executed when said second gesture has been detected as a program subjected to said second gesture; and

when said second gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to said server using said communication device, and transmitting information that identifies said program subjected to said second gesture to said server.

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

said controller further executes a login process of performing user authentication using user information,

said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture includes said user information, and

in the process of storing said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture in said memory, said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture including said user information is overwritten.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller further executes the process of transmitting a command for causing information in accordance with said operation to be processed, to said other device.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a touch panel;

a controller connected to said touch panel; and

a communication device for communicating with an other device, wherein said controller executes the processes of

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying a program being executed when said gesture has been detected as a program subjected to said gesture,

when said gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to a server previously defined using said communication device, and transmitting information that identifies said program subjected to said gesture to said server, and

executing a program related to said program subjected to said gesture, and

by executing said program related to said program subjected to said gesture, said controller processes information related to an operation received from a terminal device having executed said operation in accordance with a command from said server.

10. A terminal device comprising:

a touch panel;

a controller connected to said touch panel;

a memory; and

a communication device for communicating with an other device, wherein said controller further executes the processes of

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a first gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by said two contacts at least either of before and after being moved, as a program subjected to said first gesture, and storing information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture in said memory,

reading said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture from said memory in accordance with a command related to said program subjected to said first gesture to execute an operation related to said program subjected to said first gesture, and

transmitting information depending on said operation to an image forming apparatus indicated by said command.

11. The terminal device according to claim 10, wherein, upon receipt of, from said image forming apparatus, a report that continuously after two contacts are made on a touch panel included in said image forming apparatus, a second gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved has been detected and information that identifies a program subjected to said second gesture, said controller further executes the process of determining an operation to be executed by said terminal device based on said program subjected to said first gesture and said program subjected to said second gesture, said program subjected to said second gesture being a program being executed when said second gesture has been detected.

12. A terminal device comprising:

a touch panel;

a controller connected to said touch panel; and

a communication device for communicating with an other device, wherein said controller executes the processes of

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying a program being executed when said gesture has been detected as a program subjected to said gesture,

when said gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to a server previously defined using said communication device, and transmitting information that identifies said program subjected to said gesture to said server, and

executing a program related to said program subjected to said gesture, and

by executing said program related to said program subjected to said gesture, said controller processes information related to an operation received from an image forming apparatus having executed said operation in accordance with a command from said server.

13. An image forming system comprising:

an image forming apparatus;

a terminal device; and

a server,

said image forming apparatus and said terminal device each including a touch panel, a controller connected to said touch panel, and a memory,

one of said image forming apparatus and said terminal device being represented by a first device, and the other one being represented by a second device, wherein

said controller of said first device executes the processes of

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a first gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by said two contacts at least either of before and after being moved, as a program subjected to said first gesture, and storing information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture in said memory,

when said first gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to said server, and transmitting said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture to said server,

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a second gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying a program being executed when said second gesture has been detected as a program subjected to said second gesture,

when said second gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to said server, and transmitting information that identifies said program subjected to said second gesture to said server,

reading said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture from said memory in accordance with a command transmitted from said server to execute an operation related to said program subjected to said first gesture, and transmitting information depending on said operation to said second device indicated by said command, and

executing a program related to said program subjected to said second gesture,

said controller of said second device executes the processes of

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a third gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by said two contacts at least either of before and after being moved, as a program subjected to said third gesture, and storing information that identifies said program subjected to said third gesture in said memory,

when said third gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to said server, and transmitting said information that identifies said program subjected to said third gesture to said server,

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, when a fourth gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected, identifying said program being executed when said fourth gesture has been detected as a program subjected to said fourth gesture,

when said fourth gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to said server, and transmitting information that identifies said program subjected to said fourth gesture to said server,

reading said information that identifies said program subjected to said third gesture from said memory in accordance with a command transmitted from said server to execute an operation related to said program subjected to said third gesture, and transmitting information depending on said operation to said first device indicated by said command, and

executing a program related to said program subjected to said fourth gesture,

said server executes the processes of

upon receipt of, from said first device, a report that said first gesture has been detected, storing said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture,

upon receipt of, from said second device, a report that said third gesture has been detected, storing said information that identifies said program subjected to said third gesture,

upon receipt of, from said first device, a report that said second gesture has been detected and said information that identifies said program subjected to said second gesture, reading said information that identifies said program subjected to said third gesture to determine an operation to be executed by said second device based on said program subjected to said second gesture and said program subjected to said third gesture, and

upon receipt of, from said second device, a report that said fourth gesture has been detected and said information that identifies said program subjected to said fourth gesture, reading said information that identifies said program subjected to said first gesture to determine an operation to be executed by said first device based on said program subjected to said first gesture and said program subjected to said fourth gesture.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a control program for causing an image processing apparatus having a touch panel, a controller connected to said touch panel, and a memory to execute a process, wherein said program instructs said controller to perform the following steps of:

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, detecting a gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved;

when said gesture is detected, identifying a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by said two contacts at least either of before and after being moved, as a program subjected to said gesture;

storing information that identifies said program subjected to said gesture in said memory;

when said gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to a server previously defined, and transmitting said information that identifies said program subjected to said gesture to said server; and

upon receipt of a command transmitted from said server, reading said information that identifies said program subjected to said gesture from said memory in accordance with said command to execute an operation related to said program subjected to said gesture, and transmitting information depending on said operation to an other device indicated by said command.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a control program for causing a terminal device having a touch panel, a controller connected to said touch panel, and a memory to execute a process, wherein said program instructs said controller to perform the following steps of:

continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, detecting a gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved;

when said gesture is detected, identifying a program being executed when said gesture has been detected as a program subjected to said gesture;

when said gesture is detected, reporting to that effect to a server previously defined, and transmitting information that identifies said program subjected to said gesture to said server; and

upon receipt of information related to an operation from an other device having executed said operation in accordance with a command from said server, executing a program related to said program subjected to said gesture, thereby processing the information received from said other device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having recorded thereon a control program for causing a server to execute a process, said server previously storing an operation to be executed by a first device in association with a combination of programs, wherein said program instructs a controller of said server to perform the following steps of:

upon receipt of, from said first device, a report that continuously after two contacts are made on a touch panel included in said first device, a first gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is decreased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected as well as information that identifies a program subjected to said first gesture, storing said information in a memory, a program presented by an icon displayed in an area defined by said two contacts at least either of before and after being moved being identified as said program subjected to said first gesture;

upon receipt of, from a second device, a report that continuously after two contacts are made on said touch panel, a second gesture of moving said two contacts in a direction that a spacing therebetween is increased and then releasing said two contacts after being moved is detected as well as information that identifies a program subjected to said second gesture, determining an operation to be executed by said first device based on said program subjected to said first gesture and said program subjected to said second gesture, said program subjected to said second gesture being a program being executed when said second gesture has been detected; and

transmitting a command for causing said operation to be executed by said first device, to said first device.