IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DISPLAY METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM ENCODED WITH DISPLAY PROGRAM

• US 20120242691A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yusaku, Kato, Tomokazu, Kurumasa, Yoichi, Sugiura, Hiroshi, Tamai, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/427,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242691A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00472 using a pop-up window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• 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 1/00501 Tailoring a user interface [UI] to specific requirements
• 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 includes a position detecting portion to detect a position designated by a user on a display surface of a display portion, a first display controlling portion to cause the display portion to display a first screen, a position check image displaying portion, responsive to detection of a position within a designation button on the first screen, to cause the display portion to display a position check image identical in shape and size to a second screen, a moving portion to move the position check image in the first screen, a position finalizing portion to finalize a position for displaying the second screen on the basis of the position of the position check image in the first screen, and a second display controlling portion to cause the display portion to display the second screen at the finalized position, to be overlaid on the first screen.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a display portion to display an image;

a position detecting portion to detect a position designated by a user on a display surface of said display portion;

a first display controlling portion to cause said display portion to display a first screen;

a position check image displaying portion operable, in response to detection of a position within a designation button on said first screen by said position detecting portion while said first screen is being displayed, to cause said display portion to display a position check image, the position check image being identical in shape and size to a second screen that is associated with said designation button, the position check image being displayed overlaid on said first screen in the state where an image of said first screen is visible through the position check image overlaid thereon;

a moving portion to move said position check image in said first screen;

a position finalizing portion to finalize a position for displaying said second screen in said first screen, on the basis of the position of said position check image in said first screen; and

a second display controlling portion to cause said display portion to display said second screen at the position in said first screen that is finalized by said position finalizing portion, the second screen being displayed overlaid on said first screen which is being displayed on said display portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a process execution portion to execute processing, wherein

said first screen includes a setting screen for setting a setting value for each of a plurality of setting items that determine processing conditions for said process execution portion to execute the processing, and

said designation button includes an item selecting button for selecting one of said plurality of setting items.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in response to a change of the position detected by said position detecting portion after said position check image was displayed, said moving portion displays said position check image at a position that is determined in relation to the changed position.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the case where said position detecting portion has ceased to detect a position after the display position of said position check image was changed by said moving portion, said position finalizing portion finalizes the position lastly detected by said position detecting portion as the position for displaying said second screen.

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

said moving portion includes a switching portion to switch a state of said position check image to a movable state,

said first screen includes a selecting area having a plurality of designation buttons arranged therein,

said second display controlling portion includes a layout modifying portion operable, in the case where the position in said first screen finalized by said position finalizing portion falls within said selecting area, to modify layout of said plurality of designation buttons such that said designation button designated from among said plurality of designation buttons is placed at a position that includes said finalized position, and

in the case where the position in said first screen finalized by said position finalizing portion falls outside said selecting area, said second display controlling portion displays said second screen at a position that is determined in relation to the position finalized by said position finalizing portion, and in the case where the position in said first screen finalized by said position finalizing portion falls within said selecting area, said second display controlling portion displays said second screen at a position that is determined in relation to the position where said designated designation button is placed after the modification of the layout by said layout modifying portion.

6. A display method performed by an image forming apparatus having a display portion to display an image, the method comprising:

a position detecting step of detecting a position designated by a user on a display surface of said display portion;

a first display controlling step of displaying a first screen on said display portion;

a position check image displaying step of, in response to detection of a position within a designation button on said first screen in said position detecting step while said first screen is being displayed, displaying a position check image on said display portion, the position check image being identical in shape and size to a second screen that is associated with said designation button, the position check image being displayed overlaid on said first screen in the state where an image of said first screen is visible through the position check image overlaid thereon;

a moving step of moving said position check image in said first screen;

a position finalizing step of finalizing a position for displaying said second screen in said first screen, on the basis of the position of said position check image in said first screen; and

a second display controlling step of displaying, on said display portion, said second screen at the position in said first screen that is finalized in said position finalizing step, the second screen being displayed overlaid on said first screen which is being displayed on said display portion.

7. The display method according to claim 6, further comprising a process execution step of executing processing, wherein

said first screen includes a setting screen for setting a setting value for each of a plurality of setting items that determine processing conditions for executing the processing in said process execution step, and

said designation button includes an item selecting button for selecting one of said plurality of setting items.

8. The display method according to claim 6, wherein said moving step includes a step of, in response to a change of the position detected in said position detecting step after said position check image was displayed, displaying said position check image at a position that is determined in relation to the changed position.

9. The display method according to claim 8, wherein said position finalizing step includes a step of, in the case where no more position is detected in said position detecting step after the display position of said position check image was changed in said moving step, finalizing the position lastly detected in said position detecting step as the position for displaying said second screen.

10. The display method according to claim 6, wherein

said moving step includes a switching step of switching a state of said position check image to a movable state,

said first screen includes a selecting area having a plurality of designation buttons arranged therein, and

said second display controlling step includes

a layout modifying step of, in the case where the position in said first screen finalized in said position finalizing step falls within said selecting area, modifying layout of said plurality of designation buttons such that said designation button designated from among said plurality of designation buttons is placed at a position that includes said finalized position,

a step of, in the case where the position in said first screen finalized in said position finalizing step falls outside said selecting area, displaying said second screen at a position that is determined in relation to the position finalized in said position finalizing step, and

a step of, in the case where the position in said first screen finalized in said position finalizing step falls within said selecting area, displaying said second screen at a position that is determined in relation to the position where said designated designation button is placed after the modification of the layout in said layout modifying step.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with a display program performed by a computer which controls an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus having a display portion to display an image,

the program causing said computer to perform:

a position detecting step of detecting a position designated by a user on a display surface of said display portion;

a first display controlling step of displaying a first screen on said display portion;

a position check image displaying step of, in response to detection of a position within a designation button on said first screen in said position detecting step while said first screen is being displayed, displaying a position check image on said display portion, the position check image being identical in shape and size to a second screen that is associated with said designation button, the position check image being displayed overlaid on said first screen in the state where an image of said first screen is visible through the position check image overlaid thereon;

a moving step of moving said position check image in said first screen;

a position finalizing step of finalizing a position for displaying said second screen in said first screen, on the basis of the position of said position check image in said first screen; and

a second display controlling step of displaying, on said display portion, said second screen at the position in said first screen that is finalized in said position finalizing step, the second screen being displayed overlaid on said first screen which is being displayed on said display portion.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with the display program according to claim 11, causing said computer to further perform a process execution step of executing processing, wherein

said first screen includes a setting screen for setting a setting value for each of a plurality of setting items that determine processing conditions for executing the processing in said process execution step, and

said designation button includes an item selecting button for selecting one of said plurality of setting items.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with the display program according to claim 11, wherein said moving step includes a step of, in response to a change of the position detected in said position detecting step after said position check image was displayed, displaying said position check image at a position that is determined in relation to the changed position.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with the display program according to claim 13 wherein said position finalizing step includes a step of, in the case where no more position is detected in said position detecting step after the display position of said position check image was changed in said moving step, finalizing the position lastly detected in said position detecting step as the position for displaying said second screen.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium encoded with the display program according to claim 11, wherein

said moving step includes a switching step of switching a state of said position check image to a movable state,

said first screen includes a selecting area having a plurality of designation buttons arranged therein, and

said second display controlling step includes

a layout modifying step of, in the case where the position in said first screen finalized in said position finalizing step falls within said selecting area, modifying layout of said plurality of designation buttons such that said designation button designated from among said plurality of designation buttons is placed at a position that includes said finalized position,

a step of, in the case where the position in said first screen finalized in said position finalizing step falls outside said selecting area, displaying said second screen at a position that is determined in relation to the position finalized in said position finalizing step, and

a step of, in the case where the position in said first screen finalized in said position finalizing step falls within said selecting area, displaying said second screen at a position that is determined in relation to the position where said designated designation button is placed after the modification of the layout in said layout modifying step.