OPERATION APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE SAME, AND SHORTCUT ACCEPTANCE METHOD

• US 20130003099A1
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Yasuhiro, Arakawa, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,860,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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

Abstract

An operation apparatus includes a touch panel, a help unit, a shortcut inquiry unit, and a shortcut acceptance unit. The shortcut inquiry unit, upon detection, by the touch panel, of an input operation of the setting condition in a state in which the setting condition input window, which has been switched by the help unit, is being displayed, inquires about whether registration of a shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item is desired or not, and accepts the registration of the shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item, if the input operation for registration of the shortcut key is accepted by way of the touch panel.

Claims

1. An operation apparatus comprising:

a touch panel that can display a plurality of kinds of window including an operation window displaying a HELP key for guiding input of a setting condition of a predetermined setting item, such that an input operation, including an operation on a plurality of software keys including the HELP key, can be detected;

a help unit that switches, either directly or via another window, the display window that is displayed on the touch panel from the operation window to a setting condition input window in which the setting condition of a predetermined setting item among a plurality of setting items can be input, upon detection of the operation on the HELP key displayed on the operation window by the touch panel;

a shortcut inquiry unit that, upon detection, by the touch panel, of an input operation of the setting condition in a state in which the setting condition input window, which has been switched by the help unit, is being displayed, inquires about whether registration of a shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item is desired or not, and accepts the registration of the shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item, if the input operation for registration of the shortcut key is accepted by way of the touch panel; and

a shortcut acceptance unit that, if the shortcut key is registered by the shortcut inquiry unit, displays the shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item on the operation window on the touch panel, such that an operation on the shortcut key can be detected.

2. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shortcut acceptance unit displays the shortcut key so as to be adjacent to the HELP key on the operation window.

3. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if the shortcut key is registered by the shortcut key inquiry unit, the shortcut acceptance unit switches the display window displayed on the touch panel to an operation window displaying the shortcut key.

4. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the help unit:

displays a setting item selection window displaying a plurality of setting item keys on the touch panel, upon detection of an operation on the HELP key by way of the touch panel; and

switches the display window displayed on the touch panel from the setting item selection window to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item corresponding to a particular setting item key, upon detection of an operation of the particular setting item key by way of the touch panel.

5. The operation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the help unit displays a setting item key that is displayed on a lower layer window than the operation window, on the setting item selection window on the touch panel, such that an operation on the setting item key can be detected.

6. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation apparatus has a predetermined processing unit or the operation apparatus is connected to a predetermined processing unit; and

in a case in which a predetermined process is in progress in the predetermined processing unit based on the setting condition thus input, the shortcut inquiry unit displays a registration prompt window for prompting the registration of the shortcut key on the touch panel.

7. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation apparatus has a predetermined processing unit or the operation apparatus is connected to a predetermined processing unit; and

in a case in which a predetermined process is in progress in the predetermined processing unit based on the setting condition thus input, the shortcut inquiry unit displays a registration prompt window for prompting the registration of the shortcut key on the touch panel, after completion of the process.

8. The operation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, in a case in which a predetermined process is in progress in the predetermined processing unit based on the setting condition thus input, the shortcut inquiry unit displays a registration prompt window for prompting the registration of the shortcut key on the touch panel, for a predetermined amount of time, after completion of the process.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising

an operation apparatus including:

a touch panel that can display a plurality of kinds of windows including an operation window displaying a HELP key for guiding input of a setting condition of a predetermined setting item, such that an input operation, including an operation on a plurality of software keys including the HELP key, can be detected;

a help unit that switches, either directly or via another window, a display window displayed on the touch panel from the operation window to a setting condition input window in which the setting condition of a predetermined setting item among a plurality of setting items can be input, upon detection of the operation on the HELP key displayed on the operation window by way of the touch panel;

a shortcut inquiry unit that, upon detection, by the touch panel, of an input operation of the setting condition in a state in which the setting condition input window, which has been switched by the help unit, is being displayed, inquires about whether registration of a shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item is desired or not, and accepts the registration of the shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item, if the input operation for registration of the shortcut key is accepted; and

a shortcut acceptance unit that, if the shortcut key is registered by the shortcut inquiry unit, displays the shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item on the operation window on the touch panel, such that an operation on the shortcut key can be detected.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the shortcut acceptance unit displays the shortcut key so as to be adjacent to the HELP key on the operation window.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, if the shortcut key is registered by the shortcut key inquiry unit, the shortcut acceptance unit switches the display window displayed on the touch panel to an operation window displaying the shortcut key.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the help unit:

displays the setting item selection window displaying a plurality of setting item keys on the touch panel, upon detection of an operation on the HELP key by way of the touch panel; and

switches the display window displayed on the touch panel from the setting item selection window to a setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item corresponding to a particular setting item key, upon detection of an operation of the particular setting item key by way of the touch panel.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the help unit displays a setting item key that is displayed on a lower layer window than the operation window, on the setting item selection window on the touch panel, such that an operation on the setting item key can be detected.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the operation apparatus has a predetermined processing unit or the operation apparatus is connected to a predetermined processing unit; and

in a case in which a predetermined process is in progress in the predetermined processing unit based on the setting condition thus input, the shortcut inquiry unit displays a registration prompt window for prompting the registration of the shortcut key on the touch panel.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein:

the operation apparatus has a predetermined processing unit or the operation apparatus is connected to a predetermined processing unit; and

in a case in which a predetermined process is in progress in the predetermined processing unit based on the setting condition thus input, the shortcut inquiry unit displays a registration prompt window for prompting the registration of the shortcut key on the touch panel, after completion of the process.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, in a case in which a predetermined process is in progress in the predetermined processing unit based on the setting condition thus input, the shortcut inquiry unit displays a registration prompt window for prompting the registration of the shortcut key on the touch panel, for a predetermined amount of time after completion of the process.

17. A shortcut acceptance method for an operation apparatus including a touch panel that can display a plurality of kinds of windows including an operation window displaying a HELP key for guiding input of a setting condition of a predetermined setting item, such that an input operation, including an operation on a plurality of software keys including the HELP key, can be detected,

the shortcut acceptance method displaying a shortcut key on the operation window on the touch panel, such that an operation on the shortcut key can be detected, the method comprising:

a help step of switching, either directly or via another window, a display window displayed on the touch panel from the operation window to a setting condition input window in which the setting condition of a predetermined setting item among a plurality of setting items can be input, upon detection of the operation on the HELP key displayed on the operation window by way of the touch panel;

a shortcut inquiry step of, upon detection, by the touch panel, of an input operation of the setting condition in a state in which the setting condition input window, which has been switched in the help step, is being displayed, inquiring about whether registration of a shortcut key used for directly switching to a setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item is desired or not, and accepting the registration of the shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item, if the input operation for registration of the shortcut key is accepted; and

a shortcut acceptance step of, if the shortcut key is registered in the shortcut inquiry step, displaying the shortcut key used for directly switching to the setting condition input window corresponding to the setting item on the operation window on the touch panel, such that an operation on the shortcut key can be detected.

18. A program for providing the shortcut acceptance method according to claim 17, wherein the program is computer-executable.