IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20140082560A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: OKADA, Takuya, KURUMASA, Yoichi, HOSONO, Masao, KOMABA, Kenichi, TOMIYASU, Kazuhiro
• Application Number:
  US14/019,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082560A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• 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 1/00437 Intelligent menus, e.g. anticipating user selections
• 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 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A setting screen displayed on a display unit of an image forming apparatus includes an icon display area displaying a plurality of icons that are arranged in a predetermined direction and correspond to a plurality of function buttons for setting each function, and a function button display area displaying one or more of the plurality of function buttons. An input control unit of the image forming apparatus receives input of a group display instruction to display function buttons that belong to one of a plurality of groups in the function button display area. A display control unit of the image forming apparatus displays, in response to the input of the group display instruction, function buttons that belong to a specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction in the function button display area.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a setting screen that includes an icon display area and a function button display area, the icon display area displaying a plurality of icons that are arranged in a predetermined direction and correspond to a plurality of function buttons for setting each function, and the function button display area displaying one or more of the plurality of function buttons;

an input control unit configured to receive input of range specification for specifying some icons within a specified range of a predetermined width from among the plurality of icons arranged in the predetermined direction in the icon display area; and

a display control unit configured to display some function buttons corresponding to the some icons in the function button display area in response to the input of range specification,

wherein the plurality of function buttons are classified into a plurality of groups according to their function attribute,

the setting screen also includes a group display instruction area that receives input of a group display instruction to display function buttons belonging to one of the plurality of groups in the function button display area,

the input control unit is also configured to receive the input of the group display instruction to the group display instruction area, and

the display control unit is configured to, in response to the input of the group display instruction, display function buttons that belong to a specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction, in the function button display area.

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

a plurality of group specification buttons for specifying each of the plurality of groups as the specific group are disposed in the group display instruction area.

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

the plurality of group specification buttons are disposed in the group display instruction area that is provided independently of both of the icon display area and the function button display area.

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

the plurality of group specification buttons are each disposed in a vicinity of a group of icons that correspond to a function of the group specification button among the plurality of icons arranged in the icon display area.

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

the display control unit is configured to, when function buttons belonging to the specific group are displayed in the function button display area in response to pressing of a specific group specification button among the plurality of group specification buttons, display the specific group specification button pressed by a user and the other group specification buttons other than the specific group specification button among the plurality of group specification buttons in different forms.

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

the group display instruction area is divided into a plurality of group specification areas for specifying each of the plurality of groups as the specific group.

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

the display control unit is configured to, upon receiving the input of the group display instruction to the specific group among the plurality of groups, display only function buttons that belong to the specific group among the plurality of function buttons, in the function button display area.

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

the display control unit is configured to, upon receiving the input of the group display instruction to the specific group among the plurality of groups, display function buttons that belong to the specific group and function buttons that do not belong to the specific group in different forms in the function button display area.

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

the display control unit is configured to, upon receiving the input of the group display instruction to the specific group among the plurality of groups, display icons that belong to the specific group and icons that do not belong to the specific group among the plurality of icons in the icon display area in different forms.

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

the display control unit is configured to, upon receiving the input of the group display instruction to the specific group among the plurality of groups, display function buttons that belong to the specific group and function buttons that do not belong to the specific group, in the function button display area in such a manner that the function buttons belonging to the specific group and the function buttons that do not belong to the specific group are displaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the display control unit is configured to, upon receiving the input of the group display instruction to the specific group among the plurality of groups, display icons that belong to the specific group and icons that do not belong to the specific group among the plurality of icons in the icon display area in such a manner that the icons belonging to the specific group and the icons that do not belong to the specific group are displaced from each other in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

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

the display control unit is configured to, upon again receiving a user operation on a string of icons or a slider for specifying the some icons within the specified range of the predetermined width in the icon display area after a transition from a first display state to a second display state, perform a transition operation of causing a transition from the second display state to the first display state, the first display state being a state in which some function buttons corresponding to the some icons are displayed in the function button display area, and the second display state being a state in which function buttons belonging to the specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction are displayed in the function button display area.

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

the display control unit is configured to, upon again receiving the input of the group display instruction to the specific group through the group display instruction area after a transition from a first display state to a second display state, perform a transition operation of causing a transition from the second display state to the first display state, the first display state being a state in which some function buttons corresponding to the some icons are displayed in the function button display area, and the second display state being a state in which function buttons belonging to the specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction are displayed in the function button display area.

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

the display control unit is configured to, upon completion of a function setting operation performed in response to pressing of a specific function button belonging to the specific group after a transition from a first display state to a second display state, perform a transition operation of causing a transition from the second display state to the first display state, the first display state being a state in which some function buttons corresponding to the some icons are displayed in the function button display area, and the second display state being a state in which function buttons belonging to the specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction are displayed in the function button display area.

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

the display control unit is configured to, when a no-operation period continues for a predetermined period of time after a transition from a first display state to a second display state, perform a transition operation of causing a transition from the second display state to the first display state, the first display state being a state in which some function buttons corresponding to the some icons are displayed in the function button display area, and the second display state being a state in which function buttons belonging to the specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction are displayed in the function button display area.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to execute:

a) displaying a setting screen that includes an icon display area, a function button display area, and a group display instruction area,

the icon display area displaying a plurality of icons that are arranged in a predetermined direction and correspond to a plurality of function buttons for setting each function,

the function button display area displaying one or more of the plurality of function buttons, and

the group display instruction area receiving input of a group display instruction to display function buttons that belong to one of a plurality of groups for classifying the plurality of function buttons, in the function button display area;

b) receiving the input of the group display instruction to the group display instruction area in a first display state in which some function buttons that correspond to some icons within a specified range of a predetermined width among the plurality of icons arranged in the predetermined direction in the icon display area are displayed in the function button display area; and

c) in response to the input of the group display instruction, performing a transition operation of causing a transition to a second display state in which function buttons belonging to a specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction are displayed in the function button display area.

17. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a) displaying a setting screen that includes an icon display area, a function button display area, and a group display instruction area,

the icon display area displaying a plurality of icons that are arranged in a predetermined direction and correspond to a plurality of function buttons for setting each function,

the function button display area displaying one or more of the plurality of function buttons, and

the group display instruction area receiving input of a group display instruction to display function buttons that belong to one of a plurality of groups for classifying the plurality of function buttons, in the function button display area;

b) receiving the input of the group display instruction to the group display instruction area in a first display state in which some function buttons that correspond to some icons within a specified range of a predetermined width among the plurality of icons arranged in the predetermined direction in the icon display area are displayed in the function button display area; and

c) in response to the input of the group display instruction, performing a transition operation of causing a transition to a second display state in which function buttons belonging to a specific group specified by the input of the group display instruction are displayed in the function button display area.