IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD

• US 20160366293A1
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ono, Zentaroh
• Granted Patent: US 9,769,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/00474 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

An image forming apparatus includes: an operation unit that includes a display unit where a screen is displayed and a first operating system, and accepts an operation; and a main body unit that includes a second operating system, and acts according to an operation accepted by the operation unit, wherein the operation unit includes: an operation accepting unit that accepts, when an always-displayed screen for using a specific function is pressed, activation of a first application running on the first operating system to use the specific function associated with the screen; a synchronization processing unit that performs synchronization between a second application running on the first operating system and a third application running on the second operating system; an app-activation control unit that activates the first application after performing the synchronization; and a display control unit that displays an operation accepting screen of the first application on the display unit.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an operation unit that is equipped with a display unit on which a screen is displayed and a first operating system, and accepts an operation; and

a main body unit that is equipped with a second operating system, and acts according to an operation accepted by the operation unit, wherein

the operation unit includes;

an operation accepting unit that accepts, when an always-displayed screen for using a specific function has been pressed, activation of a first application running on the first operating system to use the specific function associated with the screen;

a synchronization processing unit that performs a synchronization process of synchronizing a second application running on the first operating system and a third application running on the second operating system;

an app-activation control unit that activates the first application after the synchronization processing unit has performed the synchronization process; and

a display control unit that performs control of displaying an operation accepting screen of the first application activated by the app-activation control unit on the display unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a specific application is activated, the synchronization processing unit performs the synchronization process of synchronizing the second application and the third application.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specific application is an application newly added to the operation unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specific application is an application that does not use a function of the main body unit.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the application that does not use a function of the main body unit is either a browser app or a gallery app.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization process is a process of synchronizing a second application that activates an initial screen of the operation unit to call the operation accepting screen for using multiple functions and a third application of the main body unit that corresponds to the second application of the operation unit.

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

the second application is a home application that activates the initial screen of the operation unit, and

the third application is a home application of the main body unit that corresponds to the home application of the operation unit.

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

the operation unit further includes a stop control unit that performs, when having received a notification of stop of an application, control of stopping a job of a currently active application on the second operating system of the main body unit,

when a STOP key on an always-displayed screen for using a specific function has been pressed, the operation accepting unit accepts stop of an application and notifies the main body unit of the stop of the application,

when having received a notification of the stop of the application, the stop control unit checks a currently active application on the second operating system of the main body unit and suspends a job of the application, and then transmits an app suspension completion notification, which informs that the job of the application has been suspended, to an application of the operation unit,

when having received the app suspension completion notification, the application of the operation unit generates a stop screen of the application and transmits the generated stop screen to the display control unit, and

the display control unit displays the stop screen on the display unit.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an operation unit that is equipped with a display unit on which a screen is displayed and a first operating system, and accepts an operation; and

a main body unit that is equipped with a second operating system, and acts according to an operation accepted by the operation unit and, when notified of the stop of an application accepted by the operation unit, controls a process of checking a currently active application on the second operating system and stopping a job of the application, wherein

the operation unit includes;

an operation accepting unit that accepts, when an always-displayed screen for using a specific function has been pressed, activation of a first application running on the first operating system to use the specific function associated with the screen;

a synchronization processing unit that performs a synchronization process of synchronizing a second application running on the first operating system and a third application running on the second operating system;

an app-activation control unit that activates the first application after the synchronization processing unit has performed the synchronization process; and

a display control unit that performs control of displaying an operation accepting screen of the first application activated by the app-activation control unit on the display unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein when a specific application is activated, the synchronization processing unit performs the synchronization process of synchronizing the second application and the third application.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the specific application is an application newly added to the operation unit.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the specific application is an application that does not use a function of the main body unit.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the application that does not use a function of the main body unit is either a browser app or a gallery app.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the synchronization process is a process of synchronizing a second application that activates an initial screen of the operation unit to call the operation accepting screen for using multiple functions and a third application of the main body unit that corresponds to the second application of the operation unit.

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

the second application is a home application that activates the initial screen of the operation unit, and

the third application is a home application of the main body unit that corresponds to the home application of the operation unit.

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

the operation unit further includes a stop control unit that performs, when having received a notification of stop of an application, control of stopping a job of a currently active application on the second operating system of the main body unit,

when a STOP key on an always-displayed screen for using a specific function has been pressed, the operation accepting unit accepts stop of an application and notifies the main body unit of the stop of the application,

when having received a notification of the stop of the application, the stop control unit checks a currently active application on the second operating system of the main body unit and suspends a job of the application, and then transmits an app suspension completion notification, which informs that the job of the application has been suspended, to an application of the operation unit,

when having received the app suspension completion notification, the application of the operation unit generates a stop screen of the application and transmits the generated stop screen to the display control unit, and

the display control unit displays the stop screen on the display unit.

17. An image forming method implemented by an image forming apparatus that includes an operation unit, which is equipped with a display unit on which a screen is displayed and a first operating system and accepts an operation, and a main body unit, which is equipped with a second operating system and acts according to an operation accepted by the operation unit, the image forming method comprising:

accepting, when an always-displayed screen for using a specific function has been pressed, activation of a first application running on the first operating system to use the specific function associated with the screen;

performing a synchronization process of synchronizing a second application running on the first operating system and a third application running on the second operating system;

activating the first application after the synchronization process has been performed; and

performing control of displaying an operation accepting screen of the activated first application on the display unit.