Image processing apparatus

• US 8,136,049 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yakushiji, Koji, Kunita, Atsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): DiStefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US11/865,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 345/4, 345/428, 345/581, 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 Multi-level menus
• 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 1/00501 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

The present invention provides an image processing apparatus which improves processing efficiency by allowing display of a message according to a usage status of a user and also has good operability. The image processing apparatus includes a setting section 9a for setting a display form of a message 13c. The user sets a display form, that is, display or nondisplay, display time, a color of a display pane, a shape of the display and a display position of the message 13c, to be more precise, from a setting screen capable of setting each kind of message 13c. In the case where “Nondisplay” is selected in selecting display or nondisplay of the message 13c, no setting thereafter is performed. In the case where “Display” is selected, the setting is performed as to all the items, such as the display time, color of the display pane, shape of the display and display position.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an operation panel including a display screen;

a display section for displaying a main screen and a sub screen on the display screen, the sub screen configured to display multiple kinds of messages; and

a setting section capable of setting a different display form according to each kind of the sub screen,

wherein the display section displays the sub screen in the display form set by the setting section,

in a mode of setting the display form of a message, the setting section generates a setting screen having a plurality of options enabling a user to select the display form of the message including display or nondisplay, and the setting section determines whether to permit or inhibit the message to be set to nondisplay according to the kind of message, and

in a case that the message is inhibited to be set to nondisplay, the message is displayed according to the selected display form even if the message is set to nondisplay.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the kinds of messages include a trouble code, a confirmation, an error, an inhibition and a caution;

wherein when the message is classified into the trouble code, the setting section inhibits the change in the display form of the message to nondisplay, and

when the message is classified into other than the trouble code, the setting section permits display or nondisplay of the message.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the setting section changes display time of the message.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting section determines whether to permit or inhibit the change in the display form of the message to display or nondisplay according to importance of the message.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the importance of the message is classified into high, medium, or low, and the setting section inhibits the change in the display form of the message to nondisplay in the case where the importance is high, permits the change in the display form to display or nondisplay only to a specific user in the case where the importance is medium, and permits the change in the display form to display or nondisplay in the case where the importance is low.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting section changes a display shape, a size, a color and a position of the message.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when changing a specific section in the display form, the setting portion determines whether a user is a specific user or not by means of a password input, and the setting section permits only a change from the specific user.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication section for communicating with an external terminal,

wherein, in the case where the display form is set from the external terminal via the communication section, the setting section permits the setting.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the kind of message which is inhibited to be set to nondisplay is set to display, the display portion displays the message according to the display form set by the setting portion.