Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium

• US 8,375,314 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishii, Yuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US12/202,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760, 715234-243, 715/248, 715276-277, 715744-747, 715762-764, 715/806, 715/807, 345/530, 345/531, 345/533, 345/547, 345/553, 345/557, 345/558, 711/111, 711/113, 711118-136, 711170-173
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00435 arranged in a predetermined sequence, e.g. using next and previous buttons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages
• 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 disclosed information processing method for use in an information apparatus including a display unit comprises a creating step of creating screen components based on screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on the display unit is previously defined, a display controlling step of displaying the screen formed with the screen components created in the creating step, and a storing step of storing, upon transition from the screen displayed in the display controlling step, all or a part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition. The information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus including a display, the apparatus comprising:

a creating unit configured to create screen components based on screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on the display is defined;

a display control unit configured to display the screen formed with the screen components created by the creating unit; and

a storing unit configured to store, upon transition from the screen displayed by the display controlling unit, at least part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function;

the storing unit stores the at least part of the screen components of the screen based on a predetermined setting indicating whether the at least part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition are to be stored;

the storing unit is configured to store the at least part of the screen components of the screen based on a storing mode, the storing mode being either a first mode in which all of the screen components are stored or a second mode in which only a part of the screen components are stored corresponding to the displayed screen, and the information processing apparatus further includes

a switching unit configured to switch the storing mode of a screen that has already been stored in the storing unit from the first mode to the second mode, when a size of the screen components to be stored in the storing unit is greater than a predetermined size.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is configured to preferentially switch an older screen component stored by the storing unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is configured to preferentially switch a screen component corresponding to a screen that is less frequently displayed by the display control unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the screen definition data includes data in an XML format.

5. An information processing method for use in an information apparatus including a display, the method comprising:

creating screen components based on screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on the display is defined;

displaying the screen formed with the screen components created in the creating step; and

storing, upon transition from the screen displayed in the displaying step, at least part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function;

the storing step includes storing the at least part of the screen components of the screen based on a predetermined setting indicating whether the at least part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition are to be stored;

the storing step further includes storing, in a memory, the at least part of the screen components of the screen based on a storing mode, the storing mode being either a first mode in which all of the screen components are stored or a second mode in which only a part of the screen components are stored corresponding to the displayed screen, the method further including

switching the storing mode of a screen that has already been stored in the memory from the first mode to the second mode, when a size of the screen components to be stored in the memory is greater than a predetermined size.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the switching step comprises preferentially switching an older screen component stored by the memory.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the switching step comprises preferentially switching a screen component corresponding to a screen that is less frequently displayed by the display.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the screen definition data includes data in an XML format.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program, the program including computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to execute the steps of:

creating screen components based on screen definition data in which a screen to be displayed on a display is defined;

displaying the screen formed with the screen components created in the creating step; and

storing, upon transition from the screen displayed in the displaying step, at least part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes at least one of a scanner function, a copier function, a facsimile machine function, and a printer function;

the storing step includes storing the at least part of the screen components of the screen based on a predetermined setting indicating whether the at least part of the screen components of the screen displayed before the transition are to be stored;

the storing step further includes storing, in a memory, the at least part of the screen components of the screen based on a storing mode, the storing mode being either a first mode in which all of the screen components are stored or a second mode in which only a part of the screen components are stored corresponding to the displayed screen, the method further including

switching the storing mode of a screen that has already been stored in the memory from the first mode to the second mode, when a size of the screen components to be stored in the memory is greater than a predetermined size.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the switching step comprises preferentially switching an older screen component stored by the memory.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the switching step comprises preferentially switching a screen component corresponding to a screen that is less frequently displayed by the display.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the screen definition data includes data in an XML format.