Image forming apparatus and operation controlling method of the same

• US 8,994,965 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Motosugi, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago Cordero, Marivelisse
• Assistant Examiner(s): FOLAYAN, TEMITAYO O
• Application Number:
  US13/163,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/3.28, 358/314, 358/317, 345/157, 345/156
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/005 only locally

Abstract

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to improve the maneuverability and usability of the apparatus concerned. The apparatus includes: a display section to display a screen thereon; a controlling section to form a synthesized image in which position detecting symbols are synthesized with an image onto which the screen displayed on the display section is to be arranged; a storage section to store a table in which the keys and corresponding positions of the keys, arranged on the paper sheet, are correlated with each other, respectively; and a printing section to print the synthesized image onto the paper sheet. When acquiring positional information, the controlling section refers to the table so as to specify a specific key correlated with the positional information, and establishes a status of the image forming apparatus, being same as that established by designating the specific key from the screen.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a display displaying a setting-screen, selected by a user, from a plurality of setting-screens, each setting-screen being configured to set functions of the image forming apparatus;

a controller; and

a storage,

wherein the controller;

causes generation of a first image of the setting-screen selected by the user from the plurality of setting screens for setting the functions of the image forming apparatus,

causes generation of a second image that includes the first image of the setting screen selected by the user and an image of first position detecting symbols, the first position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the setting-screen selected by the user;

makes the storage store the keys corresponding to the setting-screen selected by the user, and a table in which the keys and corresponding position information are correlated; and

causes printing of the second image onto a paper sheet, and

wherein, in a case where a key is selected from the paper sheet on which the second image is printed, the controller;

acquires the position information corresponding to the key selected from the paper sheet, by referring to the table; and

sets at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the setting-screen is a first setting-screen, and the controller:

determines whether a second setting-screen, which belongs to a same category as that of the first setting-screen, exists;

causes generation of a third image in which the first setting-screen and the second setting-screen are integrally arranged, when the second setting-screen exists;

causes generation of the second image that includes the third image and an image of second position detecting symbols, the second position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the first and second setting-screens; and

causes printing of the second image onto the paper sheet.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the first setting-screen is a small letter inputting screen, while the second setting-screen is a capital letter inputting screen.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the setting-screen is a first setting screen, the paper sheet is a first paper sheet, and the controller:

determines whether a second setting-screen, which belongs to a same category as that of the first setting-screen, exists;

causes generation of a third image of the second setting-screen, when the second setting-screen exists;

causes generation of a fourth image that includes the third image and an image of a third position detecting symbols, the third position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the second setting-screen; and

causes printing of both the second image on the first paper sheet and the third image on a second paper sheet.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in a case where the key is selected from the paper sheet on which the second image is printed, the controller:

determines whether the setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is displayed on the display;

sets the at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet, when the setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is displayed on the display; and

disables setting the at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet, when the setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is not displayed on the display.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position detecting symbols constitute a pattern, which is recognizable using an electronic pen.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 1,

wherein a configuration of the first image, included in the second image to be printed onto the paper sheet, is the same as the setting-screen selected by the user.

8. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus that is capable of communicating with an electronic pen, the method comprising:

selecting a setting-screen from a plurality of setting-screens for setting functions of the image forming apparatus;

displaying the setting-screen on a display;

generating a first image of the at least one setting-screen;

generating a second image that includes the first image of the setting screen selected by the user and an image of first position detecting symbols, the first position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the selected setting-screen;

storing the keys corresponding to the setting-screen selected by the user, and a table in which the keys and corresponding position information are correlated;

printing the second image onto a paper sheet; and

in a case where a key is selected from the paper sheet on which the second image is printed;

acquiring, using the electronic pen, positional information representing a position on the paper sheet based on the position detecting symbols;

identifying the key selected on the paper sheet based on the position information stored in the table; and

setting at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, the setting-screen is a first setting-screen, and the method further comprises:

determining whether a second setting-screen, which belongs to a same category as that of the first setting-screen, exists;

generating a third image in which the first setting-screen and the second setting-screen are integrally arranged, when the second setting-screen exists;

generating the second image that includes the third image and an image of second position detecting symbols, the second position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the first and second setting-screens; and

printing the second image onto the paper sheet.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the setting-screen is a first setting-screen, the paper sheet is a first paper sheet, and the method further comprises:

determining whether a second setting-screen, which belongs to a category same as that of the first setting-screen, exists;

generating a third image of the second setting-screen, when the second setting-screen exists;

generating a fourth image that includes the third image and an image of third position detecting symbols, the third position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the second setting-screen; and

printing both the second image on the first paper sheet and the third image on a second paper sheet.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising, in a case where the key is selected from the paper sheet on which the second image is printed:

determining whether the first setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is displayed on the display;

setting the at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet;

when the setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is displayed on the display; and

disabling setting the at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet, when the setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is not displayed on the display.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the position detecting symbols constitute a pattern, which is recognizable using the electronic pen.

13. The method of claim 8,

wherein a configuration of the first image, included in the second image to be printed onto the paper sheet, is the same as the selected setting-screen.

14. The method of claim 8,

wherein the first setting-screen is a small letter inputting screen, while the second setting-screen is a capital letter inputting screen.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions for causing an image forming apparatus to execute a method, comprising:

selecting at least one setting-screen form a plurality of setting-screens for setting functions of the image forming apparatus;

displaying the selected setting-screen;

generating a first image of the setting-screen;

generating a second image that includes the first image of the setting screen selected by the user and an image of position detecting symbols, the position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the at least one setting-screen;

storing the keys corresponding to the setting-screen selected by the user, and a table in which the keys and the corresponding position information are correlated;

printing the second image onto a paper sheet; and

in a case where a key is selected from the paper sheet on which the second image is printed;

acquiring, using the electronic pen, positional information representing a position on the paper sheet based on the position detecting symbols;

identifying the key selected on the paper sheet based on the positional information stored in the table; and

setting at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the setting-screen is a first setting-screen and the method further comprises:

determining whether a second setting-screen, which belongs to a same category as that of the first setting-screen, exists;

generating a third image in which the first setting-screen and the second setting-screen are integrally arranged, when the second setting-screen exists;

generating the second image that includes the third image and an image of second position detecting symbols, the second position detecting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the first and second setting-screens; and

printing the second image onto the paper sheet.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the setting-screen is a first setting-screen, the paper sheet is a first paper sheet, and the method further comprises:

determining whether a second setting-screen, which belongs to a same category as that of the first setting-screen, exists;

generating a third image of the second setting-screen, when the second setting-screen exists;

generating a fourth image that includes the third image and an image of third position setting symbols, the third position setting symbols specifying positions of keys corresponding to the second setting-screen; and

printing both the second image on the first paper sheet and the third image on a second paper sheet.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises, in a case where the key is selected from the paper sheet on which the second image is printed:

acquiring position information specified by the position detecting symbols;

identifying the key correlated with the position information by referring to the table;

determining whether the first setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is displayed on the display;

setting the at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet, when the setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is displayed on the display; and

disabling setting the at least one of the functions of the image forming apparatus based on the key selected from the paper sheet, when the setting-screen, corresponding to the second image, is not displayed on the display.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the position detecting symbols constitute a pattern, which is recognizable using an electronic pen.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,

wherein a configuration of the first image, included in the second image to be printed onto the paper sheet, is the same as the selected setting-screen.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15,

wherein the first setting-screen is a small letter inputting screen, while the second setting-screen is a capital letter inputting screen.