INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS COMMUNICATING WITH EXTERNAL DEVICE VIA NETWORK, AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20120287064A1
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kunori, Shiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1033 Details of the PIN pad

Abstract

When an information processing apparatus connected to an external device via a network respectively displays an operation screen on an operation unit provided thereto and on the external device, the information processing apparatus changes display of a touched key with highlighting or without highlighting according to whether confidential information such as a password is entered. Depending on the entry on the operation unit, whether to display a character on the operation unit or not is determined. If the character is to be displayed, the highlighting of the character is not performed. If the character is not to be displayed, the highlighting of the character is performed.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus configured to communicate with an external device via a network, the information processing apparatus comprising:

an operation unit; and

an output unit configured to output data on an operation screen on which a plurality of soft keys are arranged for entering confidential information to the operation unit and the external device,

a determining unit configured to determine whether a soft key touched by a user via the operation screen is a soft key of a first type for entering one character in response to the touch of the soft key, or a soft key of a second type for entering one character in response to the touch of the soft key of the second type and another soft key;

wherein, in a case where the information processing apparatus is connected to the external device and the determining unit determines that the soft key touched by the user via the operation screen is a soft key of the first type, the output unit is configured to output data on the operation screen on which information enabling the user to visually recognize that one of the plurality of soft keys arranged on the operation screen is operated without highlighting the touched soft key of the first type, and in a case where the information processing apparatus is connected to the external device and the determining unit determines that the soft key operated by the user via the operation screen is a soft key of the second type, the output unit is configured to output data on the operation screen on which the touched soft key of the second type is highlighted.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the confidential information is a password.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the soft key touched by a user via the operation screen is a soft key of the first type, the output unit is configured to display mask information in a predetermined display area.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to output data on the operation screen to the external device using Virtual Network Computing (VNC).

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a soft key of the first type is a key to which an alphanumeric character is assigned.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a soft key of the second type is a key to which a dead key is assigned.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a soft key of the second type is a shift key.

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

a determination unit configured to determine whether the external device is connected via the network,

wherein the output unit is configured, if the determination unit determines that the external device is not connected and the soft key touched by the user via the operation screen is a soft key of the first type, to highlight the touched soft key.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether the external device is connected via the network,

wherein the output unit is configured, if the determination unit determines that the external device is connected and the soft key touched by a user via the operation screen is a soft key of the first type, to highlight a plurality of soft keys associated with the touched soft key.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit is configured to output data of a second operation screen on which a plurality of soft keys are arranged for entering information other than confidential information, and

wherein the output unit is configured, if the user touches a soft key of the first type via the second operation screen, to highlight the touched soft key.

13. A program which, when loaded into a computer of an information processing apparatus, causes the information processing apparatus to function as the information processing apparatus of claim 1.

11. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an external device via a network, the method comprising:

outputting data on an operation screen on which a plurality of soft keys are arranged for entering confidential information to an operation unit and the external device;

determining whether a soft key touched by a user via the operation screen is a soft key of a first type for entering one character in response to the touch of the soft key, or a soft key of a second type for entering one character in response to the touch of the soft key of the second type and another soft key;

in a case where the information processing apparatus is connected to the external device and the soft key touched by the user via the operation screen is a soft key of the first type, outputting data on the operation screen on which information enabling the user to visually recognize that one of the plurality of soft keys arranged on the operation screen is operated without highlighting the touched soft key of the first type; and

in a case where the information processing apparatus is connected to the external device and the soft key operated by the user via the operation screen is a soft key of the second type, outputting data on the operation screen on which the touched soft key of the second type is highlighted.

12. A program which, when executed by a computer, causes an information processing apparatus to carry out the method of claim 11.

14. A storage medium storing the computer program according to claim 12.