JP2003099174A - Method for controlling equipment and input controller for equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve operability of equipment by providing a customized operation screen which is suitable for a user. SOLUTION: This method for controlling the equipment comprises a process (step S2) for acquiring user identification information, a process (step S4) for calling an operation screen file corresponding to the user identification information, a process (step S7) for executing operation screen display based on the operation screen file, and a process (step S9) for acquiring a control input to the operation screen display, and a process for executing control corresponding to the operation input.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device control method and an input control device for improving the operability of a device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent devices such as copying machines, an operation menu of the device is displayed as an operation screen on a liquid crystal display or the like as a man-machine interface, and the operation can be understood by creating the screen in a page description language. It is designed to be easy and improve operability. For example,
JP-A-11-25114 and JP-A 2000-222
Japanese Patent No. 089 discloses an apparatus capable of displaying an operation menu linked with a key operation based on an HTML text. In this device, a television or a word or a word processor without a mouse can receive an operation by an operator and perform a predetermined process, and thus the operability can be improved.

Further, a technique has been proposed in which an operation history can be stored and called in order to improve operability (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2000-235466 and 2001-127867). . Since the device can reproduce the operation history, it is possible to improve the operability by reducing the labor of the operation when the repeated operation is performed.

[0004]

By the way, in using the equipment, required operations may differ or operation procedures may differ depending on departments or users having different business purposes in the company. Often the menu format is different. The above-mentioned conventional techniques cannot meet these demands. In response to the above demand, it is possible to deepen the menu hierarchy to provide multiple menus, or to edit the operation screen so that an optimum operation screen or a desired operation screen can be displayed. However, in the former case, there is a problem that the number of operation steps by the operator increases and the operation becomes troublesome. On the other hand, in the latter case, the operation screen may be difficult for users other than the editor to use, and eventually there is a problem that the menu is increased or a general-purpose operation screen is used.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a device control method and a device input control device capable of widely improving the operability of a device in each department or each user. To aim.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the device control method of the present invention is
A step of obtaining user identification information, a step of recalling an operation screen file stored in advance corresponding to the user identification information, a step of displaying an operation screen based on the operation screen file, a step of acquiring an operation input for the operation screen display And a step of executing control corresponding to the operation input.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a device according to the first aspect, including a step of changing the operation screen file via a network and a step of storing the changed operation screen file. It is characterized by

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the operation screen file is composed of a page description language.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the page description language is HTM.
It is characterized by being L or XML.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a device according to the first aspect of the present invention, which comprises a step of detecting the end of use of the device and a step of initializing the operation screen display upon detection of the end of use. It is characterized by including.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input control device for a device, wherein the storage means stores a plurality of operation screen files corresponding to the user identification information, the identification information acquisition means for acquiring the user identification information, and the acquisition means. Reading means for reading an operation screen file corresponding to the information from the storage unit based on the read user identification information, display means for displaying the operation screen based on the read operation screen file, and the operation screen And an operation input means for receiving an operation input of an operator corresponding to.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the input control apparatus of the sixth aspect, the identification information acquiring means is
It is characterized in that it is equipped with a card reader for reading information from an information card distributed in advance to the user.

According to an eighth aspect of the invention, in the invention of the sixth aspect, the input control device is incorporated in a server that manages a plurality of devices connected to the network, and the identification information acquisition means is provided for each device. The agent information, which is given to the user and is transmitted from each device via the network, is acquired as user information.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the input control device of the apparatus according to the sixth aspect, the operation screen file can be newly created or changed and edited, and the operation screen file can be associated with the user identification information. Is provided with an operation screen editing means that can be stored in the storage means.

That is, according to the device control method of the present invention, the operation screen file stored in advance is called based on the acquired user identification information, and the operation screen is displayed based on the file. The operator can perform an operation input according to the operation screen, and the device control is executed according to the operation input. With this method, the operation screen can be displayed corresponding to the user identified by the user identification information, and the operation screen suitable for each department or operator can be displayed to improve the operability of the device. Let

According to the input control device of the present invention,
The operation screen file is stored in the storage means in correspondence with the user identification information, and the identification information of the user who intends to use is acquired by the identification information acquisition means. The reading means reads the operation screen file corresponding to the identification information from the storage means based on the acquired identification information, and the display means displays the operation screen on the display unit based on the operation screen file. The operation input means accepts the operation input of the operator corresponding to the operation screen and enables the control execution of the device.

As the user identification information, an individual user who is an operator is identified, a group of operators is identified as a user, or each of a plurality of used devices is identified as a user. A user code, a device address, or the like can be used as the identification information, but the present invention is not limited as long as it can identify the user. The user identification information acquisition means acquires information such as a code input by a user who is an operator through a keyboard or the like, or an ID of a magnetic card or an IC card in which the identification information is recorded and distributed in advance to the user. It can be configured by a card reader that reads a card, and a management server that recognizes agent information such as an address of a device connected to a network.

The operation screen file is a file including data for displaying the operation screen. The file is stored in an appropriate storage means in association with the user identification information. As the storage means, an arbitrary storage medium such as a large-capacity disk device such as an HDD, an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk can be used. Further, an IC card or the like which stores user identification information can also be used as the storage means.

It is desirable that the operation screen file can be newly created or changed by an appropriate editing means.
As a result, it is possible to provide an operation screen with better operability according to the user, the department in which the device is arranged, and the like. If this operation screen file is configured by a page description language such as HTML or XML, editing work can be easily performed so as to obtain an intended editing screen.

The operation screen file can be edited by the editing means. The editing means may be provided with an appropriate input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a display for confirming the edited contents. The editing means is
It may be provided in a device to be controlled, or may be provided in a terminal or a server connected via a network. The operation screen file edited by the editing means is stored in the above-mentioned storage means in correspondence with the user identification information, but the storage means may be provided in the device to be controlled, like the editing means. It may be provided in a terminal or server connected via a network. Further, the editing means and the storage means may be provided in the same device, or may be provided respectively in other devices connected via a network.

The operation screen file stored in the storage means is read by an appropriate reading means in correspondence with the user identification information. As the reading means, a CPU or the like that controls the storage means can be used. In the storage means, the operation screen file and the user identification information are usually linked to form a database. However, the structure of the database is not particularly limited in the present invention.

The operation screen file is displayed on the display by using a display means or the like. The display means converts the contents of the operation screen file into display data, controls the display unit including a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays the operation screen on the display unit. The display means can be composed of a CPU and a display control program.

Further, the apparatus of the present invention is provided with an operation input means by which the operator can make an input according to the operation screen, and a keyboard, a mouse or the like can be used as the means. It is desirable to reflect the operation result and operation process by the operation input means on the operation screen, and the information accepted by the operation input means is sent to the display means and displayed on the display unit.

The operation information input by the operation input means is transmitted to the equipment control means or the like for controlling the equipment as necessary to control the equipment. The control content of the device varies depending on the type of device and the purpose of operation, and is not particularly limited as the present invention. Further, the configuration, application, etc. of the device are not particularly limited, and various devices controlled by the operation of the operator can be targeted.

According to the above method of controlling the equipment,
It is desirable to detect the end of use of the device and initialize the operation screen display, as described in, to prepare for the user to use later. There are various methods of detecting the end of use, such as detecting the end due to a timeout due to no operation for a certain period of time, or detecting the end by removing an information card or the like having user identification information recorded from the acquisition means. You can

If a general-purpose operation screen is displayed by initialization upon detection of termination, a user who does not need a customized operation screen can use the operation screen as it is. Also, when using the operation screen customized for the user,
According to the method, an operation screen is displayed based on the read operation screen file.

[0027]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
~ It demonstrates based on FIG. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of equipment including an input control device of the present invention. The input control device includes a card reader 1 that is a user information identification acquisition unit, a storage unit 2 that stores an operation screen file corresponding to the user identification information, and an editing unit 3 that edits the operation screen file.
It has an LCD (liquid crystal) panel 4 which is a display section, a display control section 5 which controls the liquid crystal panel 4, an operation input means 6 which performs an operation input, and a copying machine control means 7 which controls each of these. The copying machine control means 7 further includes a copying machine body 8
Are connected to the main body 8 of the copying machine to control them, and these integrally constitute the apparatus as a copying machine.

The card reader 1 in the above device is lent to an operator individually or in groups, sets an ID card 10 such as a magnetic card on which user identification information is recorded, and reads the user identification information from the ID card 10. It is acquired as data. The acquired data is sent to the copying machine control unit 7 and used for accounting and controlling an operation screen described later.

A recording medium such as an HDD is used as the storage unit 2 and stores an operation screen file in association with user identification information. As a result, the operation screen file can be read corresponding to the user identification information. In this embodiment, the copying machine control unit 7 also functions as a reading unit for reading the file.

The operation screen file is a file having information for displaying the operation screen, and is preferably an HTM.
It is created in a page description language such as L or XML.
FIG. 2 shows a list of contents of an operation screen file created by HTML and a screen displayed based on the file. The operation screen can be easily changed by changing the list.
Further, other data can be stored in the storage unit 2. For example, the user identification information permitted to use the copying machine, the number of copies made corresponding to the identification information, and the number of sheets and the calculated charge are stored as billing information.

The editing means 3 is for creating a new operation screen file or changing an existing file, and edits the file contents with an appropriate input device such as a keyboard. The editing means 3 may be provided in the copying machine, or may be one that uses a computer or the like as the editing means and imports the obtained file into the copying machine. As a loading method, loading may be performed via a recording medium such as FDD, or a copying machine and a terminal computer may be connected via a network and files may be transmitted and received through the network. In the copying machine control unit 7, the edited operation screen file is stored in the storage unit 2 in association with the user identification information.

The display control unit 5 controls the LCD panel 4 based on the display screen data generated by the copying machine control unit 7, and the display control unit 5 and the LCD panel 4 constitute display means. It Although the display control unit 5 is separately provided in this embodiment, it is also possible to perform display control as one function of the copying machine control unit 7. LCD panel 4
Is provided at a proper position of the copying machine and is provided at a position where the operator can easily see it. Usually, it is provided on the front surface of the copying machine.

The operation input means 6, as shown in FIG.
Since it is arranged close to the CD panel 4, it is possible to perform input while looking at the operation screen. The operation input means 6 includes a ten-key group 6a, a four-way cursor 6b with an enter key,
It comprises a "forward" key 6c, a "back" key 6d, and a "bookmark" key 6e. Each key can be depressed, and the depression of the key is detected by the copying machine control unit 7, and the operation assigned to each key is performed. With a key for performing an operation (“return” or the like) on the operation screen, the operation screen display is changed according to the operation.

The main body 8 of the copying machine is a main part that performs the function of the copying machine and has a known structure. Detailed description of the configuration is omitted here.

Next, a method of controlling the equipment in the above copying machine will be described. First, in the above device, the operation screen file is stored in the storage unit 2. An example of editing and storing of this operation screen file will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. The operation screen file is edited and stored as an initial setting in advance, and is not normally performed when the device is always operated.

In editing the operation screen file, for example, a "custom page creation" menu is provided on the initial operation screen of the copying machine, and when the menu is selected, the LC of the copying machine is selected.
It is configured so that a custom menu page can be created on the D panel 4. At the time of editing, it is confirmed whether or not a new file is created (step SE1). If it is not a new file, an existing page is called from the storage unit 2 (step SEB1) and edited at step SE5. Move to. When calling an existing page, information necessary for calling such as a file name and user identification information is input.

On the other hand, if the file is a new file, the process moves to the step of creating a new page (step SE).
2). In this step, a new page is created, a title is input (step SE3), and a page design is created (step SE4).

After these steps, it is confirmed whether or not a menu is added (step SE5), and if there is no menu addition, the process moves to a menu deleting step (step SE9 and thereafter). If a menu is added, the process proceeds to the setting operation process (step SE6). In the setting operation, the setting operation is sequentially formulated and the operation title is input (step SE).
7), the page is additionally written (step SE8).

In the "menu addition", the operation detecting means or the like detects the setting operation performed by the user so that the "operation registration" can be performed, the operation is recorded, and when the operation is completed,
A menu may be added by giving a title to the operation and adding / updating the operation screen file as a command. After these steps, the process moves to the menu deleting step.

In the menu deleting step, it is confirmed whether or not the menu is deleted (step SE9). When deleting a menu, the delete menu is selected in the next step (step SE10), and the deletion is executed (step S
E11), update the operation screen. After that, the process proceeds to the registration processing step. If it is confirmed in step SE9 that the menu is not deleted, the process immediately proceeds to the registration processing step.

In the registration processing step, it is first confirmed whether or not registration is to be performed (step SE12). If registration is not to be performed, the editing processing of the operation screen file is ended.
On the other hand, when registering, the user identification information is input (step SE13). The information may be input by the operator, or the ID card may be read by the card reader 1 and the user identification information obtained by the reading may be used. After performing the input processing of the identification information, the operation screen file edited in association with the user identification information is stored in the storage unit 2 (step SE1).
4), the operation screen editing process ends.

Next, the procedure of input control of the copying machine will be described with reference to FIG. The operation of the copying machine is started by turning on the power supply or the like, and an initial operation screen is displayed on the LCD panel 4 (step S1). The information for displaying the screen is recorded in a ROM (not shown), the storage unit 2 or the like, and read out through the copying machine control unit 7. The read information is converted into data as an operation screen, transmitted to the display control unit 5, and then L
It is displayed on the CD panel 4.

After that, the ID card 10 is added to the card reader 1.
By setting, the user identification information recorded on the ID card is read and acquired as data (step S2). The copying machine control unit 7 determines whether or not the acquired user identification information is the proper information stored in the storage unit 2 (step S3). Is not permitted, it is determined whether the power is off (step S13), and the power is turned on.
If not FF, after initializing the operation screen (step S
14) and returns to step S1.

When it is determined in step S3 that the user identification information is proper, the copying machine control unit 7 creates an operation screen file corresponding to the user identification information from the storage unit 2 based on the acquired user identification information. Read (Step S
4). In the reading, it is confirmed whether or not the operation screen file corresponding to the user identification information exists in the storage unit 2 (step S5). If it does not exist, the initial operation screen file is read (step SB1), and the file is stored in the file. Initial operation screen data is generated based on (step SB
2) The operation screen is displayed on the LCD panel 4 (step S7). If the operation screen file corresponding to the user identification information does not exist in this way, it does not require a customized operation screen depending on the user or department.
This is a case where a general-purpose operation screen is used.

When the existence of the operation screen file is confirmed in step S5, operation screen data is generated based on the read file (step S6), and the operation screen is displayed on the LCD panel 4 in step S7. The display contents of the operation screen are shown in FIG. 7 together with the operation input means 6.

On the operation screen, a link display such as image inversion, a box, etc. is displayed in a portion where an operation command of the multi-function peripheral or movement to another operation screen is possible, and a link destination is displayed in the link portion of the operation screen file. The path name or operation command is described. When the user specifies the link location (click with mouse, enter button, directly specify on touch panel, etc.), the operation screen file corresponding to the path name of the selected link is read / displayed or the selected command is executed.

Further, the path name is stored as a history of the operation screen file displayed on the operation screen, and "Return" is performed.
It is possible to return to any operation screen by clicking the "Forward" button. Click the "Store in bookmark" button to store the path name of the displayed operation screen in the bookmark storage file. A list of screen names associated with the path names stored in the bookmark storage means is displayed with the "bookmark" button. When an arbitrary screen name is selected, the operation screen file with the corresponding path name is called and displayed. .

Next, in step S8, it is detected whether or not the operation of the copying machine is in an end state. The end state occurs due to an end operation by the operator, removal of the ID card, a timeout in which no operation is performed for a certain period of time, or the like. If it is determined that the power is on, the power is turned on in step S13.
It is confirmed whether it is FF, and if the power is not OFF,
After initializing the operation screen, the process proceeds to step S1.
When it is determined in step S8 that it is not in the end state, the operator continuously inputs an operation according to the operation screen (step S9). 8 shows the menu No. shown in FIG. As a result of selecting "Reduced layout copy" of 1,
7 shows a displayed operation screen (sub menu), and the menu No. When 1 is in the enclosed state,
By pressing the enter key, the above-mentioned hierarchized screen is displayed. The operator selects an appropriate menu on the operation screen by operating the cursor key 6b or the like.

When a menu for operating the copying machine is selected in the operation input (step S10), the copying machine control section 7 controls the copying machine body 8 according to the contents of the menu to execute the control ( Step S11). After the execution process, the accounting process based on the user identification information is performed by counting the number of copies (step S12). After that, the operation screen file is read again by moving to step S4. If no processing is required, step S8
In step 2, the ID card 10 is pulled out from the card reader 1 and the ending process is performed.

In the control method described above, the operation screen suitable for the user is displayed by setting the ID card 10 in the card reader 1. Therefore, the operator has good operability and needs no unnecessary operation. It is possible to perform desired operations efficiently and perform desired device control. Since the method is performed by using the ID card used for the billing process, the operator can perform the operation based on the operation screen suitable for himself without special consciousness.

(Embodiment 2) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the respective components are integrated as a copying machine. However, the present invention is constituted by a system in which the respective components are distributed via a network. May be
The embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

The copying machine 20 which is the device to be controlled is
Similar to the first embodiment, the copying machine control unit 21 and the copying machine main body 2
2, card reader 23, operation input means 24, display unit 25
A network communication unit 26 is connected to the copying machine control unit 21, and the network communication unit 26 is connected to the network communication unit 26.
Are connected to a network 28 such as a LAN. The copier control unit 21 controls the individual components of the copier 20,
It also controls communication with the external network 28. In this embodiment, the copying machine controller 21 also functions as a display controller. Other devices (not shown) are connected to the network 28, as well as a terminal 30 and a server 40. The terminal 30
Editing means 31 including a keyboard and monitor 3
2, the server 40 includes a storage unit 41 and a CPU 42 capable of controlling the storage unit 41.

Next, the operation of the above system will be described. Note that the device control procedure is the same as that of the flowchart in the first embodiment, so the flowchart is omitted and the description is simplified. In the server 40, the operation permission information and billing information of the device are stored and managed in the storage unit 41 according to each user identification information.
1 stores an operation screen file in association with user identification information. The contents of the operation screen file are the same as in the first embodiment.

When the operation screen file is edited, the editing work is performed while the monitor 32 is confirmed by the editing means 31 in the terminal 30. When editing an existing operation screen file, the server 40 is connected via the network 28.
Request to send the operation screen file. In response to the request, the server 40 calls the operation screen file and sends the file to the terminal 30 via the network 28. In the terminal 30, a new or existing file is created and changed by the editing means, and after the editing is completed, the user identification information is added to the server 40 and the file is transmitted. The server 40 stores the received file in the storage unit 41 in association with the user identification information.

In the above description, the operation screen file is transmitted and received via the network.
It is also possible to input / output data using a recording medium such as an FD. The operation screen file can be created and stored by the user as described above, but it is also possible to distribute the created operation file on the network or to distribute the storage medium.

In the copying machine 20, the initial operation screen is displayed when the power is turned on, and the operator who intends to use sets an ID card (not shown) in the card reader 23 to identify the user from the ID card. Information is called. The acquired user identification information is transmitted to the server 40 via the network communication unit 26 and the network 28 in the copying machine control unit 21. The server 40 receives the identification information, confirms in the storage unit 41 whether the identification information is permitted to operate, and if the identification information is not permitted, the result is passed through the network 28. And transmits it to the copying machine 20. Copy machine 20
Then, based on the information, the copying machine control unit 21 controls so that the input from the operation input unit 24 is not accepted.

When the server 40 determines that the user identification information is proper, the operation screen file corresponding to the user identification information is read from the storage unit 41. CPU 42
Then, the file is copied to the copying machine 2 via the network 28.
Send to 0. The copying machine 20 receives the file, and the copying machine control unit 21 converts the file into data for an operation screen.
The operation screen is displayed on the display unit 25.

The operator controls the input of the equipment according to the operation screen as in the first embodiment. When the end state is detected as in the first embodiment, the copying machine control unit 21 changes the operation screen to the initial operation screen, counts the number of copies made by the user, and outputs the result to the network 2.
8 to the server 40. The server 40 performs the charging process according to the number of sheets. Also in this embodiment, it is possible to efficiently operate a device and control the device in a system using a network.

In each of the above embodiments, the ID card is used to acquire the user identification information, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the agent information such as an address given to the copying machine is not limited to this. May be used. The information is appropriately transmitted to the server 40 via the network.

[0060]

As described above, according to the device control method and the input control device of the present invention, it is possible to display and operate the operation screen suitable for the user, and the operability by the operator is greatly improved. It makes it possible to efficiently control the equipment.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation screen list and a screen display in the same manner.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display unit and operation input means in the same manner.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an editing process of the operation screen file.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an editing process of the operation screen file.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the steps of input control of the copying machine.

FIG. 7 is a diagram similarly showing display contents on the display unit.

FIG. 8 is a diagram similarly showing display contents on the display unit.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 card reader 2 memory 3 Editing means 4 LCD panel 5 Display controller 6 Operation input means 7 Copier control section 8 Copier body 10 ID card 20 Copier 21 Copier control section 22 Copier body 23 Card Reader 24 Operation input means 25 Display 28 network 30 terminals 31 Editing means 40 servers 41 storage 42 CPU

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A step of acquiring user identification information, a step of calling an operation screen file stored in advance corresponding to the user identification information, a step of displaying an operation screen based on the operation screen file, and an operation for the operation screen display. A method of controlling a device, comprising: a step of acquiring an input; and a step of executing a control corresponding to the operation input. 2. The device control method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of editing and operating the operation screen file, and a step of storing the edited operation screen file. 3. The device control method according to claim 1, wherein the operation screen file is configured in a page description language. 4. The device control method according to claim 3, wherein the page description language is HTML or XML. 5. The method of controlling a device according to claim 1, further comprising: a step of detecting the end of use of the device, and a step of initializing the operation screen display upon detection of the end of use. 6. A storage unit for storing a plurality of operation screen files in association with the user identification information, a user identification information acquisition unit for acquiring the user identification information, and a user identification information acquired by the user information acquisition unit. Read means for reading an operation screen file corresponding to the user identification information from the storage means, display means for displaying the operation screen based on the read operation screen file, and an operator corresponding to the operation screen. An input control device for a device, comprising: an operation input means for receiving an operation input. 7. The user identification information acquisition means is provided with a card reader which is distributed in advance to a user and reads the information from an information card on which the user identification information is recorded. Input control device for the described equipment. 8. A server that manages a plurality of devices connected to a network, wherein the user identification information acquisition means stores agent information assigned to each device and transmitted from each device via the network. 7. The device input control device according to claim 6, wherein the input control device is acquired as user identification information. 9. An operation screen editing unit capable of newly creating or changing an operation screen file and storing the operation screen file in the storage unit as the operation screen file in association with the user identification information. An input control device for the device according to claim 1.