JP4624945B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that executes jobs such as copying, printing, and transmission of image data.

  In an image processing apparatus that performs processing in a copy mode, a print mode, a scanner mode, and a facsimile mode, input image data is output to the outside as printing or data transmission by executing a job. Each time image data is input, a job is generated. Multiple jobs are accumulated and execution of jobs is reserved. Then, the jobs are executed in the determined order.

  When there are a plurality of jobs, information about the job is displayed on the display unit of the operation panel, and the processing status of the job being executed and the job waiting to be executed can be confirmed. In this case, by operating on the operation panel, a screen on which information related to the job is displayed has to be called, and the user is forced to perform complicated operations.

Therefore, if information about the job is always displayed, the user can easily confirm it. For example, in Patent Document 1, the accumulated jobs are displayed in a list or displayed as an icon on the display unit of the operation panel according to the execution order. Further, in Patent Document 2, an icon for a job is displayed on a screen displaying information on the job, and the icon is not hidden even if an input screen is displayed on this screen.
JP 2002-135494 A JP 2001-154773 A

  As described above, information related to the reserved job is displayed on the display unit of the operation panel. For example, the processing mode, processing conditions, current processing status, and the like are displayed as information about the job on a part of the screen. In this way, when a large amount of information is displayed, when checking which job is currently being executed, there is too much unnecessary information, and it is difficult to determine with a glance.

  If displayed as an icon, unnecessary information disappears, but the current processing status is not known. Therefore, the processing status can be determined by changing the form of icon display such as black and white inversion and blinking according to the processing status. However, the processing status cannot be determined without knowing what information the icon form represents.

  That is, the display as described above has a problem that it is difficult to obtain necessary information just by glancing at the display on the operation panel. In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of easily confirming necessary information regarding the job processing status.

  The present invention is an image processing apparatus that executes a job for input image data, and includes a display unit that displays various types of information according to the operation content, and an icon for the job is displayed on the display unit. It exists independently of the screen displaying various information, and displays the processing status of the job with the highest priority.

  On the display unit, an icon for a reserved job and a screen displaying other information such as an operation menu and a message exist independently of each other. Therefore, the icon is always displayed regardless of the other screens, so that the reserved job can be known immediately.

  The job with the highest priority is being executed, and other jobs are waiting. Therefore, it is only necessary to display the processing status of the highest priority job, and it is not necessary to display the status of other jobs. As a result, the displayed information is reduced, and only necessary information such as how much is currently being executed can be easily confirmed.

  In order to display the icons independently, a job confirmation screen area for displaying icons is always secured on the display section, and a status indicating the processing status of the job with the highest priority is displayed in the job confirmation screen area. The As a result, it is possible to grasp the current situation with a glance at the screen. In addition, since it is only necessary to secure a certain space in the display portion, it is possible to effectively use the space of the display portion without interfering with other displays.

  In the job confirmation screen area, the status is arranged between the icon of the job with the highest priority and the icons of other jobs. When multiple icons are displayed, they are arranged in priority order. Due to the presence of the status, the icon for the job being executed can be clearly distinguished from other icons.

  The job confirmation screen area is formed in a fixed size at a fixed position in the display unit, and even if the screen of the display unit changes, the display screen of the job confirmation screen area does not change. As a result, a screen relating to the job can be always secured in one screen of the display unit, and the independence of the icons is maintained.

  An area for displaying information other than jobs is provided in the job confirmation screen area. When there is an empty space in the job confirmation screen area, it is possible to effectively use the screen of the limited display section by displaying other information.

  The display unit is a touch panel, and when a screen in the job confirmation screen area is touched, a job status screen indicating information regarding the job is displayed in an area other than the job confirmation screen area. The reserved job can be listed on the job status screen. In addition, it is possible to change the processing of a waiting job.

  According to the present invention, unnecessary information is not displayed by icon display and status display, and only necessary information is displayed so that it can be easily seen. Therefore, it is possible to easily check the status of the job currently being executed.

  An image processing apparatus of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The image processing apparatus is a digital multi-function peripheral having a copy mode, a print mode, a scanner mode, and a facsimile mode, and includes an image reading unit 1 that reads a document and inputs image data, an operation unit 2 that receives user input, An image forming unit 3 that prints input image data, a hard disk device 4 that stores image data, a communication unit 5 that performs data communication with an external device, and a FAX modem 7 that communicates with a facsimile device 6 A management unit 8 that stores control information and setting information for the entire apparatus, and a device control unit 9 that includes a CPU that controls the entire apparatus are provided.

  The image reading unit 1 functions as an image input unit that inputs an image, and includes an image sensor such as a CCD 10 and a document detection sensor 11 that detects a document set on a document table or an automatic document feeder (ADF). Image data of an image read by the CCD 10 is output to the image forming unit 3.

  The operation unit 2 includes an operation panel, and includes an input unit 12 including various input keys and a display unit 13 such as a liquid crystal display. Operation of the entire apparatus and input of various settings are performed, and the input contents and the operation status of the entire apparatus are displayed. The display unit 13 is a touch panel and also functions as an input unit.

  The image forming unit 3 includes a local memory 20 for storing input image data, a printing unit 21 having a laser scanning unit, a paper feeding unit 22 having a manual feed tray and a cassette tray, and a discharge unit having a paper discharge tray. A paper unit 23, an image processing unit 24, and an encryption / decryption unit 25 are included.

  As the local memory 20, a readable / writable semiconductor memory such as an SDRAM or a flash memory is used. The local memory 20 is divided into an area for storing input image data and an area for storing image data for output. Instead of dividing and using one local memory 20, two local memories 20 may be used for input and output, respectively.

  The input image data is stored in the local memory 20. The local memory 20 stores image data by overwriting old image data with new image data. The image data is subjected to image processing such as compression, expansion, and processing by the image processing unit 24 and is stored in the local memory 20. The image processed image data is output to the printing unit 21, the hard disk device 4, or the device control unit 9. The printing unit 21 prints an image on a recording sheet supplied from the paper feeding unit 22 based on the image data stored in the local memory 20.

  The communication unit 5 is connected to a router, a switching hub, and the like via a LAN cable, and is connected to a network formed by the information processing apparatus 30 such as a personal computer or a server. The network is connected to the Internet via a communication line such as a telephone line network or an optical fiber. The communication unit 5 transmits / receives data to / from the information processing apparatus 30 in the network, and transmits / receives data and electronic mail to / from the external information processing apparatus 30 and the facsimile apparatus 31 via the Internet. The FAX modem 7 is connected to the telephone line network via a telephone line, and performs facsimile communication with the external facsimile apparatus 6.

  The device control unit 9 executes a job for the input image data. That is, in response to an input from the operation unit 2 or a data input from an external device, each unit is controlled based on information stored in the management unit 8 to process input image data. By executing the job, one of a copy mode, a print mode, a scanner mode, and a facsimile mode is executed according to the input image data, and an image is output in a desired form. The device control unit 9 also has a function of transmitting / receiving electronic mail, and can transmit / receive image data through the electronic mail.

  The hard disk device 4 temporarily stores image data. The encryption / decryption unit 25 performs encryption processing or decryption processing on the image data. When image data is stored in the hard disk device 4, the image data is encrypted by the encryption / decryption unit 25. When the encrypted image data is read from the hard disk device 4, the image data is decrypted.

  Further, the hard disk device 4 stores management information regarding data processing as data other than image data. The management information includes filing management information, transmission destination management information, and history management information. The filing management information is a list of files in which input image data is stored. The transmission destination management information is a list of transmission destinations in facsimile communication. The history management information is a list of executed processing contents.

  An erasing unit 32 for erasing the image data of the hard disk device 4 is provided. The image data to be erased is data stored in the processing work area. The device control unit 9 controls the operation of the erasing unit 32 after processing and outputting the image data. The erasure means 32 overwrites random data or meaningless data, or erases the data to make the stored image data unreadable so that the original image cannot be reproduced. To do. Note that the erasing unit 32 may also invalidate the image data by erasing the old image data by overwriting or erasing the image data in the local memory 20. The management information stored in the hard disk device 4 is not deleted unless there is a command from the device control unit 9.

  Next, the operation when each mode is executed will be described. First, in the copy mode, image data of a document read by the image reading unit 1 is output as a copy from the image forming unit 3. Specifically, the image of the original set at the reading position is read by the CCD 10. The image data output from the CCD 10 is subjected to image processing on the local memory 20 by the image processing unit 24 and completed as an output image. Once transferred from the local memory 20 to the hard disk device 4, it is stored. When there are a plurality of documents, the reading and storing operations are repeated.

  Thereafter, based on the processing contents instructed from the operation unit 2, the image data stored in the hard disk device 4 is sequentially read out at an appropriate timing and sent to the local memory 20. The image data is transferred from the local memory 20 to the printing unit 21 in accordance with the writing timing to the printing unit 21, and the image is printed on the sheet material supplied from the paper feeding unit 22. 23 is discharged.

  Similarly, when printing a plurality of read image data, the image data is stored in the hard disk device 4 in units of pages as output images, and sent from the hard disk device 4 to the local memory 20 in accordance with the output mode. The image data in the local memory 20 is repeatedly transferred to the printing unit 21 by the number of output sheets in accordance with the writing timing to the printing unit 21.

  In the print mode, the image data output from the information processing apparatus 30 is output. That is, the image data from the information processing apparatus 30 is received by the communication unit 5. The device control unit 9 sends the input image data to the local memory 20, develops it as image data to be output for each page, and temporarily stores it in the hard disk device 4. Then, the image data is sent from the hard disk device 4 to the local memory 20 and transferred to the printing unit 21 in the same manner as in the copy mode, and the image is printed on the sheet material.

  In the scanner mode, the image data of the document read by the image reading unit 1 is communicated to an arbitrary information processing apparatus 30 through a network. That is, the image data output from the CCD 10 is processed on the local memory 20 to be completed as an output image, and is temporarily stored in the hard disk device 4. Then, when transmitting, the image data is sent from the hard disk device 4 to the local memory 20, and the device control unit 9 establishes communication with the transmission destination in the network designated via the operation unit 2, and the communication unit 5. To send the image data to the desired destination. Similarly, the image data is transmitted to the external information processing apparatus 30 and the facsimile apparatus 31 by the communication unit 5 from the network through the Internet. In data communication, not only image data can be transmitted directly but also attached to an e-mail. Further, the device control unit 9 transmits image data from the FAX modem 7 to the facsimile apparatus 6 through a telephone line by the same operation in the facsimile mode.

  When the processing of the image data input from the image input unit is completed, the erasing unit 32 erases the image data stored in the hard disk device 4.

  Each time image data is input, a job is generated and accumulated. The generated job is managed by the device control unit 9, and its execution is reserved. Jobs are executed according to a predetermined order.

  The device control unit 9 stores management information about the job in the hard disk device 4 and updates the management information when the job is generated or executed. With this management information, the processing status of each job such as executing, waiting for execution or completion of execution is known.

  The job processing status is displayed on the display unit 13 of the operation panel. Thereby, the user can confirm the job. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel is provided with an input unit 12 and a touch panel type display unit 13. The input unit 12 is provided with a number of operation keys 40. The display drive circuit of the display unit 13 is controlled based on the drive signal from the device control unit 9, and a screen corresponding to the operation content is displayed on the display unit 13.

  The display unit 13 is divided into an operation screen area 41 for displaying various information such as an operation menu, and a job confirmation screen area 42 for displaying information related to the job. In the operation screen area 41, various operation menus and messages such as warnings are displayed. On the screen, operation keys 40 are provided according to the operation menu. Since the operation menu has a hierarchical structure, an operation key 40 exists for each operation menu.

  The job confirmation screen area 42 is arranged at a fixed position below the operation screen area 41 and has a fixed size. Since the job confirmation screen area 42 is far from the input unit 12, when the operation key 40 of the input unit 12 is operated, the job confirmation screen area 42 is not hidden by the user's hand and is always visible.

  The device control unit 9 controls the display drive circuit so that the job confirmation screen area 42 does not change even if the screen of the display unit 13 changes. Accordingly, the job confirmation screen area 42 exists independently of the operation screen area 41, and even if the screen of the operation screen area 41 changes, the job confirmation screen area 42 remains unchanged, and the job confirmation screen area 42 moves or has a size. does not change.

  In the job confirmation screen area 42, an icon 43 for the reserved job is displayed. The icon 43 has a different form depending on the processing content of the job. That is, different types of icons 43 are set for the copy mode, print mode, scanner mode, and facsimile mode. The plurality of icons 43 are arranged from one side to the other side according to the job execution order. Therefore, the icon 43 for the job with the highest priority is located on one side.

  In the job confirmation screen area 42, a first area 44 for displaying an icon 43 and a second area 45 for displaying other information are formed. The position and size of the first area 44 are not changed, and the first area 44 is surrounded by a frame or is changed in color to be partitioned from the second area 45. Information displayed in the second area 45 includes the presence or absence of stored data during communication, and is displayed by the icon 46. In addition, this information includes an icon 46 serving as the operation key 14, and an icon 46 for adjusting the screen such as contrast is displayed.

  The first area 44 displays the processing status of the job with the highest priority. This processing status is displayed as a status 47 using characters such as “printing”, “copying”, and “sending”. The status 47 is displayed next to the icon 43 for the job with the highest priority, and is placed between the adjacent icons 43. As a result, the icon 43 for the highest-priority job can be separated from the other icons 43 and made conspicuous.

  When there is no job to be executed, the icon 43 is not displayed in the job confirmation screen area 42 as shown in FIG. However, the job confirmation screen area 42 exists at a fixed position in the display unit 13. When image data is input, a job is generated. The device control unit 9 controls the display drive circuit to display the icon 43 for the job. As shown in FIG. 3B, an icon 43 corresponding to the job is displayed at the top of the first area 44 of the job confirmation screen area 42. Here, the job is to execute the print mode.

  When the next image data is input, a new job is generated. As shown in FIG. 3C, an icon 43 for the new job is displayed in the first area 44. This job is a job for executing the copy mode. At this time, when the first job is being executed, a status 47 such as “data reception” is displayed between the two icons 43. Further, when the number of jobs increases, a new icon 43 is displayed next to the second icon 43 as shown in FIG. The status 47 for the first job displays contents indicating the current processing status such as “printing”.

  As described above, when a job is generated and its execution is reserved, icons 43 are displayed one after another. These icons 43 are arranged in the order in which the processes are executed. If the setting is such that a job generated later is executed preferentially, the icon 43 for this job is displayed second, and the other icons 43 are displayed in a descending manner. The status 47 of the highest priority job is displayed, and the current processing status can be seen at a glance. When the job being executed is completed, the icon 43 for this job disappears, and the icon 43 of the job reserved to be executed next is displayed at the top.

  Here, when the operation key 40 is operated, the screen of the operation screen area 41 is changed. If any abnormality occurs in the image processing apparatus, a message is displayed in the operation screen area 41 as shown in FIG. Thus, even if the screen of the operation screen area 41 changes, the display screen of the job confirmation screen area 42 does not change.

  Since the size of the first area 44 where the icons 43 are displayed is constant, the number of icons 43 that can be displayed is limited. When the number of reserved jobs increases, the icons 43 for all jobs cannot be displayed. Therefore, when the screen in the job confirmation screen area 42 is touched, a job status screen 48 is displayed as shown in FIG. The job status screen 48 is displayed so as to overlap the screen displayed in the operation screen area 41. The screen of the job confirmation screen area 42 does not change.

  On the job status screen 48, information on reserved jobs is displayed as a list together with the current processing status. By operating the up key or the down key in the screen, information regarding a job that is not displayed is displayed.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6, when one of the jobs displayed on the job status screen 48 is selected and the screen is touched, a setting screen for the job is displayed. That is, a delete key and an interruption key are added and displayed on the job status screen 48. By operating these keys, execution of the selected job is suspended or the job is deleted. Also, the job execution order can be changed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. The image processing apparatus may be a multifunction machine having a copy mode and a facsimile mode, or may be a dedicated machine having only a single mode, such as a copy machine or a facsimile machine.

  In the above embodiment, the job confirmation screen area is fixed in the display unit. However, the job confirmation screen area may be displayed at a different position according to a change in the screen. Thus, the job confirmation screen area can maintain a relationship that exists independently of the operation screen area, and an icon for the job is always displayed.

The figure which shows schematic structure of the image processing apparatus of this invention Diagram showing the operation panel Diagram showing changes in the job confirmation screen area when a job occurs Figure showing a screen with a message Figure showing the job status screen Figure showing the screen when a job is selected on the job status screen

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image reading part 2 Operation part 3 Image formation part 4 Hard disk drive 5 Communication part 9 Device control part 12 Input part 13 Display part 21 Printing part 40 Operation key 41 Operation screen area 42 Job confirmation screen area 43 Icon 47 Status

Claims (4)

An image processing apparatus that executes a job for input image data, and includes an input unit having operation keys and a touch panel type display unit that displays various types of information according to operation contents. The job confirmation screen area for displaying the icon for the is displayed, and the job confirmation screen area is an area that is not hidden by the user's hand when the user operates the operation key of the input section . It is formed at a position far from the input part, icons are displayed side by side in the job confirmation screen area, and an icon for the job with the highest priority is displayed on the side farthest from the input part in the job confirmation screen area. When the screen inside is touched, information about the job is displayed so that it overlaps the screen displayed in the area other than the job confirmation screen area of the display section. The image processing apparatus job status screen shown is displayed, characterized in that the screen region other than the job confirmation screen area is not the display screen of the job confirmation screen area be varied changed. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a status indicating a processing status of a job having the highest priority is displayed in the job confirmation screen area. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the job confirmation screen area, the status is arranged between an icon of a job having the highest priority and an icon of another job. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when a plurality of icons are displayed, the icons are arranged in a priority order.

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