JP2009025944A - Image display system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display an operation screen so that a user can operate an image processor while viewing an operation screen displayed on a display device. <P>SOLUTION: A scanner 1 is installed so as to be freely movable on a display 2. When the user operates the scanner 1, a personal computer 3 detects the position of the scanner 1. The personal computer 3 determines the display position of the operation screen A to be opposed to the position of the scanner 1. The operation screen A is displayed near the user who operates the scanner 1 on the display 2. When the user moves the scanner 1, the operation screen A displayed on the display 2 is moved according to the movement of the scanner 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image display system that displays an image input from an image processing apparatus such as a scanner or a multifunction peripheral.

  A scanner for inputting an image read from an original is widely used as an image input device of a personal computer and an image input device in an image processing apparatus having a copy or facsimile function.

  After setting the document on the scanner, the user operates the operation panel of the scanner to set the reading conditions. The scan starts by operating the start button. In addition, a scanner operation screen is displayed on the display device of the personal computer to which the scanner is connected. The user performs an input operation on the operation screen using a pointing device such as a mouse. This instruction is transmitted from the personal computer to the scanner, and the scanner operates.

Patent Document 1 describes that the same operation screen as that displayed on the operation panel of the scanner is displayed on the display device of the personal computer. This improves user operability.
JP 2002-281195 A

  In recent years, liquid crystal displays used as display devices have been enlarged and used for conferences and presentations. The user makes an announcement while going back and forth in front of the display device. At this time, the scanner is arranged in the vicinity of the display device, and the user operates the scanner to display the input image on the display device. A scanner operation screen is displayed on the display device, and the user operates the scanner by performing an input operation on the operation screen.

  By the way, the operation screen is displayed at a predetermined position of the display device. If the display position of the operation screen is away from the position where the scanner is installed, the operability for the user is deteriorated. If the user drags the operation screen, the operation screen can be displayed near the scanner. However, the user has to perform an operation of dragging, and there remains a problem in operability.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image display system that displays an operation screen so that a user can operate an image processing apparatus such as a scanner while viewing the operation screen displayed on the display device.

  The present invention includes an image processing device that inputs an image, a display device that displays the input image, and a control device that controls the display device to display an operation screen of the image processing device on the display device. The processing device is provided movably with respect to the display device, and the control device changes the display position of the operation screen according to the operation position with respect to the image processing device.

  The user operates near the image processing apparatus. Therefore, the position where the image processing apparatus is located or the position where the user is located is the operation position. An operation screen of the image processing apparatus is displayed at this operation position. The user can see and operate the operation screen in the immediate vicinity, and can directly operate the image processing apparatus.

  An image processing device is arranged at the periphery of the display device, a detection unit that detects the position of the image processing device is provided as an operation position, and the control device determines a display position of the operation screen so as to face the position of the image processing device. . The position of the image processing apparatus and the display position of the operation screen on the display device are close to each other, and the user who operates does not have to move around.

  The image processing device is movable along the display device, and the control device moves the displayed operation screen in the same direction as the moving direction of the image processing device in accordance with the movement of the image processing device. When the image processing apparatus is moved, the operation screen is also moved in the same direction, and the state in which the two are always close is maintained. At this time, the control apparatus moves while minimizing the operation screen. Thereby, the influence on the image displayed on the display device can be eliminated.

  The image processing apparatus is movable in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, and the control apparatus determines the display position of the operation screen in a direction different from the moving direction of the image processing apparatus. When the image processing apparatus moves in the horizontal direction, the operation screen also moves in the horizontal direction. At this time, the control device determines the display position of the operation screen in the vertical direction. When the image processing apparatus moves in the vertical direction, the operation screen also moves in the vertical direction. At this time, the control device determines the display position of the operation screen in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, the horizontal or vertical display position is determined according to the user's line of sight or the user's position, and the user can easily view the operation screen.

  When the position of the image processing apparatus cannot be recognized, the control device displays an operation screen at a preset standard position. Since the operation screen is always displayed, it does not affect the user's operation.

  The control device has a mode for changing the display position of the operation screen and a mode for displaying the operation screen at a fixed position, and executes the selected mode. Since the mode can be selected when the operation screen is to be fixed, the user-friendliness is improved.

  The control device displays the operation status on the operation screen during the operation of the image processing apparatus, and ends the operation screen display when the operation ends. During the operation of the image processing apparatus, the operation screen is always displayed. Then, the operation status of the image processing apparatus is known, and when an error occurs, it can be dealt with immediately.

  When the image processing apparatus tries to process an image, the control apparatus displays an operation screen in response to a start command from the image processing apparatus. For example, when the image processing apparatus is an image input apparatus such as a scanner, when the scanner detects that a document is set, the scanner outputs an activation command to the control apparatus.

  When the image processing apparatus is an image output apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile apparatus, the control apparatus displays an operation screen when requesting the image output apparatus to output an image.

  Thus, when the user starts an operation, the operation screen is automatically displayed. This saves the user trouble.

  The display device is provided with a movable mounting table, and the image processing apparatus is mounted on the mounting table. The detection unit detects the position of the mounting table. Since the image processing apparatus moves as the mounting table moves, the position of the image processing apparatus is detected when the detection unit detects the position of the mounting table.

  The mounting table is movable in the horizontal direction along the lower side of the display device. Alternatively, the mounting table is movable in the vertical direction along the side of the display device. In this case, the mounting table is fixed to the moved position by the fixing mechanism. Therefore, the image processing apparatus moves along the periphery of the display device. An operation screen is displayed so as to face the image processing apparatus, and the image processing apparatus and the operation screen are always present near the user.

  According to the present invention, the operation screen is displayed on the display device according to the operation position with respect to the image processing apparatus, so that the position of the image processing apparatus and the display position of the operation screen are always close to each other. Therefore, the user can check the operation screen of the display device or perform an input operation while operating the image processing apparatus, and the user operability is improved. This is particularly useful when using an image processing apparatus that can be moved in front of a large-screen display device.

  The image display system of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The image display system includes a scanner 1, a display 2, and a personal computer 3. The scanner 1 is an image input device that inputs an image, that is, an image processing device, the display 2 is a display device that displays the input image, and the personal computer 3 is a control that controls the image processing device and the display device. Device. Note that the image processing apparatus may be a multifunction machine that performs copying, printing, scanning, FAX communication, and document filing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the personal computer 3 includes a CPU 10 for overall control of the apparatus itself, a ROM 11 for storing various programs and data, a RAM 12 used as a work area for temporarily storing various data, A hard disk device (HDD) 13 for storing the program and image data, a USB I / F 14 for communicating with the scanner via USB, a display I / F 15 for connecting the display 2, a pointing device such as a keyboard 16 and a mouse 17 The input I / F 18 is provided.

  The display 2 is connected to the personal computer 3 via a cable, and the scanner 1 is connected via a USB cable. The personal computer 3 and the scanner 1 may be connected to a network such as a LAN. The display 2 may also be connected to a network.

  In the personal computer 3, the CPU 10 controls various devices according to software. As shown in FIG. 3, an operating system 20 is installed as basic software, and an application 22 including a scanner driver 21 operates on the operating system 20. The driver operates peripheral devices such as the mouse 17, the keyboard 16, the display 2, and the scanner 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the scanner driver 21 includes a control unit 25 that controls scanning, a display processing unit 26 that displays an operation screen, a storage unit 27 that controls a memory that stores various types of information necessary for scanning, An image processing unit 28 that performs image processing on an image is provided.

  The scanner driver 21 operates in conjunction with the scanner 1, creates an operation screen to be displayed on the display 2, and outputs the operation screen to the display 2. Also, the information input through the operation screen is transmitted to the scanner 1.

  The scanner 1 reads a set original according to set scanning conditions. The input image is transmitted to the personal computer 3. The CPU 10 of the personal computer 3 stores the image in the hard disk device 13. Further, the CPU 10 drives and controls the display 2 so as to display the input image. An image input from the scanner 1 is displayed on the display 2.

  In this image display system, the scanner 1 is provided so as to be movable with respect to the display 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting table 30 is suspended from the lower side of the display 2, and the scanner 1 is mounted on the mounting table 30. As a result, the scanner 1 is arranged to face the display 2. The mounting table 30 slides in the horizontal direction along the rail 31 formed on the display 2. When the user presses the mounting table 30, the mounting table 30 moves. The mounting table 30 may be moved by a motor. For example, a screw rod is passed through the mounting table 30, and a motor that rotates the screw rod is provided. By driving the motor, the screw rod rotates forward and backward, and the mounting table 30 reciprocates.

  The display 2 is provided with a detection unit 32 that detects the position of the mounting table 30. The detection unit 32 uses a linear encoder. Alternatively, a plurality of optical sensors and limit switches may be arranged in the horizontal direction.

  The detection unit 32 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the position of the mounting table 30 to the CPU 10 of the personal computer 3. The CPU 10 determines the position of the mounting table 30 based on the detection signal. Thereby, the position of the scanner 1 with respect to the display 2 is detected.

  The large-screen display 2 is used for meetings and presentations. That is, the user stands in front of the display 2 and points to the displayed image for explanation. At this time, the user may explain while operating the scanner 1 and inputting an image. When the scanner 1 operates, the personal computer 3 displays an operation screen A as shown in FIG. 6 on the display 2 in order to set scan conditions.

  The operation screen A displays various setting items such as settings of applications to be executed such as filing and transmission, settings of file formats such as PDF when saving, settings for scanning such as color mode, edge enhancement, and resolution. .

  Since the scanner 1 is movable, the operation position of the user with respect to the scanner 1 changes. The personal computer 3 changes the display position of the operation screen according to the user's operation position. Here, the position of the scanner 1 detected by the detection unit 32 corresponds to the operation position. The CPU 10 determines the display position of the operation screen so as to face the detected position of the scanner 1. As a result, the user operating near the scanner 1 can see the operation screen in the immediate vicinity.

  The procedure for displaying this operation screen will be described with reference to FIG. The personal computer 3, the scanner 1 and the display 2 are managed by one power source. That is, when the power of the personal computer 3 is turned on, power is supplied to the scanner 1 and the display 2 and each enters a standby state. When the user sets a document on the scanner 1, the document detection sensor of the scanner 1 detects the document, and the scanner 1 outputs an activation command to the personal computer 3 (S1).

  When the personal computer 3 receives the activation command from the scanner 1, the CPU 10 activates the scanner driver 21 (S2). Then, the CPU 10 detects the current position of the scanner 1 (S3). That is, the CPU 10 reads the position of the mounting table 30 based on the detection signal from the detection unit 32 of the display 2. When the CPU 10 can confirm the position of the mounting table 30 (S4), the CPU 10 determines a display position corresponding to the position of the mounting table 30 (S5). Then, the operation screen generated by the scanner driver 211 is displayed at this display position (S7). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the scanner 1 is on the left side of the display 2, the operation screen A is displayed on the left side.

  When the position of the mounting table 30 cannot be confirmed, the CPU 10 determines the display position of the operation screen as a preset standard position (S6). For example, the operation screen is displayed on the right side of the display 2 (S7).

  When the user operates the scanner 1 to input a document image, the user sets scanning conditions. Simultaneously with this operation, an operation screen is displayed on the display 2. The scanner 1 and the operation screen are in a positional relationship facing each other. Therefore, a user near the scanner 1 can see the operation screen in the immediate vicinity.

  A user performs input on the operation screen using the mouse 17 or the like, and sets scan conditions. The CPU 10 transmits the set scan condition to the scanner 1. When the user operates the start key of the scanner 1, scanning is performed according to scanning conditions. The image read by the scanner 1 is transmitted to the personal computer 3. The personal computer 3 displays the input image on the display 2.

  During the scanning operation, the CPU 10 monitors the position of the scanner 1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, when the user moves the mounting table 30, the CPU 10 recognizes the position of the scanner 1 based on the detection signal from the detection unit 32. The CPU 10 changes the display position of the operation screen A according to the movement of the scanner 1 and displays the operation screen A so as to move.

  When displaying the moving operation screen, the CPU 10 minimizes the operation screen. By minimizing the operation screen in this way, system resource consumption can be reduced. Therefore, the image quality can be improved by minimizing the flicker of the screen.

  Further, during the scanning operation, the CPU 10 displays the operation status. That is, the CPU 10 acquires information on the progress status from the scanner 1 and displays the progress status on the operation screen. For example, a message such as “Scanning in progress (60% complete)” is displayed. Alternatively, a bar graph indicating the progress is displayed. As a result, the user can be notified of the status of the scanning operation. When the scanning operation is finished, the CPU 10 finishes displaying the operation screen.

  By the way, when there is no need to change the display position of the operation screen, the operation screen is displayed at a fixed position. That is, a change mode for changing the display position of the operation screen and a fixed mode for displaying the operation screen at a fixed position are provided. The CPU 10 executes the mode selected by the user.

  When the user selects the fixed mode and the document is set on the scanner 1, the CPU 10 displays the operation screen at the fixed position regardless of the position of the scanner 1. The fixed position is one of the left and right sides of the display 2 so as not to hide the displayed image. When the user selects the change mode, the display position of the operation screen is changed according to the position of the scanner 1 as described above.

  The display position of the operation screen can be changed not only in the horizontal direction but also in the vertical direction. FIG. 8 shows the display position setting screen B. The display position can be set to either the upper, middle or lower position. The CPU 10 determines the display position in the vertical direction according to the setting. Therefore, the position in the vertical direction is determined according to the height of the user or the height of the line of sight. The CPU 10 displays an operation screen at a vertical position set by the user. Furthermore, the horizontal position can also be set. The user determines a standard position and a fixed position by determining any one of the left side, the center, and the right side.

  The scanner 1 may move along the periphery of the display 2. That is, the scanner 1 moves in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 9, a mounting table 30 on which the scanner 1 is mounted is provided on one side or both sides of the display 2. The mounting table 30 is slidably supported by a vertical guide bar and is movable in the vertical direction. A fixing mechanism for fixing the mounting table 30 at an arbitrary position in the vertical direction is provided. As a fixing mechanism, the mounting table 30 is fixed to the display 2 with a screw. A plurality of screw holes are formed side by side in the vertical direction on the side surface of the display 2. The user slides the mounting table 30 and stops it at an arbitrary position, and screws the mounting table 30 using a screw hole at that position.

  Here, regarding the movement of the mounting table 30, the mounting table 30 may be attached to a cylinder, and the mounting table 30 may be moved up and down by the cylinder. Or you may raise / lower by the combination of a motor and a screw rod.

  The detection unit 32 detects the position of the mounting table 30 in the vertical direction. The CPU 10 of the personal computer 3 confirms the vertical position of the scanner 1 based on the detection signal from the detection unit 32 and determines the display position of the operation screen according to this position. When the user moves the mounting table 30 to change the vertical position of the scanner 1, the CPU 10 moves the operation screen in the same direction as the movement direction of the scanner 1 in accordance with this movement.

  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. When the image processing apparatus is a multifunction peripheral, processing such as copying, FAX transmission, and reading of stored images is performed in addition to the scanning operation. Even in such a case, the personal computer determines the display position of the operation screen according to the position of the multifunction peripheral.

  In addition to image input devices such as scanners, image processing devices include image output devices that output images such as printers and facsimile machines. Similarly, the personal computer determines the display position of the operation screen according to the position of the image output apparatus. When the personal computer instructs the image output device to output an image such as printing or facsimile transmission, the personal computer instructs the display device to simultaneously display an operation screen. When the image output apparatus outputs an image according to an instruction from another personal computer connected to the network, the image output apparatus notifies the personal computer that the output instruction has been received. The personal computer displays an operation screen based on this notification.

  The display device may be a touch panel. The user can directly operate the operation screen. The display device and the control device are separate but may be integrated.

  Instead of connecting the image processing apparatus and the control apparatus with a cable, wireless communication such as wireless LAN, infrared communication, and Bluetooth (registered trademark) is performed between them as cordless. Therefore, the image processing apparatus can freely move around the display device. It becomes possible to support a plurality of display devices, and even if the image processing device moves in front of different display devices, the user can operate the image processing device while viewing the operation screen.

  In the case of wireless communication, the detection unit may be provided in the control device. The detection unit detects the position of the image processing device with respect to the control device. Since the control device and the display device are in a certain positional relationship, the position of the image processing device relative to the display device can be known.

  An infrared sensor or a CCD camera may be used as the detection unit to detect the position of the user instead of the image processing apparatus. When the user operates the image processing apparatus, the user is always near the image processing apparatus. The position of the user detected by the detection unit is inevitably the operation position for the image processing apparatus.

The figure which shows schematic structure of the image display system of this invention Schematic block diagram of a personal computer The figure which shows the composition of the software of the personal computer Diagram showing the configuration of the scanner driver The figure which shows the mounting base which mounts the scanner Diagram showing the operation screen for setting scan conditions Flow chart for displaying the operation screen Diagram showing the setting screen for the display position of the operation screen The figure which shows schematic structure of the image display system of another form.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Scanner 2 Display 3 Personal computer 21 Scanner driver 30 Mounting stand 32 Detection part A Operation screen

Claims (14)

An image processing device that processes an image, a display device that displays an input image, and a control device that controls the display device to display an operation screen of the image processing device on the display device. An image display system, wherein the control apparatus is provided so as to be movable with respect to the apparatus, and the control apparatus changes a display position of an operation screen in accordance with an operation position with respect to the image processing apparatus. An image processing device is arranged at the periphery of the display device, a detection unit that detects the position of the image processing device is provided as an operation position, and the control device determines a display position of the operation screen so as to face the position of the image processing device. The image display system according to claim 1. The image processing device is movable along the display device, and the control device moves the displayed operation screen in the same direction as the movement direction of the image processing device according to the movement of the image processing device. The image display system according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The image display system according to claim 3, wherein the control device moves the operation screen while minimizing the operation screen. 4. The image display according to claim 3, wherein the image processing device is movable in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction, and the control device determines a display position of the operation screen in a direction different from the moving direction of the image processing device. system. 3. The image display system according to claim 2, wherein the control device displays an operation screen at a preset standard position when the position of the image processing device cannot be recognized. The image display system according to claim 2, wherein the control device has a mode for changing a display position of the operation screen and a mode for displaying the operation screen at a fixed position, and executes the selected mode. 4. The image display system according to claim 3, wherein the control device displays the operation status on the operation screen during the operation of the image processing device, and terminates the display of the operation screen when the operation ends. 9. The image display system according to claim 8, wherein when the image processing apparatus tries to process an image, the control apparatus displays an operation screen according to an activation command from the image processing apparatus. The image display system according to claim 9, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image input apparatus, and the image input apparatus outputs an activation command to the control apparatus when detecting that a document is set. 9. The image display system according to claim 8, wherein the image processing apparatus is an image output apparatus, and the control apparatus displays an operation screen when requesting the image output apparatus to output an image. 4. The image display system according to claim 3, wherein the display device is provided with a movable mounting table, the image processing device is mounted on the mounting table, and the detection unit detects the position of the mounting table. 13. The image display system according to claim 12, wherein the mounting table is movable in the horizontal direction along the lower side of the display device. The image display system according to claim 12, wherein the mounting table is movable in a vertical direction along a side of the display device, and the mounting table is fixed to a moved position by a fixing mechanism.

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