JP2010102546A - Display method of software keyboard and display control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display method of a software keyboard and a display control program for easily inputting characters suited to input contents. <P>SOLUTION: User registration information, retrieval history information and scan history information, etc., are stored corresponding to the input contents in respective processing such as login processing, retrieval processing and scan processing, and a next input candidate key corresponding to the input contents is specified on the basis of the information, and the evaluation value (score) of the next input candidate key is calculated and weighted. When displaying the software keyboard, the specified next input candidate key among a plurality of keys is magnified by a magnification factor determined on the basis of the evaluation value and displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a software keyboard display method and a display control program.

  As a method of inputting characters or the like using a touch panel display, there is a method of inputting by pressing a key button displayed on the screen in a pseudo keyboard display. In such a pseudo keyboard (hereinafter referred to as a software keyboard), due to screen size restrictions, the key button display area and the recognition area when the key button is pressed are so small that it is difficult to press accurately, and there is an error in pressing. appear. In particular, when the screen size is small as in the operation panel of the image forming apparatus, this problem appears remarkably. In recent years, various proposals have been made to improve the operability of the software keyboard.

  For example, Patent Literature 1 below discloses a technique in which the number of selection instructions for each multi-item key is managed by an item key counter, and each multi-item key is enlarged and displayed according to the number of selections.

  Further, in Patent Document 2 below, when one or more alphabets are input, the alphabet of the next input candidate is obtained by searching the Roman alphabet conversion rule table, and the key corresponding to the obtained alphabet is enlarged or displayed. Only a limited display technique is disclosed.

  In Patent Document 3 below, when one or more convertible characters are input to the input buffer, processing selection determination keys for characters such as “conversion” and “confirm” are displayed in large size, and “conversion” There is disclosed a technique for displaying process selection determination keys such as “next candidate” and “previous candidate” in large size when a key is pressed.

  Patent Document 4 below refers to the input history of the data string learned and stored in the input history storage unit when a plurality of keys on the virtual keyboard displayed on the display screen are selectively operated sequentially. The next input candidate key corresponding to the data estimated to be continuous with the one or more input data is searched, and the next input candidate key searched among the plurality of keys on the virtual keyboard is displayed on the virtual keyboard. A technique for highlighting is disclosed.

JP-A-5-197471 JP-A-9-160910 JP 2000-322181 A JP-A-11-272386

  However, since the technique described in Patent Document 1 only displays an enlarged display according to the number of times each key is selected, and does not specify the next input candidate key, it is not possible to input characters easily.

  Further, the technique described in Patent Document 2 only selects the next input candidate key based on the Romaji conversion rule, and does not specify the next input candidate key based on the input history, and thus is not based on the Romaji conversion rule. Characters cannot be entered easily.

  In addition, the technique described in Patent Document 3 only displays the process selection key in an enlarged manner, and does not specify the next input candidate key or enlarge the character key, so that characters cannot be input easily.

  The technique described in Patent Document 4 only specifies and highlights the next input candidate key based on the input history for each user, and uses the next input candidate key based on information stored in association with the input content. Therefore, it is not possible to easily input a character suitable for the input content.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a main object thereof is to provide a software keyboard display method and a display control program capable of easily inputting characters suitable for input contents. is there.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a software keyboard display method for specifying a character key as a next input candidate based on information stored in association with contents input by the software keyboard. And a step of calculating an evaluation value for the character key, and when displaying the software keyboard, each character key serving as the next input candidate is determined based on the evaluation value for the character key. And a step of enlarging and displaying at least.

  In the present invention, when the input content is a user ID in login authentication, the character key to be the next input candidate is specified based on the user ID included in the user registration information stored in advance. The evaluation value can also be calculated using at least one of the number of logins and the last login date and time stored in association with each user ID.

  Further, in the present invention, when the input content is a file name or a keyword in a file search, based on a search character included in search history information stored in advance, a character key serving as the next input candidate is set. The search date and time stored in association with each of the search characters, the server name that searches for the file, the folder path that specifies the folder that searches for the file, and the type of file that is searched The evaluation value may be calculated using at least one of the file types.

  Further, in the present invention, when the input content is a saved file name in the scanning process, a character key serving as the next input candidate is set based on a saved file name included in scan history information stored in advance. The scan date and time stored in association with each saved file name, the name of the server that saves the file, the folder path that identifies the folder in which the file is saved, and the type of file to be saved are identified. The evaluation value may be calculated using at least one of the file types to be processed.

  In addition, the present invention is a display control program that operates on a device that displays a software keyboard on a screen. The computer controls a computer based on information stored in association with content input by the software keyboard. Specifying a character key as an input candidate, calculating an evaluation value for the character key, and displaying each software key for the next input candidate as an evaluation value for the character key when displaying the software keyboard. It is made to function as a control unit that performs enlargement display at an enlargement rate determined based on the above.

  According to the software keyboard display method and display control program of the present invention, it is possible to easily input characters suitable for the input contents in a form in which the keyboard is displayed in a pseudo manner on the touch panel display.

  The reason is that the control unit (display control program) specifies the next input candidate key based on the registration information and the history information stored in association with the input content, and the evaluation value of each next input candidate key ( This is because, when the (score) is calculated and the software keyboard is displayed, each next input candidate key is controlled to be enlarged and displayed at an enlargement ratio determined based on the evaluation value.

  As shown in the background art, with a software keyboard, the display area of each character key cannot be increased due to the limitation of the size of the touch panel display. In particular, with a small touch panel display such as an operation panel of an image forming apparatus, There was a problem that operation was difficult and misoperation was likely to occur. Therefore, in order to improve the input operability, methods such as specifying the next input candidate key or enlarging a specific key have been proposed. However, all of the conventional techniques depend on the input content. Since the next input candidate key is not specified, there is a problem that characters suitable for the input contents cannot be input easily.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, user registration information, search history information, scan history information, and the like are stored in association with input contents in each process such as login processing, search processing, and scan processing, and based on those information Identifies the next input candidate key according to the input content, calculates and weights the evaluation value (score) of the next input candidate key, and specifies the next input specified among a plurality of keys when displaying the software keyboard The candidate key is enlarged and displayed at an enlargement rate determined based on the evaluation value. As a result, it is possible to easily input characters suitable for the input content, and it is possible to prevent erroneous operations and improve user convenience.

  In order to describe the above-described embodiment of the present invention in more detail, a software keyboard display method and display control program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus equipped with a software keyboard according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 2 to 4 schematically illustrate a configuration of a system including the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. It is. FIGS. 5 to 14 are diagrams illustrating configuration examples of screens displayed on the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment, and FIGS. 15 to 19 illustrate configuration examples of tables stored in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 20 to 28 are flowcharts showing the software keyboard display method of this embodiment. In the present embodiment, an image forming apparatus is described as an example of an apparatus for displaying a software keyboard, but the present invention can be similarly applied to any apparatus having a touch panel display.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a control unit 11, a program storage unit 12, a data storage unit 13, a drawing processing unit 14, a printing unit 15, an image reading unit 16, and a display / operation unit 17. The communication unit 18 and the like.

  The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, reads a predetermined program from the program storage unit 12, and stores information stored in the data storage unit 13. Various processes are executed with reference to FIG.

  The program storage unit 12 includes a ROM, a RAM, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and the like, and stores a program for performing display control, input control, print control, image reading control, authentication control, document transfer, and the like. In particular, the display control program specifies the next input candidate key corresponding to the input content based on the user registration information, the search history information, the scan history information, and the like stored in the data storage unit 13, and each next input candidate. When the evaluation value (score) of the key is calculated and the software keyboard is displayed, control is performed to enlarge and display the specified next input candidate key at an enlargement ratio determined based on the evaluation value.

  The data storage unit 13 includes a ROM, a RAM, an HDD, and the like, and is associated with input contents such as a user ID in login authentication, a file name and keyword in file search, a saved file name in scan processing, and the like. A history table, a scan history table, and the like are stored. A common input history table is also stored for input in processes other than those described above. Further, the display size (Xmin, Ymin) of the normal size key, the display size (Xmax, Ymax) of the maximum size key, the maximum value (Tmax) and the minimum value (Tmin) of the evaluation value (score) are also stored.

  The drawing processing unit 14 analyzes the print data, rasterizes the print data to create printable bitmap data, and performs image processing such as color conversion and density adjustment on the created bitmap data as necessary. Apply.

  The printing unit 15 includes elements necessary for image formation using an image forming process such as an electrophotographic method or an electrostatic recording method, that is, a charging device, a photosensitive drum, an exposure device, a transfer roller, a transfer belt, and a fixing device. Etc. Specifically, the photosensitive drum charged by the charging device is irradiated with light according to the bitmap data from the exposure device to form an electrostatic latent image, and charged with the developing device is attached and developed, The toner image is transferred to a paper medium via a primary transfer roller and a secondary transfer belt and fixed by a fixing device.

  The image reading unit 16 includes a light source that scans a document on a document table, a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) image sensor that converts light reflected from the document into an electrical signal, and an A / D that performs A / D conversion of the electrical signal. The image data is optically read from a document sheet on a document table.

  The display operation unit 17 includes a display unit such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) device and an operation unit such as a touch panel that covers the display unit. Various types of display operation units 17 are displayed on the screen according to display signals from the control unit 11. A screen (for example, a login authentication screen, a search condition setting screen, a search character input screen, a scan setting screen, a scanned document storage screen, and a software keyboard screen) to be described later is displayed.

  The communication unit 18 includes a NIC (Network Interface Card), a modem, and the like, and enables communication with other devices connected to the communication network.

  Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which the image forming apparatus 10 is used as a single unit, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a document transfer destination and a document server 30 as an acquisition source are connected to a LAN (Local Area Network). Or a communication network 20 such as a WAN (Wide Area Network). Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, it is good also as a structure which inputs from the touchscreen display 41 connected to the remote terminal 40 on the communication network 20 further. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, it is good also as a structure which added the authentication apparatus 50 which further authenticates.

  Next, a method for displaying a software keyboard on the display / operation unit 17 of the image forming apparatus 10 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 will be outlined.

  FIGS. 5 to 9 show configuration examples of a login authentication screen for calling a software keyboard, a search condition setting screen, a search character input screen, a scan setting screen, and a scanned document storage screen, and FIGS. 10 to 14 show the present embodiment. The structural example of the software keyboard screen which is a characteristic part is shown. 15 to 19 show configuration examples of a common input history table, user registration table, search history table, and scan history table used for display control of the software keyboard.

  For example, when a login authentication screen 60 as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed to use the image forming apparatus 10 and an input button for inputting a user ID is pressed, a software keyboard screen is displayed on the display / operation unit 17. In this case, a candidate key (next input candidate key) that is expected to be input next is specified based on the user registration table stored in the data storage unit 13 in association with the input contents in the login authentication. To do.

  For example, when only the user ID starting with “s” is registered in the user registration table as shown in FIG. 16, the control unit 11 (display control program) is the first character candidate of the registered user ID. It is determined that there is a high possibility that a certain “s” is input, and as shown in FIG. 10, the display area and the recognition area of the “s” key are displayed larger than the other keys.

  Next, when “s” is input, since the user ID registered in FIG. 16 is “a” after the character “s”, the control unit 11 (display control program) As shown, the display area and recognition area of the key “a”, which is the second candidate character of the user ID, are displayed larger than the other keys.

  Further, when a user ID as shown in FIG. 17 is registered in the user registration table, the characters after “s” are “a” and “o”, so the control unit 11 (display control program) As shown in FIG. 12, the display area and the recognition area of the keys “a” and “o” are displayed larger than the other keys. In addition, in order to make it easy to recognize the position of the next input candidate key, as shown in FIG. 13, a color is added to the frame of the key or the like (in the figure, the portion to which the color is added is indicated by hatching). The emphasis process may be performed.

  The above control is an example of login authentication. For example, in order to search for a file to be printed, a search condition setting screen 61 as shown in FIG. When the search character input screen 62 is displayed and a button for inputting a file name or a keyword is pressed, the following is performed based on the search history table stored in the data storage unit 13 in association with the input content in the file search. Identify input candidate keys.

  For example, when four search characters are registered in the search history table as shown in FIG. 18, the control unit 11 (display control program) uses a software keyboard in which alphabets as shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 are arranged. Or, when displaying a software keyboard in which hiragana is arranged as shown in FIG. 14, the alphabet corresponding to the first character of the search character input in the past (in this case, “k”, “t”, “p”, etc.) ) Or hiragana (in this case, “ka”, “to”, “pa”, etc.), the key display area and the recognition area are displayed larger than the other keys.

  When the scan setting screen 63 as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed and the scan process is executed, then the scan document storage screen 64 as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed and the button for inputting the save file name is pressed. The next input candidate key is specified by referring to the scan history table stored in the data storage unit 13 in association with the input content in the scan process.

  For example, when four save file names are registered in the scan history table as shown in FIG. 19, the control unit 11 (display control program) is a software keyboard in which alphabets as shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 are arranged. Or, when displaying a software keyboard in which hiragana characters are arranged as shown in FIG. 14, the alphabet corresponding to the first character of the saved file name input in the past (in this case, “s”, “m”, “p”) Etc.) and hiragana (in this case, "su", "mi", "pa", etc.) key display area and recognition area are displayed larger than other keys.

  Further, when a character input is instructed when executing processing other than the login authentication, file search, and scan processing, the next input candidate key is specified based on the common input history table as shown in FIG. .

  Further, when displaying the next input candidate key, it may be enlarged and displayed at a certain enlargement ratio. For example, as shown in the software keyboard screen 65 of FIG. By changing the enlargement rate of the next input candidate key based on information such as the date and time, the file storage location, and the file type, the character to be input next can be selected more easily. In that case, the control unit 11 (display control program) calculates an evaluation value (hereinafter referred to as a score) of each next input candidate key according to a predetermined rule based on the above information, and expands based on the score. The rate is determined, and each next input candidate key is enlarged and displayed at the determined enlargement rate.

  In this way, by specifying the next input candidate key based on the registration information and history information stored in association with the input content in each process and displaying the key large, characters not related to the input content are displayed. Key input operations can be executed more smoothly without being displayed as candidates. In addition, the evaluation value (score) of the next input candidate key is calculated based on the registration information and the history information, and each subsequent input candidate key is enlarged and displayed at an enlargement rate determined based on the score, thereby confirming the candidate. It is possible to visually grasp the likelihood, and to perform the key input operation more smoothly.

  The specific operation of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described below. First, the overall operation will be described with reference to FIG. 20, and then the individual processing operation will be described with reference to FIGS. The following operations are executed by the control unit 11 (display control program).

[Overall operation when displaying software keyboard]
First, the overall operation when displaying the software keyboard will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When an input button such as the login authentication screen 60 in FIG. 5, the search character input screen 62 in FIG. 7, or the scan document storage screen 64 in FIG. 9 is pressed to call the software keyboard, in step S <b> 101, input on the caller screen is performed. The contents are determined, and a reference table for determining the next input candidate character is set according to the input contents (steps S102 to S107).

  For example, when displaying a software keyboard for inputting a user ID on the login authentication screen 60 of FIG. 5, a user registration table as shown in FIG. 16 or FIG. 17 is used as a reference table (step S102). Further, when a software keyboard is displayed for inputting a file name or a keyword on the search character input screen 62 of FIG. 7, a search history table as shown in FIG. 18 is used as a reference table (steps S104 and S105). Further, when a software keyboard is displayed for inputting a save file name on the scan document save screen 64 of FIG. 9, a scan history table as shown in FIG. 19 is used as a reference table (step S106). When a software keyboard is displayed by operating other screens, a common input history table as shown in FIG. 15 is used as a reference table (step S107).

  When entering a password on the login authentication screen 60 of FIG. 5, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of security to display a candidate character in an enlarged manner, so that the candidate character key enlarged display mode is set to [false] so that the enlarged display is not performed. It is desirable to set (No in step S103 and step S112).

  Next, in step S108, 0 is substituted for n. In step S109, a software keyboard is displayed on the display / operation unit 17. If the input is not finished (No in step S110), the nth character is displayed in step S111. Monitor input. When the nth character is input, it is determined in step S112 whether the candidate character key enlarged display mode is ON. If the candidate character key enlarged display mode is OFF, 1 is added to n in step S125. Return to step S109. On the other hand, if the candidate character key enlarged display mode is ON, the character is stored in step S113.

  Next, in step S114, referring to the reference table set in steps S102 and S104 to 107, the character keys (k1 to km) as input candidates for the (n + 1) th character, and the score of each candidate character key Is calculated. For example, in the case of a user ID, the score of each character key is determined by referring to the user registration table of FIG. 16 according to the number of user IDs having the same character at the input position, the number of logins of the user, the last login date and time, etc. It is determined so that the score is higher as the character is more likely to be input. The character key identification and the score calculation procedure will be described later.

  Next, 0 is substituted for i in step S115, and i and m are compared in step S116. If i> m, the display size (Xmin, Ymin) of the normal size key is acquired from the data storage unit 13 in step S117. The display size (Xmax) of the maximum size key is acquired from the data storage unit 13 in step S118. , Ymax), and in step S119, the maximum value (Tmax) and the minimum value (Tmin) of the score are acquired from the data storage unit 13.

  Next, in step S120, the score (Ti) of the i-th candidate character key is calculated (score calculation procedure will be described later), and in steps S121 and S122, the horizontal direction of the next input candidate key according to the following equation: The size (Xi) and the vertical size (Yi) are calculated.

Xi = Xmin + (Xmax−Xmin) × ((Ti−Tmin) / (Tmax−Tmin)) (1)
Yi = Ymin + (Ymax−Ymin) × ((Ti−Tmin) / (Tmax−Tmin)) (2)

  Next, in step S123, the next input candidate key (Ki) is enlarged and displayed in size (Xi, Yi). In this example, only the key size is changed, but emphasis processing such as changing the frame color of the key to be displayed based on the score may be added.

  In step S124, 1 is added to i, and the process returns to step S116. The same processing is performed for each character input, and the next input candidate key is enlarged and displayed according to the corresponding input position. The input characters are stored for each character in step S113. When the input is completed (Yes in step S110), the input characters are written in the common input history table of FIG. 15 as a character string in step S126.

[Operation at login authentication]
Next, the operation at the time of login authentication will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the [Input] button of the user ID is pressed in the login authentication screen 60 of FIG. 5 in step S201, the software keyboard screen 65 shown in FIGS. 10 to 14 is displayed in step S202, and the score of each next input candidate key is displayed. (A specific procedure for calculating the score will be described later), and enlarged display is performed based on the calculated score. Next, when a user ID is input on the software keyboard screen 65 in step S203 and the [OK] button on the software keyboard screen 65 is pressed in step S204, the screen returns to the login authentication screen 60.

  In step S205, when the [Input] button of the password is pressed on the login authentication screen 60, a normal software keyboard (software keyboard that does not display the next input candidate key in an enlarged manner) is displayed. In step S206, the password is input. If the [OK] button on the software keyboard is pressed in step S207, the screen returns to the login authentication screen 60.

  Next, when the [OK] button on the login authentication screen 60 is pressed in step S208, an authentication inquiry (in the case of the image forming apparatus 10 alone, the control unit 11 stores the user information stored in the data storage unit 13 in step S209). In the case of a system including the comparison and authentication device 50, the authentication device 50 performs comparison with user information registered in advance. When an error occurs (No in step S210), an authentication error screen is displayed in step S211. On the other hand, when the authentication is OK (Yes in step S210), a login process is performed in step S212. In step S213, the number of logins of the corresponding user ID in the user registration table, the last login date, etc. are updated.

[Score calculation when entering user ID]
Next, the specification of the next input candidate key and the score calculation procedure for each next input candidate key at the time of user ID input will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S301, the registered all user list (U1) is acquired from the user registration table as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, and in step S302, a list of character types (L) that can be used as the user ID is acquired.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 10 to FIG. 13, when switching between uppercase and lowercase letters using the [Shift] key, or as in the software keyboard screen 65 shown in FIG. 14, [Katakana / Hiragana] When switching between katakana and hiragana using keys, it is desirable to handle without distinguishing between uppercase / lowercase letters such as a / A and hi / a and katakana / hiragana.

  In this flow, special keys such as the [shift] key are not enlarged, but uppercase / lowercase letters are distinguished. If the uppercase / lowercase letters are different between the last input character and the next candidate character, [shift] ] And other special keys may be displayed in an enlarged manner.

  Next, a score is calculated for each acquired character type one character at a time. Specifically, in step S303, the first check character is substituted for the check character X, and if all characters in the character type list have not been checked (No in step S304), the score of the check character X is set in step S305. Substitute 0.

  Next, in step S306, the user list of user IDs (U2) including the inspection character X in the (m + 1) th character (the position next to the position currently input on the software keyboard) in the entire user list (U1). ).

  Next, in step S307, it is determined whether the inspection of all user IDs in the user list (U2) has been completed. If the inspection has been completed, the next inspection character is substituted for the inspection character X in step S313, and step S304 is performed. Return to. On the other hand, if the inspection is not completed, information of the i-th user (login count (Ci), last login date and time (Di), etc.) is acquired in step S308.

  Next, in step S309, it is determined whether the last login date is within n days (specified number of days). If it exceeds the specified number of days, 1 is added to i in step S312, and the process returns to step S307. On the other hand, if it is within the prescribed number of days, in step S310, a value obtained by weighting the number of logins Ci by a coefficient k is added to the score T of the check character according to the following equation.

  T = T + k · Ci (3)

  Here, users who have not logged in for a certain period are excluded, but weighting may be performed so that the user has a shorter score from the last login date and time so that the score is higher. In this case, it becomes possible by replacing the process of step S310 as follows.

  T = T + k · Ci + (n − ([Today] −Di)) / n (4)

  In step S311, after adding the inspection character X to the candidate character key list (K), 1 is added to i in step S312, and the process returns to step S307.

  The score is calculated for all the next input candidate keys as described above. However, considering the operability and visibility of the screen, the enlargement ratio of the key SARS to be displayed and the number of keys to be enlarged are a certain size (magnification), It can also be limited to a certain number. In that case, for example, when the inspection of all characters in the character type list is completed (Yes in step S304), the list of next input candidate keys is sorted in descending order of the score in step S314, and in step S315, the maximum number of display items is less than What is necessary is just to delete the next input candidate key of an order | rank.

  In the above flow, the score is calculated using the number of logins and the last login date and time for each user ID, but the score may be calculated using other information related to the user ID.

[Operation when searching files]
Next, the operation at the time of file search will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S401, the search condition setting screen 61 in FIG. 6 is displayed. In step S402, the search condition is selected. In step S403, when the “Next” button is pressed, the selected search condition is stored in step S404. In step S405, the search character input screen 62 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed.

  Next, when the [Input] button for a character or keyword is pressed on the search character input screen 62 in FIG. 7 in step S406, the software keyboard screen 65 shown in FIG. 10 to FIG. 14 is displayed in step S407. The score of the next input candidate key is calculated (a specific procedure for calculating the score will be described later), and enlarged display is performed based on the calculated score.

  Until the input is completed, key input is performed with the software keyboard in step S409, and the input character is stored in step S410. When the input is completed (Yes in step S408), in step S411, the input character stored in step S410 (before conversion) and the input character determined after conversion are combined with the search condition stored in step S404, and the search history of FIG. Write to the table.

[Search file name / Score calculation when entering keywords]
Next, the specification of the next input candidate key and the score calculation procedure for each next input candidate key when inputting the search file name / keyword will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S501, a search history list (S1) of the same input type (file name or keyword) is acquired with the user ID of the login user from the search history table as shown in FIG. At this time, when the search history table does not exist at the first use, or when the number of registered search history tables is small, the common input history table of FIG. 15 may be used.

  Next, in step S502, a list (L) of character types of keys that can be input is acquired, and a score is calculated for each acquired character type for each character. Specifically, in step S503, the first check character is substituted for the check character X, and if all characters in the character type list have not been checked (No in step S504), the score of the check character X is set in step S505. Substitute 0.

  Next, in step S506, the search history list (S2) including the inspection character X in the (m + 1) th character (the position next to the position currently input on the software keyboard) is searched from the search history list (S1). Extract.

  Next, in step S507, it is determined whether all the inspections in the search history list (S2) have been completed. If the inspection has been completed, the next inspection character is substituted for the inspection character X in step S519, and the process proceeds to step S504. Return. On the other hand, if the inspection is not completed, information of the i-th search history (search date / time (Di), input type, server name, folder path, file type, etc.) is acquired in step S508.

  Next, in step S509, it is determined whether the search date is within n days (specified number of days). If it exceeds the specified number of days, 1 is added to i in step S518, and the process returns to step S507. On the other hand, if it is within the specified number of days, a predetermined value (for example, 1) is added to the score T of the check character in step S510.

  Here, if the items (search server, folder path, extension (file type)) set on the search condition setting screen 61 in FIG. 6 match, it is preferable to increase the score, so in step S511. It is determined whether the names of the search servers are the same, and if they are the same, a predetermined value (for example, p1) is added to the score T of the check character in step S512. In step S513, it is determined whether the folder paths are the same. If they are the same, a predetermined value (for example, p2) is added to the check character score T in step S514. In step S515, it is determined whether the extensions (file types) of the search files are the same. If they are the same, a predetermined value (for example, p3) is added to the score T of the check character in step S516. .

  In step S517, the test character X is added to the candidate character key list (K), and in step S518, 1 is added to i, and the process returns to step S507.

  The score is calculated for all the next input candidate keys as described above, but considering the operability and visibility of the screen, the enlargement ratio of the key size to be displayed and the number of keys to be enlarged are a fixed size (magnification) It can also be limited to a certain number. In that case, for example, when the inspection of all characters in the character type list is completed (Yes in step S504), the list of next input candidate keys is sorted in descending order of the score in step S520. What is necessary is just to delete the next input candidate key of an order | rank.

  In the above flow, the score is calculated using the search date, search server, folder path, and file type, but the score may be calculated using other information related to the search.

[Operations during scan processing]
Next, the operation during the scan process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S601, the scan setting screen 63 of FIG. 8 is displayed and a scan condition is selected. In step S602, when the [Start Scan] button is pressed, the selected scan condition is stored in step S603, and in step S604. Scan processing is executed, and the scan document storage screen 64 of FIG. 9 is displayed in step S605.

  Next, when the [Input] button for the file name is pressed on the scanned document saving screen 64 in FIG. 9 in step S606, the software keyboard screen 65 shown in FIGS. 10 to 14 is displayed in step S607. The score of the input candidate key is calculated (a specific procedure for calculating the score will be described later), and enlarged display is performed based on the calculated score.

  Until the input is completed, key input is performed with the software keyboard in step S609, and the input character is stored in step S610. When the input is completed (Yes in step S608), in step S611, the input characters stored in step S610 (before replacement) and the input characters determined after conversion are matched with the scan conditions stored in step S603, and the scan history of FIG. Write to the table.

[Score calculation when inputting scanned document file name]
Next, the specification of the next input candidate key and the score calculation procedure for each next input candidate key when inputting the scan document storage file name will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step S701, a scan history list (S1) of the user ID of the login user is acquired from the scan history table as shown in FIG. At this time, when there is no scan history table at the first use, or when the number of registered scan history tables is small, the common input history table of FIG. 15 may be used.

  Next, in step S702, a list (L) of character types of keys that can be entered is acquired, and a score is calculated for each acquired character type for each character. Specifically, in step S703, the first check character is substituted for the check character X, and if all characters in the character type list have not been checked (No in step S704), the score of the check character X is set in step S705. Substitute 0.

  Next, in step S706, the scan history list (S2) including the inspection character X in the (m + 1) th character (the position next to the position currently input on the software keyboard) is selected from the scan history list (S1). Extract.

  Next, in step S707, it is determined whether all the inspections in the scan history list (S2) have been completed. If the inspection has been completed, the next inspection character is substituted for the inspection character X in step S719, and the process proceeds to step S704. Return. On the other hand, if the inspection is not completed, information (last input date / time (Di), server name, folder path, format, etc.) of the i-th scan history is acquired in step S708.

  Next, in step S709, it is determined whether the scan date / time is within n days (specified number of days). If it exceeds the specified number of days, 1 is added to i in step S718, and the process returns to step S707. On the other hand, if it is within the specified number of days, a predetermined value (for example, 1) is added to the score T of the inspection character in step S710.

  Here, as in the case of the search history, if the items (storage server, folder path, format (file type)) set on the scan setting screen 63 in FIG. 8 match, it is preferable to increase the score. From step S711, it is determined whether the server names of the storage destinations are the same. If they are the same, a predetermined value (for example, p1) is added to the score T of the check character in step S712. In step S713, it is determined whether the folder paths are the same. If they are the same, a predetermined value (for example, p2) is added to the check character score T in step S714. In step S715, it is determined whether the formats (file types) are the same. If they are the same, a predetermined value (for example, p3) is added to the check character score T in step S716.

  In step S717, the test character X is added to the candidate character key list (K), and in step S718, 1 is added to i, and the process returns to step S707.

  The score is calculated for all the next input candidate keys as described above, but considering the operability and visibility of the screen, the enlargement ratio of the key size to be displayed and the number of keys to be enlarged are a fixed size (magnification) It can also be limited to a certain number. In that case, for example, when the inspection of all characters in the character type list is completed (Yes in step S704), in step S720, the list of next input candidate keys is sorted in descending order of the score. What is necessary is just to delete the next input candidate key of an order | rank.

  In the above flow, the score is calculated using the scan date, storage server, folder path, and file type, but the score may be calculated using other information related to the scan.

  As described above, login authentication, file search, and scan processing have been described as examples of processing executed by the image forming apparatus 10. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be executed by the image forming apparatus 10. The same can be applied to any processing.

  The present invention can be used for a software keyboard display method and a program for controlling software keyboard display in an arbitrary apparatus having a touch panel display.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of another system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of another system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a screen (login authentication screen) displayed on the display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a screen (search condition setting screen) displayed on a display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a screen (search character input screen) displayed on a display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a screen (scan setting screen) displayed on the display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a screen (scanned document storage screen) displayed on the display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a screen (software keyboard screen) displayed on a display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of a screen (software keyboard screen) displayed on the display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of a screen (software keyboard screen) displayed on the display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of a screen (software keyboard screen) displayed on the display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of a screen (software keyboard screen) displayed on the display / operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating information (common input history table) stored in a data storage unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating information (user registration table) stored in a data storage unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating information (user registration table) stored in a data storage unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating information (search history table) stored in a data storage unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating information (scan history table) stored in a data storage unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the display method (whole operation | movement at the time of software keyboard input) which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the display method (operation | movement at the time of login authentication) of the software keyboard which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the display method (score calculation procedure at the time of user ID input) which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the display method (operation | movement at the time of file search) of the software keyboard which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the display method (score calculation procedure at the time of search file name / keyword input) based on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the display method (operation | movement at the time of a scanning process) of the software keyboard which concerns on one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the display method (score calculation procedure at the time of scanning document preservation | save file name input) based on one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 11 Control part 12 Program storage part 13 Data storage part 14 Drawing process part 15 Printing part 16 Image reading part 17 Display / operation part 18 Communication part 20 Communication network 30 Document server 40 Remote terminal 41 Touch panel 50 Authentication apparatus 60 Login Authentication screen 61 Search condition setting screen 62 Search character input screen 63 Scan setting screen 64 Scan document storage screen 65 Software keyboard screen

Claims (14)

A software keyboard display method,
Based on the information stored in association with the content input with the software keyboard, specifying a character key as the next input candidate, and calculating an evaluation value for the character key;
When displaying the software keyboard, each character key serving as the next input candidate is enlarged and displayed at an enlargement ratio determined based on an evaluation value for the character key. To display the software keyboard. When the input content is a user ID in login authentication,
2. The software keyboard display method according to claim 1, wherein a character key to be the next input candidate is specified based on a user ID included in user registration information stored in advance.   3. The software keyboard display method according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation value is calculated using at least one of a login count and a last login date and time stored in association with each user ID. When the input content is a file name or keyword in the file search,
2. The software keyboard display method according to claim 1, wherein a character key to be the next input candidate is specified based on a search character included in search history information stored in advance.   Using at least one of the search date and time stored in association with each search character, the server name for searching for the file, the folder path for specifying the folder for searching for the file, and the file type for specifying the type of file to be searched for 5. The software keyboard display method according to claim 4, wherein the evaluation value is calculated. If the input content is a saved file name in the scanning process,
2. The software keyboard display method according to claim 1, wherein a character key as the next input candidate is specified based on a saved file name included in scan history information stored in advance.   Use at least one of the scan date and time stored in association with each saved file name, the server name that saves the file, the folder path that specifies the folder in which the file is saved, and the file type that specifies the type of file to be saved The method for displaying a software keyboard according to claim 6, wherein the evaluation value is calculated. A display control program that operates on a device that displays a software keyboard on a screen,
Computer
When specifying the character key that is the next input candidate based on the information stored in association with the content input with the software keyboard, calculating the evaluation value for the character key, and displaying the software keyboard A display control program that causes each character key to be the next input candidate to function as a control unit that performs an enlarged display at an enlargement ratio determined based on an evaluation value for the character key. When the input content is a user ID in login authentication,
The display control program according to claim 8, wherein the control unit specifies a character key to be the next input candidate based on a user ID included in user registration information stored in advance.   The display according to claim 9, wherein the control unit calculates the evaluation value using at least one of a login count and a last login date and time stored in association with each user ID. Control program. When the input content is a file name or keyword in the file search,
The display control program according to claim 8, wherein the control unit specifies a character key to be the next input candidate based on a search character included in search history information stored in advance.   The control unit includes at least a search date and time stored in association with each search character, a server name for searching for a file, a folder path for specifying a folder for searching for a file, and a file type for specifying the type of file to be searched. The display control program according to claim 11, wherein the evaluation value is calculated using one. If the input content is a saved file name in the scanning process,
The display control program according to claim 8, wherein the control unit specifies a character key to be the next input candidate based on a saved file name included in scan history information stored in advance.   The control unit includes a scan date and time stored in association with each saved file name, a server name for saving the file, a folder path for specifying a folder for saving the file, and a file type for specifying the type of the saved file. The display control program according to claim 13, wherein the evaluation value is calculated using at least one.

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