JP2020011466A - Image processing apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image processing apparatus, etc. which, when a user uses a customized operation screen, allows a warning indicating a determination that an operating error is likely to occur to be appropriately given according to the user.SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus comprises: customization means 170 which allows customizing once or a plurality of times a multiuser-sharable operation screen that is displayed on display means 134; identification means 180 that identifies a user that operates an operation screen of the current version; determination means 101 that determines the likelihood of an operating error occurring on the operation screen of the current version to be operated by the identified user, on the basis of operation history information of the user with respect to operation screens of the same version group as the current version; and notification means 101 that makes a notification of a warning when the determination means determines that an operating error is likely to occur.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as an image forming apparatus capable of customizing an operation screen displayed on a display unit, and a program.

  For example, as an image processing apparatus such as a multifunction digital multifunction peripheral called an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral), there is an image processing apparatus having a function of customizing an operation screen displayed on a display unit of an operation panel according to a user's preference. Are known.

  When an image processing apparatus capable of customizing such an operation screen is used in a company or the like, customization is generally performed at any time in order to make the operation screen optimal for performing work in the organization to which the user belongs. The use of the customized operation screen by other users besides the user who performed the customization contributes to the smooth operation of the entire organization through efficient operation of the image processing apparatus. .

  By the way, when operating the operation screen, the user may perform an operation based on the layout of the setting items of the operation screen in his / her memory without carefully checking the currently displayed operation screen. .

  However, if the user does not know that the operation screen has been customized and the layout of the setting items has been changed, and the user performs an operation relying on his or her own memory, the setting items whose layout has been changed by customization will be replaced with the setting items before the change. There is a risk that an erroneous operation such as an erroneous selection will occur.

  In view of this, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133873 proposes an image forming apparatus that provides a user with information on a change that is likely to cause an erroneous operation when the user changes the UI (user interface) of the input device. Specifically, when the operation screen is changed by the user's customization of the UI, the degree of risk (probability of an erroneous operation) calculated based on the change content is determined by, for example, the changed part of the screen before and after the customization. Is determined based on the number of items, the position of frequently used items has been changed, and whether setting items with similar setting value names have been placed in the same location. Is notified so that the user can confirm whether or not to execute the change.

JP 2009-237820 A

  However, in the technique of Patent Literature 1, the possibility of erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screens before and after the customization, and thus has the following problem.

  In other words, when a customized operation screen is used by a plurality of users, some users may not have used the operation screen before customization, but even in this case, a warning is notified to the user. Therefore, there is a problem that notification is troublesome for some users.

  Further, when the change by customization is performed a plurality of times, for example, twice, there is a case where the warning is not notified, although it is desirable for some users to be notified. Specifically, the original operation screen is version 1, the operation screen after the first customization is version 2, the current operation screen after the second customization is version 3, and the operation screens of version 1 and version 2 are It is assumed that the difference is large and the difference between the operation screens of version 2 and version 3 is small. In this situation, if the last operation screen used by the user is the version 1 operation screen and the user who has not used the version 2 operation screen attempts to use the current version 3 operation screen, this user For the user, since the operation screen of the version 1 used last and the operation screen of the current version 3 are so different that erroneous operations are likely to occur, it is desirable to be notified of a warning. However, since the difference between the operation screens of version 2 and version 3 is slight, it is not determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, and no warning is issued.

  As described above, conventionally, there has been a problem that a warning for preventing an erroneous operation cannot be appropriately notified according to a user.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and when a user uses a customized operation screen, a warning when it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur is issued according to the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing device and a program that can be appropriately performed.

The above object is achieved by the following means.
(1) A display means, a customization means capable of customizing an operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users once or a plurality of times, and an internal or external device provided by the customization means Customization history storage means for storing a history of customization information including information of the operation screen after customization and version information of the operation screen; and the operation screen provided inside or outside the apparatus, when the user operates the operation screen. Operation history storage means for storing operation history information including information of a user who operated the operation screen and version information of the operated operation screen; identification means for identifying a user who operates the operation screen of the current version; Error in the current version of the operation screen operated by the user identified by the means Determining means for determining the likelihood of cropping based on the operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version; and issuing a warning if the determining means determines that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. An image processing apparatus comprising: a notifying unit for notifying.
(2) the determination unit obtains, from the customization information stored in the customization history storage unit, information on the operation screen of the version last operated by the user among the operation screens of the version group; 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen.
(3) The determination unit may determine, from among the operation screens of the latest version in the version group, the operation screen of the version with the largest number of operations by the user, the information of the customization information stored in the customization history storage unit. 2. The image processing apparatus according to the preceding clause 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is obtained from inside and determines whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between the obtained information on the operation screen and the current operation screen.
(4) If the number of operations on the operation screen of the version last operated by the user among the operation screens of the version group is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the determination unit may output information on the operation screen of the version operated last. Is less than a predetermined threshold, if the most recent version of the operation screen in the version group is the most frequently operated version of the operation screen information, the customization history stored in the customization history storage means 2. The image processing apparatus according to the preceding clause 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is acquired from the information and determines whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between the acquired information on the operation screen and the current operation screen.
(5) The image processing apparatus according to (4), further including a setting unit configured to change and set the threshold.
(6) When there is no operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the version group, the determination unit determines that erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and the notification unit does not notify a warning. An image processing device according to any one of the above.
(7) The operation history storage unit further stores the operation date and time of the operation screen as operation history information, and the determination unit determines that the last operation date and time of the user on the operation screen of the version group is earlier than a predetermined timing. In the case of (1), the image processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 6, wherein it is determined that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and the notifying unit does not notify a warning.
(8) The operation history storage unit further stores, as operation history information, information on display and non-display of items included in the operation screen for each image forming apparatus, and the determination unit is configured to store the information in the operation screen of the version group. 8. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 7, wherein the likelihood of an erroneous operation is determined based on information on display and non-display of items.
(9) There is provided changing means for changing the display size of the operation screen displayed on the display means, the operation history storage means further stores the display size of the operation screen as operation history information, and the determination means 9. The image processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein it is determined whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between a display size of the operation screen of the group and a display size of the current operation screen.
(10) Measuring means for measuring the operation speed of the user, wherein the determination means determines that erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when the operation speed measured by the measurement means is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and the notification means issues a warning 10. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 9, which does not notify the user.
(11) At least one of the customization history storage means and the operation history storage means is provided in the own apparatus and stores customization information or operation history information in the own apparatus and another image processing apparatus. An image processing device according to any one of the above.
(12) At least one of the customization history storage means and the operation history storage means is provided on a server capable of communicating with the own apparatus via a network, and customization information or operation history information of the own apparatus and another image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 10, which stores
(13) The image processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (12) above, wherein the notification unit notifies the warning when a user operates a current version of the operation screen displayed on the display unit.
(14) The image processing device according to (13), wherein the notification of the warning is performed by at least one of a display on an operation screen and a sound.
(15) The image processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (13) above, wherein the notification of the warning is performed by presentation of help assist information including a manner of operation.
(16) The image processing apparatus according to (15), wherein the presentation of the help assist information is performed by at least one of a display on an operation screen and a sound.
(17) Display means, a customizing means capable of customizing the operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users one or more times, and an internal or external device provided by the customizing means. A customization history storage unit for storing customization information including information on the operation screen after the customization and version information of the operation screen, and provided inside or outside the own device, and operating the operation screen when the user operates the operation screen Operating history storage means for storing operation history information including the information of the user who has performed the operation and the version information of the operated operation screen. A specifying step to specify, and operation by a user specified in the specifying step A determination step of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version to be performed based on the operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version; And a notification step of notifying a warning when it is determined that the program is executed.

  According to the invention described in (1) above, when the user operates the operation screen, the operation history information including the information of the user who operated the operation screen and the version information of the operated operation screen is stored in the operation history storage unit. Is stored. On the other hand, a user who operates the current version of the operation screen is specified, and the likelihood of an erroneous operation in the current version of the operation screen operated by the specified user is stored in the operation history storage means. The determination is made based on the operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version. If it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, a warning is notified.

  In this way, the possibility of erroneous operation is not determined based on the difference between the operation screens before and after the customization, but is determined based on the operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version. Therefore, a determination suitable for the user can be made, and a warning notification suitable for the user can be made.

  According to the invention described in the above item (2), among the operation screens of the same version group as the current version, the information of the operation screen of the version last operated by the user is stored in the customization history storage means. It is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen, so that it is possible to accurately determine the possibility of the erroneous operation for each user. it can.

  According to the invention described in the above (3), among the operation screens of the latest version in the same version group as the current version, information on the operation screen of the version with the largest number of operations by the user is stored in the customization history storage means. Since it is determined from the customization information that has been obtained and whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired information on the operation screen and the current operation screen, it is determined for each user whether the erroneous operation is likely to occur. Can be performed accurately.

  According to the invention described in the above item (4), among the operation screens of the same version group as the current version, if the number of operations on the operation screen last operated by the user is equal to or more than the predetermined threshold, the version operated last. If the information of the operation screen of the latest version is less than the predetermined threshold, the information of the operation screen of the version with the largest number of operations by the user among the operation screens of the latest version in the same version group as the current version is stored in the customization history. It is obtained from the customization information stored in the means, and it is determined whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen. Can be accurately performed for each user.

  According to the invention described in the above item (5), the threshold value for determining whether to acquire the information of the operation screen of the version operated last or to acquire the information of the operation screen of the version with the largest number of operations by the user is: Can be changed and set.

  According to the invention described in the above (6), when there is no operation history of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version, it can be determined that erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and no warning is issued.

  According to the invention described in the above item (7), when the last operation date and time of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version is earlier than the predetermined timing, the last operation is too old and the user , It is determined that erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and no warning is issued.

  According to the invention described in the above item (8), since there is a difference in functions and optional configurations possessed by each image forming apparatus, display and non-display of items included in the operation screen are different, and erroneous operations are likely to occur. It is also different. For this reason, the likelihood of an erroneous operation is determined based on the display / non-display information of items on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version.

  According to the invention described in the above item (9), the possibility of erroneous operation differs depending on the display size of the operation screen. Therefore, the display size of the operation screen of the same version group as the current version and the display size of the current operation screen are different. Based on the difference, it is determined whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur.

  According to the invention described in the above (10), the operation speed of the user is measured, and if the measured operation speed is equal to or less than the predetermined value, it is determined that the erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and thus no warning is issued.

  According to the invention described in (11) above, at least one of the customization history storage means and the operation history storage means provided in the own apparatus stores the customization information or the operation history not only for the own apparatus but also for another image processing apparatus. Information can be stored centrally.

  According to the invention as recited in the aforementioned Item (12), a plurality of image processing apparatuses including the own device are provided in at least one of the customization history storage means or the operation history storage means provided in the server communicable with the own device via the network. Customization information and operation history information can be intensively stored.

  According to the invention described in (13), a warning is notified when the user operates the operation screen of the current version displayed on the display means.

  According to the invention described in the above (14), the notification of the warning is performed by at least one of a display on the operation screen and a sound.

  According to the invention described in the above (15), the notification of the warning is performed by the presentation of the help assist information including the operation method.

  According to the invention described in the above (16), the presentation of the help assist information is performed by at least one of a display on the operation screen and a voice.

  According to the invention described in (17) above, the user who operates the operation screen of the current version is specified, and the likelihood of an erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the specified user is determined. The determination may be made based on the operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version, and if it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, a process of notifying a warning may be performed by the computer of the image processing apparatus. it can.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus as an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image processing apparatus when a user customizes an operation screen. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation performed by the image processing apparatus when the user operates the operation screen. FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining an operation screen in which an erroneous operation is likely to occur before and after customization. FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining a case where operation history information and / or customization information is stored in a storage device of a server connected to the image processing apparatus via a network. It is a figure showing an operation screen for explaining an example of judgment of the possibility of erroneous operation occurring. (A) and (B) are operation screens when the operation screen of FIG. 6 is divided into a plurality of pages and displayed because the display screen size is smaller than that of FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation screen for explaining another example of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation. (A) and (B) are operation screens when the operation screen of FIG. 8 is divided into a plurality of pages and displayed because the display screen size is smaller than the case of FIG. It is a figure showing an example when displaying a message on a screen and notifying a warning. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating another example of displaying a message on a screen to notify a warning.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 as an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In this embodiment, as the image forming apparatus 1, the above-described MFP which is a multi-function digital multifunction peripheral having functions such as a copy function, a printer function, a scan function, and a facsimile function is used. In the following description, the image forming apparatus is also referred to as an MFP.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 1 includes a control unit 100, a storage device 110, an image reading device 120, an operation panel 130, an image output device 140, a printer controller 150, a network interface (network I / F) 160, a customizing unit 170, An authentication unit 180 and the like are provided and connected to each other via a system bus 175.

  The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, an S-RAM (Static Random Access Memory) 103, an NV-RAM (Non Volatile RAM) 104, a clock IC 105, and the like.

  The CPU 101 executes an operation program stored in the ROM 102 or the like to control the MFP 1 as a whole. For example, it controls so that a copy function, a printer function, a scan function, a facsimile function and the like can be executed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the operation screen is customized by the customizing unit 170, a version is assigned to the customized operation screen to manage the operation screen, or when the user displays the operation screen and performs an operation, an erroneous operation is performed. Processing such as determining the likelihood of occurrence of an error or notifying a warning when it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur is described in detail later.

  The ROM 102 stores programs executed by the CPU 101 and other data.

  The S-RAM 103 is a work area when the CPU 101 executes a program, and temporarily stores the program, data when the program is executed, and the like.

  The NV-RAM 104 is a nonvolatile memory backed up by a battery, and stores various settings related to image formation.

  The clock IC 105 measures the time and functions as an internal timer to measure the processing time.

  The storage device 110 includes a hard disk or the like, and stores programs, various data, and the like. In particular, in this embodiment, when the customizing unit 170 customizes the operation screen, the customization unit 111 stores the customization information 111 including the information on the operation screen after the customization and the version information of the operation screen. Each time an operation is performed, operation history information 112 including information of the user who operated the operation screen and version information of the operated operation screen is stored.

  The image reading device 120 includes a scanner or the like, scans a document set on a platen glass, reads the document, and converts the read document into image data.

  The operation panel 130 is used when a user gives an instruction of a job or the like to the MFP 1 or performs various settings, and includes a reset key 131, a start key 132, a stop key 133, a display unit 134, a touch panel 135, and the like.

  A reset key 131 is used to reset settings, a start key 132 is used to start operations such as scanning, and a stop key 133 is pressed to interrupt operation. It is.

  The display unit 134 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display device and displays messages, various operation screens, and the like. The touch panel 135 is formed on the screen of the display unit 134 and detects a touch operation by the user.

  The image output device 140 prints image data of a document read by the image reading device 120 and a copy image generated from print data transmitted from the terminal device 3 on a sheet of paper and outputs the print image as a printed matter.

  The printer controller 150 generates a copy image from print data received by the network interface 160.

  The network I / F 160 functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from an external device such as a server or a terminal device via the network 4.

  The customizing unit 170 customizes an operation screen based on a user operation, and is configured as a part of the function of the CPU 101.

  The authentication unit 180 acquires authentication information of a user who logs in, compares the authentication information with information for verification stored in advance in the fixed storage device 110 or the like, and performs authentication. Is equivalent to The comparison between the user authentication information and the verification information may be performed by an external authentication server, and the authentication may be performed by the authentication unit 180 receiving the authentication result from the authentication server.

  Next, the operation of the MFP 1 when the user customizes the operation screen will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is executed when CPU 101 of MFP 1 operates according to an operation program stored in a recording medium such as a ROM.

  In step S01, upon receiving a request for customizing the operation screen by the user, the customization unit 170 customizes the operation screen. The customization is executed by the user performing screen editing such as moving, adding, or deleting display parts by an operation such as drag and drop on the operation screen. Alternatively, the log information may be acquired by acquiring the log information about the function used by the user, and moving the parts related to the frequently used function to the upper part of the screen by automatic customization.

  New version information is added to the new operation screen after customization. The version of the original operation screen before customization is, for example, version 1, and the new operation screen is provided with version information, for example, version 2. Further, when customized, subsequent version information such as version 3 and version 4 may be added.

  The operation screen is provided with screen identification information (screen ID) for specifying the operation screen. The screen ID is not changed even if the version is changed by customization, and if the original operation screen is the same, the screen ID becomes the same.

  In step S02, the history of the customization information 111 of the operation screen is stored and held in the storage device 110. The operation screen customization information 111 includes information of the operation screen after customization and version information of the operation screen. The information on the operation screen includes, for example, the type and position of each part on the operation screen, setting items that can be set on the screen, default setting values of each setting item, and appearance information of the screen (position, size, display color, Text, shape, etc.). For the appearance information, a captured image of the operation screen may be held, or, in the case of a web screen, information of a DOM (Document Object Model) tree may be held.

  Further, the history of the customization information 111 is retained by linking the version information and the screen information so that the screen information can be specified from the version information.

  On the other hand, when the user logs in MFP 1 after being authenticated by authentication unit 180 and operates the operation screen, operation history information 112 is stored and held in storage device 110 at the end of the operation or the like. The operation history information 112 stored and held includes a screen ID of the operation screen, information of a user who operated the operation screen, version information of the operation screen, and the like. Further, in this embodiment, the date and time of the operation, the display and non-display of the items included in the operation screen, the display size of the operation screen, and the like are stored as operation history information as necessary.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation performed by MFP 1 when the user operates the operation screen. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed when CPU 101 of MFP 1 operates according to an operation program stored in a recording medium such as a ROM.

  When the user logs in to the MFP 1 after being authenticated, and opens the latest version of the operation screen, that is, the current operation screen, and displays it on the display unit 134, in step S11, the customization information 111 of the currently displayed operation screen is stored in the storage device 110. Then, in step S12, the operation history information 112 is read from the storage device 110 based on the screen ID of the current operation screen. The read operation history information 112 is, of the operation history information of the logged-in user, the operation history information of the operation screen having the same screen ID as the screen ID of the current operation screen, in other words, the same version as the current version. This is all or a part of the operation history information on the operation screen of the group (the operation screen of the current version and the operation screen of the past version corresponding to the current version). For example, if the version of the original operation screen that has not been customized is 1 and the version of the operation screen after multiple customizations is version 2 to version 4 and the current version is version 4, each operation of versions 1 to 4 Called from the user's history information about the screen.

  Next, in step S13, it is determined whether the possibility of an erroneous operation is high (whether the erroneous operation is likely to occur). A specific determination method will be described later. If the possibility of the erroneous operation is high (YES in step S14), a warning indicating that the possibility of the erroneous operation is high is sent to the user in step S15, and then the process proceeds to step S16. If the possibility of an erroneous operation is not high (NO in step S14), the process directly proceeds to step S16.

  In step S16, the operation of the user on the current operation screen is received, and processing corresponding to the operation is performed. When the operation is completed, the display of the operation screen is terminated in step S17. The history of operations performed by the user is stored in the storage unit 110. When the screen transition is necessary according to the user operation, steps S11 to S18 are executed each time the screen transitions.

  Next, a method of determining whether there is a high possibility of an erroneous operation (whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur) in step S13 in the flowchart of FIG. 3 will be described.

  As described above, when the user displays the operation screen of the current version on the display unit 134, the CPU 101 determines the operation screen of the current version and the operation screen of the past version corresponding to the current version based on the screen ID. All or all of the operation history information 112 performed by the user during the operation, for example, the latest n operation history information 112 are called, and it is determined whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur according to the screen currently being operated and the operation history information 112.

  For example, the information of the operation screen of the version corresponding to the operation screen last operated by the user obtained from the operation history information is acquired from the customization information, and the acquired information of the operation screen and the operation screen currently being operated are acquired. Are compared, and the probability of erroneous operation is determined based on the difference.

  The criterion for determining that “erroneous operations are likely to occur” is simply to determine whether the number of objects whose arrangement has been changed between the two operation screens is greater than a predetermined threshold value so as to reduce the amount of calculation. Investigation may determine that an erroneous operation is likely to occur if the number is large.

  Alternatively, only a pattern in which an erroneous operation is likely to occur may be determined more accurately. For example, it may be determined whether another setting item having a high degree of similarity in appearance is arranged at a position of a certain setting item between two operation screens, and if it is arranged, it may be determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. . In this case, the similarity of the appearance is determined based on whether or not the color, shape, arrangement (vertical or horizontal) of screen components such as buttons and text are common at a predetermined ratio or more. Good. In particular, when the “setting value to be set in the setting item” is common as in the setting item 301 of “paper” and the setting item 302 of “document” in the setting screen D11 of FIG. When the arrangement of the setting items 301 and 302 is rearranged as in the setting screen D12 of (B), it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. This is because the user who has used the setting screen D11 in FIG. 4A is likely to operate the current setting screen D12 based on the memory at that time.

  FIG. 4A shows the operation screen D11 of the version before the current version. The setting item 301 of “paper” is arranged on the left side, and the setting item 302 of “document” is arranged on the right side. Are common to the setting values “A4” and “A3”. FIG. 4B shows the operation screen D12 of the current version, in which the setting item 301 of “paper” has moved to the right and the setting item 302 of “document” has moved to the left due to customization.

  Furthermore, on operation screens that include functions that are frequently used by users or that include functions that cause serious damage when erroneous operations are performed, it is highly necessary to notify the user of a warning, so that erroneous operations are more likely to occur. May be set low, that is, set so that it is determined that an erroneous operation is more likely to occur. In addition, the operation screen including a function that may cause serious damage in the event of an erroneous operation includes, for example, a facsimile transmission destination setting screen in which confidential information is unnecessarily transmitted to the outside if the setting is incorrect, or an incorrect setting. At this time, for example, a screen for setting the presence / absence of a copy guard function that enables copying of confidential information can be cited.

Further, as described below, the user may be divided into a plurality of types based on the operation history information, and the method of determining the possibility of an erroneous operation may be changed depending on the type.
[Type A]: A user who has no operation history for operation screens of the same version group as the current version, that is, a user who has never used these operation screens. Alternatively, a user who has not used the operation screen for a long time even if an operation history exists, but the last operation date and time is before a predetermined timing (for example, one year). Alternatively, a user who has used the operation screen of the current version a predetermined number of times (for example, five times) or more.

For the user of type A, it is determined that there is no possibility or low possibility that the user will operate the current operation screen based on the past memory, and it is determined that erroneous operation hardly occurs, and no warning is given. It should be noted that the period of use or not and the number of times the current version of the operation screen is used are set in advance, but can be changed.
[Type B]: A user who does not correspond to Type A, has a less frequently used version of the operation screen of the last operated version, and has a version of the most frequently used version of the operation screen.

  For the type B user, the likelihood of an erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screen of the most frequently used version of the latest version of the operation screen and the current version of the operation screen. Here, the latest may be, for example, going back from the current version to n versions, or may be a time limit such as within one month. The number of times and the time limit are set in advance and can be changed.

  As a specific example, the operation screen of the version operated last is less than T1 times, and the operation screen of the version used more than T2 (where T2> T1) times out of the operation screens of the latest n versions If there is, the likelihood of an erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screen of the version used twice or more times and the operation screen of the current version. This is because the user is accustomed to operating the operation screen that has been used many times, and erroneous operation is likely to occur if the operation screen is changed. The times T1 and T2 are also set in advance, and can be changed.

In the case where there are a plurality of operation screens of the version having the number of use times T2 or more, the operation screen of the latest version among them may be adopted, or the operation screen of the version with the most use number may be adopted. . For example, T1 = 2, n = 3, and T2 = 3, the current operation screen version is 4, and the number of times the operation screen of version 1 is used 20 times in the past operation screens operated by the user. Assuming that the number of times the operation screen 2 is used three times and the number of times the version 3 operation screen is used once, the operation screens of the versions having the number of times of use T2 or more are the operation screens of the version 1 and the version 2, respectively. When the latest version of the operation screen is adopted, the determination is made based on the difference between the version 2 operation screen and the current operation screen. When the operation screen with the largest number of uses is adopted, the determination is made based on the difference between the version 1 operation screen and the current operation screen.
[Type C]: A user who does not correspond to types A and B. For this user, the likelihood of an erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screen of the version used last and the operation screen of the current version.

  Next, another example of a method for determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation will be described. In this example, the customized operation screen is shared with another MFP, and not only the operation history information 112 of the MFP itself but also the operation history information 112 of the other MFP are collected in the storage device 110 of the MFP 1. This is a determination method in the case where the information is stored as “.

  The MFP 1 and the other MFPs have different device configuration conditions such as functions and options. Even if the customized operation screen is shared, items and setting values that cannot be set are not displayed in the MFP.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, for each operation screen of each version, information on display and non-display of items and setting values included in the operation screen is also stored in the storage device 110 as operation history information 112. , Based on information on non-display, to determine the likelihood of an erroneous operation. Specifically, the display / non-display state when the user displays the screen is stored together with the part identifier for each component of the operation screen.

  An example of a method of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation based on display / non-display will be described. Even if a setting item having a similar setting value is replaced by customization, the setting item is used last by the user or the latest. If the operation screen of the most frequently used version is not displayed, it is not determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. The reason for this is that it is difficult for the user to operate the hidden setting item based on the memory of the past operation screen.

  The user's operation history information 112 is not stored in the storage device 110 of the MFP 1 but is stored in the storage device 21 of the server 2 that can be connected to the MFP 1 via the network 4 as shown in FIG. May be. In this case, the MFP 1 acquires the operation history information 112 from the server 2 via the network 4. Further, the history of the customization information 111 may be stored in the storage device 21 of the server 2. By storing the operation history information 112 and the customization information 111 in the storage device 2 of the server 2, the server 2 can centrally store and manage the operation history information 112 and the customization information 111 of each MFP. Further, by storing the data in the server 2, there is an advantage that the storage area and CPU resources in the MFP 1 can be saved. The server 2 may be a cloud server (external network server), and in this case, an external storage service can be used as it is. On the other hand, when the operation history information 112 of each MFP is stored in the storage device 110 in the MFP 1, the server 2 does not need to be provided, and the configuration is simplified.

  Next, still another example of a method of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation will be described. In this example, the MFP 1 can change the display size of the operation screen, and stores, for each version of the operation screen, the display size of the operation screen when the user operates as the operation history information 112. It is to determine whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the display size of the operation screen of the version used last or the most frequently used version and the display size of the current operation screen.

  The MFP 1 can, for example, change the display size of the operation screen customized by another MFP according to the display size on the display unit 134 of the MFP. The change is performed, for example, by acquiring the number of pixels of the width and height of the display window. In the case of full screen display, the operation is performed by acquiring the number of pixels of the display unit 134 from the driver of the operation 130. When the information of the number of pixels is read at the time of starting the application and each operation screen is drawn, the number of items to be displayed on the screen is determined or the layout of the screen is changed based on the value of the read number of pixels.

  In the case of a Web screen, items that cannot be displayed on the screen at once if the display size is small are displayed by scrolling, depending on the function of the browser. Also, the layout is changed by a so-called responsive web design.

  An example of the determination of the likelihood of an erroneous operation will be described. For example, the operation screen of the version most recently used by the user or used most recently is shown in FIG. 6 in an MFP having a large display screen size. It is assumed that a plurality of setting items 303 are an operation screen D21 displayed in a plurality of rows / columns. On the other hand, since the MFP 1 currently operated by the user is a model having a small display screen size, setting items displayed on one screen as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B instead of the operation screen of FIG. The number and the arrangement of rows / columns are changed, and displayed as operation screens D31 and D32 capable of displaying all setting items 303 by switching pages from the previous page to the next page or vice versa. Shall be.

  In this case, even in the same operation screen, the arrangement of the setting items 303 is greatly different, and it is difficult for the user to “select the position of the item based on the memory of the previous operation”. However, even if the positions of the setting items 303 on the operation screens D31 and D32 shown in FIG. 7 are switched, it is not determined that the possibility of an erroneous operation is high.

  When the display screen size is large, an area is displayed on the operation screen from the beginning, but in a small display screen size, a user operation may be required to display the area. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, in the operation screen D41 having a large display screen size, in addition to the setting items 304 such as “paper” and “document”, an area of a “program” area 305 and an area of a “function search” area 306 include: Although displayed on the operation screen at the same time as the setting item 304, as shown in FIG. 9A, on the operation screen D51 having a small display screen size, a “program” button 307 and a “function search” button 308 on the toolbar of the operation screen D51 are displayed. Is pressed, an area of “program” is displayed, or an area 309 of “function search” is displayed as shown in FIG.

  In such a case, for example, the operation screen of the version most recently used or most recently used by the user is the operation screen D41 having a large display screen size shown in FIG. When the operation screen is the operation screen D51 having a small display screen size shown in FIG. 9A, the positions of the “program” button 307 and the “function search” button 308 on the toolbar on the operation screen D51 are switched before and after customization. Even if this is the case, the user does not make an erroneous operation based on the memory (there is no operation of these buttons in the first place), so it is not determined that the possibility of the erroneous operation is high.

  The method of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation has been described above. In addition to these methods, the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 measures the operation speed of the user, and when the measured operation speed is equal to or less than a certain value, the operation is performed. Since it is performed slowly and it is unlikely that the user is performing an operation based on the memory, it is determined that the erroneous operation is unlikely to occur even if it is determined that the erroneous operation is likely to occur in the determination based on the operation history of the user. Is also good. The operation speed of the user is measured, for example, by measuring the time from when the operation screen is displayed until the button is pressed, or the time from when the operation button is pressed until the next operation is performed. If these times are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the speed may be determined to be equal to or less than a certain value.

  If the MFP 1 determines that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, the MFP 1 notifies the user of a warning that the erroneous operation is likely to occur in order to avoid the erroneous operation. As shown in FIG. 10, the reason for determining that the erroneous operation is likely to occur may be displayed on the screen as a message 310 or may be output as a voice notification. In the example of FIG. 10, a message 310 indicating that “similar items have been replaced” is presented.

  As another notification method of the warning, as shown in FIG. 11, a method of operating on the operation screen may be presented as a message 311 of the help assist information, or the message 311 may be output by voice. In the example of FIG. 11, a message 311 that “Please determine the paper with the leftmost item, and then set the document with the middle item” is presented.

1 MFP (image processing device)
100 control unit 101 CPU
102 ROM
103 RAM
110 storage device 130 operation panel 134 display unit 160 network interface 170 customizing unit 180 authentication unit 190 voice terminal device 2 server 21 storage unit 301 to 304 setting items 305, 306 area 307 "program" button 308 "function search" button 309 area 310 , 311 messages

Claims (17)

Display means;
Customizing means for customizing an operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users one or more times;
Customization history storage means provided in the own device or outside, storing a history of customization information including information on the operation screen after customization by the customization means and version information of the operation screen,
Operation history storage means provided inside or outside the apparatus itself and storing operation history information including information of the user who operated the operation screen and version information of the operated operation screen when the user operated the operation screen, ,
A means for identifying a user who operates the operation screen of the current version;
Judgment of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the user specified by the specifying unit based on the operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version Means,
Notifying means for notifying a warning when it is determined that the erroneous operation is likely to occur by the determining means,
An image processing apparatus comprising:   The determination unit obtains, from the customization information stored in the customization history storage unit, information on the operation screen of the version last operated by the user, among the operation screens of the version group, and obtains the obtained operation. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between information on the screen and a current operation screen.   The determination unit obtains, from the customization information stored in the customization history storage unit, information on the operation screen of the version with the largest number of operations by the user among the operation screens of the latest version in the version group. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen.   The determination unit, if the number of operations on the operation screen of the version last operated by the user among the operation screens of the version group is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the information of the operation screen of the version operated last is specified. Is less than the threshold value, the information of the operation screen of the version with the largest number of operations by the user among the operation screens of the latest version in the version group is stored in the customization information stored in the customization history storage unit. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a setting unit configured to change and set the threshold.   The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determination unit determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when there is no operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the version group, and the notification unit does not notify a warning. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims. The operation history storage unit further stores the operation date and time of the operation screen as operation history information,
If the last operation date and time of the user on the operation screen of the version group is earlier than a predetermined timing, the determination unit determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and the notification unit does not notify a warning. An image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The operation history storage unit further stores information on display / non-display of items included in the operation screen for each image forming apparatus as operation history information,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines the likelihood of an erroneous operation based on information on display and non-display of the item on the operation screen of the version group. A change unit that changes a display size of an operation screen displayed on the display unit,
The operation history storage unit further stores the display size of the operation screen as operation history information,
The image processing according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the determination unit determines whether an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on a difference between a display size of the operation screen of the version group and a display size of the current operation screen. apparatus. A measuring unit for measuring an operation speed of the user,
The image processing according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the determining unit determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when the operation speed measured by the measuring unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and the notifying unit does not notify a warning. apparatus.   11. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the customization history storage unit and the operation history storage unit is provided in the own apparatus and stores customization information or operation history information in the own apparatus and another image processing apparatus. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1.   At least one of the customization history storage unit and the operation history storage unit is provided in a server that can communicate with the own apparatus via a network, and stores customization information or operation history information of the own apparatus and another image processing apparatus. The image processing device according to claim 1.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the warning when a user operates a current version of the operation screen displayed on the display unit.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the notification of the warning is performed by at least one of a display on an operation screen and a sound.   14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification of the warning is performed by presentation of help assist information including a manner of operation.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the presentation of the help assist information is performed by at least one of a display on an operation screen and a sound. Display means;
Customizing means for customizing the operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users one or more times;
Customization history storage means provided in the apparatus itself or outside, storing customization information including information on the operation screen after the customization by the customization means and version information on the operation screen,
Operation history storage means provided inside or outside the apparatus itself and storing operation history information including information of the user who operated the operation screen and version information of the operated operation screen when the user operated the operation screen, ,
The computer of the image processing apparatus equipped with
A step of identifying a user who operates the operation screen of the current version;
Judgment of determining the likelihood of an erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the user specified in the specifying step based on the operation history information of the user on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version Steps and
A notification step of notifying a warning when it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur in the determination step;
A program for executing

Images