JP4917327B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, facsimile machines, and multifunction machines are known in which an operation procedure is displayed on a display device provided on an operation panel. For example, in Patent Document 1, an operator displays an operation error elimination procedure on a display device, and an operator performs an operation according to the operation error cancellation procedure, thereby eliminating an error occurring at that time. An image forming apparatus capable of performing the above is shown.
JP 2005-208335 A

  However, in the above-described conventional image forming apparatus, for example, when the operator performs setting necessary for copying (density setting, paper size setting, etc.) after confirming the operation procedure of the copy function on the display device, the display on the display device is performed. The operation must be performed after switching the screen to the copy function instruction reception screen. At this time, the operator may want to confirm the original operation procedure display screen again. Therefore, it is desirable for the operator to realize switching between the instruction reception screen and the original operation procedure display screen with a simple operation.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an image forming apparatus that can switch a plurality of display screens in a display device with a simple operation and is excellent in operation convenience for an operator. The purpose is to do.

The invention of claim 1 includes a display means for displaying an image, said plurality of help images to be displayed on the display means, memories and associated in advance with the operation instruction receiving image on each of these help images are stored Means, display control means for displaying the image stored in the storage means on the display means, help display receiving means for receiving a help display instruction for displaying the help image on the display means, and the display Minimizing instruction receiving means for receiving, from the operator, a minimizing instruction for minimizing an image displayed on the display means by the control means, and the display control means receives the help display instruction on the help display receiving means. When the minimization instruction is accepted by the minimization instruction acceptance means when the help image is displayed on the display means , The help image being displayed at the time of receiving the minimization instruction causes minimized, an image forming apparatus to be displayed on the display means an operation instruction accepting images previously associated to the help image.

In this configuration, when the minimization instruction accepting unit accepts the minimization instruction, the display control unit minimizes and displays the display image of the display unit at the time when the minimization instruction is accepted. The display on the display means can be switched to another display by a simple operation by simply inputting a minimization instruction to the instruction receiving means. Further, in this configuration, when the minimization instruction is accepted by the minimization instruction accepting unit while the help image is being displayed on the display unit, the display control unit displays the help image displayed when the minimization instruction is accepted. And the operation instruction reception image associated with the help image is displayed on the display means, so that the operator can simply input the minimization instruction to the minimization instruction reception means. Accordingly, the display on the display means can be switched from the help image to the display of the operation instruction reception image associated therewith.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the size change accepting unit accepts from the operator a size change instruction for displaying the minimized image in the original display size. And when the size change instruction is accepted by the size change accepting unit when the operation instruction accepting image is displayed on the display unit, the display control unit is configured to accept the operation instruction. A help image associated in advance with an image is displayed on the display means .

In this configuration, when the size change instruction is received by the size change accepting unit, the display control unit returns the minimized image to the original display size and causes the display unit to display the image. The display on the display means can be returned to the original display by a simple operation by simply inputting a size change instruction to the accepting means. Further, in this configuration, when the size change instruction is received by the size change receiving means while the operation instruction receiving image is displayed on the display means, the display control means is associated with the operation instruction receiving image. Since the help image is displayed on the display means, the operator associates the display on the display means from the operation instruction reception image with a simple operation simply by inputting the size change instruction to the size change reception means. The displayed help image can be switched to.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the operator can switch the display of the display means to another display by a simple operation of simply inputting the minimize instruction to the minimize instruction receiving means. Thereby, the operation convenience for the operator can be improved. In addition, the operator can change the display of the display unit from the help image to the operation instruction reception image associated therewith by a simple operation of simply inputting the minimization instruction to the minimization instruction reception unit. Can be switched. Thereby, for example, the operator can immediately switch the display screen of the display means to the copy function instruction reception screen after confirming the copy function operation procedure on the help screen displayed on the display means. User convenience can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the operator can return the display on the display unit to the original display by a simple operation by simply inputting the size change instruction to the size change receiving unit. In addition, the operator switches the display on the display unit from the operation instruction receiving image to the display of the help image associated therewith by a simple operation by simply inputting a size change instruction to the size change receiving unit. be able to. As a result, for example, when the operator wants to check the help screen while the operation instruction reception screen is displayed on the display means and the settings necessary for the copy operation are performed, the display screen of the display means is immediately copied. Since it is possible to switch to the function help screen, it is possible to improve the operational convenience for the operator.

  Hereinafter, a multi-function peripheral that is an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view illustrating a configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the operation unit 400. The multifunction machine 1 includes a main body 200, a paper post-processing section 300 disposed on the paper carry-out side, for example, the left side of the main body 200, an operation section 400 for a user to input various operation commands and the like, The document reading unit 500 is disposed at the top of the unit 200, and the document feeding unit 600 is disposed at the top of the document reading unit 500.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 400 includes a display unit 410 made up of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and the like, and an operation key unit 430 into which an operation instruction is input from the operator. The operation key unit 430 includes a help key 431, a start key 432, a numeric keypad 433, a function switching key 434, and the like.

  A help key (guidance display receiving means) 431 displays an operation guidance screen (help screen) on the display unit 410 for displaying each operation procedure / operation method regarding the scanner function, facsimile function, printer function, copy function, etc. from the operator. An instruction to be accepted is accepted. The start key 432 receives an instruction to start each operation such as a copy operation and a scan operation from the operator. The numeric keypad 433 is a key for receiving an instruction for designating the number of copies from the operator. The function switching key 434 reads out data stored in a storage area (mail box) for each operator provided in the HDD 74 (to be described later), a copy function, a transmission function (scanner function, facsimile function, etc.), and a box function. The function switching instruction for mutually switching the function to print) is received from the operator.

  The display unit (display unit) 410 includes a touch panel unit that combines a touch panel and an LCD. The display unit 410 displays various operation screens and allows the operator to input execution commands for various functions by touching the display surface (displayed operation keys).

  The document feeding unit 60 includes a document placement unit 601, a paper feed roller 602, a document transport unit 603, and a document discharge unit 604, and the document reading unit 500 includes a scanner 501. The paper feed roller 602 feeds the required number of documents set on the document placement unit 601 one by one, and the document transport unit 603 sequentially transports the fed document to the reading position of the scanner 501. The scanner 501 sequentially reads images of the conveyed document, and the read document is discharged to the document discharge unit 604.

  The main body 200 includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes 201, a plurality of paper feed rollers 202, a transfer roller 203, a photosensitive drum 204, an exposure device 206, a developing device 207, a fixing roller 208, a discharge port 209, a discharge tray 210, and the like. Prepare.

  The photosensitive drum 204 is uniformly charged by a charging device (not shown) while rotating in the direction of the arrow. The exposure device 206 scans the photosensitive drum 204 with laser light modulated according to the image of the original read by the original reading unit 500, and forms an electrostatic latent image for each color on the drum surface. The developing device 207 supplies a black developer to the photosensitive drum 204 to form a toner image.

  On the other hand, the paper feed roller 202 draws the print paper from the paper feed cassette 201 in which the print paper is stored, and feeds the print paper to the transfer roller 203. The transfer roller 203 transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 204 to the conveyed printing paper, and the fixing roller 208 heats and fixes the transferred toner image on the printing paper. Thereafter, the printing paper is carried into the paper post-processing unit 300 from the discharge port 209 of the main body unit 200. The printing paper is also discharged to the discharge tray 210 as necessary.

  The paper post-processing unit 300 includes a carry-in port 301, a print paper carrying unit 302, a carry-out port 303, a stack tray 304, and the like. The printing paper conveyance unit 302 sequentially conveys the printing paper carried into the carry-in port 301 from the discharge port 209 and finally discharges the printing paper from the carry-out port 303 to the stack tray 304. The stack tray 304 is configured to be movable up and down in the direction of the arrow in accordance with the number of print sheets stacked from the carry-out port 303.

  FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the MFP shown in FIG. The multifunction device 1 includes a scanner unit 11, an image processing unit 21, a printer unit 31, an operation unit 400, a control unit 51, a network I / F (interface) unit 71, and an HDD (hard disk drive) 74.

  The scanner unit 11 includes an exposure lamp 12 and a CCD (charge coupled device) 13 that constitute the scanner 501 shown in FIG. The scanner unit 11 irradiates the document with the exposure lamp 12 and receives the reflected light with the CCD 13, thereby reading an image from the document and outputting an image corresponding to the read image to the image processing unit 21.

  The image processing unit 21 includes a correction unit 22, an image processing unit 23, and an image memory 24. The image processing unit 21 processes the read image by the correction unit 22 and the image processing unit 23 as necessary, and stores the processed image in the image memory 24 or outputs the processed image to the printer unit 31. The correction unit 22 performs predetermined correction processing such as level correction and γ correction on the read image. The image processing unit 23 performs various types of processing such as image compression or expansion processing and enlargement or reduction processing.

  The printer unit 31 is an image composed of a paper transport unit 32 composed of the paper feed cassette 201 and paper feed roller 202 shown in FIG. 1, the photoconductive drum 204, the exposure device 206 and the development device 207 shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus includes a forming unit 33, a transfer unit 34 including the transfer roller 203 shown in FIG. 1, and a fixing unit 35 including the fixing roller 208 shown in FIG. The printer unit 31 prints an image on recording paper using the document data read by the scanner unit 11. Specifically, the paper transport unit 32 transports the recording paper to the image forming unit 33, the image forming unit 33 forms a toner image corresponding to the above image, and the transfer unit 34 transfers the toner image to the recording paper. The fixing unit 35 fixes the toner image on the recording paper to form an image.

  The network I / F unit 71 uses a network interface (10 / 100Base-TX) or the like, and controls transmission / reception of various data to / from an external device via the LAN. The HDD 74 stores an image read by the scanner unit 11, an output format set for the image, and the like.

The operation unit 400 includes a display unit 410 and an operation key unit 430 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Display unit 410 uses the touch panel function to display operation items that can be displayed as an operation procedure, and accepts an instruction from the operator to switch from the item list screen to a detailed description screen that displays a detailed description of the operation procedure. A key 411, a minimizing button (minimizing instruction accepting means) 412 for accepting a minimizing instruction for minimizing the image displayed on the display unit 410 from the operator, and the minimized display image in the original display size. A maximizing button (size change accepting means) 413 that accepts an instruction to be displayed and an end key 414 that accepts an instruction to end an operation guidance screen (item list screen and detailed explanation screen) from the operator. The item key 411, the minimize button 412 and the end key 414 are displayed on the display unit 410 by the display control unit 522 in a timely manner.

  The help key 431, the start key 432, the numeric keypad 433, and the function switching key 434 provided in the operation key unit 430 are not keys using touch sensors, but are mechanically configured.

  The control unit 51 includes a CPU 52 and a display image data storage unit 53. The CPU 52 controls the operation of the multifunction device 1. The display image data storage unit (storage unit) 53 stores various still image data and moving image data to be displayed on the display unit 410.

  The CPU 52 includes an operation control unit 521 and a display control unit 522. The operation control unit 521 controls operation of each unit (the scanner unit 11, the image processing unit 21, the printer unit 31, etc.) of the multifunction machine 1.

  The display control unit (display control means) 522 controls the operation of the display unit 410. The display control unit 522 reads out and reproduces still images and moving image data necessary for displaying the operation instruction reception screen and the operation guidance screen from the display image data storage unit 53 and causes the display unit 410 to display them. In this embodiment, the operation instruction reception screen and the operation guidance screen displayed on the display unit 410 by the display control unit 522 may be either a moving image or a still image.

  Next, screen display control in the multifunction machine 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing screen display control in the multifunction device 1, and FIG. 5 is a transition diagram of display screens in the display unit 410.

  An instruction reception screen for receiving an instruction for any one of the copy function, the facsimile function, the printer function, the scanner function, etc., for example, the copy function instruction reception screen shown in 1 of FIG. When the help key 431 is pressed by the operator during display (S1) and an instruction to display the operation guidance screen on the display unit 410 is received from the operator by the help key 431 (YES in S2), the display is performed. The control unit 522 reads out the data of the help item screen (screen example shown in 2 of FIG. 5) prepared as the first screen (first layer) of the operation guidance screen from the display image data storage unit 53. The help item screen is displayed on the display unit 410 (S3). The display control unit 522 displays an item key 411 and an end key 414 on the help item screen.

  When the display control unit 522 displays the help item screen on the display unit 410 (S3), when the operator presses the end key 414, an instruction to end the display of the help item screen is received from the operator ( (NO in S4, YES in S5), the process returns to S1, and the display control unit 522 displays the operation instruction reception screen on the display unit 410 again.

  On the other hand, when the display control unit 522 displays the help item screen on the display unit 410 (S3), an instruction to switch to the detailed explanation screen is accepted from the operator by pressing any one of the item keys 411 by the operator. (YES in S4), the display control unit 522 displays a detailed explanation screen (screen example shown in 3 of FIG. 5) prepared as the second screen (second layer) of the operation guidance screen. (S6). The display control unit 522 displays a minimize button 412 and an end key 414 when the detailed explanation screen is displayed.

  The display control unit 522 receives the minimization instruction for minimizing the detailed explanation screen displayed on the display unit 410 from the operator by pressing the minimize button 412 while the detailed explanation screen is displayed. If this is the case (YES in S7), the operation instruction reception screen associated in advance with the detailed description screen being displayed (in this embodiment, the copy function instruction reception screen is displayed on the detailed description screen shown in 3 of FIG. Display on the display unit 410 (S9). In S <b> 9, the display control unit 522 displays a maximize button 413 on the instruction reception screen associated in advance as illustrated in 4 in FIG. 5, for example.

  When the operator presses the maximize button 413 while the operation instruction reception screen is displayed, the display control unit 522 receives an instruction to display the detailed explanation screen in the original display size from the operator (S10). For example, as shown in 5 of FIG. 5, the original detailed explanation screen displayed in S6 is displayed on the display unit 410 in the original size (S6). In this embodiment, the display control unit 522 displays the original detailed explanation screen on the screen of the display unit 410 in a maximized state.

  Further, when the help key 431 is pressed by the operator while the operation instruction reception screen is displayed (NO in S10, YES in S11), the display control unit 522 displays the maximize button 413 on the operation instruction reception screen. Display. That is, the display control unit 522 returns the process to S1.

  If the operator presses the end key 414 while the display control unit 522 is displaying the detailed description screen on the display unit 410 in S7 (NO in S7, YES in S8), the process returns to S1. .

  By performing such screen display control, the operator can switch the display screen of the display unit 410 from the detailed explanation screen to the operation instruction reception screen with a simple operation by simply pressing the minimize button 412. it can. Accordingly, for example, the operator can confirm the copy function operation procedure on the display screen of the display unit 410 and then immediately switch the display screen to the copy function instruction reception screen. Improves.

  In addition, the operator can switch the display screen of the display unit 410 from the operation instruction reception screen to the display of the detailed explanation screen with a simple operation by simply pressing the maximize button 413. Thereby, for example, when the operator wants to check the detailed explanation screen while performing the copy operation by displaying the operation instruction reception screen on the display unit 410, the display screen is immediately viewed until then. Since it is possible to switch to the detailed explanation screen, the convenience of operation for the operator is improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, in S6, S7, S9, and S10, the detailed explanation screen prepared as the second screen (second layer) of the operation guidance screen and the first screen (first screen) of the operation guidance screen The display control unit 522 performs control to switch the screen by operating the minimize button 412 and the maximize button 413 with respect to the help item screen prepared as the second hierarchy). It is also possible to switch the display between two screens.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when the maximize button 413 is pressed by the operator in S10 of FIG. 4, the original detailed explanation screen is maximized and displayed on the screen of the display unit 410. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Display processing such as processing for returning the detailed explanation screen to the display size originally displayed may be performed.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the transition of the display screen of the display part 410 is shown in FIG. 5, a display screen is not limited to the example shown in FIG. Further, the number of operation instruction reception screens and the number of operation guidance screens are not limited to the example shown in FIG.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the structure and process of the multifunctional device 1 are shown in FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 5, these are only examples, and the meaning which limits the structure and process of the multifunctional device 1 which concerns on this invention to these. is not.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is described as the multifunction machine 1, but the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the multifunction machine.

1 is a schematic side view mainly showing a configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the elements on larger scale of an operation part. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the multifunction machine shown in FIG. 1. 5 is a flowchart illustrating screen display control in the multifunction machine. It is a transition diagram of the display screen in a display part.

1 MFP 400 Operation Unit 410 Display Unit 411 Item Key 412 Minimize Button 413 Maximize Button 414 End Key 430 Operation Key Unit 431 Help Key

Claims (2)

Display means for displaying an image;
A plurality of help images to be displayed on the display means, memory means and associated in advance with the operation instruction receiving image on each of these help images are stored,
Display control means for causing the display means to display an image stored in the storage means;
Help display receiving means for receiving from the operator a help display instruction for displaying the help image on the display means;
Minimization instruction receiving means for receiving from the operator a minimization instruction for minimizing an image displayed on the display means by the display control means ;
With
When the help display instruction is received by the help display receiving means and the help image is displayed on the display means, the display control means receives the minimization instruction by the minimization instruction receiving means. An image forming apparatus for minimizing the help image displayed when the minimization instruction is received and displaying the operation instruction reception image associated with the help image in advance on the display unit. . A size change receiving means for receiving a size change instruction for displaying the minimized image in the original display size from an operator;
The display control means corresponds in advance to the operation instruction receiving image when the size change instruction is received by the size change receiving means when the operation instruction receiving image is displayed on the display means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an attached help image is displayed on the display unit.

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