JP6930082B2 - Information processing equipment, image forming equipment, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an image forming device, and a program.

Patent Document 1 describes an information processing apparatus including a user interface including a plurality of setting items. In this information processing device, for each setting item, input required / unnecessary information on whether to input and set each time or to use a preset default value, default value information when using the default value, and input setting every time. A storage device for storing item display order information is provided. The information processing device is configured to determine the display content and display order of the user interface based on various information recorded in the storage device when displaying the user interface.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-249511

By the way, when a user uses an information processing device, a list of a plurality of setting items may be displayed, and an operation of changing or confirming a setting value of a desired setting item from the displayed list may be performed. In addition, the display order of a plurality of setting items in this list is predetermined at the time of shipment from the factory and is often not changeable. On the other hand, although the setting items operated by the user are limited to some extent, the display order cannot be changed as described above, and the user searches for the desired setting item from the list each time and changes the setting value of the setting item. You have to perform complicated operations such as checking and checking.

The present invention reduces the complexity of operations for changing and checking the setting values of a plurality of setting items as compared with the case where a plurality of setting items are displayed side by side without considering the order of past operations. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a program capable of the present invention.

In order to achieve the above object, the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 indicates operation order information indicating the order of a series of operations for a plurality of setting items , and the frequency of operations corresponding to the operation order information. A storage unit that stores frequency information and a plurality of the storage units that are weighted using the frequency information in the order indicated by the operation order information stored in the storage unit and arranged according to the weighted operation order information. The plurality of setting items indicated by the item information provided by the providing unit include a providing unit that provides item information indicating the setting items to the device to be displayed of the plurality of setting items. The plurality of setting items displayed in a list on the setting item list screen displayed by the device to be displayed of the plurality of setting items and displayed in the list on the setting item list screen are the operations indicated by the operation order information. The setting items in which the order is first are displayed first, and the setting items in which the operation order indicated by the operation order information is second or later are displayed in succession in accordance with the order.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 is an item in which each of the plurality of setting items sets a set value in the invention according to claim 1, and the series of operations is the item of the plurality of setting items. It is said to include an operation to confirm each set value.

Further, the invention according to claim 3 is an item for setting a set value in each of the plurality of setting items in the invention according to claim 1 or 2, and the series of operations is the plurality of settings. It is said that it includes an operation to change each setting value of the item after confirming it.

Further, the invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 3 , when the providing unit changes the setting value of the setting item that has not been operated in the series of operations after the series of operations. The item information in which the display order of the unoperated setting items is updated is provided to the device to be displayed.

Further, in the invention according to claim 5 , in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , the device to be displayed is a display device included in the own device.

Further, the invention according to claim 6 is a display provided in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the device to be displayed is a terminal device configured separately from the own device. It is said to be a device.

Further, the invention according to claim 7 is connected to another information processing device via a network in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the item information is used for the other information processing. It is shared with the device.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus according to claim 8 includes operation order information indicating the order of a series of operations for a plurality of setting items for which setting values are set , and the operation order information. A storage unit that stores frequency information indicating the frequency of the associated operation, an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium based on the set values of the plurality of setting items set by the series of operations, and the above. Weighting is performed using the frequency information in the order indicated by the operation order information stored in the storage unit, and the plurality of item information indicating the plurality of setting items arranged according to the weighted operation order information. The plurality of setting items indicated by the item information provided by the providing unit are provided with a providing unit provided to the device to be displayed of the setting items of the above. Is displayed in a list on the setting item list screen displayed by, and the plurality of setting items displayed in a list on the setting item list screen start with the setting item in which the operation order indicated by the operation order information is the first. Then, the setting items in which the operation order indicated by the operation order information is the second or later are displayed in succession in accordance with the order.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the program according to claim 9 causes the computer to function as a providing unit included in the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Claim 1,請Motomeko 8, and the invention according to claim 9, the order of the past operation, or a plurality of setting items without considering the frequency of operation to correspond to the order of the past operation Compared with the case of displaying side by side, it is possible to reduce the complexity of the operation of changing and checking the setting values of a plurality of setting items.
In addition, compared to the case where a plurality of setting items are displayed without starting the setting item in which the order of past operations is the first, the work of changing or confirming the setting values of a plurality of setting items. The operability can be further improved.
In addition, a plurality of setting items can be displayed in a display order that is easier for the user to operate.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further reduce the complexity of the operation for the user to confirm the set value of the setting item.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to further reduce the complexity of the operation in which the user confirms and then changes the set value of the setting item.

According to the invention of claim 4 , the complexity of the operation of changing the set value of the setting item can be further reduced.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the complexity of the operation in which the user directly changes and confirms the set values of a plurality of setting items from his / her own device.

According to the invention of claim 6 , it is possible to reduce the complexity of the operation in which the user changes and confirms the set values of a plurality of setting items via the terminal device.

According to the invention of claim 7 , the user can operate a plurality of setting items without discomfort even with another information processing device.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the network system including the image forming apparatus, the terminal apparatus, and the server apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the setting table which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow of the provision processing program which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of the menu screen which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of the setting item list screen which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of the color mode setting screen which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the operation order table which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the setting table which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of the setting item list screen which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow of the interrupt processing program which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a front view which shows an example of the setting item list screen after the update which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow of the provision processing program which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the frequency table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the item information which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows another example of the frequency table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows another example of the item information which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the display order exclusion item table which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the display order information in each of the plurality of image forming apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the structure of the plurality of image forming apparatus and server apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, an example of a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a network system including image forming devices 10A to 10C, a terminal device 40, and a server device 60 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10A according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 12, a storage unit 14, a display unit 16, an operation unit 18, an image forming unit 20, a document reading unit 22, and a document reading unit 22. A communication unit 24 is provided. The image forming apparatus 10A is an example of an information processing apparatus. The configurations of the other image forming devices 10B and 10C are the same as those of the image forming device 10A. In this embodiment, three image forming devices 10A to 10C are illustrated, but the number is not limited to three.

The control unit 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12C, and an input / output interface (I / O) 12D, and each of these units is via a bus. Are connected to each other.

Each functional unit including a storage unit 14, a display unit 16, an operation unit 18, an image forming unit 20, a document reading unit 22, and a communication unit 24 is connected to the I / O 12D. Each of these functional units can communicate with the CPU 12A via the I / O 12D.

The control unit 12 may be configured as a part of a main control unit that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10A. For example, an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) or an IC (Integrated Circuit) chipset is used for a part or all of each block of the control unit 12. An individual circuit may be used for each of the above blocks, or a circuit in which a part or all of them are integrated may be used. Each of the above blocks may be provided integrally, or some blocks may be provided separately. In addition, a part of each of the above blocks may be provided separately. The integration of the control unit 12 is not limited to the LSI, and a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor may be used.

As the storage unit 14, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like is used. The providing processing program 14A is stored in the storage unit 14. The provided processing program 14A may be stored in the ROM 12B.

The provided processing program 14A may be pre-installed in, for example, the image forming apparatus 10A. The provided processing program 14A may be realized by storing it in a non-volatile storage medium or distributing it via a network and appropriately installing it in the image forming apparatus 10A. As an example of the non-volatile storage medium, a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, an HDD, a DVD-ROM, a flash memory, a memory card, or the like is assumed.

Further, the storage unit 14 stores the setting table 14B schematically shown in FIG. 2 as an example. Further, the storage unit 14 stores the operation order table 14C and the frequency table 14D, which will be described later.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an example of the setting table 14B according to the present embodiment.
In the following, a plurality of setting items related to the copy process, which is an example of the image forming process, will be described as an example.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the setting table 14B according to the present embodiment, there are a plurality of item information da1 indicating a plurality of setting items and setting value information da2 indicating a setting value set for each of the plurality of setting items. Display order information da3, which indicates the display order of the setting items of, is stored.

The plurality of setting items indicated by the item information da1 are arranged according to the display order information da3 (indicated by 1 to 10 in this example) predetermined at the time of shipment from the factory. In the case of this example, as multiple setting items, "number of copies", "original size", "paper size", "magnification", "original type", "density", "double-sided", and "aggregate" related to copy processing. , "Erasing", "Color mode" 10 items are included. Further, the set value information da2 indicates a default set value preset at the time of shipment from the factory for each of the plurality of setting items.

The above "number of copies" is an item for setting the number of copies to be copied. As a default, "1" is set. The "original size" is an item for setting whether or not to automatically detect the size of the original. By default, "automatic" is set. The "paper size" is an item for setting the size of the paper to be copied. As a default, "A4" is set. Further, the "magnification" is an item for setting the magnification when copying is performed by reducing or enlarging. As a default, "100%" is set. The "manuscript type" is an item for setting whether the manuscript type is characters or images. By default, "character" is set.

Further, the "density" is an item for setting the density of the copy. By default, "normal" is set. Further, "double-sided" is an item for setting one of copying from one side to one side, copying from one side to both sides, copying from both sides to both sides, and copying from both sides to one side. By default, "one side to one side" is set. Further, the aggregation is an item for setting whether or not to aggregate and copy a plurality of pages into one page. By default, it is set to "No". In addition, "frame eraser" is an item for setting a range for erasing a black frame that is formed around a double-page spread original or the like when it is copied. By default, "up / down / left / right 2 mm" is set. The "color mode" is an item for setting whether to copy in black and white or in full color. By default, it is set to "black and white".

In the above example, for the sake of simplicity, some setting values are represented using setting states such as "automatic", "normal", and "not", but the image forming apparatus 10A Then, it is assumed that these setting states are digitized and stored as setting values.

On the other hand, for the display unit 16, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or the like is used. The display unit 16 integrally has a touch panel. The operation unit 18 is provided with various operation keys such as a numeric keypad and a start key. The display unit 16 and the operation unit 18 receive various instructions from the user (hereinafter, referred to as a user) of the image forming apparatus 10A. These various instructions include, for example, an instruction to start reading the original, an instruction to start copying the original, and the like. The display unit 16 displays various information such as the result of the process executed in response to the instruction received from the user and the notification for the process.

Further, the display unit 16 displays the setting item list screen shown in FIG. 5 as an example, according to the operation by the user. The setting item list screen is, for example, a screen showing a list of a plurality of setting items displayed according to the setting table 14B shown in FIG. An operation in which the user of the image forming apparatus 10A operates the setting item list screen displayed on the display unit 16 to change the setting value of the setting item for the image forming apparatus 10A and to confirm the setting status. Is possible.

The document reading unit 22 captures the documents placed on the paper feed tray of the automatic document feeder one by one, and optically reads the captured documents to obtain image information. Alternatively, the document reading unit 22 optically reads the document placed on the platen such as platen glass to obtain image information.

The image forming unit 20 uses paper or the like to obtain image information obtained by reading by the document reading unit 22 or an image based on image information obtained from an external PC (Personal Computer) or the like connected via the network N. It is formed on the recording medium of. In the present embodiment, the electrophotographic method will be described as an example of the method for forming an image, but another method such as an inkjet method may be adopted.

When the method for forming an image is an electrophotographic method, the image forming unit 20 includes a photoconductor drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit. The charging unit applies a voltage to the photoconductor drum to charge the surface of the photoconductor drum. The exposed unit forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum by exposing the photoconductor drum charged by the charged unit with light corresponding to the image information. The developing unit develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor drum with toner to form a toner image on the photoconductor drum. The transfer unit transfers the toner image formed on the photoconductor drum to a recording medium. The fixing unit fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium by heating and pressurizing.

The communication unit 24 is connected to a network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), and communicates with the terminal device 40 via the network N. In the case of this example, the communication unit 24 and the network N are connected by wire, but may be connected wirelessly. The image forming apparatus 10A and the terminal apparatus 40 are session-connected via the communication unit 24. The session referred to here refers to one unit that manages from the start to the end of communication between two devices. The session connection is, for example, a function by the fifth layer (session layer) of the seven-layer model of OSI (Open Systems Interconnection). When the two devices are connected in a session, the information can be transferred by the application program used for communication.

On the other hand, the terminal device 40 includes a CPU 42, a memory 44, an operation unit 46, a display unit 48, a storage unit 50, and a communication unit 52. For example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a stationary PC, or the like is applied to the terminal device 40.

The operation unit 46 is provided with a power button, various operation buttons, and the like. For the display unit 48, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL display, or the like is used. The display unit 48 integrally has a touch panel.

The communication unit 52 is connected to the network N and communicates with the image forming apparatus 10A via the network N. In the case of this example, the communication unit 52 and the network N are wirelessly connected. The communication unit 52 of the terminal device 40 and the communication unit 24 of the image forming device 10A are session-connected by the application program 50A.

The storage unit 50 stores an application program 50A for making a session connection with the image forming apparatus 10A and performing remote control of the image forming apparatus 10A. The application program 50A may be stored in the memory 44.

The application program 50A may be pre-installed in the terminal device 40, for example. The application program 50A may be realized by storing it in a non-volatile storage medium or distributing it via a network and appropriately installing it in the terminal device 40. As an example of the non-volatile storage medium, a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, an HDD, a DVD-ROM, a flash memory, a memory card, or the like is assumed.

The CPU 42 reads and executes the application program 50A stored in the storage unit 50 according to the operation by the user, thereby causing the display unit 48 to display the setting item list screen related to the image forming apparatus 10A. By operating the setting item list screen displayed on the display unit 48, the user of the terminal device 40 can remotely control the image forming apparatus 10A to change the setting value of the setting item or check the setting status. Is possible.

The server device 60 is connected to the image forming devices 10A to 10C via the network N, and various information can be exchanged with each of the image forming devices 10A to 10C. For example, a general-purpose PC or the like is applied to the server device 60.

In the following description, the image forming apparatus 10A to 10C may be represented simply as the image forming apparatus 10.

When the user uses the image forming apparatus 10 directly or via the terminal apparatus 40, the setting item list screen is displayed, and the setting values of the desired setting items are changed and the setting status is confirmed. There is. In addition, the display order of a plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen is predetermined at the time of shipment from the factory and is often not changeable. On the other hand, although the setting items operated by the user are limited to some extent, the display order cannot be changed in many cases as described above, and the user searches for the desired setting item from the setting item list screen each time and sets the setting value of the setting item. You have to perform complicated operations to change or confirm.

On the other hand, the storage unit 14 according to the first embodiment stores operation order information indicating the order of a series of operations for a plurality of setting items. Further, the CPU 12A according to the first embodiment functions as the providing unit 30 according to the first embodiment by writing the providing processing program 14A stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12C and executing the program. The providing unit 30 provides item information indicating a plurality of setting items arranged according to the operation order information stored in the storage unit 14 to a device to be displayed with the plurality of setting items. These operation order information and item information will be described later. In the present embodiment, the display unit 16 included in the image forming apparatus 10 or the display unit 48 included in the terminal device 40 is applied as the device to be displayed. Each of the display unit 16 and the display unit 48 is an example of a display device.

The plurality of setting items indicated by the above item information are arranged, for example, with the setting item in which the operation order indicated by the operation order information is first. That is, the operation order of the plurality of setting items by the user is reflected in the display order of the plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen. By reflecting this display order, the user can easily find a desired setting item from the setting item list screen. As a result, the complexity of the operation of changing and confirming the set value of the setting item is reduced.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the provided processing program 14A according to the first embodiment.
When the CPU 12A is instructed to display the menu screen for selecting the function for displaying the setting item list screen according to the operation by the user, the CPU 12A writes the provided processing program 14A stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12C and executes it. , Functions as the providing unit 30.

In this example, the case where the setting item list screen is displayed on the display unit 16 and the image forming apparatus 10 is directly operated will be described as an example. However, the setting item list screen is displayed on the terminal device 40 and the image forming apparatus 10 is operated. The same processing is possible when the remote control is performed.

First, in step 100 of FIG. 3, the providing unit 30 causes the display unit 16 to display the menu screen according to the operation from the display unit 16 (touch panel) or the operation unit 18 by the user. Here, as an example, the menu screen 70 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of the menu screen 70 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the menu screen 70 includes a copy setting button 70A, a print setting button 70B, a fax (facsimile) setting button 70C, a mail setting button 70D, ..., For each function such as copy and print.

Next, in step 102, the providing unit 30 determines whether or not the function is specified from the menu screen. When the function is specified (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 104, and when the function is not specified (in the case of negative determination), the standby state is set in step 102.

In step 104, the providing unit 30 causes the display unit 16 to display the setting item list screen of the designated function. Here, as an example, when the user presses and specifies the copy setting button 70A of the menu screen 70, the setting item list screen 72A related to the copy process shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the display unit 16 as an example.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of the setting item list screen 72A according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the setting item list screen 72A displays a list of a plurality of setting items related to the copy process. On the setting item list screen 72A, currently valid setting values are displayed for each of the plurality of setting items. The plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen 72A correspond to the item information da1 of the setting table 14B shown in FIG. Further, the set value on the setting item list screen 72A corresponds to the set value information da2 of the setting table 14B shown in FIG. That is, the setting item list screen 72A shown in FIG. 5 is a default screen, and is a screen displayed based on the item information da1 and the setting value information da2 of the setting table 14B shown in FIG. The set value information da2 does not necessarily have to be displayed. Further, the setting end button 73 is a button to be pressed when ending a series of operations for a plurality of setting items, and the processing end button 75 is pressed when ending the processing of a designated function (for example, a copy function). It's a button.

Next, in step 106, the providing unit 30 determines whether or not the setting item included in the setting item list screen has been operated by the user. If it is determined that the setting item has been operated (in the case of an affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 108, and if it is determined that the setting item has not been operated (in the case of a negative determination), the standby state is set in step 106.

In step 108, the providing unit 30 determines whether or not the set value of the setting item operated by the user has been changed. If it is determined that the set value has been changed (in the case of an affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 110, and if it is determined that the set value has not been changed (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 112. It should be noted that the determination as to whether or not the set value has been changed is performed based on, for example, the operation content on the setting screen corresponding to the setting item.

For example, the user first presses a setting item (hereinafter, color mode 74) indicating "color mode" among a plurality of setting items included in the setting item list screen 72A shown in FIG. 5 as an example. By this pressing operation, the color mode setting screen 80 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display unit 16 as an example.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of the color mode setting screen 80 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, on the color mode setting screen 80, a black-and-white button 80A for designating a black-and-white mode and a full-color button 80B for designating a full-color mode are displayed so as to be selectable. On the setting item list screen 72A shown in FIG. 5, the black-and-white mode corresponding to the black-and-white button 80A was specified. On the other hand, the user presses the full color button 80B to select the color mode setting screen 80, and presses the end button 80C. By this pressing operation, the color mode 74 is changed to the full color mode corresponding to the full color button 80B. When the user presses the full color button 80B to select and presses the cancel button 80D, the color mode 74 remains in the black and white mode and is not changed.

Next, in step 110, the providing unit 30 updates the set value. Here, as an example, since the setting value of the color mode 74 is changed from "monochrome" to "full color", the setting value of the color mode 74 is updated to "full color". In this case, the display of the set value on the setting item list screen 72A is also updated.

In step 112, the providing unit 30 stores the operation order information indicating the operation order of the setting items operated by the user in the storage unit 14. Here, as an example, the color mode 74, which is the first operated setting item, is stored as the first.

Next, in step 114, it is determined whether or not the setting process of the setting item is completed. If it is determined that the setting process of the setting item is completed (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 116, and if it is determined that the setting process of the setting item is not completed (in the case of a negative determination), the process returns to step 106. Repeat the process. For the determination of whether or not the setting process of the setting item is completed, for example, it may be determined whether or not the setting end button 73 shown in FIG. 5 is pressed. When the setting end button 73 is pressed, the setting item list screen 72A shown in FIG. 5 is continuously displayed. Here, as an example, from the setting item list screen 72A shown in FIG. 5, the setting item indicating the "manuscript type" (hereinafter, the document type 76) is next operated, and the setting item indicating the "erasing" (hereinafter referred to as "erasure") is operated. , Extinguishing 78) is further operated next. Based on the above operation contents, the operation order table 14C shown in FIG. 7 is stored in the storage unit 14 as an example.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of the operation order table 14C according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, the operation order information da4, the item information da1, and the set value information da2 are stored in the operation order table 14C according to the first embodiment. The operation order information da4 is information indicating that the operation order of the color mode 74 is the first, the operation order of the document type 76 is the second, and the operation order of the frame eraser 78 is the third. In the frame erase 78, the set value has not been changed and the operation is only for confirmation, but it is desirable that the operation for only confirmation is also counted as the operation order of the series of operations. In the series of operations according to the first embodiment, the operation of confirming the setting value of the setting item such as the frame 78 and the operation of confirming the setting value of the setting item such as the color mode 74 and the document type 76 are performed. Includes operations to change and.

Next, in step 116, the providing unit 30 instructs each function unit to execute the process related to the designated function based on the set value set in the above setting item. As an example, when the user presses the copy start button of the operation unit 18, the user instructs the execution of the copy process. If the reset or the like is performed before the series of operations is executed, the operation order information da4 until the reset or the like may be discarded. In this case, the display order of the plurality of setting items in the item information da1 is maintained as the default.

Next, in step 118, the providing unit 30 updates the display order of the setting item list indicated by the item information da1 according to the operation order information da4 stored in the operation order table 14C, and displays the updated setting item list. It is provided to the unit 16 to be displayed, and the process is completed. The display order of the setting item list may be updated only, and the process may be terminated without displaying the setting item list on the display unit 16. Here, the updated setting table 14B shown in FIG. 8 will be described as an example.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of the setting table 14B according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 8, in the item information da1, according to the operation order information da4 shown in FIG. 7, the color mode 74 having the first operation order is the first, and the display order of the document type 76 having the second operation order is 2. The display order of the frame 78, which is the third and the operation order is the third, is the third. The setting items whose display order is the fourth and subsequent are arranged according to the display order up to the previous time (see FIG. 2). The head here means that it is the head when a plurality of setting items are listed. The providing unit 30 performs the processing of rearranging the item information da1. The numbers in parentheses in the display order information da3 represent the numbers of the display order information da3 shown in FIG. The item information da1 and the setting value information da2 shown in FIG. 8 are displayed on the display unit 16 as the setting item list screen 72B shown in FIG. 9 as an example.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing an example of the setting item list screen 72B according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 9, the setting item list screen 72B is a screen displayed on the display unit 16 according to the item information da1 and the setting value information da2 shown in FIG. In the setting item list screen 72B, the setting values of some setting items are changed with respect to the setting item list screen 72A shown in FIG. 5, and the display order of a plurality of setting items is changed according to the operation order information da4. There is. As an example, the setting values of the color mode 74 and the document type 76 are changed. Further, the color mode 74 having the first operation order is displayed first from the top, the document type 76 having the second operation order is displayed second, and the frame erase 78 having the third operation order is displayed. It is displayed second. The display direction of the plurality of setting items is not limited to the vertical direction, but may be a horizontal direction or an oblique direction. In addition, the setting items whose display order has been changed are displayed by coloring, displaying in black and white, and displaying with a mark so that the user can see at a glance. You may.

By the way, in order to provide the item information da1 to the display unit 16, a plurality of setting items are rearranged according to the operation order information da4. On the other hand, when the item information da1 is provided to the terminal device 40, the default item information da1 and the display order information da3 are provided to the terminal device 40, and the item information da1 is rearranged on the terminal device 40 side. You may do it at.

The setting table 14B (see FIG. 8) obtained by the above series of processes is stored in the storage unit 14. Then, at the next startup, the providing unit 30 provides the item information da1 and the setting value information da2 stored in the setting table 14B to the display unit 16, and the display unit 16 displays these information as the setting item list screen 72B. do.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the interrupt processing program according to the first embodiment. This process is executed as an interrupt process of the flowchart described with reference to FIG. Although not shown in the interrupt processing program, it is assumed that the interrupt processing program is stored in the storage unit 14 in advance. By executing this interrupt processing program, the CPU 12A functions as the providing unit 30. When the setting value of the unoperated setting item is changed after the series of operations in the above-mentioned series of operations, the providing unit 30 updates the display order of the unoperated setting items da1 (and the setting value information). da2) is provided to the display unit 16.

Here, as an example, processing when the setting value of the unoperated setting item is changed while the setting item list screen 72B shown in FIG. 9 is continuously displayed will be described. The unoperated setting item here means a setting item in which the change operation and the confirmation operation are not performed among the plurality of setting items included in the setting item list screen 72B. As an example, setting items other than the color mode 74, the document type 76, and the frame eraser 78 that were operated immediately before are unoperated setting items.

First, in step 200 of FIG. 10, the providing unit 30 determines whether or not the set value of the unoperated setting item has been changed from the setting item list screen 72B shown in FIG. 9 as an example. When it is determined that the set value of the unoperated setting item has been changed (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 202, and when it is determined that the set value of the unoperated setting item is not changed (in the case of negative determination). End the process. The determination that the set value is not changed may be made by determining the pressing of the processing end button 75 shown in FIG. 9 as an example. Alternatively, if it is determined that the operation on the setting item list screen 72B has not been performed for a certain period of time, the process may be terminated.

In step 202, the providing unit 30 updates the set value. As an example, from the setting item list screen 72B shown in FIG. 9, the setting item indicating "both sides" (hereinafter, both sides 82) is operated, and the set value is changed from "one side to one side" to "one side to both sides". In this case, the display of the set value on the setting item list screen 72B is also updated.

In step 204, the providing unit 30 stores the operation order information da4 in the storage unit 14 in succession in the immediately preceding operation order. The operation order of the double-sided 82 as an example is stored as, for example, the fourth.

In step 206, the providing unit 30 determines whether or not to end the change process. If it is determined that the change process is to be completed (in the case of an affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 208, and if it is determined that the change process is not completed (in the case of a negative determination), the process returns to step 200 and the process is repeated. As an example, the end of the change process may be determined by pressing the process end button 75 shown in FIG.

In step 208, the providing unit 30 updates the display order of the setting item list indicated by the item information da1 according to the operation order information da4, and provides the updated setting item list to the display unit 16 for display. The display order of the setting item list may be updated only, and the process may be terminated without displaying the setting item list on the display unit 16. Here, as an example, the updated setting item list screen 72C shown in FIG. 11 is displayed.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing an example of the updated setting item list screen 72C according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 11, on the setting item list screen 72C, the double-sided 82 whose set value has been changed is displayed next to the erasing 78, that is, the fourth. The display order of the double-sided 82 is not limited to the fourth, and may be displayed at the top, the second, or the third.

According to the first embodiment, the operation order of the plurality of setting items by the user is reflected in the display order of the plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen. By reflecting in the display order, the user can easily find the desired setting item from the setting item list screen. As a result, the complexity of the operation of changing and confirming the set value of the setting item is reduced.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, the operation order information indicating the operation order is reflected in the display order of a plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, frequency information indicating the frequency of operations corresponding to the order of operations is reflected in the display order of a plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen. Since the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted here.

The storage unit 14 according to the second embodiment stores frequency information indicating the frequency of operations corresponding to the order of a series of operations for a plurality of setting items. Then, the providing unit 30 provides the display unit 16 with item information indicating a plurality of setting items arranged in descending order of frequency indicated by the frequency information stored in the storage unit 14.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the provided processing program 14A according to the second embodiment.
Since steps 100 to 110 and 114 to 118 are the same as steps 100 to 110 and 114 to 118 described in the flowchart of FIG. 3, repeated description will be omitted. Hereinafter, the process of step 113 will be described.

In step 113 of FIG. 12, the providing unit 30 stores the frequency information in the storage unit 14. In the second embodiment, the frequency table 14D shown in FIG. 13 is stored in the storage unit 14 as an example.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing an example of the frequency table 14D according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 13, the item information da1, the frequency information da5, and the display order information da3 are stored in the frequency table 14D according to the second embodiment. The frequency information da5 is represented as the number of times the operation is performed for each order of the series of operations. The numbers "1 to 10" arranged in the horizontal direction in the "frequency for each operation order" column indicate the operation order.

The providing unit 30 according to the second embodiment counts the number of operations for each of the plurality of setting items included in the item information da1 for each operation order of 1 to 10. For example, in the case of "number of copies", the number of times of the first operation is 5 times, and in the case of "original size", the number of times of the first operation is 8 times. Then, the providing unit 30 determines the setting item having the largest number of operations (high frequency) for each operation order. However, the setting item with the largest number of operations in a certain operation order is excluded from the judgment in another operation order to prevent duplication.

In the example of FIG. 13, the setting item having the largest number of operations in the first operation order is determined to be the "original size" of 8 times. Similarly, in the second operation order, it is determined that the "paper size" is five times. Further, in the third operation order, it is determined that the number of copies is four. Further, in the fourth operation order, it is determined to be "double-sided" seven times. Further, in the fifth operation order, it is determined that the "magnification" is five times. Further, in the sixth operation order, it is determined that the "manuscript type" is five times. Further, in the seventh operation order, it is determined that the "concentration" is four times. Further, in the eighth operation order, it is determined that the "extinguishing" is performed twice. Further, in the ninth operation order, it is determined that the "aggregation" is performed three times. Further, in the tenth operation order, it is determined that the "color mode" is performed three times.

Based on the above judgment result, in the display order information da3, the display order of "number of copies" is the third, the display order of the "original size" is the first, the display order of the "paper size" is the second, and the "magnification". The display order is fifth. Further, the display order of "Original type" is 6th, the display order of "Density" is 7th, and the display order of "Double-sided" is 4th. In addition, the display order of "aggregate" is 9th, the display order of "extract" is 8th, and the display order of "color mode" is 10th.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of item information da1 according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 14, the item information da1 is rearranged in the display order of a plurality of setting items according to the display order information da3 based on the frequency information da5 shown in FIG. The providing unit 30 according to the second embodiment provides the sorted item information da1 and the set value information da2 to the display unit 16, and sets item list screen corresponding to the provided item information da1 and the set value information da2. Is displayed on the display unit 16.

Here, a case where the operation of the setting item by the user is further continued and the number of operations indicated by the frequency information da5 is further changed will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the frequency table 14D according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 15, the number of operations in the eighth operation order of "number of copies" changes from 0 to 3. The numbers in parentheses mean the number of operations in the frequency information da5 shown in FIG. In addition, the number of operations in the first operation order of "Original size" has changed from 8 to 10 times, and the number of operations in the third operation order of "Original type" has changed from 2 to 5 times. ..

In the case of the example of FIG. 15, the setting item having the largest number of operations in the first operation order is determined to be "original size" of 10 times. Similarly, in the second operation order, it is determined that the "paper size" is five times. Further, in the third operation order, it is determined that the "manuscript type" is five times. Further, in the fourth operation order, it is determined to be "double-sided" seven times. Further, in the fifth operation order, it is determined that the "magnification" is five times. Further, regarding the sixth operation order, since the "manuscript type" of 5 times has already been determined, the "density" of the next point (3 points) is determined as the setting item having the largest number of operations. Also, regarding the 7th operation order, since "density", "original type", and "both sides" have already been determined, one "color mode" is determined as the setting item with the largest number of operations. NS. Further, in the eighth operation order, it is determined that the number of copies is three times. Further, in the ninth operation order, it is determined that the "aggregation" is performed three times. Also, regarding the 10th operation order, since "color mode", "density", and "both sides" have already been determined, one "extinguishing" is determined as the setting item with the largest number of operations. ..

Based on the above judgment result, in the display order information da3 (display order (new)), the display order of "number of copies" is 8th, the display order of "original size" is 1st, and the display order of "paper size" is. Second, the display order of "magnification" is fifth. Further, the display order of "Original type" is the third, the display order of "Density" is the sixth, and the display order of "Double-sided" is the fourth. In addition, the display order of "aggregate" is 9th, the display order of "extract" is 10th, and the display order of "color mode" is 7th. In this example, the display order information da3 (display order (old)) shown in FIG. 13 is also shown for comparison.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing another example of item information da1 according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 16, in the item information da1, the display order of a plurality of setting items is rearranged according to the display order information da3 based on the frequency information da5 shown in FIG. The setting items in parentheses mean the setting items shown in the item information da1 shown in FIG. Similarly in this case, the providing unit 30 provides the sorted item information da1 and the set value information da2 to the display unit 16 and displays the setting item list screen corresponding to the provided item information da1 and the set value information da2. Displayed in unit 16.

According to the second embodiment, the frequency of operations for each order of operations of a plurality of setting items by the user is reflected in the display order of the plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen. By reflecting in the display order, the user can easily find the desired setting item from the setting item list screen. As a result, the complexity of the operation of changing and confirming the set value of the setting item is reduced.

The providing unit 30 may provide the display unit 16 with the item information da1 arranged according to the operation order information da4 weighted by the frequency information da5. For example, the operation order may be weighted for each of the plurality of setting items using the following equation 1. In Equation 1, Na indicates a weighted operation order (weighted operation order), N indicates an operation order (1 to 10 as an example), and H indicates a frequency (number of operations).

…（１）

… (1)

For example, in the example of "number of copies" shown in FIG. 13 above,
Na = (1 x 1/5) + (2 x 1/2) + (3 x 1/4) = 1.95
Is derived. The display order may be determined in ascending order of the weighting operation order Na.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the mode in which the item information da1 is provided to the display unit 16 has been described, but the item information da1 may be provided to the terminal device 40. In this case, the terminal device 40 may acquire information on the setting items from the image forming apparatus 10 and change the setting items to be displayed on the setting item list screen according to the acquired information. For example, when the image forming apparatus 10 does not have the "color mode" as a setting item, the terminal apparatus 40 displays the setting item list screen of the image forming apparatus 10 in a state where the "color mode" is deleted.

[Third Embodiment]
In the third embodiment, a mode will be described in which some setting items are excluded from the target of changing the display order and are always displayed at the upper level of the setting item list screen.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing an example of the display order exclusion item table 14E according to the third embodiment.
It is assumed that the display order exclusion item table 14E according to the third embodiment is stored in the storage unit 14.

As shown in FIG. 17, in the display order exclusion item table 14E, exclusion items are stored in advance for each setting group such as copy, facsimile, mail, PC save, and print. That is, regardless of the operation order information da4 and the frequency information da5, the display order of the item information da1 is determined so that the display order of these excluded items is always higher on the setting item list screen. By excluding frequently used setting items in advance and always displaying the excluded setting items at the top, it becomes easier for the user to change and confirm the setting values of the setting items.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment, a mode in which one item information da1 is shared by a plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C will be described.

FIG. 18 is a schematic view showing an example of display order information da3 in each of the plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C according to the fourth embodiment.
In this example, the display order information da3 of the image forming apparatus 10A, 10B, and 10C is distinguished as the display order information da3A, da3B, and da3C, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 18, the image forming apparatus 10A stores and has the item information da1 arranged according to the display order information da3A. Then, this item information da1 is also shared by other image forming devices 10B and 10C. That is, the display order of the plurality of setting items on the setting item list screen is the same for the plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C. By sharing one item information da1 among the plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C, the user can operate the set items without any discomfort in any device.

Here, the image forming apparatus 10A and 10B are color-compatible machines having a double-sided reading function, and have "double-sided" and "color mode" as setting items. In this case, the display order information da3A of the image forming apparatus 10A and the display order information da3B of the image forming apparatus 10B are the same. On the other hand, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 10C is a black-and-white (monochrome) machine that does not have a double-sided reading function and does not have "double-sided" and "color mode" as setting items.

In the above case, the setting items "double-sided" and "color mode", which are not corresponding setting items, may be hidden on the setting item list screen of the image forming apparatus 10C. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, "both sides" and "color mode" are excluded from the item information da1 of the image forming apparatus 10C, and the display order indicated by the display order information da3C is moved up.

According to the fourth embodiment, the item information is determined according to the ability of the plurality of image forming devices and displayed on the setting item list screen, so that the user does not confuse the user and the user can set the setting item. It becomes easier to change and confirm the set value of.

[Fifth Embodiment]
On the other hand, depending on the plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C, the printable paper size, the ability of the document size automatic detection function, and the like may differ. For example, in a device that does not have an automatic document size detection function, when reading a document having a size different from the specified value, it is necessary to specify the size of the document by operating the setting item "document size". On the other hand, in a device having an automatic detection function, once the set value of the "original size" is automatically specified, it is considered that this "original size" is rarely operated thereafter. In this case, there is a difference in the operation order (and frequency of operations) of the "original size" among the plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C. Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, a mode in which each of the plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C has the operation order information da4 according to the ability will be described.

FIG. 19 is a schematic view showing an example of the configuration of the plurality of image forming devices 10A to 10C and the server device 60 according to the fifth embodiment. In this example, the operation order information da4 of the image forming apparatus 10A, 10B, and 10C is distinguished as the operation order information da4A, da4B, and da4C, respectively.

As shown in the left figure of FIG. 19, the image forming apparatus 10A stores the original operation order information da4A according to the ability of the own apparatus. The image forming apparatus 10B also stores the original operation order information da4B according to the ability of the own device, and the image forming apparatus 10C also stores the original operation order information da4C according to the ability of the own device.

On the other hand, as shown in the right figure of FIG. 19, the server device 60 includes the operation order information da4A of the image forming apparatus 10A, the operation order information da4B of the image forming apparatus 10B, and the operation order information da4C of the image forming apparatus 10C. May be stored together. In this case, the server device 60 functions as cloud storage.

According to the fifth embodiment, each of the plurality of image forming devices stores the operation order information according to the ability, so that a plurality of setting items can be appropriately displayed even if the operation order differs depending on the ability of the device. They are displayed side by side in order.

As described above, the image forming apparatus has been described as an example of the information processing apparatus as an embodiment. The information processing device is not limited to the image forming device. The embodiment may be in the form of a program for causing a computer to execute the functions of each part included in the information processing apparatus. The embodiment may be in the form of a storage medium that can be read by a computer that stores this program.

In addition, the configuration of the image forming apparatus described in the above embodiment is an example, and may be changed depending on the situation within a range that does not deviate from the gist.

Further, the processing flow of the program described in the above embodiment is also an example, and even if unnecessary steps are deleted, new steps are added, or the processing order is changed within a range that does not deviate from the purpose. good.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the processing according to the embodiment is realized by the software configuration by using the computer by executing the program has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The embodiment may be realized by, for example, a hardware configuration or a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration.

10, 10A to 10C Image forming device 12 Control unit 12A CPU
12B ROM
12C RAM
12D I / O
14 Storage unit 14A Provided processing program 14B Setting table 14C Operation order table 14D Frequency table 14E Display order exclusion item table 16 Display unit 18 Operation unit 20 Image forming unit 22 Document reading unit 24 Communication unit 40 Terminal device 42 CPU
44 Memory 46 Operation unit 48 Display unit 50 Storage unit 50A Application program 52 Communication unit 60 Server device 70 Menu screen 70A Copy setting button 70B Print setting button 70C FAX setting button 70D Mail setting button 72A to 72C Setting item list screen 73 Setting end button 74 Color mode 75 Processing end button 76 Document type 78 Fake 80 Color mode setting screen 80A Black and white button 80B Full color button 80C End button 80D Cancel button 82 Double-sided

Claims (9)

A storage unit that stores operation order information indicating the order of a series of operations for a plurality of setting items and frequency information indicating the frequency of operations corresponding to the operation order information.
Weighting is performed using the frequency information in the order indicated by the operation order information stored in the storage unit, and item information indicating the plurality of setting items arranged according to the weighted operation order information is obtained. The provider provided to the device to be displayed of multiple setting items, and
With
The plurality of setting items indicated by the item information provided by the providing unit are displayed in a list on the setting item list screen displayed by the device to be displayed of the plurality of setting items.
The plurality of setting items displayed in a list on the setting item list screen are the operation order indicated by the operation order information, with the setting item in which the operation order indicated by the operation order information is the first. An information processing device in which the second and subsequent setting items are displayed in succession according to the order. Each of the plurality of setting items is an item for setting a set value.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the series of operations includes an operation of confirming a set value of each of the plurality of setting items. Each of the plurality of setting items is an item for setting a set value.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the series of operations includes an operation of confirming and then changing the set value of each of the plurality of setting items. When the setting value of the unoperated setting item is changed after the series of operations in the series of operations, the providing unit displays the item information in which the display order of the unoperated setting items is updated. The information processing device according to claim 3, which is provided to the target device. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the device to be displayed is a display device included in the own device. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the device to be displayed is a display device included in a terminal device configured separately from the own device. Connected to other information processing devices via a network,
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the item information is shared with the other information processing device. A storage unit that stores operation order information indicating the order of a series of operations for a plurality of setting items for which setting values are set , and frequency information indicating the frequency of operations corresponding to the operation order information.
An image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium based on the set values of the plurality of setting items set by the series of operations.
Weighting is performed using the frequency information in the order indicated by the operation order information stored in the storage unit, and item information indicating the plurality of setting items arranged according to the weighted operation order information is obtained. The provider provided to the device to display multiple setting items, and
With
The plurality of setting items indicated by the item information provided by the providing unit are displayed in a list on the setting item list screen displayed by the device to be displayed of the plurality of setting items.
The plurality of setting items displayed in a list on the setting item list screen are the operation order indicated by the operation order information, with the setting item in which the operation order indicated by the operation order information is the first. An image forming apparatus in which the second and subsequent setting items are displayed in succession in the corresponding order. A program for causing a computer to function as a providing unit included in the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images