Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
  • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
  • G06F3/0484—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
  • G06F3/04842—Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
  • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
  • G06F3/0487—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
  • G06F3/0488—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Definitions

• he present invention relates to an information
• information processing apparatuses each of which displays a display screen including keys (or buttons) thereon, and performs a process defined to the key on the basis of not a position at which the key was depressed but a position at which the depressed key was released from the display screen (e.g., PTL 1).
• the key area is the area in which the key has been provided. Then, when it is detected that the key comes to be not depressed inside the key area, the process defined to this key is performed.
• PTL 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008- 146201
• an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus which comprises: a control unit configured to control, in a case where, after a key in a screen displayed on a display unit was depressed, the key comes to be not depressed inside a display area of the key, to perform a process corresponding to the key, and, in a case where, after the key in the screen displayed on the display unit was depressed, the key comes to be not depressed outside the display area of the key, to not perform the process corresponding to the key; and a notification unit configured to notify, in the case where the key comes to be not depressed outside the display area of the key, a user that the process corresponding to the key is not performed.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an entire
• FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for describing an example of a UI (user interface) to be displayed on a liquid crystal display unit.
• FIG. 3 is a flow chart for describing a control method of the information processing apparatus according to the present invention.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a constitution of an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) which is an example of an information processing apparatus
• an information processing apparatus 101 is equipped with a control unit 103, a touch panel 108, a scanner unit 114 and a printer unit 115.
• control unit 103 is equipped with a CPU
• central processing unit 102
• ROM read only memory
• RAM random access memory
• HDD hard disk drive
• touch panel I/F interface
• network unit 111 a network unit 111
• scanner I/F 112 a printer I/F 113.
• the CPU 102 controls an overall operation of the
• the CPU 102 reads out a control program stored in the ROM 104, and performs various controls such as a reading control, a screen display control and the like by reading the control program stored in the ROM 104.
• the RAM 105 is used as a temporary storage area such as a main memory, a working area or the like of the CPU 102.
• the HDD 106 stores therein image data, various programs, various settings, screen display data and the like.
• he touch panel I/F 107 is used to connect the touch
• he network unit 111 controls transmission and
• the scanner I/F 112 controls transmission and reception of various data between the scanner unit 114 and the control unit 103.
• the printer I/F 113 controls
• the CPU 102 response to an instruction sent from the CPU 102, and generates image data indicating an image of the read original document. Then, the generated image data is stored in the HDD 106 through the scanner I/F 112.
• the printer unit 115 performs print in response to an instruction sent from the CPU 102. More specifically, when the printer unit 115 receives the print
• the printer unit 115 feeds a print paper from a paper feeding cassette, prints an image on the basis of the received image data on the fed print paper, and discharges the print paper on which the image has been printed to a paper discharge tray .
• the touch panel 108 is equipped with an input unit 109 and a liquid crystal display unit 110. More
• the input unit 109 which is constituted by a touch panel sheet and a plurality of hardware keys, accepts an instruction input from a user.
• the liquid crystal display unit 110 displays various kinds of screens such as an initial screen, a password input screen and the like.
• he touch panel sheet which has been adhered onto the liquid crystal display unit 110, transfers information indicating a position depressed by the user to the CPU 102.
• the CPU 102 causes the liquid crystal display unit 110 to display a screen including a
• buttons also called keys
• the information processing apparatus 101 which has the constitution as described above, has a copy function, a data transmission function, a box function and the like, and performs various kinds of jobs by utilizing these functions. Further, the information processing
• the apparatus 101 performs a copy job of printing, by the printer unit 115, the image of the original document read by the scanner unit 114. Furthermore, the
• information processing apparatus 101 performs a box storing job of storing, in the HDD 106, the image data indicating the image of the original document read by the scanner unit 114.
• the information processing apparatus 101 performs a data transmission job of transmitting the image data indicating the image of the original document read by the scanner unit 114 and the image data stored in the HDD 106 to an external apparatus through the network unit 111.
• the information processing apparatus 101 performs a print job of storing the image data received from an external apparatus through the network unit 111 in the HDD 106, and performing print by the printer unit 115 in
• the image data stored in the HDD 106 or image data to which a password has been added is stored in the HDD 106. Then, when a correct password which equivalent to the password added to the image data is input by the user through the input unit 109, the stored image data to which the relevant password has been added is printed by the printer unit 115.
• the MFP is used as the information processing apparatus 101.
• an SFP Single-Function Peripheral
• a PC Peripheral
• a mobile phone or the like may be used as the information processing apparatus 101.
• FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for describing an example of the screen to be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 110 illustrated in FIG. 1.
• this screen is displayed under the control of the CPU 102.
• the control unit may control the display of such a user interface in response to an instruction sent from the CPU 102.
• FIGS. 2A and 2B is a password input screen for causing the user to input a password.
• the password input screen is displayed for causing the user to input the password necessary for the login.
• the password input screen may be displayed for inputting the password to be used for the
• the password input screen may be displayed when the image data with the password added stored in the HDD 106 is printed by the printer unit 115.
• buttons (keys) of "A" to "C” are arranged on a password input screen
• FIG. 2A illustrates a state that the button
• the password input screen 201 is being depressed by the finger of the user.
• a plurality of character input buttons 202 and a character display section 203 are displayed on the password input screen 201.
• a button area 204 is equivalent to a display area which is within the screen area and on which the character input button 202 is displayed.
• a coordinate position i.e., a depression start position
• a sound indicating that the button has been depressed is generated under the control of the CPU 102.
• depressed coordinate position belongs is set to have a shape being depressed (for example, a shape indicating that the button has been dented) , and the color of the character input button 202 is changed from blue to yellow. As a result, by the above sound and display, it is possible for the user to confirm whether or not the relevant button was correctly depressed.
• the character displayed on the character input button 202 is input as the process defined to the character input button 202 concerning the relevant button area 204.
• a change display is performed by the CPU 102 to return the display of the button to the display to be performed prior to the depression (designation) of the button. That is, under the control of the CPU 102, the character input button is set to have a shape being not depressed (for example, a shape indicating that the button is not dented) , and the color of the character input button is returned to blue.
• the input character is stored in the RAM 105, and the asterisk ("*") symbol, instead of the relevant character, is displayed in the character display section 203.
• the third asterisk symbol must be displayed in the character display section 203.
• the third asterisk "*" symbol is not displayed.
• the information processing apparatus 101 provides the
• the CPU 102 of the information processing apparatus 101 sets the character input button to have the shape being not depressed, and changes the color of the character input button from yellow to red (not blue) , thereby notifying the user that the character "B" has not been input .
• FIG. 3 is a flow chart for describing a control method of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.
• the relevant flow chart indicates an example of a procedure of a display process to be performed by the information processing apparatus 101.
• the process indicated by the flow chart of FIG. 3 is performed when the CPU 102 reads and performs the program stored in the ROM 104.
• a step S301 when the touch panel sheet of the input unit 109 is depressed by the user, depression position information notified from the input unit 109 of the touch panel 108 is accepted by the CPU 102.
• the depression position information notified from the input unit 109 of the touch panel 108 is accepted by the CPU 102.
• buttons includes an identifier of each of the buttons arranged, on the screen to be displayed, information indicating the coordinates of the position at which each of the buttons is being arranged, and information indicating the function corresponding to each of the buttons.
• step S303 it is discriminated by the CPU 102 whether or not the position depressed by the user with his/her finger is inside the button area 204.
• the button information (the identifier of the button, the information indicating the coordinates of the position of the button, the information indicating the function of the button, and the like) corresponding to the button area 204
• step S303 discriminated in the step S303 is stored in the RAM 105 under the control of the CPU 102.
• step S304 the color of the button area 204 originally displayed with blue on the touch panel 108 is changed to yellow by the CPU 102. By doing so, it is possible for the user to confirm that the button corresponding to the button area 204 is in the depression state.
• the release position information is the information indicating the position at which the finger of the user depressing the touch panel 108 is released from the touch panel 108.
• the release position information is the information
• step S306 the accepted release position information and the button area 204 set on the screen displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 110 of the touch panel are checked by the CPU 102 on the basis of the screen display data stored in the HDD 106.
• a step S307 it is discriminated by the CPU 102 whether or not the release position of the present embodiment at which the finger of the user is released from the display screen is inside the button area 204.
• buttons concerning the button information stored in the RAM 105 is performed by the CPU 102. For example, if it is assumed that the depressed button is the button for inputting the character "B", the character "B" is input under the control of the CPU 102. Moreover, in the step S308, the displayed color of the button is changed from yellow to blue by the CPU 102.
• the information stored in the RAM 105 is displayed with a display form different from that in the case where the button is displayed when it was discriminated in the step S307 that the release position at which the finger of the user was released from the display screen was inside the button area 204, under the control of the CPU 102.
• the displayed color of the relevant button is changed from yellow to red by the CPU 102.
• the user By performing such control as described above, it is possible for the user to easily confirm whether or not the process (inputting of the character, or the like) corresponding to the button corresponding to the button area 204 has been performed correctly.
• the displayed color of the button which has been changed to red is returned from red to blue by the CPU 102 on condition that a predetermined time has elapsed from the time when the displayed color of the relevant button was changed from blue to red.
• the fact that the character corresponding to the target button has not been input is notified to the user by changing the color of the relevant button to red.
• the method of notifying the user that the character corresponding to the button has not been input is not limited to the above method. Namely, it may be
• the method of notifying the user that the character corresponding to the button has not been input is not limited to the method of changing the display form of the button. Namely, it may be possible to blink the screen as a whole. Further, it may be possible to change the color of the screen as a whole. Moreover, the method of notifying the user that the character corresponding to the button has not been input is not limited to the above methods of changing the display form of the screen.
• the CPU 102 may be possible by the CPU 102 to generate an alarm sound indicating that the character corresponding to the button has not been input. Further, it may be possible by the CPU 102 to output an alarm message such as "a character has not been input”. Furthermore, it may be possible by the CPU 102 to vibrate the information processing apparatus 101 by using a not-illustrated vibration unit. Furthermore, it may be possible to perform the above operations simultaneously or perform the above plurality of operations in succession.
• the displayed color of the button once changed to red is returned to blue by the CPU 102 on condition that the predetermined time has elapsed from the time when the displayed color of the relevant button was changed to red.
• the condition of returning the displayed color of the button to the original color is not limited to this. For example, it may be possible to rerun the displayed color of the button to blue according to a fact that another button is depressed.
• the displayed color of the button is returned from yellow to blue.
• buttons arranged on the password input screen are handled.
• the screen to be displayed by the information processing apparatus 101 includes not only the password input screen but also a transmission destination setting screen to be used for transmitting data, and a title setting screen to be used for setting a title of the data to be stored in a box. Namely, since software keyboards have been provided respectively for these screens, it may be possible to perform similar operations in regard to them.
• the password input screen itself is not transitioned in response to the handling of the buttons provided thereon. Moreover, on the password input screen, since the result input by the button is converted into the asterisk symbol, it is hard for the user to confirm whether or not the character has been input.
• the input character is not converted into the asterisk symbol. For this reason, it is possible for the user to easily confirm whether or not the character
• the displayed color of the button is returned from yellow to original blue by the CPU 102 at the time when the finger of the user is released outside the button area.
• the specific screen such as the password input screen
• the specific screen for example, a screen on which a character input by a user is not displayed, a screen on which a character input by a user is replaced by
• the apparatus 101 has the touch panel 108 thereon.
• the touch panel 108 may be detachably provided on the information processing apparatus 101.
• the touch panel 108 may be detachably provided on the information processing apparatus 101.
• connection between the information processing apparatus 101 and the touch panel 108 may be established either in wireless connection or in wired connection.
• the touch panel 108 is directly depressed by the finger of the user is described by way of example.
• the touch panel may also be depressed by using a
• the touch panel 108 to be used is not limited to the type that the depressed position is specified by detecting the pressure generated because of the
• a touch panel of a type that a depressed position is specified by
• detecting static electrical charges generated because of a user's touch may be used.
• the present invention may be applied not only to the case where the key on the touch panel 108 is indicated but also to a case where a key of a
• the key to be used in this case may be the icon.
• the present invention is not limited to this. Namely, it is first discriminated by the CPU 102 whether or. not the finger of the user is deviated from the button area 204 while the touch panel is being depressed by this finger. Then, it may be possible to change the color or the shape of the button area 204 when it is
• aspects of the present - invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus (or devices such as a CPU or an MPU) that reads out and executes a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above embodiments, and by a method, the steps of which are performed by a computer of a system or an apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above embodiments.
• the program is provided to the computer for example via a network or from a recording medium of various types serving as the memory device (e.g., computer-readable medium) .

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=46879523

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (16)

• 2011
  • 2011-03-24 JP JP2011065298A patent/JP5787567B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2012
  • 2012-03-21 US US13/508,496 patent/US9075513B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-03-21 WO PCT/JP2012/058040 patent/WO2012128393A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (3)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events