JP4788468B2 - Display device, image processing device, display method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, a display device that displays information on an operation panel of an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to a display device that displays a screen for selecting a specific option from a predetermined option group.

For example, in image processing apparatuses such as copying machines and printers, settings relating to image processing are often performed by selecting desired setting values from a plurality of setting value candidates. In this way, on the UI (User Interface) screen when a specific option is selected from a plurality of options, a display is usually made so that the user can see the option in the selected state. The selection is finally confirmed by an OK button or the like. Such a UI screen can be used with peace of mind because a user who is not familiar with the operation of the screen (hereinafter referred to as “beginner”) can check the settings one by one.
However, such a UI screen may be bothersome for a user who is used to operating the screen (hereinafter referred to as “expert”). This is because after performing an operation of selecting an option, it is necessary to move the finger to the OK button or the like to confirm the selection, and the operation cannot be performed quickly. For the skilled person, there is a case where a UI screen in which selection is confirmed at the moment of selecting an option is rather preferred.

Thus, there is a large gap between the requirements of the beginner and the expert for the UI screen, and if the beginner and the expert try to share the same UI screen, both requests will collide.
Therefore, conventionally, when the user has become accustomed to the operation or wants to repeat the same process, at least one display on the process selection screen is omitted so that the number of times the selection button is pressed is reduced. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, for example, it is possible to set whether to display an end confirmation screen when the “End” button is pressed on the system setting screen or to end without displaying it.

JP 11-327716 A

  However, in patent document 1, the display for beginners and the display for experts are only separated by setting. Therefore, in an environment where both beginners and experts are mixed, it becomes difficult for either of them. Further, in the system of Patent Document 1, in order to satisfy the requirements of both beginners and experts, the setting must be changed according to the level each time the operating user changes, which is very complicated. turn into. In a general work environment, it is rare that all users have the same level, and there are usually various levels of users from beginners to skilled workers. Therefore, it is unrealistic to change the setting every time a user with a different level operates.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the technical problems as described above. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a UI screen for selecting a specific option from a group of predetermined options for both beginners and experts. It is to make it easy to use.
Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to confirm a selection from a predetermined option group with a quick operation without affecting the operation of a beginner.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to make an option that is not selectable in a predetermined option group into a selectable state by a quick operation.

  For this purpose, in the present invention, the selection can be confirmed by operating a display element (radio button, tab, etc.) that clearly indicates that the corresponding option is selected. That is, the first display device of the present invention is operated when selecting a specific option from a predetermined option group, and the first display element capable of clearly indicating that the specific option is selected, Screen display means for displaying a screen including a second display element that is operated when confirming selection of a specific option, and a first display element that clearly indicates that the specific option is selected Selection confirmation means is provided for confirming the selection of the specific option when operated and for confirming the selection of the specific option even when the second display element is operated.

  Further, in the present invention, by operating a display element (radio button, tab, etc.) that clearly indicates that the corresponding option is not selectable, the setting causing the unselectable state can be canceled. I did it. That is, the second display device of the present invention is operated when selecting a specific option from a predetermined option group, and confirms that the specific option is selected and that the specific option cannot be selected. Depending on the operation of the screen display means that displays the screen including the display element that can be specified and the display element that specifies that the specific option cannot be selected, the cause setting that prevents the specific option from being selected is set. Setting cancellation means for canceling and clearly indicating that the particular option is selected in the display element.

  In addition, the present invention is an image processing apparatus that provides a screen that can confirm the selection even if a display element (radio button, tab, etc.) that clearly indicates that the corresponding option is selected is operated. It can also be captured. In that case, the image processing apparatus of the present invention is configured to confirm the selection of the first display element operated when selecting a specific option from the option group corresponding to the image processing setting and the selection of the specific option. When a screen display means for displaying a screen including the second display element to be operated and a specific option is selected, when the first display element is operated, the second display element is operated. Even if not, there are provided a selection confirmation means for confirming the specific option and an image processing means for performing image processing based on the setting corresponding to the specific option confirmed by the selection confirmation means.

  Furthermore, the present invention can also be regarded as a method that can confirm the selection even if a display element (radio button, tab, etc.) that clearly indicates that the corresponding option is selected. In that case, the display method of the present invention is operated when selecting a specific option from a predetermined option group, and the first display element that can clearly indicate that the specific option is selected, A step of displaying a screen including a second display element operated when confirming selection of the option, a first display element clearly indicating that the specific option is selected, and a second The method includes the step of confirming selection of the specific option regardless of which of the display elements is operated.

On the other hand, the present invention can also be understood as a program for causing a computer to realize a predetermined function.
In this case, the first program of the present invention is a screen that includes a display element that is operated when a computer selects a specific option from a predetermined option group and can clearly indicate that the specific option is selected. The function to accept the above operations and the function to confirm the selection of a specific option when a display element that clearly indicates that the specific option is selected is operated. is there.
The second program of the present invention is operated when a computer selects a specific option from a predetermined option group, and the specific option is selected, and the specific option cannot be selected. Causes of not being able to select a specific option according to the function that accepts operations on the screen that include a display element that can clearly indicate that the display element is specified as being incapable of selecting a specific option And a function for clearly indicating that the specific option is selected in the display element.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make it easy for both beginners and experts to use a UI screen for selecting a specific option from a predetermined option group.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of an image processing apparatus 10 to which the exemplary embodiment is applied.
As shown in FIG. 1, an image processing apparatus 10 includes an apparatus body 20 that develops and prints input image data on a medium such as paper, and a control apparatus that performs processing of input image data and other control processes. 30 and an input / output device 40 used as an operation panel for performing various settings of the image processing apparatus 10. In addition, a communication device 50 that functions as a communication unit connected to an external device, and a slot 60 that enables insertion and removal of a portable recording medium such as an optical disk or a memory card are provided.

The apparatus main body 20 functions as a printer that forms a toner image based on input image data and obtains a full-color print image using, for example, an electrophotographic method. Further, it also functions as a digital copying machine that includes a scanner and outputs image data read by the scanner. Furthermore, the image data read by the scanner can be transmitted via a telephone line, or can be functioned as a facsimile that outputs image data received from another apparatus via a telephone line.
The control device 30 is a computer device such as a personal computer (PC), and performs processing such as input / output control for the input / output device 40 in addition to processing of image data.

The input / output device 40 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). For example, a touch panel is formed on the surface of the display so that the user can input information by touching the display with a finger.
The communication device 50 includes a cable, for example, and can acquire information and image data of a device connected to the cable. In addition, bidirectional communication is possible in which a command from the control device 30 can be transmitted to a device connected to the cable. Available interface standards include USB (Universal Serial Bus), IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers 1394), SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), and the like.

Next, an outline of the present embodiment will be described.
2 and 3 abstractly show the UI screen displayed on the input / output device 40 in this embodiment.
First, FIG. 2 shows a screen for setting a mode related to the UI screen (hereinafter referred to as “mode setting screen”). In this mode setting screen, “normal operation”, “experts”, and “shared” are displayed as options.
Among these, “normal operation” is a mode in which a general operation is performed in which selection is confirmed by selecting an option and pressing an OK button. Since this mode can be operated while confirming the selected contents one by one, it can be considered as a mode for beginners.

“For expert” is a mode in which selection is confirmed without pressing the OK button in one selection of options. In many cases, the skilled person feels that this is easier to operate, which is literally a mode that meets the demands of the skilled person.
“Shared” is a mode in which a novice and an expert are easy to use. That is, such ease of use is realized by charging a mechanism that makes use of the characteristics of both beginner and expert operations on one UI screen so that they do not interfere with each other.

FIG. 3 shows a UI screen displayed in each of these modes.
When “normal operation” is selected on the mode setting screen of FIG. 2, the UI screen shown in FIG. 3A is displayed. Further, when “for expert” is selected on the mode setting screen of FIG. 2, a UI screen shown in FIG. 3B is displayed. That is, the OK button and the cancel button are not displayed on the expert UI screen.

By the way, these screens also show the states of options.
In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the radio button corresponding to “option A” is displayed in black. This display indicates that this radio button is in a state (hereinafter referred to as “On state”) that clearly indicates that the corresponding option is selected. The radio button corresponding to “option C” is displayed in white. This display indicates that this radio button is in a state (hereinafter referred to as “Off state”) that clearly indicates that the corresponding option is not selected.

  On the other hand, the radio button for “option B” is displayed in a dotted-line box. This display indicates that this radio button is in a state where the corresponding option cannot be selected (hereinafter referred to as “Disable state”) due to the influence of the selection operation on another UI screen. In the disabled state, as shown in the figure, the option label is also grayed out to emphasize that the option cannot be selected. Note that such a situation where selection on one UI screen and selection on another UI screen are not simultaneously established will be referred to as “conflict” below.

  Now, in the case where “shared” is selected on the mode setting screen of FIG. 2, the UI screen shown in FIG. 3A is displayed in this embodiment. Thus, the beginner may perform a conventional operation of selecting an option and confirming the selection by pressing the OK button. In addition, on such a UI screen, it is considered that a beginner does not attempt to press a radio button in the On state or the Disable state. Therefore, in this embodiment, paying attention to this characteristic of beginners, both beginners and skilled users can use radio buttons that are in an On state or Disabled state by proactively using them. An easy-to-use UI screen is provided. Specifically, when a radio button in the On state is pressed, an operation for confirming selection of an option corresponding to the radio button is performed. In addition, when a radio button in the disabled state is pressed, the setting that causes the state is canceled, and an operation that enables selection of an option corresponding to the radio button is performed. In addition, since the operation for such a skilled person is added after ensuring a conventional operation for a beginner, the “shared” mode does not harm the operation of the beginner.

Next, a specific transition of the UI screen in the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is an example of screen transition for explaining the operation when the radio button in the On state is pressed.
Among these, FIG. 4A shows a UI screen for selecting setting items at the time of copying. On this UI screen, “booklet creation”, “collective one”, “color”, and the like are displayed as setting items. Here, a small circle is displayed on the left side of the label of each setting item, and these circles include a white circle and a black circle. A white circle indicates that the setting value in the corresponding setting item remains the default value (default), and a black circle indicates that the setting value in the corresponding setting item has been changed from the default value. In the example in the figure, the setting values for “color” and “contrast” are changed from the default values.

First, in FIG. 4A, it is assumed that “collectively one sheet” is selected as indicated by a finger mark. Note that “collectively one sheet” is a function of reducing each of a plurality of documents and storing them on a sheet of paper. By this selection, the UI screen shown in FIG. 4B is displayed. On this UI screen, “NO”, “2 UP”, and “4 UP” are displayed as options. Note that “2 up” is a function of reducing each of two originals to fit on one sheet, and “4 up” is reducing each of four originals to one sheet. It is a function to fit in.
Of these options, the default value is “No”, and in FIG. 4B, the radio button corresponding to “No” is in the On state. Therefore, it is assumed that a radio button corresponding to “2 up” is pressed as indicated by a finger mark. Then, the UI screen shown in FIG. 4C is displayed.

  In FIG. 4C, the radio button corresponding to “2 up” is in the On state, while options for performing detailed settings of “2 up” are also displayed. That is, “Right → Left” and “Left → Right” are displayed as options for designating the printing direction in “2 up”. Of these options, since the default value is “right → left”, in FIG. 4C, the radio button corresponding to “right → left” is in the On state.

  By the way, in this embodiment, in the state of FIG. 4C, the selection is confirmed not only when the “Close” button is pressed but also when the radio button in the On state is pressed. Be able to. That is, as shown by the left finger mark in FIG. 4D, when the radio button corresponding to “2 up” is pressed, the selection of “2 up” and “right → left” is confirmed. In addition, as indicated by the center finger mark, when the radio button corresponding to “right → left” is pressed, the selection of “2 up” and “right → left” is confirmed. Furthermore, as indicated by the right finger mark, when the “close” button is pressed, the selection of “2 up” and “right → left” is confirmed.

On the other hand, FIG. 5 is an example of screen transition for explaining the operation when the radio button in the disabled state is pressed.
Among these, FIG. 5A shows a UI screen for selecting setting items at the time of copying. Since this UI screen is the same as that shown in FIG. 4A, detailed description thereof is omitted. However, in FIG. 5A, in addition to “color” and “contrast” in FIG. 4A, the set value in “booklet creation” is also changed from the default value. In the example of FIG. 5, it is assumed that a part of the options in “collectively one” cannot be selected because “booklet creation” is set to “Yes”.

  First, in FIG. 5A, it is assumed that “collectively one” is selected as indicated by a finger mark. By this selection, the UI screen shown in FIG. 5B is displayed. On this UI screen, “NO”, “2 UP”, and “4 UP” are displayed as options. However, as described above, when “Yes” is selected in “Booklet creation”, the radio buttons corresponding to “2 up” and “4 up” are disabled, and the label is grayed out. Yes.

By the way, in the present embodiment, when the radio button in the disabled state is pressed in the state of FIG. 5B, the setting of the cause of the disabled state can be canceled.
Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 5C, a message (conflict message) indicating that the option corresponding to the pressed radio button conflicts with another setting is displayed. In the figure, "Cannot be used because [Create Booklet] is set." Is displayed as a conflict message.
Then, it is assumed that the same radio button is pressed again within a certain time, as shown by the finger mark in FIG. Then, the setting causing the disable state is canceled, and the radio button is turned on. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 (e), the radio button corresponding to “2 up” is turned on, and as in FIG. 4 (c), the option for performing the detailed setting of “2 up” is also displayed. Is done.

  As described above, in this embodiment, even when a radio button in an On state or a Disable state that a beginner would not normally press is pressed, the operation is performed, and a UI screen that is easy to use for an expert is provided. -ing

Hereinafter, the control device 30 that controls input / output with respect to the UI screen will be described in detail.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the control device 30.
As illustrated, the control device 30 includes a screen display unit 31, an option information storage unit 32, an operation reception unit 33, a selection confirmation unit 34, a confirmation information storage unit 35, a setting release unit 36, and a state change. Part 37.

The screen display unit 31 displays a screen on the input / output device 40 of FIG. The option information storage unit 32 stores information on options displayed on the input / output device 40 of FIG. 1 by the screen display unit 31 (hereinafter referred to as “option information”). The operation receiving unit 33 receives an operation input from the input / output device 40 of FIG.
The selection confirmation unit 34 confirms the selection from the option group displayed on the screen display unit 31 according to the operation input from the operation reception unit 33. The confirmation information storage unit 35 stores the selection confirmation information, and provides the stored information when the apparatus main body 20 is operated, for example.
The setting cancellation unit 36 cancels the setting stored in the option information storage unit 32 in accordance with the operation input from the operation reception unit 33.
The state change unit 37 changes the state stored in the option information storage unit 32 in accordance with an operation input from the operation reception unit 33.

These functions are realized by cooperation between software and hardware resources. That is, each function of the screen display unit 31, the operation reception unit 33, the selection confirmation unit 34, the setting release unit 36, and the state change unit 37 is a program that a CPU (not shown) of the control device 30 realizes these functions, This is realized by reading from the magnetic disk into the main memory.
The option information storage unit 32 and the confirmed information storage unit 35 can be realized using various storage media such as a semiconductor memory and a magnetic disk.

Next, the operation of the control device 30 until receiving the operation input on the UI screen and confirming the selection will be described in detail.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 30 at this time. Prior to this operation, it is assumed that the screen display unit 31 displays a UI screen as shown in FIG.
First, the operation accepting unit 33 accepts a user operation input on the UI screen (step 301). Then, it is determined whether the operation input is a press of an OK button (step 302).
Here, if the OK button is pressed, the selection confirmation unit 34 confirms selection of an option corresponding to the radio button that is in the On state at that time. Then, the confirmation information of the selection is stored in the confirmation information storage unit 35 (step 309).

On the other hand, if the OK button is not pressed, it is determined whether or not the radio button is pressed (step 303). If the result of this determination is that the radio button has not been pressed, the operation is irrelevant to the present embodiment, and the process returns to step 301. On the other hand, if the radio button is pressed, the state of the radio button is checked (step 304).
First, a case where the radio button is in the Off state will be described.
This is an operation of canceling selection of one option and selecting another option. In this case, the state changing unit 37 changes the state of the radio button stored in the option information storage unit 32 to the On state (step 308), and returns to step 301.

Next, a case where the radio button is in the On state will be described.
This is an operation that is performed when an expert wants to quickly confirm the selection. In this case, the selection confirmation unit 34 confirms selection of an option corresponding to the radio button that is in the On state at that time. Then, the confirmation information of the selection is stored in the confirmation information storage unit 35 (step 309).

A case where the radio button is in a disabled state will be described.
This is an operation that is performed when an expert wants to quickly perform an operation of canceling the setting of the cause of the inability to select an option that cannot be selected and enabling the selection. In this case, first, the screen display unit 31 displays a conflict message on the UI screen (step 305). Then, the operation reception unit 33 determines whether or not the radio button is pressed again within a certain time (step 306). If the radio button is not pressed within a predetermined time, the process returns to step 301. If the radio button is pressed within a predetermined time, the setting canceling unit 36 cancels the conflicting setting ( Step 307). That is, the setting causing the disable state of the radio button stored in the option information storage unit 32 is canceled. Thereafter, the state of the radio button stored in the option information storage unit 32 is changed to the On state (step 308), and the process returns to step 301.

Next, the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7 will be specifically described with reference to the option information in the option information storage unit 32, taking the screen transitions of FIGS. 4 and 5 as examples.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the transition of option information accompanying the screen transition of FIG.
First, the table C2 in FIG. 8A manages option information regarding an option group to be displayed when “collectively one” is selected as a setting item. In the figure, X represents the display position of the option in the horizontal direction, and Y represents the display position of the option in the vertical direction. That is, these options are set to be displayed at the same “1” position in the horizontal direction and sequentially at the “1”, “2”, and “3” positions in the vertical direction. . In addition, a character string to be displayed as an option is set in the label, and a radio button state (On, Off, Disable) corresponding to the option is set in the state. In the case of this table C2, since “No” is the default value, “On” is set only for the status of this option, and “Off” is set for the status of the other options. Further, in the next display, an option group to be further displayed when each option is selected is designated by a table name. The table also stores information on conflicts, which will be described later.

  Also, the table C22 in FIG. 8A manages option information for options displayed when “2 up” is selected from the option group for “collectively 1 sheet”. That is, by setting “C22” as the next display for the option “2 up” in the table C2, the option group managed in the table C22 is displayed when “2 up” is selected. It has become. In the case of this table C22, “Right → Left” is the default value, so “On” is set only for the state of this option, and “Off” is set for the state of the other options.

  By the way, when the information stored in the option information storage unit 32 is as shown in FIG. 8A, as shown by a finger mark in FIG. Suppose that it is selected. In this case, the screen display unit 31 refers to the table C2 in FIG. 8A and displays “No”, “2 up”, and “4 up” as options in this order. At this time, since only the state corresponding to “No” is “On”, only the radio button corresponding to “No” is displayed in the On state. As a result, the UI screen is as shown in FIG.

  Next, in FIG. 4B, it is assumed that “2 up” is selected from the option group as indicated by a finger mark. In this case, in step 304 of FIG. 7, the operation reception unit 33 refers to the option information storage unit 32 and determines that the state corresponding to “2 up” is “Off”. In step 308 of FIG. 7, the state changing unit 37 sets the state corresponding to “2 up” in the table C2 stored in the option information storage unit 32 to “On” and the state corresponding to “No” to “ Rewrite “Off”. As a result, the table C2 becomes as shown in FIG. At this time, although not shown in FIG. 7, the screen display unit 31 refers to the next display corresponding to “2 up” in the table C2, and displays the option group managed in the table C22. At this time, since only the state corresponding to “Right → Left” is “On”, only the radio button corresponding to “Right → Left” is displayed in the On state. As a result, the UI screen is as shown in FIG.

Next, in FIG. 4D, it is assumed that “2 up” is pressed as indicated by the left finger mark. In this case, in step 304 of FIG. 7, the operation reception unit 33 refers to the option information storage unit 32 and determines that the state corresponding to “2 up” is “On”. In step 309 in FIG. 7, the selection confirmation unit 34 confirms selection of an option corresponding to the radio button that is in the On state. That is, in this case, the selection of “2 up” and “right → left” is confirmed.
Also, in FIG. 4D, it is assumed that “right → left” is pressed as indicated by the center finger mark. In this case, in step 304 in FIG. 7, the operation reception unit 33 refers to the option information storage unit 32 and determines that the state corresponding to “right → left” is “On”. In step 309 in FIG. 7, the selection confirmation unit 34 confirms selection of an option corresponding to the radio button that is in the On state. That is, also in this case, the selection of “2 up” and “right → left” is confirmed.

  Further, in FIG. 4D, it is assumed that the “Close” button is pressed as indicated by the right finger mark. This “close” button corresponds to the “OK button” in the flowchart of FIG. Accordingly, in step 302 in FIG. 7, the operation reception unit 33 determines “Yes”. In step 309 in FIG. 7, the selection confirmation unit 34 confirms selection of an option corresponding to the radio button that is in the On state. That is, also in this case, the selection of “2 up” and “right → left” is confirmed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the transition of option information accompanying the screen transition of FIG.
First, a table C1 in FIG. 9A is used to manage option information regarding an option group to be displayed when “booklet creation” is selected as a setting item. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the table C2 manages option information for the option group displayed when “collectively one” is selected as the setting item. In the figure, X, Y, label, state, and next display are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 8, and thus description thereof will be omitted. Here, conflict will be described. As described above, the conflict means that the selection of a plurality of options cannot be established at the same time. Here, the second and third choices in the table C2 are set as conflict information for “Yes” in the table C1. On the other hand, as the conflict information for “2 up” and “4 up” in the table C2, the second option in the table C1 is set. From this, it can be seen that the reason why the state for “2 up” and “4 up” in the table C2 is “Disable” is that “Yes” is selected for “Booklet creation”.

  By the way, when the information stored in the option information storage unit 32 is as shown in FIG. 9A, as shown by a finger mark in FIG. Suppose that it is selected. In this case, the screen display unit 31 refers to the table C2 in FIG. 9A and displays “No”, “2 up”, and “4 up” as options in this order. At this time, since the state corresponding to “No” is “On”, the radio button corresponding to “No” is displayed in the On state, and the states corresponding to “2 up” and “4 up” are “Disable”. Therefore, radio buttons corresponding to these are displayed in a disabled state. As a result, the UI screen is as shown in FIG.

  Next, in FIG. 5B, it is assumed that “2 up” is pressed as indicated by a finger mark. In this case, in step 304 of FIG. 7, the operation reception unit 33 refers to the option information storage unit 32 and determines that the state corresponding to “2 up” is “Disable”. Accordingly, in step 305 of FIG. 7, the screen display unit 31 displays a conflict message. That is, the state shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, in FIG. 5D, it is assumed that “2 up” is pressed again as indicated by a finger mark. In this case, in step 307 of FIG. 7, the setting cancellation unit 36 refers to the option information storage unit 32 and cancels the setting of the cause that the state corresponding to “2 up” is “Disable”. In other words, the setting canceling unit 36 first refers to the table C2 and identifies that the target having a conflict with “2 up” is “Yes” that is the second option of the table C1. Then, the setting canceling unit 36 sets “On” as the state corresponding to “No” in the table C1 and “Off” as the state corresponding to “Yes”. At this time, the setting cancellation unit 36 sets “On” as the state for “2 up” in the table C2, and “Off” as the state for “No” and “4 up”. As a result, the tables C1 and C2 are as shown in FIG. The UI screen is as shown in FIG.

Heretofore, the UI screen and the implementation method thereof in the present embodiment have been described.
In the above description, it is assumed that an operation for selecting a specific option from a plurality of options is performed by pressing a radio button. However, the present embodiment is not limited to such an operation.
As in the above-described embodiment, when a certain function or item is set, an alternative selection is performed in which any one of a plurality of options corresponding to the function or item is selected and confirmed. The display form is not limited as long as it is a display element such as a button or icon. For example, when selecting one from a plurality of options, the present invention can be applied to a case where the selected state and the non-selected state are expressed by switching the display state and display color of pictograms such as icons.
In another example, for example, a specific option may be selected from a plurality of options tabs by pressing the tab. In the case of a tab, the On state is a state where information on the tab is displayed on the front surface, and the Off state can be considered a state where information on the tab is hidden on the back surface.

As for the tab, various operations other than the operation of confirming the selection by pressing the tab in the On state again can be considered. For example, by pressing the On state tab again, the tab selected immediately before is selected again. This alleviates the hassle of having to search for a tab again to return to the previous selection state when a tab is selected from many tabs but the tab is not desired. is there.
Specifically, this operation can be realized as follows. That is, first, in the tables of FIGS. 8 and 9, not only the current state but also the previous state is held for each option. If it is determined in step 304 in FIG. 7 that the state is “On”, the state immediately before in the table may be referred to in step 309 to restore the state.

  In the above description, the conflict is caused by the setting by another UI screen. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is conceivable that a radio button corresponding to a certain option is in a disabled state because there is not enough money for the coin kit. In this case, by pressing a radio button in the disabled state, a corresponding operation may be performed to prompt the user to deposit the insufficient amount.

Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described assuming a UI screen on the operation panel of the image processing apparatus 10, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present embodiment can be applied to any apparatus having a touch panel such as an automatic teller machine (ATM) installed in a financial institution.
Furthermore, the present embodiment can be applied to an apparatus that does not have a touch panel and is operated with a pointing device such as a mouse.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing screen transitions when the concept of the present invention is incorporated into a general-purpose PC.
First, in FIG. 10A, “No”, “2 Up”, “4 Up” are displayed as options on the pop-up screen, and the radio button corresponding to “No” is in the On state. Therefore, it is assumed that “2 up” is pressed as indicated by the mouse cursor.
As a result, “2 up” is selected, and the pop-up screen becomes as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, as shown by the mouse cursor in FIG. 10B, the selection of “2 up” is confirmed by clicking “2 up” again or clicking the OK button in this state. . Then, the pop-up screen is closed and a state as shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the display element that is normally considered not to be pressed is configured to have the functions of other display elements. For example, the radio button in the On state has the function of an OK button. In addition, the radio button in the disabled state has a function of canceling the setting that causes the disabled state. This makes it easy for both beginners and skilled users to use a UI screen for selecting a specific option from a predetermined option group.

1 is an external view of an image processing apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is the figure which showed the example of the mode setting screen. It is the figure which showed the example of the UI screen for beginners, and the UI screen for experts. It is a figure for demonstrating the screen transition at the time of radio button press of the On state in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the screen transition at the time of radio button depression of the Disable state in embodiment of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the function structure of the control apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed operation | movement of the control apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the transition of the choice information at the time of pressing the radio button of the On state in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating transition of the choice information at the time of the radio button of a Disable state in embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the screen transition at the time of applying embodiment of this invention to general purpose PC.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image processing apparatus, 20 ... Apparatus main body, 30 ... Control apparatus, 40 ... Input / output device, 50 ... Communication apparatus, 60 ... Slot

Claims (6)

A plurality of first display elements which are provided for each of a plurality of choices in the first option group, respectively, is pressed when selecting the option corresponding in the first option group, the choice determined but a first display element of the plurality can be clearly that it is selected, provided separately from the said plurality of first display element, which is pressed when finalizing the selection of choices in the first option group Screen display means for displaying a screen including display elements ;
With the specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicating that the first option in the first option group is selected , the specific first display element, and A selection confirmation means for confirming the selection of the first option regardless of which of the confirmation display elements is pressed ;
When the screen display means includes a second option group related to an option corresponding to the first display element in response to pressing of any one of the plurality of first display elements. In addition, a plurality of second display elements provided for each of the plurality of options in the second option group are displayed in a state that any one of the options in the second option group is selected. And further including the screen
The selection confirmation means clearly indicates that a first first display element of the plurality of first display elements is selected as a first option in the first option group, and the plurality of first display elements is selected. The specific first display element and the specific second display in a state in which the specific second display element of the two display elements clearly indicates that the second option in the second option group is selected. A display device for confirming selection of the first option and the second option regardless of which of the element and the confirmation display element is pressed . Each of the plurality of first display elements can further clearly indicate that a corresponding option in the first option group cannot be selected ;
When the specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicates that the specific option in the first option group cannot be selected , and the specific first display element is pressed, Displays information related to the cause setting that prevents the specific option from being selected. When the specific first display element is pressed again, the cause setting is canceled and the specific first display element Unsetting means to clearly indicate that a specific option is selected
The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising: A plurality of first display elements provided for each of a plurality of options in the first option group corresponding to the image processing setting , each selecting a corresponding option in the first option group The first display element that can be pressed down to clearly indicate that the option is selected and the first display element are provided separately from the first display element, and the selection of the option in the first option group is confirmed. Screen display means for displaying a screen including a confirmed display element that is pressed when
With the specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicating that the first option in the first option group is selected, the specific first display element, and A selection confirmation means for confirming the selection of the first option regardless of which of the confirmation display elements is pressed ;
Image processing means for performing image processing based on a setting corresponding to the first option whose selection is confirmed by the selection confirmation means ,
When the screen display means includes a second option group related to an option corresponding to the first display element in response to pressing of any one of the plurality of first display elements. In addition, a plurality of second display elements provided for each of the plurality of options in the second option group are displayed in a state that any one of the options in the second option group is selected. And further including the screen
The selection confirmation means clearly indicates that a first first display element of the plurality of first display elements is selected as a first option in the first option group, and the plurality of first display elements is selected. The specific first display element and the specific second display in a state in which the specific second display element of the two display elements clearly indicates that the second option in the second option group is selected. An image processing apparatus for confirming selection of the first option and the second option regardless of which of the element and the confirmation display element is pressed . A plurality of first display elements which are provided for each of a plurality of choices in the first option group, respectively, is pressed when selecting the option corresponding in the first option group, the choice determined but a first display element of the plurality can be clearly that it is selected, provided separately from the said plurality of first display element, which is pressed when finalizing the selection of choices in the first option group Displaying a screen including display elements ;
With the specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicating that the first option in the first option group is selected , the specific first display element , and Regardless of which of the confirmation display elements is pressed , confirming the selection of the first option ;
When there is a second option group related to the option corresponding to the first display element in response to the pressing of any one of the plurality of first display elements, the second option Displaying the screen further including a plurality of second display elements provided for each of the plurality of options in the option group in a state that any one of the options in the second option group is clearly selected. And steps to
The specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicates that the first option in the first option group is selected, and among the plurality of second display elements, With the specific second display element clearly indicating that the second option in the second option group is selected, the specific first display element, the specific second display element, and the confirmation A display method comprising: a step of confirming selection of the first option and the second option regardless of which of the display elements is pressed . On the computer,
A plurality of first display elements which are provided for each of a plurality of choices in the first option group, respectively, is pressed when selecting the option corresponding in the first option group, the choice A plurality of first display elements that can clearly indicate that is selected, and a plurality of first display elements that are provided separately from the plurality of first display elements and pressed when confirming selection of options in the first option group A function for displaying a screen including display elements ;
With the specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicating that the first option in the first option group is selected , the specific first display element, and A function for confirming selection of the first option regardless of which one of the confirmation display elements is pressed ;
When there is a second option group related to the option corresponding to the first display element in response to the pressing of any one of the plurality of first display elements, the second option Displaying the screen further including a plurality of second display elements provided for each of the plurality of options in the option group in a state that any one of the options in the second option group is clearly selected. Function to
The specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicates that the first option in the first option group is selected, and among the plurality of second display elements, With the specific second display element clearly indicating that the second option in the second option group is selected, the specific first display element, the specific second display element, and the confirmation A program for realizing a function of confirming selection of the first option and the second option regardless of which of the display elements is pressed . Each of the plurality of first display elements can further clearly indicate that a corresponding option in the first option group cannot be selected ;
When the specific first display element of the plurality of first display elements clearly indicates that the specific option in the first option group cannot be selected , and the specific first display element is pressed, Displays information related to the cause setting that prevents the specific option from being selected. When the specific first display element is pressed again, the cause setting is canceled and the specific first display element Ability to clearly indicate that a particular option is selected
The program according to claim 5 for further realizing the above .

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