Interface device, information processing device, recording medium, and information processing method

Abstract

Provided are an interface device, an information processing device, a recording medium, and an information processing method. The interface device includes: a display unit that displays a setting screen; an operation reception unit that receives an operation performed by a user, the operation including an operation of specifying a setting item and changing setting content; and a display control unit that, on the setting screen displayed by the display unit, moves the setting item that has received a change in the setting content by using a moving image expression method, and displays the moved setting item in a display manner different from that of other setting items.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an interface device, an information processing device, a recording medium, and an information processing method. Background Art

[0002] On an operation screen (hereinafter referred to as a setting screen) for setting the functions of an electronic device through a graphical user interface (hereinafter referred to as a GUI), if the number of setting items increases, it takes time or effort to find a setting item for which a setting operation is to be performed. In particular, in the case of performing a setting operation on a plurality of setting items, even when attempting to confirm the setting content of a previously set item, it is necessary to search for the desired setting item from among the plurality of setting items each time. Further, sometimes the setting of one setting item affects the setting content or setting operation of other setting items, and even in such a case, in order to confirm the affected setting item, it is necessary to search for the desired setting item from among the plurality of setting items.

[0003] In Patent Document 1 described below, a technique is disclosed which includes: a display unit; an operation input unit that inputs a user operation; and a control unit that displays a first setting page and a second setting page on the display unit in a switchable manner, receives the input operation, and when a change in the set value of a first setting item is received on the first setting page, and as a result, a mismatch occurs between the first setting item on the first setting page and the set value of a second setting item on the second setting page, that is, a second setting item that is not currently included in the display area of the setting items on the second setting page, the control unit displays the second setting page in which the second setting item is arranged in the display area on the display unit.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-130014

[0005] If there are many setting items on the setting screen, it takes time or effort to search for the desired setting item. Therefore, when confirming a setting item whose setting content has been changed, or when a conflict or other mismatch occurs between other setting items due to a change in one setting item, and confirming the setting item that is the object, the operation of searching for the setting item becomes complicated. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to improve the convenience of a user in an operation of searching for a setting item on a setting screen.

[0007] The present invention according to Solution 1 is an interface device including:

[0008] a display unit that displays a setting screen;

[0009] an operation reception unit that receives an operation performed by a user, the operation including an operation of changing the setting content by designating a setting item;

[0010] The display control unit moves, on the setting screen displayed by the display unit, a setting item that has received a change in setting content by means of a moving image expression, and displays the moved setting item in a display manner different from that of other setting items.

[0011] The invention according to Scheme 2 is the interface device according to Scheme 1, wherein

[0012] In a case where it is necessary to change the setting content of another or plural setting items according to a change in the setting content received for one or plural setting items, the display control unit moves the another or plural setting items by means of a moving image expression, and displays the moved setting items in a display manner different from that of other setting items.

[0013] The invention according to Scheme 3 is the interface device according to Scheme 2, wherein

[0014] The display unit displays the setting items at a glance on the setting screen,

[0015] The display control unit moves the one or plural setting items that have received a change in the setting content to the top of the list of setting items on the setting screen, and moves the another or plural setting items that need to change the setting content according to the change in the setting content received for the one or plural setting items to a subsequent position of the one or plural setting items.

[0016] The invention according to Scheme 4 is the interface device according to Scheme 3, wherein

[0017] The display control unit moves the setting items that are prohibited from changing the setting content according to the change in the one or plural setting items to the very end of the list of setting items on the setting screen.

[0018] The invention according to Scheme 5 is the interface device according to Scheme 2, wherein

[0019] The display control unit displays the one or plural setting items that have received a change in the setting content and the another or plural setting items that need to change the setting content according to the change in the setting content received for the one or plural setting items in different display manners.

[0020] The invention according to Scheme 6 is the interface device according to Scheme 2, wherein

[0021] In a case where a change in setting content is received with respect to one or more setting items relative to a function, and in a case where the setting content of another one or more setting items needs to be changed based on the reception of the change in setting content, and in a case where it is detected that the setting content of the one or more setting items that is changed conflicts with the setting content of the other one or more setting items that is changed when an action based on the one function is started, the display control unit stops the action based on the one function and moves the one or more setting items and the other one or more setting items.

[0022] The present invention according to claim 7 is an interface device according to claim 6, wherein:

[0023] The display unit displays a list of setting items on the setting screen,

[0024] The display control unit moves the one or more setting items corresponding to a function to the top of the setting item list of the setting screen, and moves the other one or more setting items whose setting contents conflict with the one or more setting items to a subsequent position of the one or more setting items.

[0025] The present invention according to claim 8 is the interface device according to claim 7, wherein:

[0026] The display control unit displays the one or more setting items corresponding to the one function whose setting contents have been changed and the other one or more setting items whose setting contents conflict with the one or more setting items in different display modes.

[0027] The present invention according to claim 9 is the interface device according to claim 1, wherein:

[0028] The display unit displays a list of setting items on the setting screen,

[0029] The display control unit moves the setting item for which the setting content change has been received to the top of the setting item list on the setting screen.

[0030] The present invention according to claim 10 is the interface device according to claim 9, wherein:

[0031] The display control unit moves a setting item whose setting content is prohibited from being changed due to a change in setting content of another setting item to the end of the setting item list of the setting screen.

[0032] The information processing device of the present invention according to solution 11 comprises:

[0033] Processing department, which performs data processing;

[0034] A display unit that displays a setting screen for the functions of the processing unit;

[0035] An operation receiving unit that receives operations performed by a user, the operations including an operation of specifying a setting item for the function and changing the setting content; and

[0036] A display control unit that, on the setting screen displayed by the display unit, moves the setting item that has received a change in the setting content using a dynamic image expression method, and displays the moved setting item in a display manner different from other setting items.

[0037] The invention according to Scheme 12 is a recording medium that records a program for causing a computer to implement the following functions:

[0038] A function of displaying a setting screen on a display device;

[0039] A function of receiving operations performed by a user, the operations including an operation of specifying a setting item and changing the setting content; and

[0040] A function of, on the setting screen, moving the setting item that has received a change in the setting content using a dynamic image expression method, and displaying the moved setting item in a display manner different from other setting items.

[0041] The invention according to Scheme 13 is an information processing method, including:

[0042] A step of displaying a setting screen on a display device;

[0043] A step of receiving operations performed by a user, the operations including an operation of specifying a setting item and changing the setting content; and

[0044] A step of, on the setting screen, moving the setting item that has received a change in the setting content using a dynamic image expression method, and displaying the moved setting item in a display manner different from other setting items.

[0045] Advantages of the Invention

[0046] According to the first aspect of the present invention, compared with an interface device that provides a setting screen in which setting items are statically arranged in a preset order, the convenience of the user in the operation of searching for setting items on the setting screen can be improved.

[0047] According to the second aspect of the present invention, compared with a structure that only moves the setting item for which the setting has been changed by the user as an object to a display position, it is easier to search for other setting items affected by the setting change based on the user operation.

[0048] According to the third aspect of the present invention, compared with a configuration in which only the setting items whose settings have been changed by the user are targeted and moved to the display position, it is easier to confirm the setting items whose settings have been changed by the user's operation and other setting items affected by the setting change.

[0049] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, compared with a configuration in which only the setting items whose settings have been changed by the user are targeted and moved to the display position, it is easy to confirm the setting items for which setting changes can be made.

[0050] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, compared with a configuration in which only the setting items whose settings have been changed by the operation are moved, it is easier to distinguish between the setting items whose settings have been changed by the operation and the derived changed setting items.

[0051] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, compared with a configuration in which only the influence of the setting change based on the user operation is detected at the time of setting change, it is possible to confirm the conflict of the setting content based on factors that cannot be recognized at the time of setting change.

[0052] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, compared with a configuration in which the setting items whose settings have been changed by the user operation and other setting items affected by the setting change are moved to individual positions, it is easy to confirm the setting items in which a conflict is detected at the start of operation.

[0053] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, compared with a configuration in which only the setting items in which a conflict is detected at the start of operation are moved, it is easy to distinguish between the setting items whose settings have been changed by the operation and the derived changed setting items.

[0054] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, compared with an interface device that provides a setting screen in which setting items are statically arranged in a preset order, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user in the operation of searching again for the setting items whose settings have been changed on the setting screen.

[0055] According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, compared with a configuration in which only the setting items whose settings have been changed by the user are targeted and moved to the display position, it is easy to confirm the setting items for which setting changes can be made.

[0056] According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, compared with an information processing device having an interface device that provides a setting screen in which setting items are statically arranged in a preset order, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user in the operation of searching for setting items on the setting screen.

[0057] According to the 12th aspect of the present invention, compared with a structure in a computer that executes a program of the present invention and has an interface for providing a setting screen in which setting items are statically arranged in a preset order, the convenience of a user in an operation of searching for a setting item on the setting screen can be improved.

[0058] According to the 13th aspect of the present invention, compared with an information processing method of an interface device that provides a setting screen in which setting items are statically arranged in a preset order, the convenience of a user in an operation of searching for a setting item on the setting screen can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.

[0060] Figure 1 A diagram showing the functional structure of an image processing apparatus as an example of an information processing apparatus to which the present embodiment is applied;

[0061] Figure 2 A diagram showing the functional structure of a display control unit;

[0062] Figure 3 A diagram showing an example of the structure of a setting screen;

[0063] Figure 4 A diagram showing an example of the display of a setting screen;

[0064] Figure 5 A flowchart showing the display control of a setting screen by a display control unit when a setting operation performed by a user is received;

[0065] Figure 6 A diagram showing a first display control example, Figure 6 in which (A) is a diagram showing a state in which a setting change has been made to one setting item, Figure 6 in which (B) is a diagram showing a case where the setting item for which the setting change has been made is moved, Figure 6 in which (C) is a diagram showing a state in which the movement of the setting item has ended;

[0066] Figure 7 A diagram showing a second display control example, Figure 7 in which (A) is a diagram showing a case where a conflicting setting item is moved, Figure 7 in which (B) is a diagram showing a state in which the movement of the conflicting setting item has ended;

[0067] Figure 8 A diagram showing a third display control example, Figure 8 in which (A) is a diagram showing a state in which a setting change to one setting item has been canceled, Figure 8(B) is a diagram showing a case where a setting item for which movement has been set is changed, Figure 8 (C) is a diagram showing a state where the movement of the setting item has ended;

[0068] Figure 9 is a diagram showing a fourth display control example, Figure 9 (A) is a diagram showing a case where a conflict setting item is moved according to the cancellation of a setting change of a changed setting item, Figure 9 (B) is a diagram showing a state where the movement of the conflict setting item has ended;

[0069] Figure 10 is a diagram showing a fifth display control example, Figure 10 (A) is a diagram showing a state where a setting change has been made to one setting item, Figure 10 (B) is a diagram showing a case where a changed setting item and related setting items are moved, Figure 10 (C) is a diagram showing a state where the movement of the changed setting item and related setting items has ended;

[0070] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the display control of a setting screen by a display control unit in the case of making a setting change at the start of an operation;

[0071] Figure 12 is a diagram showing a sixth display control example, Figure 12 (A) is a diagram showing an initial state in the case of making a setting change at the start of an operation, Figure 12 (B) is a diagram showing a case where a conflict setting item is moved, Figure 12 (C) is a diagram showing a state where the movement of the conflict setting item has ended.

[0072] Symbol Explanation

[0073] 100 - Image processing device, 101 - Display control unit, 102 - Resource acquisition unit, 103 - Operation reception unit, 104 - Setting control unit, 110 - Control unit, 111 - CPU, 112 - ROM, 113 - RAM, 120 - Storage unit, 130 - Operation unit, 140 - Display unit, 150 - Image reading unit, 160 - Image forming unit, 170 - Communication unit, 180 - Image processing unit, 190 - Bus, 200 - Setting screen, 201 - Header, 202 - Main setting column, 203 - Menu display column, 204 - Drop - down menu, 205 - Footer, 206 - Scroll bar. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0074] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This embodiment is implemented as an interface device in an information processing device, an information processing device including the interface device, a recording medium storing a program for realizing the functions of the interface device, an information processing method of the information processing device including the interface device, and the like. Hereinafter, an example will be described in which an image processing device is used as an example of the information processing device, and the structure of this embodiment is applied as the interface device.

[0075] <System Configuration>

[0076] Figure 1 FIG. is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an image processing device as an example of an information processing device to which this embodiment is applied. The image processing device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 113 that constitute a control unit 110. In addition, the image processing device 100 includes a storage unit 120, an operation unit 130, a display unit 140, an image reading unit 150, an image forming unit 160, a communication unit 170, and an image processing unit 180. These functional units are connected to a bus 190, and data is transmitted and received via this bus 190.

[0077] The operation unit 130 receives operations by a user. The operation unit 130 is constituted by, for example, a touch sensor that outputs a control signal corresponding to the position touched or pressed with a finger. The interface device of this embodiment is constituted by a touch panel and a display control unit 101 described later. The touch panel is formed by combining a touch sensor and a liquid crystal display that constitutes the display unit 140 described later, and the display control unit 101 controls the display on the display unit 140.

[0078] The display unit 140 displays various screens. The display unit 140 is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display. Under the control of the CPU 111, the display unit 140 displays various screens such as a screen showing information related to the state of the image processing device 100 and a setting screen for making settings related to the functions of the image processing device 100.

[0079] The image reading unit 150 is composed of a so-called scanning device, optically reads the image on the set original document, and generates a read image (image data). As a method for reading an image, for example, a CCD method in which the reflected light of the light irradiated from a light source to the original document is reduced by a lens and received by a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices), or a CIS method in which the reflected light of the light irradiated from an LED (Light Emitting Diode) light source to the original document in sequence is received by a CIS (Contact Image Sensor), etc.

[0080] The image forming unit 160 is an example of an image forming unit, and forms an image based on image data on a sheet of paper as an example of a recording material, using an image forming material. As a method for forming an image on a recording material, for example, an electrophotographic method in which a toner attached to a photoreceptor is transferred to the recording material to form an image, or an inkjet method in which ink is ejected onto the recording material to form an image.

[0081] The communication unit 170 has a network interface for connecting to an external device via a network. As the network interface, for example, a network adapter or a wireless communication module is provided. And, when the image processing apparatus 100 has a facsimile function, a communication module for performing facsimile communication or the like is provided in the communication unit 170. Moreover, the communication unit 170 may have a module for performing communication based on LTE or 3G.

[0082] The image processing unit 180 includes a processor as an arithmetic unit and a working memory, and performs image processing such as color correction or grayscale correction on the image represented by the image data. Additionally, the CPU 111 of the control unit 110 can be used as the processor, and the RAM 113 of the control unit 110 can be used as the working memory.

[0083] The storage unit 120 stores image data such as the read image generated by the image reading unit 150. The storage unit 120 is composed of a storage device such as a disk device or a non-volatile semiconductor memory, for example.

[0084] In the CPU 111, ROM 112, and RAM 113 that constitute the control unit 110, the ROM 112 stores a program executed by the CPU 111. The CPU 111 reads the program stored in the ROM 112 and executes the program using the RAM 113 as a working area. And, the program stored in the storage unit 120 can be read into the RAM 113, and the program read into the RAM 113 is executed by the CPU 111. By executing the program by the CPU 111, each functional unit of the above-described image processing apparatus 100 is controlled, and data processing is performed, thereby realizing the following respective functions.

[0085] Among them, the program executed by the CPU 111 can be provided to the image processing apparatus 100 in a state stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (e.g., a magnetic disk), an optical recording medium (e.g., an optical disc), or a semiconductor memory. Also, the program executed by the CPU 111 can be provided to the image processing apparatus 100 via a network such as the Internet.

[0086] <Functional Structure of Control Unit 110>

[0087] Figure 2 FIG. shows the functional structure of the control unit 110. The control unit 110 includes a display control unit 101, a resource acquisition unit 102, an operation reception unit 103, and a setting control unit 104. In addition, Figure 2 shows the characteristic structure in the present embodiment. In particular, although not shown, the control unit 110 has a function of controlling Figure 1 the operations of the image reading unit 150, the image forming unit 160, the communication unit 170, etc. shown. As described above, these functions are implemented by the CPU 111 reading and executing a program stored in the ROM 112 or the like.

[0088] The display control unit 101 generates various screens such as a setting screen and displays them on the display unit 140. The display control unit 101 processes the resources (components) of the screen acquired by the resource acquisition unit 102 to generate a screen. The display control unit 101 includes, for example, a rendering engine. The display control unit 101 has a function of dynamically displaying the screen being displayed on the display unit 140. This function is realized, for example, by periodically updating the resources constituting the screen being displayed on the display unit 140. As a specific example of the function of realizing the dynamic display of the screen, for example, there is a technique in which, when the screen is realized by a web application, the CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) property values of each HTML element constituting the screen are dynamically changed using JavaScript (trademark), thereby realizing dynamic display on a browser.

[0089] The resource acquisition unit 102 acquires the resources that constitute the screen displayed on the display unit 140. As resources, there are texts, images, objects for receiving operations performed by the user, and the like. Specifically, for example, when the screen is implemented by a web application, resources are prepared as HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files, CSS files, JavaScript, image files, and the like. The resources are stored, for example, in a storage unit built into the image processing device 100 or an external database server. As the built-in storage unit, for example, the RAM 113 or the storage unit 120 of the control unit 110 can be used. The resource acquisition unit 102 acquires the resources that constitute the screen to be generated by reading from the built-in storage unit or receiving by sending a request to the external database server.

[0090] The operation reception unit 103 receives the operations of the user with respect to the operation objects arranged on the screen displayed on the display unit 140, and notifies the display control unit 101 and the setting control unit 104 of the operation contents. As operations with respect to the operation objects, for example, there are pressing operations of button objects or moving operations of scroll bars. The display control unit 101 and the setting control unit 104 perform controls corresponding to the information of the operation contents received from the operation reception unit 103.

[0091] The setting control unit 104 controls the settings related to the functions of the image processing device 100. Specifically, the setting control unit 104 holds information (hereinafter referred to as setting information) related to various setting contents when performing the operation control of the image processing device 100, and changes the held setting information according to the setting operations received through the operation reception unit 103. The setting information includes, for example, whether to use a specific function, specific setting values (numerical values), and the like. In addition, the setting control unit 104 determines whether the change of the setting information (setting content) related to a specific setting item affects the setting contents of other setting items, and if it has an impact, changes the setting information of the other setting items. As an example, there are a plurality of functions that cannot be selected simultaneously (conflict) when performing the operation based on a specific function, and it is set that when one of the functions is selected by setting, the other functions cannot be selected. How the change of the setting information (setting content) related to a certain setting item affects any setting item is determined specifically according to the model or device structure of the image processing device 100.

[0092] <Structure of the setting screen>

[0093] Next, the setting screen displayed on the display unit 140 under the control of the display control unit 101 will be described. The setting screen is a screen for presenting setting items related to the functions of the image processing apparatus 100 and receiving changes to the setting contents in the selected setting items according to user operations. Hereinafter, the structure and display method of the setting screen will be described in detail.

[0094] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the setting screen. The setting screen 200 is prepared according to the functions of the image processing apparatus 100. However, although the items displayed in the display columns of the setting items are different, the screen structures of the setting screens 200 for each function are the same. Here, the setting screen 200 in the copy function will be described as an example.

[0095] Figure 3 The shown setting screen 200 includes a header 201, a main setting column 202, a menu display column 203, and a footer 205. Since the setting items in the function to be set are displayed on the setting screen 200, the screen size becomes larger as the number of setting items increases. Therefore, when the setting screen 200 is displayed on the display unit 140, sometimes only a part of the setting screen 200 is displayed. In this case, for example, the display area displayed on the display unit 140 is moved using the screen scrolling function or the like, so that the entire setting screen 200 can be read.

[0096] The header 201 presents information about the setting screen 200 itself or operation units for the function corresponding to the setting screen 200, etc. In Figure 3 the shown example, the function name "Copy" is displayed, and an operation button "Login" for calling the user authentication function and an operation button "Start" for starting the execution of the copy operation are arranged. In the header 201, when the setting screen 200 is displayed on the display unit 140, it is fixedly displayed at a specific position on the display unit 140 even if the display area is moved by the scrolling function. In addition, Figure 3 the display contents and arrangement of the shown header 201 are only examples, and actually, various contents usually displayed in the header on the operation screen or the like can be displayed in various designs.

[0097] The main setting column 202 is a specially provided display column for displaying the main setting items in the function to be set of the setting screen 200. The main setting column 202 is displayed at the top layer in the structure of the setting screen 200 other than the header 201. Therefore, the setting items displayed in the main setting column 202 can always be arranged at the top layer among the setting items that can be set on the setting screen 200. And, operation objects for performing setting operations (such as changing or selecting setting information) on the already displayed setting items can be displayed in the main setting column 202. In Figure 3In the example shown, the setting item "number of output copies" is assigned to the main setting column 202, and the value (set value) of the number of output copies and the keyboard, which is the operation object for setting the number of copies, are displayed. The reason is that when using the copying function, the number of output copies is an essential and main setting item. In addition, the main setting column 202 is not an essential component in the setting screen 200. Depending on the type of function, there may sometimes be no setting item that should be treated separately from other setting items as the main setting column 202. Also, as a user interface, there are sometimes designs where special displays like the main setting column 202 are not used for specific setting items.

[0098] The menu display column 203 is a display column that shows at a glance the setting items among the functions that are the setting objects of the setting screen 200. The setting items displayed in the menu display column 203 are items other than the setting items assigned to the main setting column 202. In Figure 3 the example shown, all the setting items are simply arranged without grading or classifying the setting items. In the display column of each setting item, the setting item name and the current setting information are displayed. The display column of each setting item also serves as the operation object for calling the setting change receiving unit that receives the setting change of the corresponding setting item. That is, if an operation of selecting the display column of a specific setting item is performed, the setting change receiving unit for that setting item is activated.

[0099] The setting change receiving unit can be configured in various structures according to the type of the setting item. For example, it is possible to consider displaying a list of the settings that can be selected in the corresponding setting item, or displaying a text box for inputting a numerical value or text, or displaying a button object for specifying whether to execute the function related to the setting item. Also, as a display method of the setting change receiving unit, various methods such as display based on a drop-down menu or display switching to another screen can be obtained.

[0100] Items that do not depend on the type of function and perform operations on the setting screen 200 itself are displayed in the footer 205. In Figure 3In the example shown, an operation button "Reset" for returning the setting information of each setting item to the initial state is displayed in the footer 205. If the operation button "Reset" shown in the figure is operated, the setting information in each setting item of the setting screen 200 returns to the initial value. In the footer 205, in addition to the operation button "Reset" shown in the figure, operation objects such as an operation button for saving the current setting item as the initial display item, an operation button for moving the displayed setting item to an operation screen for change, and an operation button for confirming the use when using the copying function can be arranged. Regarding the footer 205, when the setting screen 200 is displayed on the display unit 140, it can move as the display area displayed on the display unit 140 moves based on the scroll function, or can be fixedly displayed at a specific position on the display unit 140 like the header 201.

[0101] <Example of Display of Setting Screen>

[0102] Figure 4 It is a figure showing an example of the display of the setting screen 200. Figure 4 (A) shows a situation where the A area (the area indicated by the dotted line frame A) of the setting screen 200 shown is displayed, Figure 3 and (B) shows a situation where the B area (the area indicated by the dotted line frame B) of the setting screen 200 shown is displayed, Figure 4 (C) shows a situation where the C area (the area indicated by the dotted line frame C) of the setting screen 200 shown is displayed. Figure 3 and (C) shows a situation where the C area (the area indicated by the dotted line frame C) of the setting screen 200 shown is displayed. Figure 4 (C) shows a situation where the C area (the area indicated by the dotted line frame C) of the setting screen 200 shown is displayed. Figure 3 and (C) shows a situation where the C area (the area indicated by the dotted line frame C) of the setting screen 200 shown is displayed.

[0103] In Figure 4 (A), Figure 4 (B), Figure 4 (C) of the display example shown, the entire setting screen 200 can be viewed by displaying the scroll bar 206 for vertically sending the setting screen 200 and operating the scroll bar 206 to move the display area displayed on the display unit 140. Also, in the display example shown, the footer 205 moves together with the menu display bar 203 as the display area moves. In Figure 4 (A) of the example shown, if the setting item "Color Mode" is selected in the menu display bar 203, a drop-down menu 204 as a setting change receiving unit is displayed. Moreover, as the setting of "Color Mode", any one of "Automatic", "Full Color", "Black and White", and "Two Colors" can be selected, and "Black and White" is selected in the example shown.

[0104] <Relationship between Setting Items>

[0105] Next, the relationship between setting items will be described. When a setting change is made to one setting item, sometimes this setting change will affect the settings of other setting items. For example, in the case where there are a plurality of functions that cannot be executed simultaneously, if one of the functions is selected and set to be executed, then the setting for selecting and executing other functions cannot be selected. Also, when there is a function that can only be executed when the setting item is a specific setting, when the function is selected and set, the setting information of the setting item should be set to the specific setting. Sometimes there are a plurality of other setting items that affect the setting of one setting item, and sometimes there are a plurality of other setting items that are affected when one setting item is set to a specific setting. Such a relationship between setting items can be variously set according to the device structure of the image processing apparatus 100 or the user's authority, and for each setting item.

[0106] Moreover, in such a relationship between setting items, sometimes the superiority and inferiority are determined between the setting items. For example, in two setting items where one setting affects the other setting, the one with the higher priority is set as the first setting item, and the lower one is set as the second setting item. In this case, the setting of the second setting item is always carried out in accordance with the setting of the first setting item. That is, when the setting of the first setting item is changed, if necessary, the setting of the second setting item is changed in a manner corresponding to the changed setting of the first setting item. Also, in the second setting item, a setting that is inconsistent (conflicting) with the setting of the first setting item is prohibited. On the other hand, regardless of the setting contents of the first setting item and the second setting item, the setting can be changed. That is, in the first setting item, after the setting of the second setting item is changed, a setting that is inconsistent (conflicting) with the changed setting of the second setting item is allowed. The superiority and inferiority between setting items are determined individually between each pair of setting items. That is, sometimes a certain setting item has a higher priority relative to one setting item and a lower priority relative to another setting item.

[0107] <Method of Setting Change>

[0108] Next, the method of setting change based on the relationship between setting items as described above will be described. In the following description, a setting item whose setting information is changed by a user's operation will be called a changed setting item. A setting item whose setting information is affected due to the change of the setting information of a certain setting item (a changed setting item is generated) will be called a related setting item. Among the related setting items, a setting item that cannot be selected on the setting screen 200 as an effect of generating a changed setting item will be particularly called a conflicting setting item.

[0109] In addition, regarding two setting items (assumed to be setting item A and setting item B), the setting information of setting item B is affected when the setting information of setting item A is changed. However, sometimes even when the setting information of setting item B is changed, the setting information of setting item A is not affected. That is, setting item B is a related setting item with respect to setting item A, but sometimes setting item A is not a related setting item with respect to setting item B.

[0110] As methods of setting change based on the relationship between setting items, mainly three methods are considered: setting change based on prior priority, setting change based on posterior priority, and setting change at the start of operation. And according to the setting change based on posterior priority, sometimes the setting change based on prior priority is cancelled. Regarding either the setting change based on prior priority or the setting change based on posterior priority, the setting item for which a setting change has been made in advance is the changed setting item, and the setting item for which a setting change is automatically made later is the related setting item.

[0111] The setting change based on prior priority means that the setting of other setting items affected by the setting change of the setting item set in advance is compulsorily and automatically changed. Among the changed setting item and the related setting item, the changed setting item corresponds to the case of higher priority. When the setting change based on prior priority is made, afterwards, a setting change conflicting with the setting of the changed setting item cannot be made for the related setting item. In particular, when the execution of the function related to the related setting item conflicts with the setting of the changed setting item (that is, when the related setting item is a conflicting setting item), the related setting item itself cannot be selected.

[0112] The setting change based on posterior priority means that the setting of other setting items affected by the setting change of the setting item set later is compulsorily and automatically changed. This corresponds to the case where there is no superiority or inferiority between the changed setting item and the related setting item. When the setting change based on posterior priority is made, regardless of the setting content of the related setting item set later and the changed setting item, a setting change can be made. In the setting change based on posterior priority, when the setting content of the related setting item set later conflicts with the setting content of the changed setting item set in advance, the setting information of the changed setting item is changed so as not to conflict with the setting information of the related setting item.

[0113] As described above, with respect to a changed setting item, there are sometimes a plurality of related setting items. In this case, the priorities of the related setting items with respect to the changed setting item may be different. That is, sometimes among the plurality of related setting items, the priority of a part is higher than that of the changed setting item, another part is equal in priority to the changed setting item, and yet another part has a lower priority than the changed setting item. Moreover, among these setting items, sometimes a setting change based on a higher priority and a setting change based on a lower priority are combined. Hereinafter, specific examples will be given for explanation.

[0114] Regarding four setting items (assumed to be setting items A, B, C, and D), the priorities from the highest are setting item A > setting item B = setting item C > setting item D, and consider the case where a setting change has been made to setting item B. And when setting item B is the changed setting item, setting items A, C, and D are all related setting items. Moreover, after the setting change of setting item B, when a setting change is made to any one of setting items A, C, and D, the method is different depending on whether the setting of setting item B is affected by the setting changes of setting items A, C, and D. When the setting of setting item B is not affected by any setting change of setting items A, C, and D, setting item B is not a related setting item, so a setting change based on a lower priority does not hold. The case where the setting of setting item B is affected by any setting change of setting items A, C, and D will be described individually.

[0115] In the above relationship, the priority of setting item A is higher than that of setting item B among setting items A and B. Therefore, setting item B can only be set and changed within a range that does not conflict with the current setting of setting item A. In this case, the setting change of setting item B does not affect the setting of setting item A, so a setting change based on a higher priority does not hold. Moreover, when the setting of setting item A is changed after the change of setting item B, if setting item B is a related setting item when setting item A becomes the changed setting item, setting item B is set and changed in a manner corresponding to the changed setting item A, so a setting change based on a lower priority holds.

[0116] Next, there is no advantage or disadvantage between the setting items in setting items B and C. Therefore, regardless of the current setting of setting item C, setting item B can change its setting. Moreover, the setting of setting item C is affected by the content of the setting change of setting item B. Therefore, the setting change based on the prior priority is established. Further, when the setting of setting item C is changed after the setting of setting item B is changed, if setting item B is the related setting item when setting item C becomes the changed setting item, setting item B changes its setting in a manner corresponding to the changed setting item C, and thus the setting change based on the posterior priority is established.

[0117] Next, in setting items B and D, the priority of setting item B is high. Therefore, when the setting of setting item B is changed, setting item D changes its setting in a manner corresponding to the changed setting item B, and thus the setting change based on the prior priority is established. Moreover, setting item D can only change its setting within a range that does not conflict with the current setting of setting item B. In this case, the setting change of setting item D does not affect the setting of setting item B. Therefore, regardless of whether setting item B is the related setting item when setting item D is the changed setting item, the setting change based on the posterior priority is not established.

[0118] Furthermore, if the prior priority and the setting change based on the posterior priority are performed in combination by changing the setting item and a plurality of related setting items as described above, sometimes the setting change based on the prior priority is cancelled by performing the setting change based on the posterior priority. For example, in the above example, by changing the setting of setting item B, the setting change based on the prior priority is established in setting item D. Then, by changing the setting of setting item A, the setting change based on the posterior priority is established in setting item B. At this time, depending on the content of the setting change based on the posterior priority of setting item B, sometimes the setting of setting item B, such as restricting the setting change of setting item D, disappears. In this case, after the setting change based on the posterior priority, the setting change can be performed on setting item D without being restricted by the setting of setting item B.

[0119] The setting change at the start of the operation means changing the setting of a certain setting item (which may be singular or plural), and the setting change is performed when there is no conflict between a plurality of setting items at the start of the operation of the image processing apparatus 100 according to the setting. Depending on the structure or operation state of the image processing apparatus 100, sometimes it is impossible to detect a conflict occurring among a plurality of setting items including the setting item whose setting is changed at the time of performing the setting change.

[0120] For example, the paper size is set by selecting the tray on which the paper is placed. Moreover, when the operation state of the image processing apparatus 100 is the power saving state, it is possible to change the paper size setting, but the sensor for identifying which tray is selected does not operate. Among them, when the image processing apparatus 100 is in the power saving state, as a setting item, consider the use of a function that can only be executed for a specific paper size, and the paper size setting is set to a paper size different from the specific paper size. In this case, the setting of the function to be used conflicts with the paper size setting. However, when the image processing apparatus 100 is in the power saving state, the selected tray cannot be recognized, so the conflict of the setting cannot be detected, and thus the setting change based on the prior or posterior priority is not performed.

[0121] In this case, the operation state of the image processing apparatus 100 is changed from the power saving state to the normal state, and the conflict of the above setting is detected when the operation based on the function to be used starts. Therefore, it is necessary to change the setting of any one of the setting items at this time in order to eliminate the conflict of the setting. However, in many cases, it is impossible to mechanically determine which setting in the conflicting setting items should be changed. For example, in the above example, when there is no tray corresponding to the specific paper size used in the set function, the setting of using this function is invalid. Therefore, it is impossible not to accept the setting of the paper size setting item recognized at the start of the operation. Thus, in this case, the conflicting setting items are presented to the user, and the setting change made by the user to eliminate the conflict is received.

[0122] As described above, if the setting change for one setting item is made according to the relationship between the setting items, the setting changes in the related setting items can be made in a composite manner. However, in any case, if two setting items are focused on, when one becomes the changed setting item and the other becomes the related setting item, it is a setting change individually generated according to the priority between the setting items, and only a group combining a plurality of such setting items.

[0123] <Display Control of the Setting Screen>

[0124] Next, the display control of the setting screen 200 (refer to Figure 4 ) in the case where the setting is changed will be described. Regarding the display control unit 101 of the control unit 110 (refer to Figure 2) If a setting change is made on the setting screen 200, the display position of the setting item for which the setting change has been made in the menu display bar 203 is changed. The setting items to be moved are both the setting item for which the user has made a setting change (changed setting item) and other setting items (related setting items) affected by the setting change made by the user. Regarding the display control unit 101, since the setting item is moving and it is easy to visually recognize the movement destination, the movement of the setting item from the original position to the position of the movement destination is displayed using a dynamic image expression method.

[0125] The movement destinations of the setting items for which setting changes have been made are different for the changed setting item, the related setting items, and the conflicting setting items, respectively. Specifically, the changed setting item moves to the top layer (top) of the menu display bar 203. Among the related setting items, the setting items other than the conflicting setting items move to the next position in the menu display bar 203 after the changed setting item (the subsequent position of the changed setting item). When there are multiple related setting items, the arrangement order is determined according to a pre-set rule. For example, they can be arranged in sequence from the setting item above the original arrangement position in the menu display bar 203. The conflicting setting item moves to the bottom layer (the very end) of the menu display bar 203. In the following description, when distinguishing between the related setting items that are not conflicting setting items and the conflicting setting items, only the related setting items that are not conflicting setting items are referred to as related setting items.

[0126] Also, in order to visually represent the moved setting items (changed setting item, related setting items, and conflicting setting items) as the setting items for which setting changes have been made, the moved setting items can be displayed in a display method different from that of other setting items (emphasis display). As the emphasis display, various expression methods such as changing the font or decoration of characters, changing the display color, changing the background color or pattern, changing the display size, dynamically changing the brightness, or lighting and flashing can be used. Regarding the conflicting setting items, as an emphasis display indicating that the setting item cannot be selected for the setting change, a display based on graying out or the like can be performed. Hereinafter, regarding the display control of the setting screen 200 by the display control unit 101, the processing flow will be described with reference to a flowchart, and for several specific examples, display examples will be given.

[0127] Figure 5This is a flowchart showing the display control of the setting screen 200 by the display control unit 101 when a setting operation performed by the user is received. The display control unit 101 displays the setting screen 200 on the display unit 140 and waits for a setting operation by the user. If the user operates the operation unit 130 to change the setting, information on the operation content received by the operation reception unit 103 is notified to the display control unit 101 and the setting control unit 104. The setting control unit 104 changes the setting according to the received operation content.

[0128] If the setting content of any setting item is changed by a user operation (S501), the display control unit 101 moves the setting item for which the setting has been changed (the changed setting item) (S502). As described above, the changed setting item moves to the top layer of the menu display bar 203.

[0129] Next, the display control unit 101 obtains information on related setting items (including conflicting setting items) from the setting control unit 104. If there are no related setting items (including conflicting setting items) (No in S503), the display control unit 101 emphasizes and displays the moved changed setting item and ends the process (S509).

[0130] If there are related setting items (including conflicting setting items) (Yes in S503), the display control unit 101 obtains information from the setting control unit 104 on whether a conflict has occurred due to the related setting item (whether the related setting item is a conflicting setting item). In addition, the actions after S503 are performed for the related setting items (including conflicting setting items) generated when the setting of the setting item is changed based on a user operation (the changed setting item is generated). That is, if there are multiple related setting items (including conflicting setting items), the following processing is performed for each related setting item (including conflicting setting items).

[0131] According to the information obtained from the setting control unit 104, if a conflict has occurred (Yes in S504), the display control unit 101 moves the conflicting setting item to the end (the bottom layer) of the menu display bar 203 (S505). Moreover, the display control unit 101 emphasizes and displays the moved changed setting item and the conflicting setting item and ends the process (S509).

[0132] In the case where no conflict has occurred (being "No" in S504), the display control unit 101 acquires information from the setting control unit 104 regarding whether the conflict between the existing setting items has been eliminated. In the case where the conflict has not been eliminated (being "No" in S506), since the relevant setting item is a new relevant setting item generated due to the change of the setting item, the display control unit 101 moves the relevant setting item to the position subsequent to (directly below) the changed setting item in the menu display bar 203 (S507). Then, the display control unit 101 emphasizes and displays the moved changed setting item and the relevant setting item and ends the process (S509).

[0133] In the case where the conflict has been eliminated (being "Yes" in S506), the relevant setting item is a setting item that will not become a conflicting setting item due to the setting change. Since the conflicting setting item before elimination is located at the bottom layer of the menu display bar 203 (refer to S505), the display control unit 101 moves the relevant setting item with the conflict eliminated to its original position in the menu display bar 203 (S508). Then, the display control unit 101 emphasizes and displays the moved changed setting item and the relevant setting item and ends the process (S509).

[0134] Figure 6 A diagram showing the first display control example. Figure 6 (A) thereof is a diagram showing the state where a setting change has been made to one setting item, Figure 6 (B) thereof is a diagram showing the movement of the setting item to which the setting change has been made, Figure 6 (C) thereof is a diagram showing the state where the movement of the setting item has ended. In Figure 6 the example shown, a display example is shown when a setting change is made to the setting item "Poster" (that is, the setting item "Poster" becomes the changed setting item). The setting item "Poster" is a setting item for setting whether to use the function of enlarging and copying by dividing one original into multiple sheets of paper. In Figure 6 the example shown in (A), the state of the setting change for outputting an A1-size image using the "Poster" function is shown.

[0135] If a setting change is made to the setting item "Poster", then as Figure 6 (B) shows, the display control unit 101 moves the operation object 203a of the setting item "Poster" in the menu display bar 203 upward in the menu display bar 203 (refer to the arrow in the figure). Moreover, as Figure 6 (C) shows, the display control unit 101 arranges the operation object 203a of the setting item "Poster" at the top layer of the menu display bar 203. And, as Figure 6 (B) shows, Figure 6As shown in (C), the display control unit 101 emphasizes the display of the operation object 203a of the set item “Poster” that has been moved (in the example shown in the figure, it is shown in a thick frame and is displayed more to the left than other operation objects).

[0136] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing a second display control example. Figure 7 (A) is a diagram showing the case of moving a conflict set item, Figure 7 (B) is a diagram showing the state where the movement of the conflict set item has ended. In Figure 7 the example shown, an example of the display control of the set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)” is shown. As described above, in the function of the set item “Poster”, one original document is divided and output onto multiple sheets of paper. Therefore, the function of the set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)” that outputs multiple original documents onto 1 sheet of paper and the function of the set item “Poster” cannot be used simultaneously. That is, if a setting change using the function of the set item “Poster” is made (if the set item “Poster” becomes the changed set item), the set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)” becomes a conflict set item. In addition, if the set item “Poster” is selected here, a higher priority is established with respect to the set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)”. Therefore, when the use of the function of the set item “Poster” is selected, a setting change with respect to the set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)” cannot be made.

[0137] If a setting change of the set item “Poster” is made, then as Figure 7 (A) shows, the display control unit 101 moves the operation object 203b of the conflict set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)” in the menu display bar 203 downward toward the lower part of the menu display bar 203 (refer to the arrow in the figure). Moreover, as Figure 7 (B) shows, the display control unit 101 arranges the operation object 203b of the conflict set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)” at the bottommost layer of the menu display bar 203. And, as Figure 7 (A), Figure 7 (B) shows, the display control unit 101 emphasizes the display of the operation object 203b of the moved conflict set item “Merge into 1 page (N-up)” to indicate that a setting change cannot be made (in the example shown in the figure, the frame line and characters of the operation object 203b are represented by a dotted line).

[0138] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing a third display control example. Figure 8 (A) is a diagram showing the state where the setting change with respect to one set item has been canceled, Figure 8 (B) is a diagram showing the case of moving the set item for which a setting change has been made.Figure 8 (C) is a diagram showing the state where the movement of the set item has ended. In Figure 8 the example shown, an example of the display when the setting change of the set item "Poster", for which a setting change was made in the example of Figure 6 , is canceled is shown. In Figure 8 the example shown in (A), a setting where the function of "Poster" is not used is shown.

[0139] If the setting change of the set item "Poster" is canceled, then as shown in Figure 8 (B), the display control unit 101 moves the operation target 203a of the set item "Poster" in the menu display bar 203 downward from the top layer of the menu display bar 203 (arrow in the reference figure). Moreover, as shown in Figure 8 (C), the display control unit 101 arranges the operation target 203a of the set item "Poster" at the original position of the menu display bar 203. And, as shown in Figure 6 (C), the display control unit 101 cancels the highlighting of the operation target 203a of the moved set item "Poster".

[0140] Figure 9 is a diagram showing the fourth display control example. Figure 9 (A) is a diagram showing the case where a conflicting set item is moved according to the cancellation of the setting change of the changed set item, Figure 9 (B) is a diagram showing the state where the movement of the conflicting set item has ended. In Figure 9 the example shown, an example of the display control of the set item "N-up (Merge into 1 Sheet)" is shown. As described above, the set item "N-up (Merge into 1 Sheet)" becomes a conflicting set item when the function of the set item "Poster" is used. Therefore, if the setting of using the function of the set item "Poster" is canceled, the set item "N-up (Merge into 1 Sheet)" does not become a conflicting set item, and thus a setting change can be made.

[0141] If the setting of using the function for the set item "Poster" is canceled, then as shown in Figure 9 (A), the display control unit 101 moves the operation target 203b of the set item "N-up (Merge into 1 Sheet)", which does not become a conflicting set item, upward from the bottom layer of the menu display bar 203 (arrow in the reference figure). Moreover, as shown in Figure 9 (B), the display control unit 101 arranges the operation target 203b of the set item "N-up (Merge into 1 Sheet)" at the original position of the menu display bar 203. And, as shown in Figure 9As shown in (B), the display control unit 101 cancels the highlighting of the operation target 203b for the moved setting item "Combine into 1 sheet (N-up)".

[0142] In addition, in the examples shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 and in the examples shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 the movement of the changed setting item and the movement of the conflicting setting item are described separately. However, since the conflicting setting items are determined simultaneously when a change item occurs, the display control unit 101 can move the operation targets of the changed setting item and the conflicting setting item simultaneously. And, in the examples shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 the precedence is established first and the generated conflicting setting item is moved to the bottom layer of the menu display bar 203. In contrast, when the post-precedence is established, the setting item that has been moved to the top layer of the menu display bar 203 by a prior setting change becomes a conflicting setting item and is moved to the bottom layer of the menu display bar 203.

[0143] Figure 10 FIG. is a diagram showing a fifth display control example. Figure 10 (A) of is a diagram showing a state in which a setting change has been made to one setting item, Figure 10 (B) of is a diagram showing the situation of moving the changed setting item and related setting items, Figure 10 (C) of is a diagram showing a state in which the movement of the changed setting item and related setting items has ended. In the example shown in Figure 10 a display example when a setting change is made to the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment" is shown. The setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment" is a setting item related to the function of automatically adjusting the setting values of a plurality of setting items related to image quality (copy density, sharpness, colorfulness, hue, etc.). In the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment", combinations of setting values in each setting item related to image quality are preset according to classifications of image quality such as "Standard Image Quality" and "Clear". Moreover, if a specific classification is selected in the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment", the setting values of each setting item related to image quality are set to the values set for the selected classification. That is, each setting item related to image quality whose setting value is changed by the setting change of the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment" is a related setting item when the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment" becomes a changed setting item.

[0144] In Figure 10In the example shown in (A), a state is shown where "Clear" is selected in the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment". Among them, if "Clear" is selected in the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment", the set value of the setting item "Copy Density" is set to "-1", and the set value of the setting item "Chroma" is set to "Strong". Therefore, the setting item "Copy Density" and the setting item "Chroma" are related setting items with respect to the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment".

[0145] If a setting change is made to the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment", then as Figure 10 shown in (B), the display control unit 101 moves the operation object 203c of the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment" in the menu display bar 203 upward toward the upper part of the menu display bar 203 (the arrow in the reference figure). Similarly, the display control unit 101 also moves the operation object 203d of the setting item "Copy Density" and the operation object of the setting item "Chroma" (not shown in Figure 10 (B)) upward toward the upper part of the menu display bar 203 as related setting items. Moreover, as Figure 10 shown in (C), the display control unit 101 arranges the operation object 203c of the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment" as the changed setting item at the top layer of the menu display bar 203. And the display control unit 101 arranges the operation object 203d of the setting item "Copy Density" and the operation object 203e of the setting item "Chroma" as related setting items at the next position of the operation object 203c of the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment. As Figure 10 (B), Figure 10 (C) shown, the display control unit 101 emphasizes and displays the moved operation object 203c of the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment", the operation object 203d of the setting item "Copy Density", and the operation object 203e of the setting item "Chroma" (in the illustrated example, it is shown with a thick frame and is more deviated to the left than other operation objects). In addition, in Figure 10 (B), Figure 10 (C) shown in the example, the operation object 203c of the setting item "Automatic Image Quality Adjustment" as the changed setting item and the operation object 203d of the setting item "Copy Density" and the operation object 203e of the setting item "Chroma" as related setting items are emphasized and displayed in the same display manner (in the illustrated example, it is shown with a thick frame and is more deviated to the left than other operation objects), but the operation object of the changed setting item and the operation objects of the related setting items can also be emphasized and displayed by different display manners.

[0146] In Figure 10In the example shown, the setting items "Copy Density" and "Color Saturation", which are relevant setting items, are both moved to the upper layer of the menu display bar 203 and are easily visually recognized as setting items for which setting changes have been made. Also, by arranging the changed setting items close to the relevant setting items in a unified manner, it is easy to discover the relevant setting items. Here, the setting items "Copy Density" and "Color Saturation" are relevant setting items but are not conflicting setting items. That is, after the setting of the setting item "Auto Picture Quality Adjustment" is changed, the setting items "Copy Density" and "Color Saturation" can both be set and changed individually.

[0147] Specifically, consider the case where a setting change has been made in either the setting item "Copy Density" or the setting item "Color Saturation". For example, the setting value of the setting item "Copy Density" is changed to a value other than "-1", or the setting value of the setting item "Color Saturation" is changed to a value other than "Strong". In this case, the changed setting content does not conform to the setting content of "Clear" in the setting item "Auto Picture Quality Adjustment". Therefore, the post-priority is established with the changed setting item "Copy Density" or the setting item "Color Saturation" as the changed setting item and the setting item "Auto Picture Quality Adjustment" as the relevant setting item, and Figure 10 the setting change of the shown setting item "Auto Picture Quality Adjustment" is cancelled. Additionally, the cancellation of the setting change of the setting item "Auto Picture Quality Adjustment" means that, for example, the setting content returns to the initial value such as "Standard Picture Quality", or it becomes a setting state that does not apply the classification based on the setting item "Auto Picture Quality Adjustment".

[0148] <Display Control of the Setting Screen Related to the Setting Change at the Start of the Operation>

[0149] Next, the display control of the setting screen 200 in the case of making a setting change at the start of the operation will be described. As described above, when it is detected at the start of the operation of the image processing apparatus 100 that there is a conflicting setting item with respect to the changed setting item, the image processing apparatus 100 needs to perform the operation after the conflict is eliminated. Thus, the control unit 110 notifies the user that a conflict has occurred and promotes the setting operation for eliminating the conflict.

[0150] Figure 11Flowchart showing the display control of the setting screen 200 by the display control unit 101 when a setting change is made at the start of an operation. It is assumed that a setting change has been made by the user in advance for one or more setting items. Therefore, the setting item (changed setting item) for which the setting change has been made moves to the top layer in the menu display bar 203 of the setting screen 200 and is highlighted. At this point, the image processing apparatus 100 (control unit 110) does not recognize whether there are other setting items that conflict with the setting item for which the setting change has been made. When the operation based on the set function starts, the relationship between the setting items is recognized.

[0151] If the start condition for the operation based on the set function is satisfied (e.g., pressing of the start button) (S1101), the setting control unit 104 determines whether there is a conflict in the settings among a plurality of setting items. If there is no conflict in the settings (No in S1102), the control unit 110 starts the operation that satisfies the start condition (S1106).

[0152] On the other hand, if there is a conflict in the settings (Yes in S1102), the control unit 110 stops the operation based on the set function (S1103), and the display control unit 101 moves the conflicting setting item to the position immediately after the changed setting item in the menu display bar 203 (directly below) (S1104). Further, the display control unit 101 highlights the moved conflicting setting item and ends the process (S1105).

[0153] In Figure 5 and Figure 7 In the example shown, the conflicting setting item is moved to the bottom layer of the menu display bar 203. However, when a conflict in the settings is detected at the start of the operation, it is often impossible to mechanically determine which of the setting contents of the setting item for which the setting change has been made in advance and the setting contents of the conflicting setting item should be adopted. Therefore, similar to the case of the related setting items described with reference to Figure 10 the conflicting setting item is moved to the next position after the setting item for which the setting change has been made in advance and is notified to the user, and the user's setting operation for eliminating the conflict is promoted.

[0154] Figure 12 Figure showing the sixth display control example. Figure 12 (A) is a diagram showing the initial state when a setting change is made at the start of an operation, Figure 12 (B) is a diagram showing the case where the conflicting setting item is moved, Figure 12 and (C) is a diagram showing the state after the movement of the conflicting setting item has ended. In Figure 12In the example shown, a display example is shown in the case where the setting content of the setting item "Duplex / Single-Side Selection" (single side → duplex side) for which a setting operation has been performed in advance conflicts with the setting content of the setting item "Paper Selection" (manual feed tray). The setting item "Duplex / Single-Side Selection" is a setting item for determining on which side of the paper image formation is to be performed when image formation is performed by the image forming unit 160.

[0155] In Figure 12 the example shown in (A) of, a setting has been made to form an image of each side of a single-sided original on both sides of the paper. Since the setting item "Duplex / Single-Side Selection" has been set and changed in advance by a user operation, the operation object 203f is arranged at the top layer of the menu display bar 203 and is emphasized and displayed. The setting item "Paper Selection" is a setting item for selecting the paper for the output target. In Figure 12 the example shown in (A) of, a setting has been made to select the paper set in the manual feed tray. Here, forming an image of each side of a single-sided original on both sides of the paper means that it is not possible to perform on the paper supplied from the manual feed tray. That is, the setting content of the above setting item "Duplex / Single-Side Selection" conflicts with the setting content of the setting item "Paper Selection".

[0156] If the start condition of the output operation is satisfied (for example, if a touch is made on the operation button "Start" displayed in the header 201), the setting control unit 104 detects that the setting content of the setting item "Duplex / Single-Side Selection" conflicts with the setting content of the setting item "Paper Selection". Then, as shown in Figure 12 (B) of, the display control unit 101 moves the operation object 203g of the setting item "Paper Selection" in the menu display bar 203 above the menu display bar 203 (reference arrow in the figure). Moreover, as shown in Figure 12 (C) of, the display control unit 101 arranges the operation object 203g of the setting item "Paper Selection" at the next position of the operation object 203f of the setting item "Duplex / Single-Side Selection" and emphasizes and displays it. In addition, in Figure 12 (B) of, Figure 12 (C) of the example shown, the operation object 203g of the setting item "Paper Selection" and the operation object 203f of the setting item "Duplex / Single-Side Selection" are emphasized and displayed in the same display manner (displayed with a thick frame and more deviated to the left than other operation objects), but it is also possible to distinguish between the setting item for which a setting change has been made in advance and the setting item for which a conflict is detected at the start of the operation by emphasizing display based on different display manners.

[0157] <Variation Example>

[0158] In Figures 6 to 10 and Figure 12In the display control example shown, in the moving image expression when moving a setting item (operation target), after the setting item (operation target) is moved above or below the menu display bar 203, the setting item (operation target) also remains at its original position. Regarding the display after the movement of the setting item (operation target), various display methods are considered. For example, after the movement of the setting item (operation target) is completed, the setting item (operation target) at the original position can be deleted. In this case, the gap after the setting item (operation target) at the original position is deleted can be filled by moving the setting item (operation target) located at a lower position than it upward. Also, after the movement of the setting item (operation target) is completed, the display of the setting item (operation target) at the original position can remain. And, different from the illustrated example, when the movement of the setting item (operation target) starts, it can move without leaving the setting item (operation target) at the original position. That is, it becomes a moving image expression such that the setting item (operation target) deviates from the original position and moves upward or downward.

[0159] Also, in the above operation example, only the case of moving a setting item (operation target) has been described, but a movement different from a simple movement can also be expressed. For example, when moving, the moving speed (such as acceleration or deceleration) can be changed, or an action different from the movement in the moving direction can be performed at the start of the movement (such as performing vibration or a movement like emerging straight ahead). And, in the illustrated example, highlighting is performed during the movement of the setting item (operation target), but highlighting can also be performed after the movement is completed, or highlighting can be dynamically performed during the movement.

[0160] Above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, the operation target of the setting item for which a setting change has been made is moved to a preset position and highlighted, but it can also be moved only using a moving image expression without highlighting. And, in the above embodiments, the changed setting item is moved to the top layer of the menu display bar 203, the related setting item is moved to the next position of the changed setting item, and the conflicting setting item is moved to the bottom layer of the menu display bar 203, but for a specific setting item, it can also be moved to a specially set position different from these.

[0161] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the setting screen 200 is scrolled by the scroll bar 206. However, in the touch panel formed by combining the operation unit 130 and the display unit 140, the menu display bar 203 can also be scrolled by dragging the screen with a finger. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the menu display bar 203 is configured to arrange the setting items side by side. However, it can also be configured to classify the setting items and arrange the setting items hierarchically. In this case, the movement of the setting items can be set to be only within the same classification or the same hierarchy, or can move to the topmost hierarchy beyond the classification or the hierarchy.

[0162] Also, in this embodiment, an example in which an image processing apparatus is applied as the information processing apparatus has been described. However, this embodiment can also be applied to various information processing apparatuses having an interface device that displays a setting screen in which setting items capable of being set are arranged. In addition, various changes or substitutions of structures that do not depart from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0163] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are provided for the purpose of illustration and explanation. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention do not comprehensively and exhaustively include the present invention and do not limit the present invention to the disclosed manner. Obviously, various modifications and changes are obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. This embodiment is selected and described in order to most easily explain the principle of the present invention and its application. Thus, other technicians in this technical field can understand the present invention through various modification examples optimized for specific uses assumed for various embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the above claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An interface device, characterized in that, it includes: a display unit that displays a setting screen, and a plurality of setting items are arranged in sequence on the setting screen; an operation receiving unit that receives an operation performed by a user, and the operation includes an operation of changing setting contents by designating one or more setting items from the plurality of setting items; a display control unit that, on the setting screen displayed by the display unit, moves the setting item that has received a change in setting contents by using a dynamic image expression method, so that the arrangement order of the setting item that has received a change in setting contents among the plurality of setting items in the setting screen is changed, and displays the moved setting item in a display manner different from other setting items; in the case where it is necessary to change the setting contents of another or a plurality of setting items according to the change in setting contents received for one or a plurality of setting items, the display control unit moves the another or a plurality of setting items by using a dynamic image expression method, and displays the moved setting item in a display manner different from other setting items; the display unit displays the setting items at a glance on the setting screen; the display control unit moves the one or a plurality of setting items that have received a change in setting contents to the top of the setting item list on the setting screen, and moves the another or a plurality of setting items whose setting contents need to be changed according to the change in setting contents received for the one or a plurality of setting items to the subsequent positions of the one or a plurality of setting items.

2. The interface device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the display control unit moves the setting item that prohibits changing the setting contents according to the change in the one or a plurality of setting items to the very end of the setting item list on the setting screen.

3. The interface device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the display control unit displays the one or a plurality of setting items that have received a change in setting contents and the another or a plurality of setting items whose setting contents need to be changed according to the change in setting contents received for the one or a plurality of setting items in different display manners.

4. The interface device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the display unit displays the setting items at a glance on the setting screen; the display control unit moves the setting item that has received a change in setting contents to the top of the setting item list on the setting screen.

5. The interface device according to claim 4, characterized in that, the display control unit moves the setting item that prohibits changing the setting contents due to the change in the setting contents of other setting items to the very end of the setting item list on the setting screen.

6. An interface device, characterized in that, it includes: a display unit that displays a setting screen, and a plurality of setting items are arranged in sequence on the setting screen; an operation receiving unit that receives an operation performed by a user, and the operation includes an operation of changing setting contents by designating one or more setting items from the plurality of setting items; a display control unit that moves the setting item that has received the change in setting content on the setting screen displayed by the display unit by using a dynamic image expression method, so that the arrangement order of the setting item that has received the change in setting content among a plurality of setting items in the setting screen is changed, and displays the moved setting item in a display method different from other setting items, In a case where the setting contents of one or more setting items need to be changed due to the change of the setting contents received with respect to another or more setting items, the display control unit moves the another or more setting items using a dynamic image expression method, and displays the moved setting items in a display method different from that of the other setting items, In a case where a change in setting contents is received with respect to one or more setting items with respect to one function, and in a case where the setting contents of another one or more setting items need to be changed in accordance with the reception of the change in setting contents, and in a case where it is detected that the setting contents of the one or more setting items changed conflict with the setting contents of the another one or more setting items changed when an action based on the one function is started, the display control unit stops the action based on the one function, and moves the one or more setting items and the another one or more setting items, The display unit displays a list of setting items on the setting screen, The display control unit moves the one or more setting items corresponding to a function to the top of the setting item list of the setting screen, and moves the other one or more setting items whose setting contents conflict with the one or more setting items to a subsequent position of the one or more setting items.

7. The interface device according to claim 6, It is characterized in that The display control unit displays the one or more setting items corresponding to the one function whose setting contents have been changed and the other one or more setting items whose setting contents conflict with the one or more setting items in different display modes.

8. An information processing device, It is characterized in that have: The processing department performs data processing; a display unit for displaying a setting screen for a function of the processing unit, wherein the setting screen sequentially arranges a plurality of setting items; an operation receiving unit that receives an operation performed by a user, the operation including an operation of changing setting contents by designating one or more setting items with respect to the function from among the plurality of setting items; and a display control unit that moves the setting item that has received the change in setting content by using a dynamic image expression method on the setting screen displayed by the display unit, so that the arrangement order of the setting item that has received the change in setting content among the plurality of setting items in the setting screen is changed, and displays the moved setting item in a display method different from other setting items, In a case where the setting contents of one or more setting items need to be changed due to the change of the setting contents received with respect to another or more setting items, the display control unit moves the another or more setting items using a dynamic image expression method, and displays the moved setting items in a display method different from that of the other setting items, The display unit displays a list of setting items on the setting screen, The display control unit moves the one or more setting items that have received the change in setting content to the top of the setting item list of the setting screen, and moves the other one or more setting items that need to change the setting content based on the change in the setting content of the one or more setting items to the subsequent position of the one or more setting items.

9. A recording medium, It is characterized in that Records a program that enables the computer to perform the following functions: A function of displaying a setting screen on a display device, wherein the setting screen sequentially arranges a plurality of setting items; a function of receiving an operation performed by a user, the operation including an operation of changing setting contents by specifying one or more setting items from the plurality of setting items; On the setting screen, the setting item that has received the change in setting content is moved by using a dynamic image expression method, so that the arrangement order of the setting item that has received the change in setting content among the plurality of setting items on the setting screen is changed, and the function of the moved setting item is displayed in a display method different from other setting items; In a case where the setting contents of one or more setting items need to be changed due to the change of the setting contents received with respect to another or more setting items, the another or more setting items are moved on the setting screen using a dynamic image expression method, and the functions of the moved setting items are displayed in a display method different from that of the other setting items; The functions of the setting items are displayed at a glance on the setting screen; and The function of moving the one or more setting items that have received the change in setting content to the top of the setting item list on the setting screen, and moving the other one or more setting items that need to change the setting content based on the change in the setting content of the one or more setting items to the subsequent position of the one or more setting items.

10. An information processing method, It is characterized in that include: The step of displaying a setting screen on a display device, wherein the setting screen sequentially arranges a plurality of setting items; receiving an operation performed by a user, the operation including an operation of changing setting contents by specifying one or more setting items from the plurality of setting items; On the setting screen, the setting item that has received the change in setting content is moved by using a dynamic image expression method, so that the arrangement order of the setting item that has received the change in setting content among the plurality of setting items in the setting screen is changed, and the step of displaying the moved setting item in a display method different from that of other setting items is displayed; In a case where the setting contents of one or more setting items need to be changed due to the change of the setting contents received with respect to another one or more setting items, the step of moving the another one or more setting items on the setting screen by using a dynamic image expression method and displaying the moved setting items in a display method different from that of the other setting items; The steps of setting items are displayed at a glance on the setting screen; and The step of moving the one or more setting items that have received the change in setting content to the top of the setting item list on the setting screen, and moving the other one or more setting items that need to change the setting content based on the change in the setting content of the one or more setting items to the subsequent position of the one or more setting items.

Images