Information Processing Apparatus, Control Method of Information Processing Apparatus, and Program

Abstract

To improve convenience of a user operation of an information processing device corresponding to both a touch operation and a touchless operation.SOLUTION: An information processing device on which a touch operation and a touchless operation can be performed comprises an operation control unit 205 which controls an operation method by enabling either the touch operation or the touchless operation according to setting information on the operation method. When the operation method cannot be determined only with the setting information, the operation control unit 205 controls the operation method according to an operation method of a detected user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus capable of touch operation and touchless operation, a control method for the information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, many information processing apparatuses have a touch panel (screen). For example, an image forming apparatus (MFP), which is a type of information processing apparatus, generally has a touch panel. MFPs installed in offices are usually used jointly by multiple people. On the other hand, due to the increasing awareness of hygiene, there is a demand not to touch a touch panel that has been touched by others. In recent years, a touchless technology using a hand sensor has been disclosed as a technology for operating without touching the screen. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an interface device that enables an operator to give an instruction to a controlled device by a hand shape or the like without having to memorize in advance the gestures used for operation by displaying a list of gestures used for operation. By installing a hand sensor in an information device, even when multiple people share and use the same information processing apparatus, it becomes possible to operate without touching the screen touched by others.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, if the operation method of the shared information processing device is limited to only touchless operation, the usability will deteriorate. For example, when an information processing device that is only effective for touch operation is replaced with an information processing device that is only effective for touchless operation, the needs of users with a high sense of hygiene who do not prefer touching can be met, but the needs of users who want to perform the same operations as before without disliking touching the screen cannot be met. On the other hand, if both touch operation and touchless operation can be used, there is a risk that both operation methods will coexist and incorrect operations will occur.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the convenience of user operation of an information processing device corresponding to both touch operation and touchless operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an information processing device of the present invention is an information processing device capable of receiving both touch operation and touchless operation, and includes a touch mode in which the touch operation is valid and the touchless operation is invalid, and a touchless mode in which the touch operation is invalid and the touchless operation is valid. Means for selecting either one, and based on the user operation on the above being the touch operation, operating the information processing device in the touch mode, and based on the user operation on the above being a touchless operation, operating the information processing device in the touchless mode. Display control for displaying a selection screen means, the Contents included in the selection screen Based on the user operation being the touch operation, the information processing device is operated in the touch mode, and the Contents included in the selection screen Based on the user operation being a touchless operation, the information processing device is operated in the touchless mode.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the convenience of user operation of an information processing device corresponding to both touch operation and touchless operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus in the present embodiment. The information processing apparatus in the present embodiment includes, for example, a touch panel and a hand sensor, and can receive touch operations and touchless operations of the user. In the present embodiment, an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) having a printing function and a scanning function is used as an example of the information processing apparatus for explanation, but the present invention is not limited to the MFP.

[0010] The MFP 101 is an image forming apparatus including a scanner 132 and a printer 133. The scanner 132 is an image input device that optically reads a document and generates an electronic file (scan data) based on the scan. The printer 133 is an image output device that forms an image corresponding to print data received from the outside and outputs it to a sheet, or optically reads the document image set on the scanner 305 and outputs it to a sheet. The MFP 101 further includes a control unit 110, a touch panel 120, and a hand sensor 131.

[0011] The control unit 110 controls the operation of the entire MFP 101. The control unit 110 includes a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an HDD 114, a touch panel I / F 115, a hand sensor I / F 116, a scanner I / F 117, and a printer I / F 118. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111 reads and executes control programs stored in the ROM 112 and the HDD 114, thereby executing control processing of hardware and software. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 202 is a non-volatile storage area that stores various data such as the basic control program and applications of the MFP 101. The RAM (Random Access Memory) 113 is used as a main memory of the CPU 111 and a temporary storage area such as a work area. The HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 114 stores image data and various programs.

[0012] The touch panel 120 includes a liquid crystal display unit 121 that displays a screen and a touch sensor 122 that detects information on the user's touch on the screen. The touch panel I / F 115 is an interface that connects the touch panel 120 and the control unit 110. The touch panel I / F 115 outputs data to be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 121 to the touch panel 120. Further, the touch panel I / F 115 sends information on a contact operation (touch operation) by the user detected by the touch sensor 122 to the CPU 111.

[0013] The hand sensor 131 detects the state of the user's hand or fingers in the upper space of the liquid crystal display unit 121. Examples of the information detected by the hand sensor 131 include the distance from the fingertip to the liquid crystal display unit 121, the type and number of extended fingers, the left or right of the hand, and the movement of the hand or fingers (hand gesture). The user can perform a touchless operation without contacting the touch panel 120 based on the information detected by the hand sensor 131. The hand sensor I / F 116 is an interface that connects the hand sensor 131 and the control unit 110. The hand sensor I / F 116 sends the state of the user's hand or fingers detected by the hand sensor 131 to the CPU 111.

[0014] The scanner I / F 117 is an interface that connects the scanner 132 and the control unit 110. The scanner 132 reads a document to generate image data and inputs the read image data to the control unit 110 via the scanner I / F 117. The printer I / F 118 is an interface that connects the printer 133 and the control unit 110. The image data to be printed by the printer 133 is transferred from the control unit 110 to the printer 133 via the printer I / F 118 and printed on a recording medium such as paper by the printer 133.

[0015] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The software configuration is realized and the processes described later are executed by the CPU 111 reading, analyzing, and executing the programs stored in the ROM 112 and HDD 114 of the MFP 101 into the RAM 113. The MFP 101 includes a device setting management unit 201, a device setting management table holding unit 202, a screen control unit 203, a hardware control unit 204, and an operation control unit 205.

[0016] The device setting management unit 201 manages the setting items that can be set in the MFP 101 and their values. For example, the device setting management unit 201 manages the setting information regarding the user's operation method. Also, the device setting management unit 201 manages the reset time until the operation method is reset. The device setting management table holding unit 202 holds the setting information managed by the device setting management unit 201 as a device setting management table. The device setting management table is recorded in the RAM 113 or the HDD 114. An example of the device setting management table held by the device setting management table holding unit 202 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0017] The screen control unit 203 controls the screen to be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 121. An example of the screen to be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 121 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. The hardware control unit 204 controls the hardware of the MFP 101, such as the touch panel 120, the hand sensor 131, the scanner 132, and the printer 133, via each I / F. The operation control unit 205 controls the operation method (operation mode) of the user that the MFP 101 accepts. The operation control unit 205 determines the operation method of the user that the MFP 101 accepts according to the operation mode set in the device setting management table. When the operation mode defined in the device setting management table is "automatic", the operation control unit 205 determines the operation method according to the operation by the user.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the device setting management table. The device setting management table is managed by the device setting management unit 201 and held by the device setting management table holding unit 202. One row (one record) of the device setting management table is the definition of one setting, and a combination of a setting item and its setting value is defined in each row. The setting item 301 is a column representing the setting item. The setting value 302 is a column defining the setting value for the setting item. The device setting management table of the present embodiment includes the setting of the operation mode that defines the operation method of the user and the setting of the automatic reset time that defines the time until the operation mode is reset.

[0019] The operation mode 311 is a setting where the setting item 301 is "operation mode" and the setting value 302 is "automatic". The operation mode is a setting item that determines the operation method of the MFP 101. The setting values 302 that can be set for the operation mode are three types: "touch", "touchless", and "automatic". When the setting value 302 is "touch", the MFP 101 enables only the user's touch operations. When the setting value 302 is "touchless", the MFP 101 enables only the user's touchless operations. When the setting value 302 is "automatic", the operation method to be used on subsequent screens is determined according to the operation performed by the user at the start of the operation of the MFP 101. That is, when the user performs a touch operation at the start of the operation of the MFP 101, only the user's touch operations are enabled for the operation method used on subsequent screens. On the other hand, when the user performs a touchless operation at the start of the operation of the MFP 101, only the user's touchless operations are enabled for the operation method used on subsequent screens.

[0020] The automatic reset time 312 is a setting where the setting item 301 is "automatic reset time" and the setting value 302 is "60 sec". The automatic reset time is a setting item that determines a predetermined time until the automatic reset of the operation method is performed. Automatic reset is a function that automatically returns the MFP 101 to the state at startup when no operation has been performed for a predetermined time or more after the user has finished operating the MFP 101. The setting value 302 that can be set for the automatic reset time is any time. When "60 sec" is set for the setting value 302, if no operation has been performed for 60 seconds after the user has finished operating the MFP 101, the setting of the operation method of the MFP 101 is reset (initialized). For example, when the operation mode is set to "automatic", the operation method set to touch operation or touchless operation is reset by the automatic reset, and the operation method of the user that becomes valid according to the operation performed by the user first after the automatic reset is determined.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation method selection screen of the MFP 101. The operation method selection screen is a screen that is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 121 when the MFP 101 is started up when the operation mode is set to "automatic". Two examples, FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), will be described as examples of the operation method selection screen. The operation method to be accepted hereafter is determined according to the operation performed by the user on the operation method selection screen.

[0022] FIG. 4(A) is an example in the case where there is one icon displayed on the operation method selection screen. The operation method selection screen 400 has an icon 401. The icon 401 corresponds to both touch operations and touchless operations. The user can select the icon 401 by a touch operation or by a touchless operation. When the user selects the icon 401 by a touch operation, only touch operations will be enabled on the subsequent screens. On the other hand, when the user selects the icon 401 by a touchless operation, only touchless operations will be enabled on the subsequent screens.

[0023] FIG. 4(B) is an example in the case where there are two icons displayed on the operation method selection screen. The operation method selection screen 410 has two icons, an icon 411 corresponding to a touch operation and an icon 412 corresponding to a touchless operation. The icons 411 and 412 are icons for selecting the operation method to be used on the subsequent screens. The icon 411 is an icon for selecting a touch operation, and the icon 412 is an icon for selecting a touchless operation. Also, the operation method for selecting each icon is determined, and the icon 411 can only be selected by a touch operation, and the icon 412 can only be selected by a touchless operation. In this way, by limiting the operation method for selecting each icon, the possibility that the user will make a wrong selection is suppressed. When the user selects the icon 411 by a touch operation, only touch operations will be enabled on the subsequent screens. On the other hand, when the user selects the icon 412 by a touchless operation, only touchless operations will be enabled on the subsequent screens.

[0024] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are flowcharts showing the processing of the MFP 101 in the first embodiment. This flow starts when the MFP 101 is activated. Each process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is realized by the CPU 111 reading out the program stored in the HDD 114 of the MFP 101 into the RAM 113, analyzing, and executing it.

[0025] In step S501, the operation control unit 205 acquires the setting values of the operation mode 311 and the automatic reset time 312 defined in the device setting management table held by the device setting management table holding unit 202. In step S502, the operation control unit 205 determines whether the setting value of the operation mode 311 is any of "touch", "touchless", and "automatic". The operation control unit 205 branches the subsequent processing according to the setting value of the operation mode 311. When the setting value of the operation mode 311 is "touch", the process proceeds to step S508. When the setting value is "touchless", the process proceeds to step S509. When the setting value is "automatic", the process proceeds to step S503. As shown in steps S501 to S502, in this embodiment, first, the operation method is determined according to the setting information defined in the device setting management table. When the operation method is "automatic", that is, when the operation method cannot be determined only by the setting information, the process proceeds to step S503, and a series of processes for determining the operation method according to the user's operation are performed.

[0026] When the setting value is "automatic", in step S503, the hardware control unit 204 enables the touch sensor 122 and the hand sensor 131. Since both the touch sensor 122 and the hand sensor 131 are enabled, both touch operations and touchless operations by the user can be detected. In step S504, the screen control unit 203 displays an operation method selection screen on the liquid crystal display unit 121. As the operation method selection screen, the screen control unit 203 displays, for example, the operation method selection screen 400 in FIG. 4(A) or the operation method selection screen 410 in FIG. 4(B) on the liquid crystal display unit 121 to prompt the user to operate.

[0027] In step S505, the hardware control unit 204 waits for a user operation on the touch sensor 122 or the hand sensor 131, and determines whether the user operation has been detected. When the hardware control unit 204 detects a user operation, it proceeds to step S506. On the other hand, if the user operation cannot be detected, this step is repeated. The user operation detected in step S505 is the first user operation after the activation of the MFP 101. That is, it is the operation at the start of the operation. In step S506, the operation control unit 205 records the current system time as the "last operation time" in the RAM 113 or the HDD 114.

[0028] In step S507, the operation control unit 205 determines whether the user operation at the start of the operation detected in step S505 is a touch operation or a touchless operation. If the detected user operation is a touch operation on the touch sensor 122, the process proceeds to step S508. On the other hand, if the detected user operation is a touchless operation on the hand sensor 131, the process proceeds to step S509. In this way, when the operation method cannot be determined only by the operation modes defined in the device setting management table (when the operation mode is "automatic"), the operation methods corresponding to the user operations can be determined by performing the processes of steps S503 to S507.

[0029] Step S508 is a process executed when the operation mode is "touch" or when the user operation on the operation method selection screen is a touch operation and the operation mode is "automatic". In step S508, the operation control unit 205 instructs the hardware control unit 204 to enable the touch sensor 122 and disable the hand sensor 131. By turning on the touch sensor 122 and turning off the hand sensor 131, only the touch operation by the user is detected in the subsequent steps, and the touchless operation is no longer detected.

[0030] Step S509 is a process that is executed when the operation mode is "touchless" or when the operation mode is "automatic" and the user's operation on the operation method selection screen is a touchless operation. In step S509, the operation control unit 205 instructs the hardware control unit 204 to disable the touch sensor 122 and enable the hand sensor 131. By turning on the hand sensor 131 and turning off the touch sensor 122, only touchless operations by the user are detected in subsequent steps, and touch operations are no longer detected.

[0031] In step S510, the screen control unit 203 displays the home screen on the liquid crystal display unit 121. The home screen is a screen on which icons for calling functions and applications that the MFP 101 has are arranged.

[0032] In step S511, the operation control unit 205 determines whether the elapsed time from the last operation has exceeded a predetermined time (automatic reset time) obtained in step S501 to reset the operation method. Specifically, first, the operation control unit 205 calculates the elapsed time since the user last operated the MFP 101 as the difference between the current system time and the recorded last operation time. Then, the operation control unit 205 compares the calculated elapsed time with the set value of the automatic reset time 312 and determines whether the elapsed time has exceeded the set value of the automatic reset time 312. If the elapsed time has reached the automatic reset time, the process proceeds to step S502 to reset (initialize) the operation mode. When the operation mode is reset, the process of determining the operation mode again is performed in steps S502 to S509. When the operation mode is "automatic", in steps S505 to S507 after reset, it is determined which of the touch operation and the touchless operation is to be enabled according to the first detected user operation after reset. On the other hand, if the elapsed time has not exceeded the automatic reset time, the process proceeds to step S512.

[0033] In step S512, the hardware control unit 204 waits for a user operation on the screen displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 121. When the hardware control unit 204 detects a user operation, it proceeds to step S513. If no user operation is detected, it returns to step S511.

[0034] In step S513, the hardware control unit 204 determines whether the operation by the user detected in step S512 is an instruction to shut down. If the operation by the user is a shutdown instruction, the hardware control unit 204 proceeds to step S516. On the other hand, if the operation by the user is not a shutdown instruction, the hardware control unit 204 proceeds to step S514.

[0035] In step S514, the operation control unit 205 records the current system time as the "last operation time" in the RAM 113 or the HDD 114. In step S515, the hardware control unit 204 performs various processes according to the operation by the user detected in step S512. For example, when the user performs an operation to select an application on the home screen, the hardware control unit 204 starts the selected application. When the user gives a print instruction, the hardware control unit 204 performs a printing process using the printer 133. After the hardware control unit 204 performs the process according to the user operation, it returns to step S512 and waits for a new user operation. If no new operation is received from the user until the automatic reset time elapses after performing the process according to the user operation (NO in step S512, YES in step S511), the set operation mode is initialized and it returns to step S502. In step S516, the hardware control unit 204 performs a shutdown process to turn off the power of the MFP 101 and ends this flow.

[0036] As described above, according to this embodiment, in an information processing apparatus that supports both touch operations and touchless operations, it is possible to control which of the touch operation and the touchless operation accepts only one of the operations according to the operation by the user. As a result, each user can operate the shared information processing apparatus in a preferred operation method, suppress incorrect operations caused by the operation method not selected, and improve the convenience for the user.

[0037] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, as a method of disabling one of the touch operation and the touchless operation, a process of disabling the touch sensor 122 or the hand sensor 131, which is hardware, is performed. However, depending on the type of sensor (touch sensor 122, hand sensor 131), there may be a case where the sensor cannot be disabled. Therefore, in the second embodiment, an embodiment in which the input of the touch sensor 122 or the hand sensor 131 is ignored by software as a method of disabling one of the touch operation and the touchless operation will be described. In the second embodiment, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0038] FIGS. 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing the processing of the MFP 101 in the second embodiment. This flow starts when the MFP 101 is activated. Each process shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is realized by the CPU 111 reading out the program stored in the HDD 114 of the MFP 101 into the RAM 113, analyzing, and executing it. FIGS. 7 and 8 are flowcharts modified from FIGS. 5 and 6 of the first embodiment, and the differences from FIGS. 5 and 6 will be described below.

[0039] In step S701, the hardware control unit 204 enables both the touch sensor 122 and the hand sensor 131. In step S502, the operation control unit 205 determines whether the set value of the operation mode 311 is "Touch", "Touchless", or "Automatic". The operation control unit 205 branches the subsequent processing according to the set value of the operation mode 311. If the set value of the operation mode 311 is "Touch", the process proceeds to step S712. If the set value is "Touchless", the process proceeds to step S713. If the set value is "Automatic", the process proceeds to step S711.

[0040] In step S711, the operation control unit 205 records the sensor mode as "Both" in the RAM 113 or the HDD 114. Here, the sensor mode determines how to handle the information received from each of the touch sensor 122 and the hand sensor 131. In addition to "Both", the sensor modes include "TouchOnly" and "TouchlessOnly". "Both" is a mode that enables both touch operations and touchless operations. "TouchOnly" is a mode that enables touch operations and disables touchless operations. "TouchlessOnly" is a mode that enables touchless operations and disables touch operations. The details of the processing according to the sensor mode will be described later using the flowchart of FIG. 9. After setting the sensor mode to "Both", the operation control unit 205 proceeds to step S504. In step S504, the screen control unit 203 displays an operation method selection screen on the liquid crystal display unit 121 and proceeds to step S721.

[0041] In step S721, the hardware control unit 204 waits for the user's operation on the touch sensor 122 or the hand sensor 131 and determines whether the user's operation on either sensor has been detected. When the hardware control unit 204 detects the user's operation, the process proceeds to step S506. On the other hand, if the user's operation cannot be detected, this step is repeated.

[0042] In step S507, the operation control unit 205 determines whether the user operation detected in step S721 is a touch operation or a touchless operation. If the detected user operation is a touch operation on the touch sensor 122, the process proceeds to step S712. On the other hand, if the detected user operation is a touchless operation on the hand sensor 131, the process proceeds to step S713.

[0043] In step S712, the operation control unit 205 records the sensor mode as "TouchOnly" in the RAM 113 or the HDD 114. By setting the sensor mode to "TouchOnly", the touchless operation detected by the hand sensor 131 becomes invalid, and only the touch operation detected by the touch sensor 122 becomes valid.

[0044] In step S712, the operation control unit 205 records the sensor mode as "TouchlessOnly" in the RAM 113 or the HDD 114. By setting the sensor mode to "TouchlessOnly", the touch operation detected by the touch sensor 122 becomes invalid, and only the touchless operation detected by the hand sensor 131 becomes valid.

[0045] In step S731, the hardware control unit 204 waits for the user's operation, and the operation control unit 205 determines whether a user operation corresponding to the sensor mode is detected. In the first embodiment, either the touch sensor 122 or the hand sensor 131 was disabled according to the set value of the operation mode 311 and the user operation when the operation selection screen was displayed, so it was possible to detect only the operation on the sensor that was not disabled. In the second embodiment, the detection process of the user operation corresponding to the sensor mode is performed while the touch sensor 122 and the hand sensor 131 are enabled. The details of the process for determining whether the operation detected in step S731 is an operation corresponding to the sensor mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the detection process of user operations in the second embodiment. This process starts when the touch sensor 122 or the hand sensor 131 detects an operation by the user. In step S901, the hardware control unit 204 receives sensor input from the touch sensor 122 that has detected a touch operation or the hand sensor 131 that has detected a touchless operation.

[0047] In step S902, the operation control unit 205 determines whether the sensor input received by the hardware control unit 204 in step S901 is from either the touch sensor 122 or the hand sensor 131. If the input source is the touch sensor 122, the operation control unit 205 proceeds to step S903. On the other hand, if the input source is the hand sensor 131, the operation control unit 205 proceeds to step S911.

[0048] When receiving an input from the touch sensor 122, that is, when the user performs a touch operation, in step S903, the operation control unit 205 determines the currently set sensor mode. If the sensor mode is "TouchOnly", the operation control unit 205 proceeds to step S904. On the other hand, if the sensor mode is "TouchlessOnly", the operation control unit 205 proceeds to step S905. In step S904, the operation control unit 205 determines that an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has been detected. If an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has been detected, the process proceeds to step S513. On the other hand, in step S905, the operation control unit 205 determines that an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has not been detected. If an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has not been detected, the process returns to step S511. That is, when the sensor mode is "TouchlessOnly", even if there is an input from the touch sensor 122, it is ignored.

[0049] When the input from the hand sensor 131 is received, that is, when the user performs a touchless operation, in step S911, the hardware control unit 204 determines the currently set sensor mode. If the sensor mode is "TouchlessOnly", the hardware control unit 204 proceeds to step S912. On the other hand, if the sensor mode is "TouchOnly", the hardware control unit 204 proceeds to step S905. In step S912, the operation control unit 205 determines that an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has been detected. If an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has been detected, the process proceeds to step S513. On the other hand, in step S905, the operation control unit 205 determines that an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has not been detected. If an operation corresponding to the sensor mode has not been detected, the process returns to step S511. That is, when the sensor mode is "TouchOnly", the input from the hand sensor 131 is ignored even if there is an input.

[0050] In step S731, if it is determined that a user operation corresponding to the sensor mode has been detected, the process proceeds to step S513. On the other hand, if no operation by the user is detected, or if it is determined that the operation by the user is not an operation corresponding to the sensor mode, the process returns to step S511.

[0051] As described above, according to the procedure described in this embodiment, even in an information processing apparatus having a sensor that cannot be disabled hardware-wise, it is possible to control so that either a touch operation or a touchless operation accepts only one of the operations according to the user's operation. As a result, each user can operate the shared information processing apparatus in a preferred operation method, suppress misoperations caused by the unselected operation method, and improve the convenience for the user.

[0052] (Other Embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and causing one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus to read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0053] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist thereof.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus capable of receiving touch operations and touchless operations, comprising display control means for displaying a selection screen for selecting either a touch mode in which the touch operation is valid and the touchless operation is invalid, or a touchless mode in which the touch operation is invalid and the touchless operation is valid, operating the information processing apparatus in the touch mode based on the fact that a user operation on the content included in the selection screen is the touch operation, and operating the information processing apparatus in the touchless mode based on the fact that a user operation on the content included in the selection screen is a touchless operation An information processing apparatus characterized by the above.

2. The selection screen includes predetermined content that accepts both the touch operation and the touchless operation, operating the information processing apparatus in the touch mode based on the fact that a user operation on the predetermined content is the touch operation, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the information processing apparatus is operated in the touchless mode based on the fact that a user operation on the predetermined content is a touchless operation.

3. The content displayed on the content screen includes touch content that accepts only the touch operation and touchless content that accepts only the touchless operation, operating the information processing apparatus in the touch mode based on the fact that a user operation on the touch content is the touch operation, The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the information processing apparatus is operated in the touchless mode based on the fact that a user operation on the touchless content is a touchless operation.

4. In the content screen, when either the touch mode or the touchless mode is selected, a home screen, which is a screen for selecting an application related to the functions of the information processing apparatus, is displayed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. When the information processing apparatus is started and is set to operate in the touch mode, the information processing apparatus is operated in the touch mode, When the information processing apparatus is activated and is set to operate in the touchless mode, the information processing apparatus is operated in the touchless mode. When the information processing apparatus is activated and is not set to operate in either the touch mode or the touchless mode, the display control means displays the selection screen for selecting either the touch mode or the touchless mode. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that.

6. The display control means displays the selection screen for selecting the touch mode and the touchless mode when the information processing apparatus is activated. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that.

7. When a predetermined time has elapsed without any user operation on the information processing apparatus, the operation mode of the information processing apparatus determined based on the user operation on the content in the selection screen is reset. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that.

8. When the operation mode of the information processing apparatus is reset, the operation mode of the information processing apparatus is determined based on whether the first detected user operation after the reset is a touch operation or a touchless operation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. The information processing apparatus is a printer. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that.

10. A control method for an information processing apparatus capable of receiving a touch operation and a touchless operation, including a display control step of displaying a selection screen for selecting either a touch mode in which the touch operation is valid and the touchless operation is invalid or a touchless mode in which the touch operation is invalid and the touchless operation is valid, operating the information processing apparatus in the touch mode based on the fact that the user operation on the content included in the selection screen is a touch operation, and operating the information processing apparatus in the touchless mode based on the fact that the user operation on the content included in the selection screen is a touchless operation. A control method for an information processing apparatus, characterized by the above.

11. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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