Information processing device and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device and an information processing program capable of starting the transport of a document with a more intuitive operation than when the transport of the document is started by an operation that does not consider the actual transport direction of the document.SOLUTION: When an operation to start document feeding by an automatic document feeder 18A is performed, an image of each operation area indicating a movement range of an operation unit and the operation unit is displayed such that the operation unit displayed on a display unit 16 moves in the vertical direction along the document feeding direction by the automatic document feeder 18A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 proposes an information processing device that displays an enlarged rotation button as an operation area for performing a slide operation in response to an instruction for the rotation button that is the object of operation, and performs information processing using parameters that continuously change in response to the slide operation in the operation area.

[0003] Patent document 2 proposes an image forming device that calculates the distance between the position where a touch operation is performed on a copy start button of a copy widget displayed on a touch panel of an operation unit and the position where the touch operation is released, and determines that a tap operation has been performed if the released position is within the area of ​​the copy start button where the touch operation was performed and the calculated distance is less than a predetermined distance, and determines that a tap operation has not been performed if the released position is within the area of ​​the GUI component where the touch operation was performed and the calculated distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance.

[0004] Patent document 3 proposes a conveying device that includes a conveying unit that conveys a sheet, a processing unit that processes the sheet, a detection unit that detects the movement of a pointer on a detection surface, and a conveying control unit that conveys the sheet in a direction corresponding to the movement of the pointer by a distance corresponding to the movement of the pointer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6267418 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-194874 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6589456 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To provide an information processing device and an information processing program that can start transporting a document with a more intuitive operation than when starting transporting a document with an operation that does not take into account the actual transport direction of the document. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the information processing device according to the first aspect includes a processor, and the processor displays an operation unit on a display unit that can move along the transport direction of the document by a transport unit that transports the document, and when a movement operation to move the operation unit along the transport direction is received while the operation unit is selected, the processor performs processing to start transporting the document by the transport unit.

[0008] In addition, in an information processing device according to a second aspect, in the information processing device according to the first aspect, the processor further displays an operation area indicating a range of movement within which the operation unit moves, and when a predetermined state is reached in which the transport speed can be increased after the transport of the document has begun, extends and displays the operation area, and when a movement operation to move the operation unit along the extended operation area is received, further performs processing to increase the transport speed of the document.

[0009] In addition, in an information processing device according to a third aspect, in the information processing device according to the first aspect, the processor further displays an operation area indicating a range of movement within which the operation unit moves, displays a movable area and an unmovable area within the operation area, and when a predetermined state is reached in which the transport speed can be increased after the transport of the document has begun, changes the unmovable area to the movable area and displays it, and when a movement operation to move the operation unit along the movable area is received, further performs processing to increase the transport speed of the document.

[0010] In addition, an information processing device according to a fourth aspect is the information processing device according to the second or third aspect, wherein the predetermined state is a state in which an original can be stably transported.

[0011] In addition, an information processing device according to a fifth aspect is an information processing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein when there are multiple document transport directions, the processor performs processing to change and display an operation area indicating the range of movement of the operation unit according to the document transport direction.

[0012] In addition, an information processing program according to a sixth aspect causes a computer to display on a display unit an operation unit that can move along the transport direction of the document by a transport unit that transports the document, and when a movement operation that moves the operation unit along the transport direction is received while the operation unit is selected, executes a process to start transporting the document by the transport unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the first aspect, it is possible to provide an information processing device that allows the user to start transporting a document with a more intuitive operation than when starting transporting a document with an operation that does not take into account the actual transport direction of the document.

[0014] According to the second aspect, it is possible to visually notify that it is now possible to increase the document transport speed.

[0015] According to the third aspect, it is possible to visually notify whether it is possible to increase the document conveyance speed or not.

[0016] According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to increase the document transport speed while suppressing damage such as wrinkles on the document.

[0017] According to the fifth aspect, even when there are multiple document transport directions, an information processing device can be provided that can start document transport with a more intuitive operation than when document transport is started with an operation that does not take into account the actual document transport direction.

[0018] According to the sixth aspect, it is possible to provide an information processing program that allows the user to start transporting a document with a more intuitive operation than when starting transporting a document with an operation that does not take into account the actual transport direction of the document. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of a part of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of an automatic document reader. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation unit and an operation area. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which an operation area is enlarged and displayed. [Figure 7] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of processing performed by the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example in which an operation area is displayed in different display modes depending on whether the operation area is movable or immovable; [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example in which only an instruction to start transporting a document is accepted by operating the operation unit without expanding the operation area of ​​the operation unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the external appearance of a part of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of processing performed by the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An example of an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that components and processes that perform the same operations, actions, and functions are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. Each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the technology of the present disclosure. Therefore, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in this embodiment, descriptions of configurations that are not directly related to the present invention or well-known configurations may be omitted.

[0021] In the embodiment, an example of an information processing device that performs processing to instruct the execution of a predetermined function by a user's manual operation (hereinafter referred to as user operation) on an operation unit such as a mark displayed on a display unit or the like will be described.

[0022] In the present disclosure, the term "operation unit" refers to a concept that includes an image displayed on a display unit such as a monitor. A "movement operation" refers to an operation of moving the operation unit while it is selected, and is a concept that includes sequential movement and change of the designated position by a user operation. Examples of movement operations include user operations that move while touching a display unit such as a monitor, such as dragging, sliding, swiping, and flicking, in which the user continues to perform a touch operation between a start point and an end point. "Start of movement operation" refers to a user operation that starts contact with a display unit such as a monitor, as the start of a user instruction. "Completion of movement operation" refers to a user operation that ends a user instruction by releasing contact.

[0023] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0024] 1, an image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 as an example of a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an input / output interface (I / O) 14, a storage unit 15, a display unit 16, a speaker 17, a document reading unit 18, an image forming unit 19, and a communication unit 20. The image forming apparatus 10 is an example of an information processing apparatus.

[0025] The CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14 are connected to each other via a bus. The I / O 14 is connected to various functional units including a storage unit 15, a display unit 16, a speaker 17, a document reading unit 18, an image forming unit 19, and a communication unit 20. These functional units can communicate with the CPU 11 via the I / O 14.

[0026] The control unit is configured with the CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14. The control unit may be configured as a sub-control unit that controls part of the operation of the image forming apparatus 10, or may be configured as part of the main control unit that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10. For example, an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) or an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip set is used for some or all of the blocks of the control unit. Individual circuits may be used for each of the above blocks, or a circuit in which some or all of the blocks are integrated may be used. The above blocks may be provided integrally, or some of the blocks may be provided separately. Furthermore, parts of each of the above blocks may be provided separately. The integration of the control unit is not limited to LSI, and a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor may also be used.

[0027] For example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like is used as the storage unit 15. An information processing program 15A according to this embodiment is stored in the storage unit 15. Note that this information processing program 15A may be stored in the ROM 12.

[0028] The information processing program 15A may be pre-installed in the image forming apparatus 10, for example. The information processing program 15A may be realized by storing it in a non-volatile storage medium or distributing it via a network and installing it appropriately in the image forming apparatus 10. Note that examples of non-volatile storage media include a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a magneto-optical disk, a HDD, a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a memory card, etc.

[0029] The display unit 16 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display. As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 16 has an integrated touch panel 16A, and accepts various input operations by the user via the touch panel 16A. For example, a capacitance type is used for the touch panel 16A. Other types of touch panel, such as a pressure-sensitive type, may also be used for the touch panel 16A. Furthermore, the speaker 17 outputs preset sound effects and the like in response to various input operations. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the external appearance of a portion of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment.

[0030] 2, the document reading unit 18 takes in documents 22 placed on a paper feed tray of an automatic document feeder 18A provided on the top of the image forming apparatus 10, one by one, and obtains image information by optically reading the taken-in documents 22. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the automatic document reading device 18A.

[0031] 3, the automatic document feeder 18A includes a first pair of transport rollers 24A and a second pair of transport rollers 24B as a transport unit, and transports the original 22 by the first pair of transport rollers 24A and the second pair of transport rollers 24B. A first detection sensor 26A is provided upstream of the first pair of transport rollers 24A in the document transport direction to detect whether the original 22 is ready to be transported by detecting the original 22. A second detection sensor 26B is provided downstream of the second pair of transport rollers 24B in the document transport direction to detect whether the transport of the original 22 is ready to be accelerated by detecting the original 22. A contact image sensor (CIS) 28 is provided between the first pair of transport rollers 24A and the second pair of transport rollers 24B to optically read the original 22 and obtain image information. In this embodiment, when the first detection sensor 26A detects the original 22, the original becomes ready to be conveyed, and when an instruction to start conveying the original 22 is received from the display unit 16, conveyance of the original 22 begins, and the image is read by the CIS 28 to obtain image information. Then, when the original 22 reaches the second conveying roller pair 24B, the second detection sensor 26B detects the original 22, and detects that the conveyance of the original 22 has stabilized and the speed can be increased.

[0032] Alternatively, the document reading unit 18 optically reads a document 22 placed on a document table such as a platen glass to obtain image information.

[0033] The image forming unit 19 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper based on image information obtained by reading by the document reading unit 18 or image information obtained from an external PC (Personal Computer) or the like connected via a network. Note that in this embodiment, an electrophotographic method is used as an example of a method for forming an image, but other methods such as an inkjet method may also be used.

[0034] When the image formation method is electrophotography, the image forming unit 19 includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit. The charging unit applies a voltage to the photosensitive drum to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum. The exposure unit forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum by exposing the photosensitive drum, which has been charged by the charging unit, to light corresponding to image information. The development unit develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with toner to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum. The transfer unit transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum to a recording medium. The fixing unit fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium by applying heat and pressure.

[0035] The communication unit 20 is connected to a network such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN), and is capable of communicating with an external PC or the like via the network.

[0036] The CPU 11 of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment writes the information processing program 15A stored in the storage unit 15 into the RAM 13 and executes it, thereby functioning as each unit shown in FIG.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0038] 4, the CPU 11 of the image forming apparatus F10 according to this embodiment functions as a display control unit 11A. The display control unit 11A includes the functions of a touch detection unit 11B and an operation control unit 11C.

[0039] The touch detection unit 11B detects the contact and contact position of the user's finger with the operation unit displayed as an image on the display unit 16. The operation control unit 11C has a control function for controlling the display of an image on the display unit 16 based on the detection result of the touch detection unit 11B, and a control function for controlling the execution and suspension of the execution of a function corresponding to the operation unit displayed as an image on the display unit 16.

[0040] The operation control unit 11C includes a tracking control unit 11D, which controls the display of an image on the display unit 16 and the display of the operation unit displayed as an image so as to follow a movement operation by the user. That is, the tracking control unit 11D displays the operation unit on the display unit 16, and when the user moves the operation unit, displays the operation unit at a position on the display unit 16 that follows the movement operation. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the tracking control unit 11D displays the operation unit 30 and an operation area 32 indicating the movement range of the operation unit 30 as images on the display unit 16. In this embodiment, for example, when an operation is performed to start document feeding by the automatic document feeder 18A, the operation unit 30 and the operation area 32 are displayed so that the operation unit 30 moves along the document feed direction of the automatic document feeder 18A. Specifically, the images of the operation unit 30 and the operation area 32 are displayed so that the operation unit 30 moves along the vertical direction of the display unit 16, which is a direction that approximately matches the feed direction of the document 22 indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2 . As a result, the operation unit 30 moves along the document feed direction, and the feed direction of the document 22 and the operation direction of the operation unit 30 roughly coincide with each other, resulting in an intuitive operation. As an example of the operation unit 30 and operation area 32, as shown in FIG. 5, a rectangular operation unit 30 and a rectangular operation area 32 are displayed as images, and the operation unit 30 is made movable along the operation area 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the up-down direction on the paper surface of the display unit 16 is the vertical direction, and the left-right direction on the paper surface of the display unit 16 is the vertical direction. FIG. 5 is also a diagram showing an example of the operation unit 30 and operation area 32.

[0041] Furthermore, when the original 22 is conveyed and detected by the second detection sensor 26B of the automatic document feeder 18A, the follow-up control unit 11D enlarges and displays the operation area 32 to enlarge the range in which the operation unit 30 moves, as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example in which the operation area 32 is enlarged and displayed.

[0042] Furthermore, when the movement operation of the operation unit 30, which is displayed to follow the movement operation by the user, is completed, the operation control unit 11C controls whether a function is not executed or executed, depending on the position of the operation unit 30. The non-execution of a function refers to control of maintaining a state in which execution of a function is not started (for example, an initial state) due to a movement operation that does not result in an instruction to execute the function. Furthermore, the control of execution of a function includes control of executing a predetermined function or control of stopping execution of a predetermined function.

[0043] Here, a brief description will be given of the execution of functions by the CPU 11 of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. Note that, although execution of a function by the CPU 11 is exemplified by execution of a copy function of the document 22, the execution of the function is not limited to execution of the copy function of the document 22, and may be other functions executed in the image forming apparatus 10. For example, a reading function for reading the document 22 may be applied, or another function requiring the transportation of the document 22, such as a facsimile function, may be applied. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 is described as an example of an information processing apparatus, but this is not limiting, and an image reading device may also be applied.

[0044] In the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, the above-mentioned operation unit 30 is displayed on the display unit 16 to accept instructions to execute a function. In the following description, the rightward direction in the horizontal direction of the screen when the user is viewing the screen will be referred to as the X direction, and the upward direction in the vertical direction will be referred to as the Y direction.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5, by touching the operation unit 30 with a finger and performing a movement operation such as dragging or sliding along the Y direction to the end of the operation area 32 and then releasing the finger, the instruction to execute the function is completed and the automatic document feeder 18A starts transporting the document 22 as the execution of the function.

[0046] In this embodiment, the instruction to execute the function is canceled if the finger is released before the operation unit 30 moves to the end of the operation area 32. Note that the operation unit 30 may change color when touched by the user's finger to indicate that a movement operation such as dragging or sliding is possible.

[0047] Furthermore, when the transport of the original 22 starts and a predetermined state is reached in which the transport speed of the original 22 can be increased, the range in which the operation unit 30 moves is expanded. Specifically, when the second detection sensor 26B detects the edge of the original 22, the operation area 32 is enlarged and the range in which the operation unit 30 moves is enlarged as shown in FIG. 6 . Then, when the operation unit 30 moves to the edge of the enlarged operation area 32, an instruction to increase the transport speed of the original 22 is accepted, and the transport speed of the original 22 is increased. Note that in this embodiment, when the operation unit 30 moves to the edge of the operation area 32, an instruction to increase the transport speed of the original 22 is accepted, but this is not limited to this. For example, the speed may be increased to a value corresponding to the operation position of the operation unit 30.

[0048] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. The processing in Fig. 7 is assumed to be initiated when the information processing program 15A is started when the image forming apparatus 10 is instructed to display a predetermined screen, such as an image for executing a copy function of the document 22, for example.

[0049] In step 100, the CPU 11 detects an operation position on a predetermined screen that is touched by the user's finger, and the process proceeds to step .

[0050] In step 102, the CPU 11 determines whether the operation position detected in step 100 is the position of the operation unit 30. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 104, and if the determination is negative, the process returns to step 100 and the above-described process is repeated. Note that when contact of a finger with the operation unit 30 is detected, the display form of the operation unit 30 may be changed, for example, by changing the color, to indicate that the function is scheduled to be executed.

[0051] In step 104, the CPU 11 determines whether the operation position has moved. This determination determines whether a movement operation such as dragging or sliding has been performed. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 106, and if the determination is negative, the process returns to step 100 and the above-described process is repeated.

[0052] In step 106, the CPU 11 detects the operation position of the user's finger, derives the position of the operation unit 30 to follow the operation position, displays and stores the derived result, and then proceeds to step 108.

[0053] In step 108, the CPU 11 determines whether the operation completion position has reached the transport start position. This determination is made by determining whether the operation unit 30 has been moved to the end of the operation area 32, as shown in Fig. 5. If the operation completion position has not reached the transport start position, the determination is denied and the process proceeds to step 110, and if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 112. The movement operation is determined to be complete when the user's finger is released from the operation unit 30 (including when the tracking relationship between the user's finger and the operation unit 30 is released).

[0054] In step 110, the CPU 11 resets the stored operation position and returns to step 100 to repeat the above-described processing.

[0055] In step 112, the CPU 11 determines whether the document is ready for transport. This determination is made by determining whether the first detection sensor 26A of the automatic document feeder 18A has detected the edge of the document 22. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 114, and if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 116.

[0056] In step 114, the CPU 11 issues a document confirmation warning such as displaying a message to confirm the document 22, resets the stored operation position, and returns to step 100 to repeat the above-described processing.

[0057] In step 116, the CPU 11 starts the automatic document feeder 18A to transport the document 22, and then the process proceeds to step 118.

[0058] In step 118, the CPU 11 determines whether or not it is possible to increase the transport speed of the original 22. This determination is made by determining whether or not the edge of the original 22 has been detected by the second detection sensor 26B and the original 22 has become stable. The process waits until the determination is affirmative, and then proceeds to step 120.

[0059] In step 120, the CPU 11 enlarges the operation area 32 of the operation unit 30, and then proceeds to step 122. That is, as shown in the center of Fig. 6, the operation area 32 in which the operation unit 30 can move is enlarged and displayed on the display unit 16.

[0060] In step 122, the CPU 11 detects the operation position touched by the user's finger, and the process proceeds to step .

[0061] In step 124, the CPU 11 determines whether the operation unit 30 has moved to the operation completion position. This determination is made by determining whether the operation unit 30 has moved to the end of the operation area 32, as shown on the right side of Fig. 6. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 126, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 128.

[0062] In step 126, the CPU 11 increases the transport speed of the document 22 and ends the series of processes according to the information processing program 15A.

[0063] In step 128, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the conveyance of the document 22 has been completed. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 122 to repeat the above-described process, and if the determination is positive, the series of processes by the information processing program 15A is terminated.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the operation area 32, which the operation unit 30 moves to, is enlarged and displayed when the second detection sensor 26B detects the edge of the document 22 and the document 22 becomes stable. However, this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the operation area 32 may be displayed in different display modes for a movable area 32A where the operation unit 30 can move and a non-movable area 32B where the operation unit 30 cannot move. When the second detection sensor 26B detects the edge of the document 22, the display mode of the non-movable area 32B where the operation unit 30 cannot move may be changed to the display mode of the movable area 32A where the operation unit 30 can move. In Fig. 8, the non-movable area 32B is shown as a hatched area.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the instruction to increase the transport speed of the original 22 is received by moving the operation unit 30 from the position where the instruction to start transporting the original 22 is given to the end of the operation area 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, without enlarging the operation area 32 of the operation unit 30, only the instruction to start transporting the original 22 may be received by operating the operation unit 30, and the transport speed of the original 22 may be increased when the second detection sensor 26B detects the end of the original 22, without issuing an instruction to increase the transport speed.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the predetermined state in which the conveyance speed of the original 22 can be increased is determined to be when the second detection sensor 26B detects that the original 22 has reached a stable state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the original 22 may be determined to be in a stable state when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of conveyance of the original 22.

[0067] (Second embodiment) Next, a description will be given of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the external appearance of a part of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0068] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a single automatic document feeder 18A transports the document 22 in a single direction, but in this embodiment, an example is described in which multiple automatic document feeders 18A are provided, each with a different transport direction for the document 22.

[0069] As in the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus 50 according to this embodiment is provided with an automatic document feeder 18A on the top of the image forming apparatus 50. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 50 according to this embodiment is further provided with an automatic document feeder 18B on the upper lateral side of the image forming apparatus 50, so that the document 22 can be transported from the side of the image forming apparatus 50 toward the inside of the image forming apparatus 50 and transported to a document reading unit (not shown) provided on the upper lateral side of the image forming apparatus 50.

[0070] When instructing to start transporting the document 22, the operation unit 30 and operation area 32 are displayed so that they are oriented along the transport direction of the document 22. Specifically, as shown by the dotted arrow in Fig. 10, when the document 22 is transported from the front to the rear of the image forming apparatus 50, the operation unit 30 and operation area 32 are displayed so that the operation unit 30 can move along the vertical direction. On the other hand, as shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 10, when the document 22 is transported from the side of the image forming apparatus 50 toward the inside of the image forming apparatus 50, the operation unit 30 and operation area 32 are displayed so that the operation unit 30 can move along the horizontal direction. This makes the document transport direction and the movement direction of the operation unit 30 the same, resulting in intuitive operation.

[0071] The basic configuration other than the above is the same as in the above embodiment, and the same reference numerals will be used in the following description, and detailed description will be omitted. Also, although this embodiment is provided with multiple automatic document feeders 18A, a configuration in which there are multiple transport directions for document 22 with a single automatic document feeder 18A may also be applied.

[0072] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the image forming apparatus 50 according to this embodiment. The processing of Fig. 11 is assumed to be initiated by starting the information processing program 15A when the image forming apparatus 50 is instructed to display a predetermined screen, such as an image for executing a copy function of the document 22, for example. In this embodiment, the processing of Fig. 7 in the above embodiment is assumed to be performed after the processing of Fig. 11.

[0073] In step 200, the CPU 11 detects the transport direction of the original 22 and proceeds to step 202. The transport direction of the original 22 may be detected, for example, by specifying the automatic document feeder 18A that has detected the edge of the original 22 using the first detection sensor 26A, with the configuration of each automatic document feeder 18A being the configuration described in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the transport direction of the original 22 may be indicated on a predetermined screen displayed on the display unit 16.

[0074] In step 202, the CPU 11 determines whether the document 22 is conveyed from the front. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 204, and if negative, the process proceeds to step 206.

[0075] In step 204, the CPU 11 displays the operation unit 30 and operation area 32 with the operation direction being vertical, and then ends this process.

[0076] On the other hand, in step 206, the CPU 11 displays the operation unit 30 and operation area 32 with the operation direction being horizontal, and then ends this processing.

[0077] By performing the process in this manner, in this embodiment, the operation area 32 is displayed so that the operation unit 30 moves in a direction corresponding to the transport direction of the document 22, and an intuitive operation is performed.

[0078] In the above embodiments, the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50 have been described as examples of information processing apparatuses. However, the information processing apparatus is not limited to the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50. For example, in addition to the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50, general information processing apparatuses having a touch panel UI (User Interface) screen and functioning as the UI of the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50, such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or game console, may also be applied. For example, a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone may be applied, and the direction of the operation area of ​​the operation unit 30 may be changed and displayed depending on the relationship between the detected direction and the transport direction of the document 22 in the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50. In this case, the direction of approach to the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50 may be detected, for example, by providing multiple motion sensors in the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50, detecting the direction of the user's approach to the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50 using the motion sensors, and notifying the mobile terminal device of the detection result via short-range wireless communication or the like.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a CPU has been described as an example of a processor, but the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPUs, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0080] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0081] The processes performed by the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50 according to the above embodiments may be software-based processes, hardware-based processes, or a combination of both. The processes performed by the image forming apparatuses 10 and 50 may be stored as programs on storage media and distributed.

[0082] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10 Image forming device 11 CPU 11A Display control unit 11B Touch detection unit 11C Operation control section 11D Tracking control section 15A Information Processing Program 16 Display section 16A Touch Panel 18 Document reading section 18A Automatic Document Feeder 22 Manuscript 24A First conveying roller pair 24B Second conveying roller pair 26A First detection sensor 26B Second detection sensor 32A Movable area

Claims

1. a processor, the processor comprising: displaying, on a display unit, an operation area indicating an operation unit that can move along a direction in which the document is conveyed by a conveyance unit that conveys the document and a range in which the operation unit moves; performing a process of starting transport of the document by the transport unit when a movement operation of moving the operation unit along the transport direction is received while the operation unit is selected; When a predetermined state is reached in which the transport speed can be increased after the transport of a document has begun, the information processing device extends and displays the operation area, and when a movement operation is received to move the operation unit along the extended operation area, the information processing device performs processing to increase the transport speed of the document.

2. a processor, the processor comprising: an operation unit that can move along a direction in which the document is conveyed by a conveying unit that conveys the document is displayed on a display unit; performing a process of starting transport of the document by the transport unit when a movement operation of moving the operation unit along the transport direction is received while the operation unit is selected; displaying an operation area indicating a range of movement of the operation unit, and displaying an area within the operation area where the operation unit can move and an area where the operation unit cannot move; When a predetermined state is reached in which the conveying speed can be increased after the start of conveying the document, the non-movable area is changed to the movable area and displayed; The information processing apparatus performs a process of increasing the document transport speed when a movement operation for moving the operation unit along the changed movable area is received.

3. a processor, the processor comprising: an operation unit that can be moved along a conveying direction of the document by a conveying unit that conveys the document is displayed on a display unit; performing a process of starting transport of the document by the transport unit when a movement operation of moving the operation unit along the transport direction is received while the operation unit is selected; An information processing apparatus that performs processing to change and display an operation area indicating a range of movement of the operation unit according to the document transport direction when there are multiple document transport directions.

4. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined state is a state in which a document can be stably transported.

5. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs processing to change and display an operation area indicating a range of movement of the operation unit according to the document transport direction when there are multiple document transport directions.

6. An information processing program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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