Image processing device, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide an image processing apparatus, a control method, and a program for reducing the time and effort in registering, on a menu screen, job execution buttons reflecting frequently used settings.SOLUTION: An image processing apparatus has: display control means that displays, on a display, a setting screen that causes a user to set setting values of a plurality of setting items related to a copy function executable by the image processing apparatus; and storage means that stores the setting values of the plurality of setting items set by the user on the setting screen. When the setting value of the plurality of setting items are set as a first group of setting values on the setting screen and the copy function is executed, the display control means displays, on a menu screen, a first object for displaying the setting screen reflecting the first group of setting values on the plurality of setting items despite the absence of a user operation on the menu screen, and displays the setting screen reflecting the first group of setting values on the plurality of setting items on the basis of the user's selection of the first object.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing device, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, some image processing devices equipped with a scanner or printer are capable of displaying a menu screen on an operation unit with an array of buttons for executing jobs such as scanning and printing. For example, after a user logs in to the image processing device, the user can issue an instruction to execute a job by pressing a button for executing the job on the menu screen that is displayed.

[0003] When the above-mentioned button is pressed, a setting screen reflecting the setting values ​​associated with the button opens, and the user can change some of the setting values ​​as necessary before executing the job. Also, a method has been disclosed in which a user can manually perform a predetermined registration operation after making desired settings on the setting screen, thereby creating a new button associated with the desired settings and registering it on a menu screen (Patent Document 1). After registering the button associated with the desired settings on the menu screen, the user can operate the registered button to execute the button's processing with the desired settings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-132100 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the conventional method, in order to use a button linked to the desired settings, the user had to manually register the button, which was a time-consuming process. Furthermore, there was a possibility that some users were unaware that they could register buttons linked to their desired settings. If users who were unaware that they could register buttons unconsciously repeated the same setting changes every time they ran a job, it was time-consuming.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a method that enables even a user who does not know that buttons can be registered to easily use a display object associated with a desired setting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] a display control means for displaying a setting screen for the copy function, in which a first set of setting values ​​is reflected in a plurality of setting items of the copy function, based on selection of a first button related to the copy function displayed on a menu screen, and for displaying the setting screen for the copy function, in which a second set of setting values ​​is reflected in a plurality of setting items of the copy function, based on selection of a second button related to the copy function displayed on the menu screen on which the first button is displayed; and a job execution means for executing a copy job based on the set of setting values ​​for the plurality of setting items of the copy function set via the setting screen for the copy function, and for displaying the setting screen for the copy function, in which a first set of setting values ​​is reflected in a plurality of setting items of the copy function, based on selection of a second button related to the copy function displayed on the menu screen on which the first button is displayed, and a menu screen displayed based on the execution of a first copy job using a third set of setting values ​​that has been changed from the second set of setting values ​​via the copy function setting screen that is displayed based on the selection of the second button is a menu screen that can accept an instruction to display the copy function setting screen that reflects the third set of setting values ​​used in the first copy job, and a menu screen that is displayed based on the execution of a second copy job using a fourth set of setting values ​​that has been changed from the second set of setting values ​​via the copy function setting screen that is displayed based on the selection of the second button is a menu screen that does not accept an instruction to display the copy function setting screen that reflects the fourth set of setting values ​​that is different from the second set of setting values ​​used in the second copy job. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] Even users who are unaware that buttons can be registered can easily use display objects associated with desired settings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing an example of the functions of the image processing device 1. [Figure 3] Flow diagram of how the image processing device 1 generates a recommendation button [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen of the image processing apparatus after login. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of a job setting screen [Figure 6] Diagram showing the copy button settings change history [Figure 7] Operation screen after the recommendation button is displayed [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a setting change history of the copy button in the second embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a setting change history of the copy button in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In addition, the following embodiments will be described using an image processing device as an example of an information processing device.

[0011] Example 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an image processing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] The image processing device 1 will be described below as a multifunction device equipped with, for example, a print function and a scan function, but it may also be a device equipped with only a single function. The image processing device 1 is composed of a control unit 10, a display / operation unit 12, and an image processing unit 13.

[0013] The control unit 10 controls the operation of each unit of the image processing device 1. The control unit 10 includes a CPU 100, a communication unit 101, a RAM 102, a HDD 103, a ROM 104, a timer 105, and a FAX unit 106, and is connectable to a LAN 11 and a telephone line 14.

[0014] The CPU 100 controls the entire control unit 10. The LAN 11 represents a network for exchanging data with external devices, and the image processing device 1 is connected to the Internet via the LAN 11. The communication unit 101 transmits and receives data via the LAN 11. The RAM 102 provides system work memory for the CPU 100 to operate. The HDD 103 is a hard disk drive, which may be a storage medium such as a magnetic disk, optical media, or flash memory. The HDD 103 can store document data, setting data, etc. Furthermore, the document data, setting data, etc. do not need to be stored within the image processing device 1, but may be stored in an external server or PC connectable to the image processing device 1 via a network. The ROM 104 is a boot ROM that stores a system boot program. The CPU 100 loads programs installed on the HDD 103, etc., into the RAM 102 using the boot ROM of the ROM 104 and performs various controls based on the programs. The timer 105 counts down the time according to instructions from the CPU 100 and notifies the CPU 100 via an interrupt or the like when the specified time has elapsed. The FAX unit 106 transmits and receives fax data via the telephone line 14 .

[0015] The display / operation unit 12 is controlled by the control unit 10 and includes a display unit 120 and an input unit 121. The display unit 120 is a display for displaying an operation screen of the image processing device to the user. The input unit 121 accepts input from the user via an interface such as a touch panel, a mouse, a camera, voice input, or a keyboard.

[0016] The image processing unit 13 is controlled by the control unit 10 and includes an image analysis unit 130, an image generation unit 131, and an image output unit 132. The image analysis unit 130 analyzes the structure of an original image and extracts necessary information from the analysis results. The image generation unit 131 reads (e.g., scans) an original document, digitizes the image of the original document, generates image data, and stores the image data in the HDD 103. The image generation unit 131 can also generate original image data in a different format using information analyzed by the image analysis unit 130. The image output unit 132 outputs image data stored in the HDD 103 or the like. Examples of this output include printing the image data of the original document on paper, transmitting it via the communication unit 101 to an external device, server, facsimile machine, or the like connected to a network, or storing it in a storage medium connected to the image processing device 1.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functions of the image processing device 1 shown in Fig. 1. The image processing device 1 has, as its functions, an authentication processing unit 201, a user information management unit 202, a job processing unit 203, an operation processing unit 204, a setting change history storage unit 205, a recommendation determination unit 206, and a device information management unit 207. Each of these functional units is realized based on a program that is installed in the HDD 103 and loaded into the RAM 102 by the CPU 100 using the boot ROM of the ROM 104.

[0018] The authentication processing unit 201 executes login / logout processing received from the user. When it receives input of a user ID and password from the user, it performs authentication based on the received information. If the authentication is successful, it performs processing that has been previously associated with the authenticated user.

[0019] The user information management unit 202 manages information about users authenticated by the authentication processing unit 201 for each user. For example, by managing the language (e.g., English, Japanese, etc.) used when using the image processing device 1, it is possible to switch the language used for each user. In addition, it is possible to manage print jobs received from external devices via the communication unit 101 for each user who submitted the job. Furthermore, it manages the initial screen displayed when a user starts operating the image processing device 1 for each user. For example, it manages the screen set as the initial screen, the display order of buttons displayed on the initial screen, etc.

[0020] The job processing unit 203 processes various jobs to be executed by the image processing device 1. Specifically, it controls the image generation unit 131 to execute a scan job, the image output unit 132 to execute a print job, and the communication unit 101 to execute a transmission job.

[0021] The operation processing unit 204 controls the display unit 120 to display various information to the user, and also receives and processes operation instructions input from the user via the input unit 121.

[0022] The setting change history saving unit 205 extracts and saves setting change history information from job information processed by the job processing unit 203. Specifically, when a user changes a setting value for a button that executes a job displayed on a menu screen and then executes the job, information about the changed setting value is saved.

[0023] The recommendation determination unit 206 determines whether the setting change history stored in the setting change history storage unit 205 satisfies the criteria for generating a recommendation button, which will be described later. Here, recommendation means estimating the settings desired by the user and, based on the estimation result, recommending to the user a button associated with the settings desired by the user. In this embodiment, the settings that are used frequently by the user are estimated to be the settings desired by the user.

[0024] The recommendation button generation unit 207 generates a recommendation button based on the determination result of the recommendation determination unit 206. When the same setting change is made to a certain button a certain number of times and a job is executed, the recommendation button generation unit 207 generates a new button (hereinafter referred to as a recommendation button) to which a setting value obtained by reflecting the setting change in the setting value associated with the button is linked. The generated recommendation button is then displayed on the menu screen. The button management unit 208 manages information about custom buttons (details will be described later) displayed on the menu screen of the image processing device 1 and the recommendation buttons generated by the recommendation generation unit 207, and works in cooperation with the user information management unit 202 to display user-specific buttons on the menu screen. The button management unit 208 manages information such as setting values ​​associated with buttons, for example.

[0025] 3 is a flowchart for explaining the process from when the image processing device 1 in this embodiment is started up to when a recommendation button is generated and displayed. Each process in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 is realized by the CPU 100 of the image processing device 1 executing a control program.

[0026] In S301, upon receiving a login request from a user, the authentication processing unit 201 performs user authentication. The login request is made by displaying a login screen on the display unit 120 and the user inputting a user ID and password via the input unit 121.

[0027] A login request may be made by input from an IC card reader or a biometric authentication device such as a fingerprint authentication device connected to the input unit 121 of the image processing device 1. Upon receiving the login request, the authentication processing unit 201 performs authentication by comparing the input user name and password with the user name and password stored in advance in the HDD 103.

[0028] In S302, the operation processing unit 204 displays an initial screen reflecting the information of the authenticated user on the display unit 120. The initial screen in this embodiment is a screen presented to the user immediately after logging in to the image processing device 1, and is a menu screen displaying buttons for instructing the execution of a job.

[0029] An example of the initial screen is shown in FIG. 4. On the initial screen 400, a plurality of display objects for instructing the execution of a job are displayed, such as a copy button 401, a send to me button 402, and a print button 403. Here, the objects displayed on the initial screen 400 are referred to as buttons, but this is not limited to buttons and includes various types of display objects such as operation keys. A page transition button 404 is a button for transitioning to the next screen, and when pressed, a button for the next page is displayed. The displayed buttons can be changed and can also be customized for each user. When the copy button 401 is pressed here, the screen transitions to a settings screen for executing a copy job.

[0030] FIG. 5(a) shows an example of a settings screen for executing a copy job, which is displayed when the copy button 401 is pressed. Buttons 501 to 510 for changing settings are displayed. Settings associated with the copy button 401, in this case initial settings (e.g., settings set at the time of shipment from the factory), are already set on the settings screen 500. If the user wants to change the settings, for example, by pressing the finishing settings button 501, a detailed settings screen such as that shown in FIG. 5(b) is displayed, allowing the user to change settings such as sorting and stapling. Other settings can also be changed in a similar manner. After completing the settings, the user presses the start button 512, and the image processing device 1 executes the job with the settings. The change in settings is applied only to the execution of that job, and does not change the settings associated with the button.

[0031] Although an example in which buttons 401, 402, and 403 associated with initial setting values ​​are displayed on the initial screen 400 has been shown, the buttons that are displayed are not limited to this. After a user configures desired settings on a setting screen for executing a job, the user can manually register a new button reflecting those settings on the initial screen, and a button (hereinafter referred to as a custom button) that will be displayed on the initial screen 400 may be displayed. However, custom buttons are not displayed unless the user performs the registration process, which is time-consuming for the user. Furthermore, there are users who are unaware that a function for registering buttons associated with preferred setting values ​​is available.

[0032] Additionally, the initial screen 400 may display a button that, when pressed, executes a job without opening a setting screen or a confirmation screen. That is, an attribute for executing a job without opening a setting screen or a confirmation screen can be assigned to a button displayed on the initial screen 400, and when the button with this attribute is pressed, the job can be executed without having to open the setting screen or the confirmation screen. Returning to the explanation of the flowchart in FIG. 3.

[0033] In S303, the job processing unit 203 determines whether an instruction to execute a job corresponding to the button has been given. For example, it determines whether the start button 512 has been pressed. If an instruction to execute a job has been given, the process proceeds to S304; if not, the process of S303 is repeated. In S304, the job processing unit 203 executes the job corresponding to the button based on the user's instruction.

[0034] In S305, the job processing unit 203 determines whether the setting value associated with the button was changed when the job was executed in S304. If it is determined that the setting was changed, the process proceeds to S306; if not, the process ends. If the setting value associated with the button is changed on the screen in FIG. 5A and the job is being executed, it is determined that the setting value has been changed.

[0035] In step S306, the job processing unit 203 stores the setting values ​​changed from the setting values ​​associated with the buttons in the setting change history storage unit 205. The setting change history to be stored will be described with reference to FIG.

[0036] Table 600 in Fig. 6 shows the setting values ​​associated with the copy button 401. To simplify the explanation, the following explanation will be given using three setting items, "Staple," "Side Setting," and "Color Setting," as an example, but there are other setting items as well. Also, a setting value is associated with each display object other than the copy button 401. The setting values ​​associated with the copy button 401 are "Staple: OFF," "Side Setting: Single-Sided," and "Color Setting: Black and White."

[0037] Table 610 shows the button usage history of the copy button 401. It shows the setting values ​​when the copy button 401 was pressed in the past and a job was executed. Each row corresponds to one job execution. For example, data 2 shows that the job corresponding to the copy button 401 was executed after the settings were changed to "Staple: ON" and "Side setting: Double-sided." Table 610 showing the button usage history may be saved in the setting change history saving unit 205.

[0038] Table 620 shows the setting change history. Only data in which the setting values ​​associated with the button have been changed is extracted from the button usage history and stored in the setting change history storage unit 205. For example, in the case of data 2, information indicating "Staple: ON" and "Face setting: Double-sided", which were changed from the setting values ​​associated with the copy button 401, is stored in the setting change history storage unit 205. In the case of data 3, the job was executed without changing the setting values ​​associated with the copy button 401, so no information is stored in the setting change history storage unit 205.

[0039] Returning to the explanation of the flowchart in Fig. 3, in S307, the recommendation determination unit 206 determines whether or not to generate a recommendation button based on the information stored in the setting change history storage unit 205. If the same setting change has been made a predetermined number of times or more, it is determined that a new recommendation button reflecting the setting change should be generated.

[0040] The determination of whether to generate a recommendation button will be explained using table 630 in FIG. 6. Table 630 shows the setting change count. Based on the setting change history, a set of setting values ​​changed during each job execution is counted as a group, and the number of times that group of setting values ​​has been changed is counted. Here, an example will be explained in which a user who has used the copy button 401 eight times executes a job for the ninth time. The ninth job corresponds to data 9 in table 610. If the user changes the settings of the copy button 401 for the ninth time to "Staple: ON," "Side Setting: Double-Sided," and "Color Setting: Color" and executes the job, the setting change count corresponding to "Staple: ON," "Side Setting: Double-Sided," and "Color Setting: Color" becomes 4. This means that the user has changed the same settings four times. If the setting change count is 4 or more, a determination is made in step S307 that a recommendation button should be generated. Note that the threshold for the setting change count is not a fixed value, and may be individually set depending on the setting item, etc. For example, in the case of the copy button 401, the staple setting item, which is less likely to be changed, may be weighted more heavily in the count than changes to the page setting item, which is likely to be changed frequently, so that changes to the staple setting are more likely to result in the generation of a recommendation button. The threshold for the setting change count may also be set by an administrator or user of the image processing device 1. Here, the setting change count for the copy button 401 has been used as an example for explanation, but a setting change count is also stored for each button other than the copy button 401. When the setting change count reaches 4 and a recommendation button is generated, the count for the corresponding change item may be reset to 0, or the count may be disabled after being set to 0. Furthermore, if the count is disabled after being reset to 0, the count for the corresponding change item may be restarted if the generated custom button is deleted.Furthermore, even if the setting change count is 4 or more and the conditions for generating a recommendation button are met, if a button associated with the exact same combination of setting values ​​as the recommendation button to be generated is already displayed on the initial screen 400 (if it has already been generated as a recommendation button or has been manually registered as a custom button), it may not be determined to generate a recommendation button.

[0041] In S308, the recommendation button generation unit 207 generates a recommendation button 701 on the display unit 120 that reflects the setting changes that exceed the thresholds. Here, a recommendation button is generated in which the settings of the copy button 401 have been changed to "Staple: ON," "Face Setting: Double-Sided," and "Color Setting: Color." Information about the generated recommendation button is then saved in the button management unit 208. The generated recommendation button is displayed on the initial screen 400 as shown in 701 in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b). The recommendation button may be displayed at the top of the initial screen 400 as shown in FIG. 7(a), and the print button 703 that was originally displayed on the first page of the initial screen 400 may be moved to the second page accordingly. Alternatively, the recommendation button may be displayed at the top of the initial screen 400 as shown in FIG. 7(b), and the copy button 401 that was the basis for the recommendation button may be moved to the second page or later, or may not be displayed on the initial screen 400. In this case, the generated recommendation button may be a button that, when pressed, immediately executes a job without opening a confirmation screen or a setting screen. In other words, when a normal button displayed on the initial screen 400 is pressed, a setting screen is displayed, and once a setting change and execution instruction are received from the user, the process associated with the button is executed. On the other hand, when a generated recommendation button displayed on the initial screen 400 is pressed, the process associated with the button may be executed without first displaying a setting screen or a confirmation screen. Because the recommendation button reflects frequently used setting values, it is unlikely that further setting changes and processing will be performed from there. Therefore, when generating the recommendation button, a setting that does not open a setting screen is set as the default. In this case, an icon is displayed on the button to notify the user that processing will be executed immediately, as shown in icon 704. The recommendation button 701 displays setting values ​​(702) that are different from the copy button 401 that was the basis for the recommendation. A button name (703) is also displayed, indicating that the button is newly generated. An icon or other indicator indicating that the recommendation button is newly generated may also be displayed on the recommendation button.

[0042] The setting change history may be stored for each user, and the generated recommendation button 701 may be created and managed for each user identified by the authentication processing unit 201, or the setting change history may be stored uniformly for all users, and a recommendation button common to all users may be created.

[0043] The effects of the above flowchart are as follows: When a user executes a job in which the same setting change is made to a button a predetermined number of times, the button reflecting the setting change is automatically displayed on the menu screen. A user can generate a button reflecting the desired setting value by registering a custom button on the menu screen, but this registration process is time-consuming, and some users may not even know that registration is possible. In this embodiment, recommended buttons are automatically displayed on the menu screen based on the job execution history, allowing users to effortlessly display the desired button on the menu screen. In this embodiment, settings changed during job execution are counted as a single group, but each setting item may also be counted individually. In this case, if the same setting value has been changed for a single setting item a predetermined number of times or more, a recommended button reflecting that setting value is generated and displayed.

[0044] Example 2 In the first embodiment, when the number of times that a setting is changed exceeds a predetermined number, a button reflecting the setting change is generated and displayed. However, if a recommendation button is generated using all of the user's past setting change history, there is a possibility that a recommendation button reflecting a setting value that is not used frequently will be generated. For example, even if a setting is not used frequently, if the image processing device is used for a long period of time, the number of changes will exceed the predetermined number, and a recommendation button reflecting that setting will be generated.

[0045] Therefore, in Example 2, an example will be described in which a recommendation button is generated based on the same setting change made a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. Since the basic configuration of this example is the same as Example 1, only the differences will be shown.

[0046] FIG. 8 shows an example of a table showing a button usage history 810, a setting change history 820, and a setting change count 830 in this embodiment. Each table is the same as the table showing the button usage history 610, the setting change history 620, and the setting change count 630 in FIG. 6, except that the date and time when the job was executed is recorded, as shown in columns 840 and 850. For example, let us consider a case where a condition is set such that if the same setting change is made four or more times within one month, a recommendation button reflecting the setting change is generated. In FIG. 6, the setting change count for "Staple: ON," "Side Setting: Double-Sided," and "Color Setting: Color" is four. However, in this embodiment, setting changes made within one month or year are counted, so the setting change count becomes three, and no recommendation button is generated. While this example shows counting setting changes only within a specified period, this is not limiting. For example, recent setting changes may be weighted so that the count reflects more recent setting changes.

[0047] If recommendation buttons are generated using all of the past setting change history as in Example 1, there is a possibility that buttons that are not used frequently will be displayed on the menu screen. If there are too many buttons displayed on the menu screen, it becomes difficult for the user to find the desired button. Therefore, as in this example, by setting conditions for generating recommendation buttons, it is possible to prevent buttons that are not used frequently from being displayed on the menu screen. In other words, recommendation buttons can be displayed with higher accuracy.

[0048] Example 3 In the second embodiment, an example was shown in which a recommendation button is generated based on the same setting change made a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. For example, if the threshold number of times is set to four, a recommendation button is generated if a job corresponding to the same button is executed nine times within one month, and the same setting change is made four of those times. On the other hand, a recommendation button is also generated if a job corresponding to the same button is executed 100 times within one month, and the same setting change is made four of those times. In other words, a recommendation button is generated even if the ratio of setting changes to the total number of times a job was executed using the same button is low. Therefore, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which a recommendation button is generated when a specific setting change is made frequently compared to the total number of times a job was executed using the same button. The basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, so only the differences are shown.

[0049] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a recommendation button is generated when the same setting change is made Y times (for example, 4 times) out of X times (for example, 5 times) of the most recent execution count of the job corresponding to the button.

[0050] FIG. 9 is a table showing a button usage history 910, a setting change history 920, and a setting change count 930 in this embodiment. Each table is the same as the button usage history 610, setting change history 620, and setting change count 630 tables in FIG. 6, but the data included in the tables has been changed. The difference from FIG. 6 is that the setting change count 930 counts only setting changes in the last five job executions. In this example, the number of setting changes in the five job executions from data 5 to data 9 is counted. Since setting changes to "Staple: ON," "Side Setting: Double-Sided," and "Color Setting: Color" have been made four times, it is determined in S307 that a recommendation reflecting these setting values ​​will be generated. On the other hand, although the setting has been changed to "Side Setting: Double-Sided" four times in total, this setting change has only been made once in the last five job executions, so it is determined in S307 that a recommendation will not be generated.

[0051] According to this embodiment, a recommendation button is generated based on the most frequently performed setting changes among the predetermined number of jobs that have been executed most recently, so that more accurate recommendations can be made.

[0052] (Other Examples) The conditions for generating a recommendation button are not limited to these. For example, if the number of times the same setting change is made exceeds the number of times the job is executed with the setting value associated with the button, a recommendation that reflects the setting change may be generated. In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a recommendation button is generated based on a button associated with a default setting, such as the copy button 401. However, the button used to generate the recommendation button is not limited to a button associated with a default setting. For example, a recommendation button may be generated based on a custom button registered on the menu screen by a user that reflects their desired settings. Furthermore, whether or not to generate a recommendation button may be controlled depending on the button used. For example, if the button whose settings have been changed is associated with a default setting, a recommendation button may be generated, but if it is a custom button, a recommendation button may not be generated. This prevents excessive generation of recommendation buttons.

[0053] The present invention can also be realized by executing the following process: In this process, software (programs) that realize the functions of the above-described embodiments are supplied to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads and executes the programs.

Claims

1. A display control means for displaying a setting screen for the copy function that reflects a first set of setting values ​​for multiple setting items of the copy function based on the selection of a first button related to the copy function displayed on a menu screen, and for displaying a setting screen for the copy function that reflects a second set of setting values ​​for multiple setting items of the copy function based on the selection of a second button related to the copy function displayed on the menu screen on which the first button is displayed; a job execution unit that executes a copy job based on a set of setting values ​​of a plurality of setting items of the copy function that are set via the setting screen of the copy function, a menu screen displayed based on execution of a first copy job using a third set of setting values ​​changed from the first set of setting values ​​via the copy function setting screen displayed based on selection of the first button, the menu screen being capable of accepting an instruction to display the copy function setting screen reflecting the third set of setting values ​​used in the first copy job; An image forming apparatus characterized in that a menu screen displayed based on the execution of a second copy job using a fourth set of setting values ​​changed from the second set of setting values ​​via the copy function setting screen displayed based on the selection of the second button is a menu screen that does not accept an instruction to display the copy function setting screen reflecting the fourth set of setting values ​​used in the second copy job, which is different from the second set of setting values.

2. The image forming device described in Claim 1, characterized in that the display control means displays a setting screen for setting setting values ​​for multiple setting items related to the scan function based on the selection of a third button related to the scan function that is displayed on the menu screen together with the first button and the second button.

3. The image forming device described in Claim 1, characterized in that the display control means displays a third button on the menu screen to display the copy function setting screen reflecting the third set of setting values ​​based on the execution of the first copy job using a third set of setting values ​​changed from the first set of setting values ​​via the copy function setting screen displayed based on the selection of the first button.

4. The image forming apparatus described in Claim 1, further characterized in that it has a receiving means for receiving a user operation to register the second set of setting values ​​set via the setting screen of the copy function, which reflects the first set of setting values ​​displayed based on the selection of the first button, as a set of setting values ​​corresponding to the second button.

5. The image forming device according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting screen for the copy function includes an object for instructing the start of execution of the copy function.

6. The image forming device described in Claim 5, characterized in that the multiple setting items include at least one of staples, surface settings, and color settings.

7. The image forming device described in Claim 1, characterized in that the menu screen displayed based on the execution of the first copy job is a screen that does not accept an operation to display the setting screen of the copy function that reflects the first set of setting values.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first set of setting values ​​is a set of setting values ​​that are set when the image forming apparatus is shipped from a factory.

9. A control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a first display control step of displaying a setting screen for the copy function, in which a first set of setting values ​​is reflected in a plurality of setting items of the copy function, based on selection of a first button related to the copy function displayed on the menu screen; a second display control step of displaying a setting screen for the copy function, in which a second set of setting values ​​is reflected in a plurality of setting items of the copy function, based on selection of a second button related to the copy function displayed on the menu screen on which the first button is displayed; a job execution step of executing a copy job based on a set of setting values ​​of a plurality of setting items of the copy function set via the setting screen of the copy function, a menu screen displayed based on execution of a first copy job using a third set of setting values ​​changed from the first set of setting values ​​via the copy function setting screen displayed based on selection of the first button, the menu screen being capable of accepting an instruction to display the copy function setting screen reflecting the third set of setting values ​​used in the first copy job; A control method for an image forming device, characterized in that a menu screen displayed based on the execution of a second copy job using a fourth set of setting values ​​changed from the second set of setting values ​​via the copy function setting screen displayed based on the selection of the second button is a menu screen that does not accept an instruction to display the copy function setting screen reflecting the fourth set of setting values ​​used in the second copy job, which is different from the second set of setting values.

10. A control method for an image forming device as described in Claim 9, further comprising a third display control process for displaying a setting screen for setting setting values ​​for multiple setting items related to the scan function based on the selection of a third button related to the scan function displayed on the menu screen together with the first button and the second button.

11. A control method for an image forming device as described in Claim 9, characterized in that the menu screen displayed based on the execution of the first copy job is a screen that does not accept an operation to display the setting screen for the copy function that reflects the first set of setting values.

12. The method for controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first set of setting values ​​is a set of setting values ​​that are set when the image forming apparatus is shipped from a factory.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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