App Selection Screen Layout Control for Image Processing Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of apps on image processing devices leads to confusion for users as existing rearrangement techniques unintentionally change the app button layout, causing desired buttons to move to different pages, making it difficult for users to find the desired app.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus with a screen control unit that displays function buttons on multiple pages, detects button prioritizing events, and changes the display order only when no page switching has occurred, ensuring the layout remains unchanged after page switching operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If app buttons are rearranged according to apparatus status to improve accessibility, then users can quickly find relevant apps, but the layout changes unintentionally after page switching causing confusion and making desired apps harder to locate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic button rearrangement based on apparatus status (scanner status, print job status, etc.) but adds a conditional check: rearrangement only occurs when the current page is the first page. This dynamic control resolves the contradiction by enabling productivity-enhancing rearrangement only when it won't cause user confusion from page position changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs a preliminary check before rearranging buttons: it determines whether the current page is the first page. This preliminary action prevents unintended rearrangement after page switching by establishing a condition precedent - only first-page detection triggers rearrangement, thereby avoiding the confusion that would occur if buttons were rearranged on subsequent pages.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple pages are provided for app selection to display all apps, then all apps can be displayed, but users need to switch pages increasing time to find desired apps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically rearranges button display order based on apparatus status (scanner, print job, etc.) but only when on the first page. This allows the system to maintain multiple pages for displaying all apps while reducing search time through status-based prioritization on the first page, without the negative effect of rearrangement-induced confusion.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus capable of lowering the possibility that app buttons on an app selection screen will be rearranged in a way that is not intended by a user. The image forming apparatus 100 displays a plurality of app buttons for executing respective apps on a plurality of pages of an app selection screen 400 in a dividing manner, and has a structure that switches between the pages of the app selection screen 400 in response to a page switching operation by a user, and changes a display order of the app buttons when a button prioritizing event that is a condition for preferentially displaying at least one of the app buttons is detected. When the button prioritizing event is detected after the page switching operation is performed, the app buttons is not rearranged and the app selection screen is kept unchanged.