Image processing apparatus acquiring biological information and associating same with operating state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10609231-B2
Application number	US-201916435925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Mar 18, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes: a display unit configured to display an operation screen; an acquisition unit configured to acquire biological information of a user performing operation using the operation screen, the biological information varying reflecting a state of the user; and a registration control unit configured to control operation of registering information on the operation screen and the biological information of the user in association with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
at least one of an optical reader configured to optically read an original document and a printer configured to print an image on media;
a display unit configured to display a plurality of different operation screens, each of the screens related to a different setting operation of the image processing apparatus; and
a controller configured to:
acquire biological information of a user performing operation using each of the operation screens, the biological information varying reflecting a state of the user;
control operation of registering information on each of the operation screens and the biological information of the user in association with each other, and
compare the biological information associated with one of the operation screens to the biological information associated with others of the operation screens to identify whether a difference between the biological information associated with the one of the operation screens and the biological information associated with the others of the operations screens is greater than a predetermined threshold.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the biological information is information that changes reflecting a mental condition and/or a physical condition of the user.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the biological information includes information relating to at least one of pulse wave, electrocardiogram, body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information on each of the operation screens contains screen identification information of the each of the operation screens, and
the controller is configured to register the screen identification information of the each of the operation screens and the biological information of the user in association with each other.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information on each of the operation screens contains screen identification information of the each of the operation screens and operation information indicating a content of operation on the each of the operation screens, and
the controller is configured to register the screen identification information of the each of the operation screens, the operation information of the each of the operating screens, and the biological information of the user in association with one another.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine the one of the operation screens requires an improvement when the state of the user within a period during which the one of the operation screens is displayed is determined not to be in a normal condition on a basis of the biological information of the user, and determine an operation button operated on the improvement needed screen to be an improvement needed button; and
output a guidance relating to the improvement needed button when the one of the operation screens determined to be the improvement needed screen is called again in response to a user operation and displayed as a new operation screen.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine one of the operation screens requires an improvement when the state of the user within a period during which the one of the operation screens is displayed is determined not to be in a normal condition on a basis of the biological information of the user, and determine an operation button operated on the improvement needed screen to be an improvement needed button; and
display a menu screen on a display, wherein
after presence of the improvement needed button is determined, the controller is configured to add a call button for calling an operation screen relating to the improvement needed button or the improvement needed button itself onto the menu screen.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
acquire biological information items each measured at a specific timing of each of the operation screens, and
register each of the biological information items in association with information on a corresponding one of the operation screens.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the specific timing of each operation screen is a time point immediately after screen transition from the operation screen.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the information on each of the operation screens contains screen identification information of the each of the operation screens and a plurality of operation information items each indicating a content of one of a plurality of operations on the each of the operation screens, and
the controller is configured to:
acquire a plurality of biological information items each measured at one of time points associated with the content of the operations of the each of the operation screens, and
register the screen identification information of the each of the operation screens, a corresponding one of the operation information items of the each of the operation screens, and a corresponding one of the biological information items in association with one another.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
acquire a plurality of biological information items measured at a plurality of time points within a period corresponding to a period during which each of the operation screens is displayed, and
register the biological information items in association with the information on the each of the operation screens.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the biological information items are measured at the plurality of time points, the plurality of time points being at predetermined time intervals.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
acquire at least one of biological information items measured within a period corresponding to a period during which each of the operation screens is displayed, and
register only biological information items resulting from changes by a predetermined level or larger from a most recently registered biological information item, among the at least one of biological information items, in association with the information on the each of the operation screens.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to acquire the biological information measured by a wearable device worn by the user from the wearable device through communication with the wearable device.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to acquire the biological information measured by a wearable device worn by the user, thereafter transferred to a server and stored in the server, from the server through communication with the server.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to transmit operation screen history information containing the information on the each of the operation screens and the biological information of the user in association with each other to a server for storage of the operation screen history information.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine one of the operation screens requires an imp

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Ozawa Kaitaku

Classifications

• H04N1/00411

  the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen · CPC title

• H04N1/00413

  using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options (H04N1/00464 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N2201/3202

  of communication or activity log or report · CPC title

• H04N2201/0039

  Connection via a network · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title