Prevention of display overlap in a user interface for an image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9639302-B2
Application number	US-201514966419-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire status information of an image forming apparatus; and an information display unit configured to constantly display the status information of the image forming apparatus in a first region on a display device, to display setting information regarding image processing to be performed in the image forming apparatus in a second region on the display device, the second region being adjacent to the first region, and to display a relation display element related to the setting information at a position so as not to overlap the relation display element with the first region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire status information of an image forming apparatus;
an information display unit configured to constantly display the status information of the image forming apparatus in a first region on a display device, to display setting information regarding image processing to be performed in the image forming apparatus in a second region on the display device, the second region being adjacent to the first region, and to display a relation display element related to the setting information; and
a pop-up screen generation unit configured to acquire ideal setting values for height and width for a size of a screen that can display all relation setting information related to the setting information displayed in the second region by the information display unit, to calculate values for height and width for a greatest size that the screen can display in the second region displayed by the information display unit, and to reduce the size of the screen when the size is greater than the greatest size to prevent overlapping the relation display element with the first region.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:
an operation reception unit configured to receive an operation regarding display of the relation display element,
wherein in a case where the operation reception unit receives an operation to change the position of the relation display element, the information display unit is configured to display the relation display element at a position so that the relation display element does not overlap the first region and does not run off an outer edge of the second region.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the operation reception unit is configured to allow the relation display element to overlap the first region or run off the outer edge of the second region until receiving a final position of the relation display element, and
in a case where the operation reception unit receives an operation to change the position of the relation display element to the final position, the information display unit is configured to display the relation display element at a position so that the relation display element does not overlap the first region and does not run off the outer edge of the second region.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein after the operation reception unit receives an operation to display the relation display element, the information display unit is configured to display the relation display element at a center of the second region.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein in a case where the relation display element is at a position where the relation display element runs off the outer edge of the second region upon the operation reception unit receiving a final position of the relation display element, the information display unit is configured to display the relation display element at a position so that the relation display element is inside the second region and is nearest to the relation display element at the position upon the operation reception unit receiving the final position of the relation display element, or to display the relation display element at a center of the second region.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein in a case where the status information of the image forming apparatus includes a predetermined status of the image forming apparatus, the information display unit is configured to display warning information in an extended region which is extended from the first region and overlaps the second region.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the warning information includes a first icon a shape of which is obtained by imitating an appearance of the image forming apparatus, and a part of the first icon corresponding to a part of the image forming apparatus which is in the predetermined status is highlighted.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein in a case where the relation display element has been displayed upon the extended region being displayed, the information display unit is configured to overlap the extended region over the relation display element.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein in a case where the relation display element has been displayed upon the extended region being displayed, the information display unit is configured to overlap the relation display element over the extended region.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:
a priority setting information storage unit configured to store priority setting information that sets which of the extended region and the relation display element is given priority,
wherein in a case where the relation display element has been displayed upon the extended region being displayed, the information display unit is configured to determine whether to overlap the relation display element over the extended region or to overlap the extended region over the relation display element based on the priority setting information.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the status information of the image forming apparatus displayed in the first region includes information indicating a present status of the image forming apparatus.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the status information of the image forming apparatus displayed in the first region includes a second icon a shape of which is obtained by imitating an appearance of the image forming apparatus, and a part of the second icon corresponding to a part of the image forming apparatus which is in a predetermined status is highlighted.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the status information of the image forming apparatus displayed in the first region includes a third icon configured to indicate that a print condition set for the image forming apparatus is different from a predetermined print condition.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the information display unit is configured to display at least one of a button for receiving an operation to stop the image forming apparatus from receiving print jobs, a button for receiving an operation for the image forming apparatus to restart receiving print jobs after the image forming apparatus stops receiving the print jobs and a button for receiving an operation to erase a record of an error occurring in the image forming apparatus, in addition to the status information of the image forming apparatus, in the first region.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the size of the screen is reduced, a scroll bar is provided and the relation setting information is displayed by the scroll bar.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer of an information processing apparatus to execute a process of constantly displaying on a display device status information of an image forming apparatus, the process comprising:
acquiring the status information of the image forming apparatus;
displaying constantly the status information of the image forming apparatus in a first region on the display device;
displaying setting information regarding image processing to be performed in the image

Assignees

• Sueishi Taijirou
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sueishi Taijirou

Classifications

• G06F8/38

  for implementing user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F9/4446

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F3/1253

  Configuration of print job parameters, e.g. using UI at the client · CPC title

• G06F3/1205 Primary

  resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets · CPC title