Electrophotography – Machine operation – Operator interface
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-28
2002-11-05
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Operator interface
C399S082000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06477341
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a control device for operating electronic equipment including a digital image forming apparatus capable of various operation modes such as a printer mode, a copying mode and a facsimile mode, for example.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, various kinds of electronic equipment have been digitized, which triggered the development of multi-function electronic devices. For example, a digital image forming apparatus is an example of the electronic devices, which has not only a usual print mode (printer function) but also a copying mode and facsimile (fax) mode together in a single apparatus. Such a digital image forming apparatus is hereinafter referred to as a “combined machine”.
Furthermore, the multi-function combined machine is capable of diverse processes for each mode. For example, among the above modes, as far as the copying mode is concerned, not only the facility of simply copying an image of an original document but also a variety of image editing facilities (modes) such as color conversion, image synthesis, image separation and image deletion have readily been attained.
Thus, multi-function electronic equipment has been realized, and a single apparatus can therefore contain the different facilities of more than one electronic devices. Accordingly, it is no longer necessary to purchase several different devices for the facilities, thereby reducing space to place the electronic devices.
When a user operates the electronic device thus having more than one facilities mounted thereon, there is a call for such operability as to allow each user to properly select a facility suited to his or her purposes, out of relatively large number of facilities.
Therefore, a general electronic device is provided with a control device for setting processing modes and various conditions with regard to the processing modes. The control device is made up of a display for displaying a plurality of facilities and conditions, and a controller, and by operating the controller which includes keys, buttons, etc., while watching the display, target facilities and conditions can appropriately be selected and set.
Further, the control devices for electronic devices frequently used today include a dual-purpose touch panel as a controller and a display. This touch panel displays setting options which are themselves controllable (selectable) keys, direct touch of which enables a user to select and set a desired facility. Consequently, in the case of a particular guided control such that a plurality of conditions are gradually selected and set item by item, the controllable keys can be displayed in the same area as required, thereby increasing operability when compared to an arrangement having a display and a controller separately provided.
Further, even when adopting the touch panel, the touch panel is more often used in combination with a normal controller (for example, a conventional controller having a plurality of keys) rather than used alone. Specifically, it can be arranged in such a manner that the normal keys are used to select modes or set conditions, as such controls are more preferably made by the normal keys, and the touch panel is used for the guided control as discussed above. By thus providing the touch panel and the normal key controller, and dividing controls between them depending on a type of control required, easier and safer control can be attained.
However, the multi-function electronic device poses a problem such as highly complicated operations in reality, because, when a user attempts to achieve an operation under a desired condition with a target mode, the user is required to select a proper mode or condition out of quite a large number of choices.
Particularly, when sharing an electronic device among a large number of unspecified users, it is often the case that, even if the device can be controlled through a controller while viewing the content of a display, a user of the less frequent use or a beginner user has no idea how to select a key from the display content, thereby greatly reducing operability or availability of the device.
Further, in an electronic device having a large number of facilities are provided a considerably large number of condition setting patterns. An attempt to fully grasp such condition setting patterns requires extensive experiences and skills, and therefore, only a skilled person can grasp most of the condition setting patterns. In this manner, it is the reality that the beginner user needs to ask a specialist how to operate the device, or operate the device by him/herself step by step with the help of a user's manual, which, in either case, require complicated and time-consuming work, thus failing to sufficiently increase operability.
Therefore, for example, the recent commercial models of the electronic devices, in order to increase operability, include display control facilities for mounting or connecting a relatively large display device with respect to a control (display) section, and kindly guiding a user in obtaining information on operating procedures, with images and messages on the display. By thus including the display control facilities, a large amount of information such as images and messages related to operations can be displayed on a relatively large display section for guidance, thereby allowing a user to utilize a device with relief.
However, a problem arises when using a monochromatic display as a display screen in order to intelligibly display a large amount of guidance information on the large display, because there is a limit in attaining display in gray-scale representation alone, which prevents the intelligible display for guidance of all the diverse modes and facilities.
In order to solve the foregoing problems, the inventors of the present application have proposed an input device as shown below, which is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 15400/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-15400 published on Jan. 22, 1999). This input device includes a liquid crystal display panel of a relatively large size which is mounted on a control panel. On the liquid crystal display panel, an external outline of a device and peripheral devices is displayed in a substantially central part thereof, while displaying information on the device on a periphery of the outline. In addition, when there is a change in the state of the device, necessary information for a user is displayed as information in the forms of images and messages on the liquid crystal display panel, and by successively changing these displays is offered guidance on operations.
With the foregoing device, the state of the device can intelligibly be displayed for guidance, thereby providing customers with commercial products of high operability. However, this device still has such problems that information for detailed display should be prepared in advance and that a huge amount of image information is provided for display. Further, a beginner may possibly be impressed such that information according to the monochromatic display alone is insufficient for his/her understanding, and moreover, it is likely that the beginner may hesitate to use the device itself.
Therefore, in the case of current image forming apparatuses such as a combined machine, by utilizing a color display device (a multi-color display device and a display control device) capable of display a plurality of colors, the display of guidance to operations intelligibly to a user.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 143024/1998 (Tokukaihei 10-143024 published on May 29, 1998) discloses a technique of equipping a control display device which is mounted on a combined machine having a plurality of processing modes, with a display having LED backlight, and allowing the control display device to light a LED of a distinctive color for each operating mode so as to instantaneously grasp various operating modes.
However, the control display device of the above publication No. 10-143024 is arranged simply to change the display color in ac
Fukuda Kouki
Nomura Tatsuo
Yoshiura Syoichiro
Chen Sophia S.
Conlin David G.
Daley, Jr. William J.
Edwards & Angell LLP
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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