JP7087764B2 - Image processing equipment and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image processing device such as an image forming device capable of customizing an operation screen displayed on a display means, and a program.

For example, as an image processing device such as a multifunction digital multifunction device called an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral), a device having a function of customizing an operation screen displayed on a display unit of an operation panel according to a user's preference is provided. Are known.

When an image processing device capable of customizing such an operation screen is used in a company or the like, it is generally customized at any time in order to make the operation screen most suitable for the execution of business in the organization to which the user belongs. By using the customized operation screen for users other than the customized user, it contributes to the smooth execution of business of the entire organization by the efficient operation of the image processing device. ..

By the way, when operating the operation screen, the user may perform the operation based on the layout of the setting items of the operation screen in his / her own memory without carefully checking the currently displayed operation screen. ..

However, if the user operates by relying on his / her own memory without knowing that the operation screen is customized and the layout of the setting item is changed, the setting item whose layout has been changed by the customization is changed to the setting item before the change. There is a risk of erroneous operation such as erroneous selection.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 proposes an image forming apparatus that provides a user with information about a change that is expected to easily cause an erroneous operation when the UI (user interface) of the input device is changed by the user. Specifically, when the operation screen is changed by the user customizing the UI, the risk level (proneness of erroneous operation) calculated based on the changed content is determined, for example, the changed part of the screen before and after the customization. Judgment is made based on the number of frequently used items, whether the position of frequently used items has been changed, whether setting items with similar setting value names are placed in the same place, etc., and when the risk is high, the user A warning is sent to the user so that it can be confirmed whether or not to execute the change.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-237820

However, the technique of Patent Document 1 has the following problems because the susceptibility to erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screens before and after customization.

That is, when multiple users use the customized operation screen, it is possible that some users have never used the operation screen before customization, but even in this case, a warning is notified to the user. Therefore, there is a problem that notification is troublesome depending on the user.

Further, when the change by customization is made a plurality of times, for example, twice, the warning may not be notified even though it is desirable for some users to be notified. Specifically, the original operation screen is version 1, the operation screen after the first customization is version 2, and the current operation screen after the second customization is version 3, and the operation screens of version 1 and version 2 are displayed. It is assumed that the difference is large and the difference between the operation screens of version 2 and version 3 is small. Under this circumstance, if the last operation screen used by the user is the version 1 operation screen and a user who has never used the version 2 operation screen tries to use the current version 3 operation screen, this user It is desirable to be notified of a warning because the difference between the last used version 1 operation screen and the current version 3 operation screen is large and erroneous operation is likely to occur. However, since the difference between the operation screens of the version 2 and the version 3 is small, it is not determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, and the warning is not notified.

As described above, conventionally, there has been a problem that a warning for preventing an erroneous operation cannot be appropriately notified according to a user.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and when a user uses a customized operation screen, a warning is given according to the user when it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus and a program which can be appropriately performed.

The above object is achieved by the following means.
(1) The display means, the customization means that can customize the operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users once or a plurality of times, and the customization means provided inside or outside the own device and by the customization means. A customization history storage means for storing the history of customization information including the information of the operation screen after customization and the version information of the operation screen, and the operation screen provided inside or outside the own device when the user operates the operation screen. The operation history storage means for storing the operation history information including the information of the user who operated the operation and the version information of the operated operation screen, the specific means for specifying the user who operates the operation screen of the current version, and the above-mentioned identification. As a determination means for determining the susceptibility to erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the user specified by the means based on the operation history information of the user for the operation screen of the same version group as the current version. An image processing device comprising a notification means for notifying a warning when it is determined by the determination means that an erroneous operation is likely to occur.
(2) The determination means acquires the information of the operation screen of the version last operated by the user among the operation screens of the version group from the customization information stored in the customization history storage means. The image processing apparatus according to item 1 above, which determines whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen.
(3) In the determination means, among the operation screens of the latest version in the version group, the information of the operation screen of the version having the largest number of operations by the user is stored in the customization history storage means. The image processing apparatus according to item 1 above, which is acquired from the inside and determines whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen.
(4) When the number of operations for the operation screen of the version last operated by the user among the operation screens of the version group is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value, the determination means information on the operation screen of the last operated version. If it is less than a predetermined threshold value, the information of the operation screen of the version of the operation screen of the latest version in the version group that has been operated most frequently by the user is stored in the customization history storage means. The image processing apparatus according to item 1 above, which is acquired from information and determines whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen.
(5) The image processing apparatus according to item 4 above, which comprises a setting means capable of changing and setting the threshold value.
(6) The determination means determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when the operation history information of the user for the operation screen of the version group does not exist, and the notification means does not notify a warning. The image processing device described in Crab.
(7) The operation history storage means further stores the operation date and time of the operation screen as operation history information, and the determination means has the last operation date and time of the user for the operation screen of the version group before a predetermined timing. If this is the case, the image processing device according to any one of items 1 to 6 above, wherein it is determined that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and the notification means does not notify a warning.
(8) The operation history storage means further stores information about display / non-display of items included in the operation screen for each image forming apparatus as operation history information, and the determination means is the above-mentioned on the operation screen of the version group. The image processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 7 above, which determines the susceptibility to erroneous operation based on information on display and non-display of items.
(9) The operation history storage means further stores the display size of the operation screen as operation history information, and the determination means is the version. The image processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 8 above, which determines whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the display size of the operation screen of the group and the display size of the current operation screen.
(10) A measuring means for measuring the operation speed of the user is provided, and the determination means determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when the operation speed measured by the measuring means is a certain value or less, and the notification means warns. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the preceding paragraphs 1 to 9, which does not notify.
(11) At least one of the customized history storage means or the operation history storage means is provided in the own device and stores the customization information or the operation history information in the own device and other image processing devices in the above items 1 to 10. The image processing apparatus according to any one.
(12) At least one of the customized history storage means or the operation history storage means is provided in a server capable of communicating with the own device via a network, and customization information or operation history information in the own device and other image processing devices. The image processing apparatus according to any one of the above items 1 to 10.
(13) The image processing device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs 1 to 12, wherein the notification means notifies the warning when the user operates the operation screen of the current version displayed on the display means.
(14) The image processing device according to item 13 above, wherein the notification of the warning is performed by at least one of display on the operation screen or voice.
(15) The image processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 13 above, wherein the warning is notified by presenting help / assist information including an operation method.
(16) The image processing apparatus according to item 15, wherein the help / assist information is presented by at least one of display on the operation screen or voice.
(17) The display means, the customization means that can customize the operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users once or a plurality of times, and the customization means provided inside or outside the own device and by the customization means. A customization history storage means for storing customization information including information on the operation screen after customization and version information of the operation screen, and an operation screen provided inside or outside the own device when the user operates the operation screen. A user who operates the current version of the operation screen is installed in the computer of the image processing device equipped with the operation history storage means for storing the operation history information including the information of the user who performed the operation and the version information of the operated operation screen. The user's operation history information about the operation screen of the same version group as the current version, the susceptibility to erroneous operation in the specific step to be specified and the operation screen of the current version operated by the user specified by the specific step. A program for executing a determination step for determining based on the above, and a notification step for notifying a warning when it is determined by the determination step that an erroneous operation is likely to occur.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (1), when the user operates the operation screen, the operation history information including the information of the user who operated the operation screen and the version information of the operated operation screen is the operation history storage means. Is remembered in. On the other hand, a user who operates the operation screen of the current version is specified, and the susceptibility to erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the specified user is stored in the operation history storage means. Judgment is made based on the user's operation history information about the operation screen of the same version group as the current version. Then, if it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, a warning is notified.

In this way, the likelihood of erroneous operation is not determined based on the difference in the operation screen before and after customization, but is determined based on the user's operation history information about the operation screen of the same version group as the current version. Therefore, it is possible to make a judgment suitable for the user, and by extension, it is possible to give a warning notification suitable for the user.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (2), among the operation screens of the same version group as the current version, the information of the operation screen of the version last operated by the user is stored in the customization history storage means. Since it is determined from the above and whether or not erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen, it is possible to accurately determine the susceptibility of erroneous operation for each user. can.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (3), the information of the operation screen of the version having the largest number of operations by the user among the operation screens of the latest version in the same version group as the current version is stored in the customized history storage means. Since it is acquired from the customized information that has been set and it is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen, it is determined for each user whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur. It can be done accurately.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (4), among the operation screens of the same version group as the current version, when the number of operations for the operation screen last operated by the user is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold, the last operated version. If the information on the operation screen of is less than the specified threshold, the information on the operation screen of the version of the latest version of the operation screen in the same version group as the current version that is most frequently operated by the user is stored in the customized history. It is acquired from the customization information stored in the means, and it is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen. Can be performed accurately for each user.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (5), the threshold value for determining whether to acquire the information on the operation screen of the last operated version or the information on the operation screen of the version having the largest number of operations by the user is set. Can be changed and set.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (6), if the user's operation history for the operation screen of the same version group as the current version does not exist, it can be determined that erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, so no warning is notified.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (7), if the user's last operation date and time for the operation screen of the same version group as the current version is before a predetermined timing, the last operation is too old and the user. Since it is considered that it does not exist in the memory of, it is judged that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and a warning is not notified.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (8), since there are differences in the functions and option configurations possessed by each image forming apparatus, the display and non-display of the items included in the operation screen are different, and erroneous operation is likely to occur. It's also different. Therefore, the susceptibility to erroneous operation is determined based on the information of displaying and hiding items on the operation screen of the same version group as the current version.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (9), since the susceptibility to erroneous operation differs depending on the display size of the operation screen, the display size of the operation screen and the display size of the current operation screen of the same version group as the current version Based on the difference, it is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (10), when the user's operation speed is measured and the measured operation speed is equal to or less than a certain value, it is determined that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, so that no warning is notified.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (11), customization information or operation history not only in the own device but also in other image processing devices in at least one of the customized history storage means or the operation history storage means provided in the own device. Information can be stored centrally.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (12), a plurality of image processing devices including the own device in at least one of the customized history storage means or the operation history storage means provided in the server capable of communicating with the own device via the network. It is possible to centrally save customization information and operation history information about.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (13), a warning is notified when the user operates the operation screen of the current version displayed on the display means.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (14), the warning is notified by at least either display on the operation screen or voice.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (15), the warning is notified by presenting help / assist information including the operation method.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (16), the help / assist information is presented by at least either display on the operation screen or voice.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (17), a user who operates the operation screen of the current version is specified, and the susceptibility to erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the specified user is determined. It is possible to make the computer of the image processing device execute the process of notifying a warning when it is determined based on the user's operation history information about the operation screen of the same version group as the current version and it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. can.

It is a block diagram which shows the electric structure of the image forming apparatus as an image processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of an image processing apparatus when a user customizes an operation screen. It is a flowchart which shows the determination process of the possibility of erroneous operation which is executed by an image processing apparatus when a user operates an operation screen. (A) and (B) are diagrams for explaining an operation screen in which erroneous operations are likely to occur before and after customization. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the case where the operation history information and / or the customization information is stored in the storage device of a server connected to an image processing device via a network. It is a figure which shows the operation screen for demonstrating an example of the determination of the possibility of erroneous operation. (A) and (B) are operation screens when the operation screen of FIG. 6 is divided into a plurality of pages and displayed because the display screen size is smaller than that of FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation screen for demonstrating another example of determination of the possibility of erroneous operation. (A) and (B) are operation screens when the operation screen of FIG. 8 is divided into a plurality of pages and displayed because the display screen size is smaller than that of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the case of displaying a message on a screen and notifying a warning. It is a figure which shows another example of the case of displaying a message on a screen and notifying a warning.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 as an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As the image forming apparatus 1, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned MFP, which is a multifunctional digital multifunction device having functions such as a copy function, a printer function, a scanning function, and a facsimile function, is used. In the following description, the image forming apparatus is also referred to as an MFP.

As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 1 includes a control unit 100, a storage device 110, an image reading device 120, an operation panel 130, an image output device 140, a printer controller 150, a network interface (network I / F) 160, a customization unit 170, and the customization unit 170. It is equipped with an authentication unit 180 and the like, and is connected to each other via a system bus 175.

The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, an S-RAM (Static Random Access Memory) 103, an NV-RAM (Non Volatile RAM) 104, a clock IC 105, and the like.

The CPU 101 comprehensively controls the entire MFP 1 by executing an operation program stored in the ROM 102 or the like. For example, the copy function, the printer function, the scan function, the facsimile function, and the like are controlled to be executable. Further, in this embodiment, when the operation screen is customized by the customization unit 170, a version is added to the customized operation screen for management, or when the user displays the operation screen and performs an operation, an erroneous operation is performed. Processing such as determining the susceptibility to the occurrence of the above and notifying a warning when it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur is performed, but the details will be described later.

The ROM 102 stores programs and other data executed by the CPU 101.

The S-RAM 103 is a work area when the CPU 101 executes a program, and temporarily stores the program, data when the program is executed, and the like.

The NV-RAM 104 is a non-volatile memory backed up by a battery, and stores various settings and the like related to image formation.

The clock IC 105 measures the time and functions as an internal timer to measure the processing time and the like.

The storage device 110 is composed of a hard disk or the like, and stores programs, various data, and the like. In particular, in this embodiment, when the operation screen is customized by the customization unit 170, the customization information 111 including the customized operation screen information and the operation screen version information can be stored, or the user can display the operation screen. Each time an operation is performed, the operation history information 112 including the information of the user who operated the operation screen and the version information of the operated operation screen is stored.

The image reading device 120 includes a scanner or the like, scans a document set on the platen glass, scans the document, and converts the scanned document into image data.

The operation panel 130 is used when the user gives an instruction such as a job to the MFP 1 and makes various settings, and includes a reset key 131, a start key 132, a stop key 133, a display unit 134, a touch panel 135, and the like.

The reset key 131 is used to reset the settings, the start key 132 is used for a start operation such as scanning, and the stop key 133 is pressed when the operation is interrupted. Is.

The display unit 134 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device and displays a message, various operation screens, and the like. The touch panel 135 is formed on the screen of the display unit 134 and detects a user's touch operation.

The image output device 140 prints a copy image generated from the image data of the original document read by the image reader 120 and the print data transmitted from the terminal device 3 on paper and outputs the printed matter.

The printer controller 150 generates a copy image from the print data received by the network interface 160.

The network I / F 160 functions as a communication means for transmitting / receiving data to / from an external device such as a server or a terminal device via the network 4.

The customization unit 170 customizes the operation screen based on the user's operation, and is configured as a part of the function of the CPU 101.

The authentication unit 180 acquires the authentication information of the user who logs in, compares and collates this authentication information with the collation information stored in the fixed storage device 110 or the like in advance, and performs authentication. Corresponds to. It should be noted that the comparison and collation between the user's authentication information and the collation information may be performed by an external authentication server, and the authentication may be performed by the authentication unit 180 receiving the authentication result from the authentication server.

Next, the operation of the MFP 1 when the user customizes the operation screen will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is executed by operating the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 according to an operation program stored in a recording medium such as a ROM.

In step S01, the customization unit 170 customizes the operation screen in response to the user's request for customizing the operation screen. Customization is executed by the user performing screen editing such as moving, adding, or deleting display parts by, for example, dragging and dropping on the operation screen. In addition, it may be performed by automatic customization such as acquiring log information about a function used by a user and moving a part related to a function frequently used to the upper part of the screen.

New version information is added to the new operation screen after customization. The version of the original operation screen before customization is set to, for example, version 1, and the version information of, for example, version 2 is added to the new operation screen. Further, when customized, the following version information may be added, for example, version 3 and version 4.

The operation screen is provided with screen identification information (screen ID) for specifying the operation screen. The screen ID is not changed even if the version is changed by customization, and if the original operation screen is the same, the screen ID is the same.

In step S02, the history of the customization information 111 of the operation screen is stored and held in the storage device 110. The operation screen customization information 111 includes the customized operation screen information and the operation screen version information. The information on the operation screen includes, for example, the type and position of each part of the operation screen, the setting items that can be set on the screen, the default setting value of each setting item, and the appearance information of the screen (position, size, display color of each object, etc.). Information such as text and shape). As for the appearance information, the captured image of the operation screen may be retained, or if it is a web screen, the information of the DOM (Document Object Model) tree may be retained.

Further, the history of the customization information 111 is retained by associating the version information with the screen information so that the screen information can be specified from the version information.

On the other hand, when the user is authenticated by the authentication unit 180, logs in to the MFP 1, and operates the operation screen, the operation history information 112 is stored and held in the storage device 110 at the end of the operation or the like. The operation history information 112 stored and retained includes the screen ID of the operation screen, the information of the user who operated the operation screen, the version information of the operation screen, and the like. Further, in this embodiment, the date and time of the operation, the display / non-display of the items included in the operation screen, the display size of the operation screen, and the like are also stored as the operation history information, if necessary.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a determination process of susceptibility to erroneous operation executed by the MFP 1 when the user operates the operation screen. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed by operating the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 according to an operation program stored in a recording medium such as a ROM.

When the user is authenticated, logs in to the MFP 1, opens the latest version of the operation screen, that is, the current operation screen, and displays it on the display unit 134, in step S11, the customization information 111 of the currently displayed operation screen is stored in the storage device 110. After reading from, in step S12, the operation history information 112 is read from the storage device 110 based on the screen ID of the current operation screen. The operation history information 112 to be read is the operation history information of the operation screen having the same screen ID as the screen ID of the current operation screen among the operation history information of the logged-in user, in other words, the same version as the current version. It is all or a part of the operation history information about the operation screen of the group (the operation screen of the current version and the operation screen of the past version corresponding to the current version). For example, if the original uncustomized operation screen version is 1, the operation screen version after multiple customizations is version 2 to 4, and the current version is version 4, each operation of versions 1 to 4 is performed. Called from the user's history information about the screen.

Next, in step S13, it is determined whether or not there is a high possibility of erroneous operation (whether or not erroneous operation is likely to occur). The specific determination method will be described later. If the possibility of erroneous operation is high (YES in step S14), the user is notified in step S15 of a warning indicating that the possibility of erroneous operation is high, and then the process proceeds to step S16. If there is no high possibility of erroneous operation (NO in step S14), the process proceeds to step S16 as it is.

In step S16, the user's operation on the current operation screen is received, the processing corresponding to the operation is performed, and when the operation is completed, the operation screen display is terminated in step S17, and the current operation screen is displayed in step S18. The storage unit 110 holds a history of operations performed by the user. If a screen transition is required according to the user operation, steps S11 to S18 are executed each time the screen transition is required.

Next, a method for determining whether or not there is a high possibility of erroneous operation in step S13 in the flowchart of FIG. 3 (whether or not erroneous operation is likely to occur) will be described.

As described above, when the user displays the operation screen of the current version on the display unit 134, the CPU 101 determines the operation screen of the current version and the operation screen of the past version corresponding to the current version based on the screen ID. All or for example, the operation history information 112 performed by the user during the operation is called, and it is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur according to the screen currently being operated and the operation history information 112.

For example, the operation screen information of the version corresponding to the operation screen last operated by the user requested from the operation history information is acquired from the customization information, and the acquired operation screen information and the operation screen currently being operated are obtained. Are compared, and the susceptibility to erroneous operation is determined based on the difference.

The criterion for judging "prone to erroneous operation" is simply whether or not the number of objects whose arrangement has been changed between the two operation screens is larger than the predetermined threshold value so that the amount of calculation is reduced. It may be investigated and it may be determined that erroneous operation is likely to occur if there are many.

Alternatively, only patterns in which erroneous operations are likely to occur may be determined more accurately. For example, it may be checked whether another setting item having a high degree of similarity in appearance is arranged at the position of a certain setting item between the two operation screens, and if it is arranged, it may be determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. .. In this case, the degree of similarity in appearance is determined by whether or not the colors, shapes, arrangements (vertical or horizontal) of screen components such as buttons and text are common at a predetermined ratio or more. It's fine. In particular, when the "setting value to be set in the setting item" is common as in the setting item 301 of the "paper" and the setting item 302 of the "manuscript" on the setting screen D11 of FIG. 4A, FIG. When the arrangements of the setting items 301 and 302 are rearranged as in the setting screen D12 of (B), it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur. This is because it is considered that the user who uses the setting screen D11 of FIG. 4A is likely to operate the current setting screen D12 based on the memory at that time.

Note that FIG. 4A shows the operation screen D11 of the version one before the present, in which the setting item 301 of "paper" is arranged on the left side and the setting item 302 of "manuscript" is arranged on the right side. The set values are common to "A4" and "A3". FIG. 4B shows the operation screen D12 of the current version, and the setting item 301 of the “paper” is moved to the right side and the setting item 302 of the “manuscript” is moved to the left side by customization.

Furthermore, on operation screens that include functions that are frequently used by users and operation screens that include functions that cause serious damage when erroneously operated, it is highly necessary to notify the user of a warning, so erroneous operations are likely to occur. It is better to set the threshold value of the above to a low value, that is, to set it so that it is determined that an erroneous operation is more likely to occur. In addition, as the operation screen including the function that causes serious damage when erroneously operated, for example, the destination setting screen for facsimile transmission in which confidential information is unnecessarily transmitted to the outside when the setting is erroneous, or the setting is erroneous. In some cases, for example, a screen for setting the presence / absence of a copy guard function that enables copying of confidential information can be mentioned.

Further, as described below, the user may be divided into a plurality of types based on the operation history information, and the method of determining the susceptibility to erroneous operation may be changed depending on the type.
[Type A]: A user who has no operation history for the operation screens of the same version group as the current version, that is, who has never used these operation screens. Alternatively, a user who has not used the operation screen for a long period of time because the last operation date and time is before a predetermined timing (for example, one year) even if the operation history exists. Alternatively, a user who has used the operation screen of the current version more than a predetermined number of times (for example, 5 times).

For the user of type A, it is determined that the user is unlikely or unlikely to operate the current operation screen based on the past memory, so that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur, and the warning is not notified. The period of use or not and the number of times the operation screen of the current version is used are set in advance, but can be changed.
[Type B]: A user who does not correspond to type A, uses the operation screen of the last operated version less frequently, and has an operation screen of the most frequently used version of the operation screens of the latest version.

For the user of type B, the susceptibility to erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screen of the most frequently used version of the operation screen of the latest version and the operation screen of the current version. Here, the latest may be, for example, going back from the current version to n versions, or may be a time limit such as within one month. The number of times and the time limit are set in advance and can be changed.

To give a specific example, the operation screen of the last operated version has been used less than T1 times, and the operation screen of the version that has been used T2 (however, T2> T1) times or more among the operation screens of the latest n versions. If there is, the susceptibility to erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screen of the version that has been used T2 times or more and the operation screen of the current version. This is because the user is accustomed to operating the operation screen that has been used many times, and if the operation screen is changed, an erroneous operation is likely to occur. The number of times T1 and T2 are also set in advance and can be changed.

If there are multiple operation screens of the version that has been used T2 times or more, the operation screen of the latest version among them may be adopted, or the operation screen of the version that has been used most frequently may be adopted. .. For example, T1 = 2, n = 3, T2 = 3 are set, the version of the current operation screen is 4, and among the past operation screens operated by the user, the operation screen of version 1 has been used 20 times and the version. Assuming that the operation screen of 2 is used 3 times and the operation screen of version 3 is used 1 time, the operation screens of the version with the number of times of use T2 or more are the operation screens of version 1 and version 2, among them. When the operation screen of the latest version of is adopted, the determination is made based on the difference between the operation screen of version 2 and the current operation screen. When the operation screen that has been used most frequently is adopted, the determination is made based on the difference between the operation screen of version 1 and the current operation screen.
[Type C]: A user who does not fall under types A and B. For this user, the likelihood of erroneous operation is determined based on the difference between the operation screen of the last used version and the operation screen of the current version.

Next, another example of the method for determining the susceptibility to erroneous operation will be described. In this example, the customized operation screen is shared with other MFPs, and not only the operation history information 112 of the own device but also the operation history information 112 of other MFPs is aggregated in the storage device 110 of the MFP1. It is a judgment method when it is memorized.

The MFP1 and other MFPs have different device configuration conditions such as functions and options, and even if a customized operation screen is shared, items and setting values that cannot be set are hidden in the MFP.

Therefore, in this embodiment, information about the display / non-display of items and setting values included in the operation screen is also stored in the storage device 110 as the operation history information 112 for each operation screen of each version, and this display is also stored. , The susceptibility to erroneous operation is determined based on the information about non-display. Specifically, for each component part of the operation screen, the display / non-display state when the user displays the screen is stored together with the part identifier.

To explain an example of how to determine the likelihood of erroneous operation based on display / non-display, even if a setting item with similar setting values is replaced by customization, the setting item was last used by the user or most recently. If it is hidden on the operation screen of the most used version, it is not judged that erroneous operation is likely to occur. The reason for this is that it is difficult for the user to operate the hidden setting item based on the memory of the past operation screen.

The user operation history information 112 is not stored in the storage device 110 of the MFP 1, but is stored in the storage device 21 of the server 2 that can be connected to the MFP 1 via the network 4 as shown in FIG. May be. In this case, the MFP 1 acquires the operation history information 112 from the server 2 via the network 4. Further, the history of the customization information 111 may also be stored in the storage device 21 of the server 2. By storing the operation history information 112 and the customization information 111 in the storage device 2 of the server 2, the server 2 can centrally store and manage the operation history information 112 and the customization information 111 of each MFP. Further, by storing the data in the server 2, there is an advantage that the storage area and the CPU resource in the MFP 1 can be saved. The server 2 may be a cloud server (external network server), and in this case, the external storage service can be used as it is. On the other hand, when the storage device 110 in the MFP 1 stores the operation history information 112 and the like of each MFP, it is not necessary to provide the server 2 and the configuration is simplified.

Next, still another example of the method for determining the susceptibility to erroneous operation will be described. In this example, the MFP 1 can change the display size of the operation screen, and for each version of the operation screen, the display size of the operation screen when the user operates is stored as the operation history information 112, for example, the user can change the display size. Based on the difference between the display size of the operation screen of the last used or most recently used version of the operation screen and the display size of the current operation screen, it is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur.

The MFP 1 can change the display size of the operation screen customized by another MFP, for example, according to the display size on the display unit 134 of the own device. The change is made, for example, by acquiring the number of pixels in the width and height of the display window. In the case of full screen display, the number of pixels of the display unit 134 is acquired from the driver of the operation 130. When the pixel count information is read when the application is started and each operation screen is drawn, the number of items to be displayed on the screen is determined or the screen layout is changed based on the read pixel count value.

In the case of a Web screen, the browser function scrolls to display items that cannot be displayed on the screen at once if the display size is small. Also, the layout is changed by so-called responsive web design.

Explaining an example of determining the susceptibility to erroneous operation, for example, the operation screen of the version that the user last used or most recently used most is as shown in FIG. 6 in the MFP of the model having a large display screen size. It is assumed that the plurality of setting items 303 are the operation screen D21 displayed in a plurality of rows / columns. On the other hand, since the MFP1 currently being operated by the user is a model having a small display screen size, the setting items to be displayed on one screen as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B instead of the operation screen of FIG. The number and row / column arrangement are changed, and all setting items 303 are displayed as operation screens D31 and D32 that can be displayed by switching pages from the previous page to the next page or vice versa. It shall be.

In this case, even if the operation screen is the same, the arrangement of the setting item 303 is significantly different, and it is difficult for the user to "select the position of the item based on the memory of the previous operation", so even if the operation screen of the current version is used. However, even if the positions of the setting items 303 on the operation screens D31 and D32 shown in FIG. 7 are exchanged, it is not determined that the possibility of erroneous operation is high.

Further, when the display screen size is large, the area is displayed on the operation screen from the beginning, but when the display screen size is small, the user's operation may be required to display the area. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, in the operation screen D41 having a large display screen size, in addition to the setting items 304 such as “paper” and “original”, the areas 305 of the “program” and the area 306 of the “function search” are arranged. On the operation screen D51, which is displayed on the operation screen at the same time as the setting item 304 but has a small display screen size as shown in FIG. 9A, the "program" button 307 and the "function search" button 308 on the toolbar of the operation screen D51 By pressing, the area of "program" is displayed, or the area 309 of "function search" is displayed as shown in the figure (B).

In such a case, for example, the operation screen of the version that the user last used or most recently used is the operation screen D41 having a large display screen size shown in FIG. 8, and is currently being operated by the MFP1. When the operation screen is the operation screen D51 having a small display screen size shown in FIG. 9A, the positions of the "program" button 307 and the "function search" button 308 on the toolbar on the operation screen D51 are exchanged before and after customization. Even if the user does not make an erroneous operation based on memory (the user has never operated these buttons in the first place), it is not determined that the possibility of the erroneous operation is high.

The method for determining the susceptibility to erroneous operation has been described above. In addition to these methods, the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 measures the user's operation speed, and when the measured operation speed is below a certain value, the operation is performed. Since it is performed slowly and it is unlikely that the operation is performed based on memory, even if it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur in the judgment based on the user's operation history, it is determined that the erroneous operation is unlikely to occur. May be good. The user's operation speed is measured, for example, by measuring the time from when the operation screen is displayed until the button is pressed, the time from when the operation button is pressed until the next operation is performed, and the like. If these times are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, it may be determined that the speed is equal to or less than a certain value.

When the MFP1 determines that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, the MFP1 notifies the user of a warning that the erroneous operation is likely to occur in order to avoid the erroneous operation. As shown in FIG. 10, the warning notification may display the reason why it is determined that an erroneous operation is likely to occur on the screen as a message 310, or may output it by voice. In the example of FIG. 10, the message 310 "replacement of similar items" is presented.

Further, as another notification method of the warning, as shown in FIG. 11, the operation method on the operation screen may be presented as the help assist information message 311 or the message 311 may be output by voice. In the example of FIG. 11, the message 311 "Please set the paper in the leftmost item and then set the manuscript in the middle item" is presented.

1 MFP (image processing device)
100 Control unit 101 CPU
102 ROM
103 RAM
110 Storage device 130 Operation panel 134 Display unit 160 Network interface 170 Customization unit 180 Authentication unit 190 Voice terminal device 2 Server 21 Storage unit 301 to 304 Setting items 305, 306 Area 307 "Program" button 308 "Function search" button 309 Area 310 311 message

Claims (17)

Display means and
A customization means that can customize the operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users once or multiple times.
A customization history storage means that is provided inside or outside the own device and stores a history of customization information including information on the operation screen after customization by the customization means and version information of the operation screen.
An operation history storage means provided inside or outside the own device to store operation history information including the information of the user who operated the operation screen and the version information of the operated operation screen when the user operates the operation screen. ,
Specific means to identify the user who operates the operation screen of the current version, and
Judgment that the susceptibility to erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the user specified by the specific means is determined based on the operation history information of the user for the operation screen of the same version group as the current version. Means and
When it is determined by the determination means that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, a notification means for notifying a warning and a notification means.
An image processing device characterized by being equipped with. The determination means acquires the information of the operation screen of the version last operated by the user among the operation screens of the version group from the customization information stored in the customization history storage means, and the acquired operation. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the screen information and the current operation screen. The determination means acquires the information of the operation screen of the version having the largest number of operations by the user among the operation screens of the latest version in the version group from the customization information stored in the customization history storage means. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen. When the number of operations for the operation screen of the version last operated by the user among the operation screens of the version group is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value, the determination means determines the information of the operation screen of the last operated version. If it is less than the threshold value of, among the operation screens of the latest version in the version group, the information of the operation screen of the version having the largest number of operations by the user is stored in the customization information stored in the customization history storage means. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is obtained from the above and determines whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the acquired operation screen information and the current operation screen. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a setting means capable of changing and setting the threshold value. The determination means determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when the operation history information of the user for the operation screen of the version group does not exist, and the notification means does not notify the warning according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The image processing device described. The operation history storage means further stores the operation date and time of the operation screen as operation history information.
The determination means determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when the last operation date and time of the user on the operation screen of the version group is earlier than a predetermined timing, and the notification means does not notify the warning. The image processing apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6. The operation history storage means further stores information about display / non-display of items included in the operation screen for each image forming apparatus as operation history information.
The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the determination means determines the susceptibility to erroneous operation based on the information on the display / non-display of the item on the operation screen of the version group. A changing means for changing the display size of the operation screen displayed on the display means is provided.
The operation history storage means further stores the display size of the operation screen as operation history information.
The image processing according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the determination means determines whether or not an erroneous operation is likely to occur based on the difference between the display size of the operation screen of the version group and the display size of the current operation screen. Device. It is equipped with a measuring means for measuring the operation speed of the user.
The image processing according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the determination means determines that an erroneous operation is unlikely to occur when the operation speed measured by the measurement means is a certain value or less, and the notification means does not notify a warning. Device. Any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one of the customized history storage means or the operation history storage means is provided in the own device and stores the customization information or the operation history information in the own device and other image processing devices. The image processing apparatus according to. At least one of the customized history storage means or the operation history storage means is provided in a server capable of communicating with the own device via a network, and also stores customization information or operation history information in the own device and other image processing devices. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the notification means notifies the warning when the user operates the operation screen of the current version displayed on the display means. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the notification of the warning is performed by at least either display on the operation screen or voice. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the warning is notified by presenting help / assist information including an operation method. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the help assist information is presented by at least one of display on an operation screen or voice. Display means and
A customization means that can customize the operation screen displayed on the display means and shared by a plurality of users once or multiple times.
A customization history storage means that is provided inside or outside the own device and stores customization information including information on the operation screen after customization by the customization means and version information of the operation screen.
An operation history storage means provided inside or outside the own device to store operation history information including the information of the user who operated the operation screen and the version information of the operated operation screen when the user operates the operation screen. ,
To the computer of the image processing device equipped with
Specific steps to identify the user who operates the operation screen of the current version, and
Judgment that the susceptibility to erroneous operation on the operation screen of the current version operated by the user specified by the specific step is determined based on the operation history information of the user for the operation screen of the same version group as the current version. Steps and
When it is determined by the determination step that an erroneous operation is likely to occur, a notification step for notifying a warning and a notification step
A program to execute.

Images