JPH0659846A - Man-machine interface device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow the operator to quickly cope with an operation mistake by informing the operator of the occurrence of the operation mistake quickly on the occurrence of the operation mistake and indicating a cause to the occurrence of the operation mistake to the operator. CONSTITUTION:A key operation signal from an operation section 4 is compared and collated with a content of a ROM 2 storing a correct operation procedure by a fault detection section 12, and on the occurrence of an operation mistake, it is displayed on a message detection section by a display section 5 and an operation guide is outputted from an output circuit 10 by a HELP key in the operation section 4 and the location of the operation mistake and the correct operation procedure are indicated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention sequentially gives an operation instruction to a plurality of operation members, and guides the instruction content corresponding to the operation to a main body of a processing apparatus such as an image editing processing apparatus. The present invention relates to a man-machine interface device for executing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image editing processing devices and the like have become complex as the core of information processing devices, and the functions that can be processed are diverse. Moreover, these processes cannot be specified by a single key operation as in the conventional art, but can be specified by an operation according to a plurality of preset procedures. Considering, for example, the case where a scaling ratio setting, trimming (masking) designation, movement, color designation, double-sided document designation, and the like are performed on a document, the operator's burden increases and the operation The chances of inducing mistakes will also increase.

Therefore, when an editing error occurs,
An image editing processing apparatus for notifying the operator and printing out the image in which the editing error has occurred when the operator gives an instruction to use it for investigating the cause of the editing error (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI-3- 205
961), or when the operation procedure is difficult to understand, such as when editing or scaling, detecting the processing mode,
A copying machine (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-297862) has been proposed in which page information of a user's manual is displayed on a display unit.

[0004]

Since the former image editing processing apparatus only informs the operator of the occurrence of the editing error, it is extremely difficult to grasp what procedure the editing error occurred due to the operation. It was difficult. Therefore, it was similarly difficult to understand how to deal with it.

Further, the latter copying machine only informs the corresponding page when the operation procedure enters a mode in which the operation procedure is difficult to understand, and does not detect and notify the user when an operation error occurs. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above,
An object of the present invention is to provide a man-machine interface device capable of notifying an operator of the occurrence of an operation error and presenting the cause of the operation error to the operator as desired.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a man-machine interface device that sequentially gives operation instructions to a plurality of operation members to execute a predetermined process according to the operation. A recording means for recording the procedure, an erroneous operation detecting means for collating the actually operated procedure with the correct operating procedure, and an output means for enabling the correct operation procedure and the actual operating procedure to be output in association with each other. When an error is detected in the actual operation procedure, the control device notifies the occurrence of this operation error and operates the output means by operating a specific operation member.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the operating procedure of the operator is always collated with the correct operating procedure, and if the collation results do not match, the operator is informed that an operation error has occurred. When the operator operates a specific operation member, the correct operation procedure and the procedure actually operated by the operator are output in correspondence with each other.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A case where the man-machine interface device according to the present invention is applied to an image edit processing device will be described below.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the image editing processing apparatus. The tablet 14 is provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body except the front side.
The upper and lower cassettes 15 and 16 are mounted on one side so that the upper and lower cassettes 15 and 16 can be mounted, and a main power switch 17 is provided in an appropriate place in the vicinity thereof. An operation panel section 18 is arranged on the front side of the upper surface of the apparatus body. The tablet 14 also serves as a document holder, and is attached so that the upper contact glass surface of the apparatus main body can be opened and closed.

A document reading section, an image output section equipped with a laser, an image forming section, and a copy sheet conveying system are provided in the main body of the apparatus, and an image corresponding to an operation from the tablet 14 or the operation panel 18 is provided. Editing processing or copying is performed. An outline of the procedure from the operation instruction of the editing contents to the copy formation according to the editing contents is as follows. First, if necessary, the tablet 14 is used to specify the editing area on the document, and the operation panel unit 18 is used to specify the desired editing contents. After instructing the operation, the document is placed on the contact glass, read by the document reading unit, and temporarily stored, and the stored content is subjected to the editing process corresponding to the above-described edited content.
The document output unit optically modulates the image signal after the editing process and sends it to the photosensitive drum of the image forming unit. Then, the image formed by the image forming section is transferred to the copy sheet conveyed from the cassette by the copy sheet conveying system, fixed, and then ejected.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detailed structure of the operation panel section 18. In the figure, 20 is a message display section,
Menus, comments, etc. are displayed according to various key operations. Reference numeral 21 is an interrupt copy key, 22 is a print key, 23 is a numeric keypad, 24 is a toner color selection key, 25 is a jog dial, 26 is a manual / automatic exposure selection key, 27 is a copy density down key, and 28 is a copy density up key. , 29 is a mode enter key, 30 is a document mode selection key, 31 is a cassette selection key, 32 is a document size selection key, 33 is a centering key, 34 is a memory selection key, and 35 is a sorter mode selection key.
The other components not denoted by the reference numerals are a display unit including an LED or the like for displaying the operation state of each key.

The message display section 20 includes a toner color display screen 201 for displaying the color of the selected developer, an operation screen 202 for displaying various mode settings as a menu, a copy magnification display screen 203, a copy number display screen 204, and a cassette. A size display screen 205 and a warning display screen 206 for notifying toner replenishment, regular inspection, etc. are displayed as needed. FIG. 3 shows a copy ready state. Details of menus and the like displayed on the message display unit 20 will be described later.

Next, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a man-machine interface device according to the present invention.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a microcomputer (hereinafter, referred to as CPU) which controls the man-machine interface device and the image editing processing device as a whole, and when there is an error in the operation procedure, outputs the contents and the correct operation method. To control. Reference numeral 2 denotes a ROM that stores therein an operating program, a menu displayed on the message display unit 20, comment information, and a correct operation procedure corresponding to each editing processing content. Reference numeral 3 denotes a temporary operation content on the operation panel 18. It is a RAM for storing in. That is, the CPU 1 sequentially stores the operation content in the RAM 3 and also sequentially stores the ROM.
The correct operation procedure in 2 is compared and collated to confirm the correctness.

Reference numeral 4 denotes an operation section provided with the operation panel 18, which guides a signal corresponding to the operation to the CPU 1 through the I / F 6. Reference numeral 5 denotes a display unit, which creates a display signal for performing a required display on the message display unit 20 in the operation panel 18 according to the operation content based on a command signal from the CPU 1. The timer 7 is for managing the time of the operation. For example, when no operation instruction is given for a certain period of time, it is determined that there is no operation, and the process proceeds to the subsequent processing.

An external storage medium 8 stores an operation manual for each editing process.
The requested operation manual is output to the CPU 1 via the I / F 9 in response to an instruction from the PU 1. A digital audio tape (DAT), a magneto-optical disk, or the like is used as the external storage device 8. 10
Is an output circuit for synthesizing the operation manual read from the external storage medium 8, the content of the operation error, and the correct operation method (operation procedure) so as to output them in an easy-to-understand diagram and table format. When the present invention is provided to the image editing processing device, the output circuit 10 is the external storage medium 8,
Each piece of information from the ROM 2 and the RAM 3 which is combined by the CPU 1 is guided to the image output section of the apparatus main body described above through the I / F 11, and is converted into a copy sheet by using the image forming section and the copy sheet conveying section. It will be printed out.

Reference numeral 12 denotes an abnormality detection unit for comparing and collating a correct operation procedure with an operation procedure actually operated by an operator for each operation, and if there is a mismatch, that is, an error, informs the CPU 1 of an erroneous operation. When an operation error occurs, the CPU 1 informs the message display section 20 of a comment to that effect, for example, by turning on either a display element such as an LED shown in FIG. A voice generation unit may be attached to give a voice warning. In addition, 13 is a data bus.

Next, an example of the operating procedure will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams showing an example for explaining the procedure of the key operation, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the operation guide sheet in the case where the operator mistakenly operates.

This operation is an edit processing procedure for instructing and copying the trimming range. First, when the mode / enter key 29 is pressed, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the message display unit 20 displays eight types of menus, “image processing” to “expansion”, as the image processing modes on the initial screen. Is displayed, the jog dial 25 is rotated, the reversing cursor (black and white reversal state in the figure) is brought to the desired mode menu, that is, "Edit", and when the two coincide, the mode / enter key 29 is pressed. By pressing this mode / enter key 29, the selection is confirmed.

When "Edit" is selected, FIG.
As shown in (b), four types of submenus from "marker" to "masking" are displayed.

Next, moving to FIG. 5A, in the "edit" mode, the jog dial 25 is rotated to
Match "trimming", and as shown in Fig. 5 (b),
Press the mode / enter key 29. Then, the characters "trimming area input" are displayed and the diagonal position input (trimming area designating method) for the document is prompted (FIG. 5C). In this embodiment, the number of trimming areas in the lower rectangular frame (corresponding to the document) in FIG. 5C, that is, a maximum of six trimming areas can be designated.

Then, a document desired to be trimmed is placed on the tablet 2, and a desired position is diagonally designated (pressed) with a tablet pen. The situation of this area designation is shown in Figure 5.
As shown in (d), it is sequentially displayed in a frame corresponding to the original document, and is used for confirmation of the area designated by the operator. Figure 5
In (d), six places are designated. When you want to change the specified area, rotate the jog dial 25 and move the reverse cursor (black and white reverse status in the figure) to "Clear" of "Mode", "Copy" and "Clear" in the bottom line. If you move it and press the mode / enter key 29,
The last area designation is cleared. By repeating this operation, the area designation in the forward direction is sequentially cleared.
A new area can be designated for the cleared location.

When the desired area designation is completed, the jog dial 25 is rotated again to bring the reverse cursor to "copy" (FIG. 5 (e)), and the mode / enter key 2 is pressed.
When 9 is pressed, the message "Ready to copy" is displayed as shown in the message display section 20 as shown in FIG. 5 (f).

On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows a printout of the operation guide from the output circuit 10 when the operation procedure is incorrect.

In FIG. 6, P _M indicates an operation guide sheet printed out by the output circuit 10, where a trimming operation manual explanation part A, a part B showing the key operation procedure up to the present and future key operations ( It has a portion C for guiding the correct key operation procedure.

Incidentally, in the figure, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the reverse cursor is in the position of "Edit" in the initial state, so that when other mode setting, for example, "double-sided" is set, etc. Needs to operate the jog dial 25.

The portion A is output from the external storage medium 8 described above, the portion B is output from the RAM 3, and the portion C is the ROM 2
It was output from. The respective portions A to C are printed out on the operation guide paper P _M in a corresponding manner.

According to this part B, the operation of "pressing the print key" is performed after the operation of "designating the area with the tablet", and the correct operation is "select copy" as shown in part C. Since the "press the mode / enter key", this portion is instructed and the character of "wrong" is written, thereby presenting the cause of the erroneous operation to the operator.
The operator can very easily know the operation procedure in the future based on the cause of the operation error and the display content of the portion C based on the content of the operation guide sheet P _M.

It should be noted that the operation guide sheet P _M is used when an operation error occurs and the operator operates the operation key 2 described above.
It can be obtained by pressing a predetermined key (hereinafter referred to as HELP key) 36 out of 1 to 35, which is prepared separately, but when the operation procedure in the future is unknown during the operation. But similarly, HELP key 3 above
By pressing 6, the operation guide sheet P showing the operation procedure
It is possible to output _M.

FIG. 7 shows the operation guide paper P _M in this case. Since there is no mistake in the operation procedure up to the middle, the character “error” is not shown in the part B, and the part C is used.
In place of the comment "Incorrect setting (correct key operation)", the comment "Continuous key operation (after area designation)" is displayed, which distinguishes the operation guide sheet P _{M from the} operation error. It is possible.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of outputting a message during the operation. First, when the main power switch 17 is operated and the power is turned on, data initialization of the control circuit unit related to the image editing process is performed (step S1). Then, it is determined whether the operation key has been operated, that is, whether the operation key is ON (step S3). Print key O if the operation key is not ON
It is determined whether it is N (step S5). If the print key is ON, printing is started (step S
7) and this flow ends.

On the other hand, in step S3, the operation key O
If N, it is determined which operation key has been operated (step S9). A code corresponding to each operation key is set to determine the operation key, and the code of the operated key is fetched. Then, this key code is loaded into the RAM 3 (step S11). Figure 4,
In the example of the editing process shown in 5, the jog dial 25,
The code corresponds to the mode / enter key 29.

Next, it is determined whether the operation key is the correct operation key code (step S13). That is, the CPU 1 searches for the corresponding edit processing mode from the actual operating state of the operation keys, and compares the above-mentioned code information with the actual operating procedure and the correct operating procedure in the searched editing mode.

If the correct operation key is operated, the external storage medium 8, for example, DAT as described above, is accessed,
That is, the page of the operation manual corresponding to the retrieved edit mode is accessed (step S15). In this state, it is determined whether the HELP key 36 is ON (step S17). If the HELP key 36 is not ON, after a lapse of a predetermined time by the timer 7, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, when the HELP key 36 is pressed, R is pressed to read the key operation indicated by the operation guide sheet P _M in FIG.
The operation procedure, the corresponding operation manual, and the like are read from the OM 2, the RAM 3, and the external storage medium 8 (step S19). Then, each read message is shown in FIG.
Are combined as shown in (4) and created as an operation guide for the operator (step S29). Then, this operation guide is transmitted to the output circuit 10 (step S31), printing is started and printed out (step S31).
7).

If correct key input is not made in step S13, it is subsequently determined whether or not the HELP key 36 is ON (step S21). If the HELP key 36 is not pressed, this flow is ended after a predetermined time has elapsed by the timer 7. On the other hand, HELP key 36
When is pressed, the current wrong key operating procedure, correct operating procedure and corresponding operating manual are read out from the ROM 2, RAM 3 and external storage medium 8 in order to read out the key operation indicated by the operation guide sheet P _M in FIG. Is performed (steps S23 and S25). Next, the actually operated procedure is collated with the operation manual, and the incorrect operation content is pointed out (step S27). Then, the read messages are combined as shown in FIG. 6 and created as an operation guide for the operator (step S29). Then, this operation guide is transmitted to the output circuit 10 (step S31), printing is started and printed out (step S7). The operation guide to the operator may be displayed on the display member instead of the printout format, or may be a voice instruction.

In this embodiment, the erroneous operation for the key operation of the mode / enter key 29 and the jog dial 25 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the key operation. Various keys 21 to 35 in the operation panel unit 18, a message The same can be applied to the case where a menu or the like sequentially displayed on the display unit 20 is subjected to a designation operation that conflicts with the content designated in the previous step.

Further, although the present embodiment has been described by using the image editing processing apparatus as an application example, the present invention is not limited to this, and in general, an apparatus that sequentially operates a plurality of operating members to cause the main body apparatus to execute a required process. Applicable.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When there is an error in the actual operating procedure when operating multiple operating members, the operator is informed of the occurrence of the operating error, and the specific operating member is operated to correspond the correct operating procedure to the actual operating procedure. Since the output is performed by the operator, the operator can quickly know the occurrence of the operation error, and the cause of the operation error can be easily grasped, so that quick response can be made.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a man-machine interface device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an image editing processing device.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of an operation panel unit.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing an example for explaining a key operation procedure, wherein FIG. 4A shows an initial screen and FIG. 4B shows a lower menu screen.

5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example for explaining a key operation procedure, FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an operation for adjusting to "trimming" by a jog dial, and FIG. 5B is a mode / enter key for performing "trimming". The figure which shows the operation to confirm, the figure (c) is a figure for urging input of the characters of "trimming area" and the diagonal position with respect to the original, and the figure (d) is a figure for explaining the change of the designated area of trimming. FIG. 6E is a diagram showing an operation of confirming “copy” with the mode / enter key, and FIG. 6F is a diagram showing contents displayed on the message display unit after confirmation of “copy”.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an operation guide sheet when an operator operates it by mistake.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an operation guide sheet while the operator is performing a correct operation.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation of outputting a message during an operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 4 Operation part 5 Display part 8 External storage medium 10 Output circuit 12 Abnormality detection part 14 Tablet 17 Operation panel part 18 Main power switch 20 Message display part 22 Print key 25 Jog dial 29 Mode / Enter key 36 HELP key P _M operation guide paper

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A man-machine interface device for executing a predetermined process according to an operation by sequentially giving an operation instruction to a plurality of operation members, and a recording means in which a correct operation procedure for each process is recorded. , A mistaken operation detection means for collating the actually operated procedure with the correct operation procedure, an output means for enabling the correct operation procedure and the actual operation procedure to be output, and an error in the actual operation procedure. A man-machine interface device comprising: a control means which, when detected, notifies the occurrence of this operation error and further operates a specific operation member to operate the output means.