Patent ID: 8699065
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: G03G,G06F,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
1. A display operation device, comprising: a display-integrated operation panel having a display screen; a first UI component display device displaying a first user interface (UI) component image on said display screen; a process activating device, responsive to a user operation of said first UI component displayed on said display screen by said first UI component display device, for activating a process associated with the first UI component; and a second UI component display device, responsive to occurrence of a predetermined condition related to the process activated in association with said first UI component by said process activating device, for displaying a second UI component on said display screen; wherein said second UI component is displayed at a position of display of said first UI component, to cover said first UI component; wherein said second UI component display device includes a disabling device, detecting occurrence of an event hindering the process to be activated by said process activating device, for displaying said second UI component at the same position as said first UI component, to be superposed on said first UI component, and thereby for disabling user operation of said first UI component; said display operation device mounted on an image processing apparatus involving toner use, wherein said first UI component is a device for displaying an image formation start key for activating a process for forming an image using the toner; and said disabling device includes a toner-out detecting device detecting shortage of toner to be used for image formation by said image forming apparatus, and a replenishment message display device, responsive to detection of toner-out by said toner-out detecting device, for displaying a message asking replenishment of toner, as said second UI component; wherein said toner-out detecting device includes a device for separately detecting black-toner-out and color-toner-out; and said replenishment message display device includes a toner-by-toner message display device, responsive to detection of one of or both of black-toner-out and color-toner-out by said toner-out detecting device, for displaying a message asking replenishment of black toner, replenishment of color toner or replenishment of black toner and color toner, as said second UI component; and wherein said first UI component includes a first key instructing start of image formation using black toner, and a second key instructing start of image formation using color toner; and said toner-by-toner message display device displays a key including the message asking replenishment of toner, on said first key if black-toner-out is detected and on said second key if color-toner-out is detected.