Abstract:
A computer-implemented method for tracing a digital object on a user interface screen of an electronic system includes representing the digital object on the user interface screen by means of a first digital image, selecting the first digital image, starting a user action on the corresponding digital object, replacing the first digital image by a second digital image representing the interactive object during a predetermined time period, applying the user action on the digital object after the predetermined time period has lapsed, and removing the second digital image from the user interface screen after the predetermined time period has lapsed, wherein the second digital image is selectable in order to cancel the started user action of the digital object and to let emerge the first digital image again on the user interface screen. A reproduction apparatus includes a user interface screen and a control unit for executing the method.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Application No. 13161223.6, filed in Europe on Mar. 27, 2013, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for cancelling a user action to be applied to a digital object, on a user interface screen of an electronic system, the method comprising the steps of representing the digital object on the user interface screen by means of a first digital image, and receiving the user action via a user input device, the user action to be applied on the digital object represented by the first digital image. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Background Art 
         [0005]    User interface screens are known, which display a digital image that represents a digital object such as a document, a print job, etc. Such a digital object is stored in a memory of the electronic system and may be selected by a user input device like a mouse, a human finger, a stylus, etc. The user interface screen usually comprises operable user interface elements, like action buttons for editing, copying, renaming, creating, viewing, printing, copying and deleting the digital object. Each operable user interface element represents a specific operation that is activated when a piece of underlying function code program is executed. When the first digital image is selected, the digital object corresponding to the first digital image may be suitable for applying an action upon the digital object. Such an application of an action may be executed by activating the corresponding action button or applying a gesture on the first digital image. Such a user interface screen is shown in  FIG. 4 . A user interface screen  3  displays a plurality of digital images  31 - 35  ordered in a list and an action button  4 . The action button  4  comprises an icon  41 , indicating that the action corresponding to the action button is a delete action. Firstly, a digital image of the plurality of digital images  31 - 35  has to be selected by pointing at, tapping at or pressing on the digital image, and secondly the action button  4  has to be activated by pointing at, tapping at or pressing on the action button  4 . 
         [0006]      FIG. 3A  shows an object time line according to the background art. An object time line is a concatenation of state blocks of a digital object in time. The length of a state block determines the time period that the digital object is in the state represented by the state block.  FIG. 3A  shows a first state  11  of a digital object followed by a second state  12  of the digital object. A change from the first state  11  to the second state  12  may be a result of a user action, for example an edit action, a copy action, a rename action, print action, delete action or view action, on the digital object. Between the first state  11  and the second state  12  the electronic system needs a small amount of time  13  to establish the transition from the first state  11  to the second state  12 . This amount of time  13  is so small that the transition from the first state  11  to the second state  12  is almost instantaneously. On the user interface screen, the digital object is represented by a digital image being selectable by the user during the time period of the first state  11 . 
         [0007]      FIG. 3B  shows a state diagram according to the background art. The first state  11  of the digital object transfers into the second state  12  of the digital object by means of a transfer function  18  invoked by a user action, for example a delete action. Some transfer functions are reversible and an undo function  10  from the second state  12  back to the first state  11  may be implemented. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an objective of the present invention to improve the cancellation of a user action upon a digital object. 
         [0009]    According to the present invention, this object is achieved by the method according to the field of the invention, wherein the method further comprises the steps of replacing the first digital image by a second digital image representing the digital object during a predetermined time period, if the second digital image is selected during the predetermined time period, cancelling the received user action, and displaying the first digital image again instead of the second digital image, if the second digital image is not selected during the predetermined time period, applying the user action to the digital object after the predetermined time period has lapsed, and removing the second digital image after the predetermined time period has lapsed. 
         [0010]    By executing the steps according to the method, the user action of a digital object is not abrupt and irreversible. The second digital image represents the digital object, which is in a state between a first state before the user action is applied on the digital object and a second state after the user action is applied on the digital object. The duration of this in-between state is at most the predetermined time period and begins at the start of the user action. If within this predetermined time period the user selects the second digital image, the state of the digital object becomes the first state again and the first digital image replaces the second digital image. Since the second digital image replaces the first digital image, the user does not have to navigate to another window on the user interface screen for cancelling the planned user action. If the user does not select the second digital image within the predetermined time period, the user action is applied to the digital object after the predetermined time period is lapsed, and the second digital image is removed from the user interface screen immediately. 
         [0011]    According to an embodiment, the predetermined time period is on the order of seconds. Within a number seconds, which is for example less than 5, 10, 20 or 30, the user is able to decide that he wants to cancel the user action. He has realized that the planned user action was not wise and should be cancelled. In particular, it happens that users invoke a user action and at the moment they invoke the action, they realize that this is a mistake and that the action should be cancelled. Due to the method of the present invention, the user is able to cancel immediately after invoking the user action by selecting the second digital image. 
         [0012]    According to an embodiment, the second digital image is placed at substantially the same location on the user interface screen where the first digital image was previously located. This is advantageous, since the user immediately becomes aware of the fact that the second digital image represents the same digital object as the first digital image, when looking at the same location on the user interface screen. 
         [0013]    According to an embodiment, the second digital image is different from the first digital image with respect to at least one characteristic of the first digital image. A difference between the first digital image and the second digital image may be an image color, a color of the background, a color of the foreground, a brilliance degree, a sharpness degree, a patterned image, a watermarked image, a written-over image or a shrunk image. The second digital image may be derived from the first digital image and may comprise an additional image part. By doing so, the user is able to easily distinguish the first digital image from the second digital image. The additional image part may comprise information for the user regarding the invoked cancelling of the user action. 
         [0014]    According to an embodiment of the method, the second digital image comprises at least a part that is variable and reflects the amount of the predetermined time period that is remaining. At least a part of the second digital image or the whole second digital image may change its appearance as the predetermined time period is passing. The change of appearance gives the user an indication of how long it will take until the user action is actually applied upon the selected digital object and how much time is left to cancel the planned user action on the digital object by touching or selecting the second digital image. 
         [0015]    According to a further embodiment of the method, the variable part of the second digital image comprises a text item representing the amount of the predetermined time period that is remaining. This variable part of text gives the user an indication of how long it will take until the user action is actually applied upon the selected digital object and how much time is left to cancel the planned user action on the digital object by touching or selecting the second digital image. 
         [0016]    According to a further embodiment of the method, the variable part comprises a progress item indicating the amount of the predetermined time period that is remaining. The progress item gives the user an indication of how long it will take until the planned user action is actually applied upon the selected digital object and how much time is left to cancel the planned user action on the digital object by touching or selecting the second digital image. 
         [0017]    According to a further embodiment of the method, the second digital image changes color with respect to the amount of the predetermined time period that is remaining. The color change gives the user an indication of how long it will take until the planned user action is actually applied upon the selected digital object and how much time is left to cancel the planned user action on the digital object by touching or selecting the second digital image. 
         [0018]    The present invention also relates to a control unit for controlling a user interface screen connected to the control unit, the user interface screen being suitable for displaying a first digital image representing a digital object, an operable user interface element being suitable for applying a user action to the digital object, a receiving device being configured to receive a user selection of the first digital image, and a selection device being configured to select the digital object upon a receipt of a user selection of the first digital image. The control unit is programmed to cause the user interface screen to display a second digital image replacing the first digital image as soon as the user action is invoked, said second digital image being selectable during a predetermined time period in such a way that, when selected, the user action is cancelled and the second digital image is replaced by the first digital image, and, when not selected, the user action is applied and the second digital image is removed. The control unit may be embedded in a mobile device, like a laptop, a mobile phone, a smart phone, e-reader, i-pad, etc. 
         [0019]    The present invention also relates to an image reproduction apparatus comprising the control unit of the present invention, wherein the user action is one of a delete action, a copy action, a rename action and a view action. 
         [0020]    The invention also relates to an image reproduction apparatus comprising the control unit according to the present invention and a reproduction engine for applying the user action to the digital object, wherein the user action comprises a print action applicable upon the digital object, the digital object being one of a print job and a document. 
         [0021]    The present invention also relates to a computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executed on a processor, performs the method according to the present invention. The invention also relates to a recording medium comprising the computer program product according to the present invention. 
         [0022]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0024]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are diagrams each showing a configuration of an electronic system according to the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates a configuration of an electronic system as an image reproduction system according to the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are object time lines and state diagrams according to the background art; 
           [0027]      FIGS. 3C-3E  are object time lines and state diagrams according to the present invention, 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates a user interface screen displaying a plurality of digital images according to the background art; 
           [0029]      FIGS. 5-8  illustrate user interface screens displaying the plurality of digital images according to the present invention; and 
           [0030]      FIG. 9  is a flow diagram of a method according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0031]    The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar elements are identified with the same reference numerals throughout the several views. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 1A-1B  illustrate an electronic system  1  comprising a user interface screen  2  connected to a control device  9 , e.g. a computer system with a processor and a memory and a user interface touch screen, or an image reproduction system like a printer with a local user interface screen. The control device  9  may be integrated with the user interface screen  2  in a single holding as shown in  FIG. 1B . The user interface screen  2  may be a touch screen. The control device  9  may be connected to the user interface screen  2  by a connection  4 , which may be wired or wireless as shown in  FIG. 1A . The electronic system  1  may be an e-reader, a tablet personal computer, a phone, a smart phone, a laptop, a notebook, a desktop computer, an intelligent white or black board or any other electronic system provided with a user interface screen suitable for user input. 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  illustrates the electronic system integrated in an image reproduction system  5 , for example a printer, a copier, a scanner, a multifunctional printer, a small format printer, a wide format printer, an inkjet printer, an electro-photographical printer, a printer for printing a three-dimensional object, etc. The present invention is particularly suited for use in this kind of environment, where the image reproduction system  5  is available via a network connection  6  for a user working with workstations  8 A,  8 B,  8 C, which are connected via a network N. The user may send a print job comprising a set of digital items from the workstation  8 A,  8 B,  8 C to the control device  9  of the image reproduction system  5 . The control device  9  comprises a storage device  7  for storing print jobs, however a storage device for storing print jobs, documents or images may also be provided by an external system like a web server, a cloud service or an external server that is connected via a network to the control device  9 . The display  2  acts as a user interface screen and is suitable for displaying a digital object like a thumb nail, an icon, a text item, etc. in order to represent a digital item like an electronic document, an image, a print job, a user print mail box, etc. 
         [0034]    The control device  3  may be suited to queue print jobs, to check whether or not the print queue is empty and to submit a document from a queued print job to the print engine of the image reproduction system  5  in order to be printed. The control device  9  may comprise a storage device  7  for storing digital items, for example documents of a print job. When a print job arrives at the image reproduction system  5  according to  FIG. 2 , it is stored in the storage device  7  of the control device  9 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 3C  is an object time line according to the present invention. An object time line, being a concatenation of state blocks of a digital object in time, is shown.  FIG. 3B  illustrates the first state  11  of the digital object and the second state  12  of the digital object. A user action is the cause of the change of state from the first state  11  to the second state  12 . Between the first state  11  and the second state  12 , a transition state  13   a  is positioned on the object time line. The transition from the first state  11  to the second state  12  is made longer in time by means of the transition state  13   a.  However, the user action that will cause the digital object to change to the second state  12  will be executed at the end of the time period of the transition state  13   a.  The time amount of the transition state  13  is large enough to facilitate an extra user action on the digital object before the digital object goes into the second state  12 . During the transition state, no action is running on the digital object, i.e. the digital object is left on its own. During the transition state  13   a , the digital object is represented by a digital image other than the digital image representing the digital object during the first state  11 . The appearance of the other digital image may change during the time period of the transition state  13   a.    
         [0036]    A user action that is allowed in this transition state  13   a,  is a user action on the digital object that reverts the digital object from the transition state  13   a  back into the first state  11 . If no user action is invoked on the digital object during the time period of the transition state  13   a,  the user action is performed on the digital object and the digital object changes into the second state  12  after a predetermined time period  14 . 
         [0037]    The use of the transition state  13   a  is in particular useful when the user action is irreversible, like a delete action in a trash mail box. During the transition state  13   a,  the user may come to the insight that his action was not wise. Then, he is still able to revert the digital object into the first state  11 . A permanent delete of the digital object may be for example prevented. The state diagram is different from an undo action. An undo action is executed upon a second state  12  after the user has invoked a user action upon the digital object in the first state  11 . The digital object is already in the second state  12  when the user decides to undo the user action. Such an undo action will not work and probably will not be offered in the user interface screen when the user action is irreversible. According to the method of the present invention, the user action does not have to be undone, because the user action has not yet been executed when the digital object is in the transition state  13   a.    
         [0038]    Furthermore, an undo action works in a chain of previous actions. If more than one digital object is in a transition state, it is not possible to arbitrarily select a digital object for an undo action, since the last action of the user on a specific digital object is the only action that can be made undone at one moment in time. According to the present invention, each digital object in a transition state can be reverted to its original first state during the transition state of the digital object by touching or selecting on the user interface screen the digital image corresponding to the transition state of the digital object. Overlapping transition states of a plurality of digital objects can be handled in an arbitrary order by selecting the corresponding second digital images in that arbitrary order. 
         [0039]      FIG. 3D  is a state diagram according to the present invention. Initially, the digital object is in a first state  11  and, after a user action is invoked, the digital object transfers via a transfer function  17  to a transition state  13   a.  After lapse of the predetermined time  14  (See  FIG. 3C ), the user action is effectuated and a transfer function  19  delivers the digital object in the second state  12 . From the transition state  13   a , the digital object may be reverted into the first state  11  by means of a transfer function  16 , if the user intervenes during the predetermined time period  14  (See  FIG. 3C ) with a specific reversion action on the digital object in order to get the digital object in its first state  11  again. 
         [0040]      FIG. 3E  is an object time line according to the present invention. The user has invoked a user action to transfer the digital object from the first state  11  into the second state  12 , and the digital object resides in the transition state  13   a  (See  FIG. 3D ). Before the lapse of the predetermined time period  14  (See  FIG. 3C ), the user decides to revert the digital object to the first state  11 , for example after a time period  15  in the transition state  13   a.  The time period  15  is smaller than the time period  14 . The decision of the user is executed by selecting or touching the digital image corresponding to the transition state  13   a  on the user interface screen. 
         [0041]    In another embodiment (not shown), another user action on the digital object is a jump in time to the second state  12  by skipping a part of the time period of the transition state. In this case, the jump is immediately followed by the performance of the user action on the digital object, which immediately goes into the second state  12 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of a user interface screen  3  according to the present invention displaying at least one digital image  31 - 35  according to the present invention. The digital images  31 - 35  are arbitrarily situated on the user interface screen  3 , but may be displayed in a regular order, e.g. in a line up in a vertical or horizontal direction. Each of the digital images  31 - 35  represents a digital object located in memory of the electronic system or on an external storage connected to the electronic system. The memory of the electronic system also comprises at least one function code program to be invoked when applying a corresponding action on a digital object, which corresponding digital image  31 - 35  is selected on the user interface screen  3 . The digital images are shown in a schematic way as a rectangle and are filled in with a picture. The picture of the first digital image  31  shows a part of a circuit and is dark (blue) colored. Also, metadata of the digital object may be included in the digital image  31 - 35 . For example, digital image  31  may be provided with metadata text comprising the text “electronic circuit part.” If the corresponding digital object is a document file, the digital image may be a thumbnail of a first page of the document. Metadata of the digital object may be a file name, a file extension, a corresponding thumbnail, a creation date or a modification date of the digital object, the user or the owner of the digital object and/or a byte size of the digital object in memory. The user interface screen  3  also displays an operable user interface element  4  in the right lower corner of the user interface screen  3 . Other positions of the operable user interface element are envisioned. The operable user interface element  4  may be displayed adjacent to a digital image  31 - 35  which is determined by determination criteria programmed in the control device. Examples of criteria are the last used digital object, last selected digital object, last printed digital object, the most left digital image, the most right digital image, the uppermost digital image, or the lowermost digital image on the user interface screen. 
         [0043]    In  FIG. 5 , the operable user interface element  4  is provided with an icon  41  indicating that the function code program in memory corresponding to the operable user interface element  41  is a delete action. The user interface element  4  may be easily distinguishable by its color, for example a red color. The delete action may also be implemented to be in a list of actions applicable to the digital object corresponding to the digital image. Such a list may appear after a right mouse click at or a long touch on—in case of a touch screen—the appropriate digital image on the user interface screen. 
         [0044]    If the user interface screen comprises a touch screen, the user action on a digital object may be invoked by an appropriate gesture on the corresponding digital image, instead of using a selection of the digital image in combination with an activation of an operable user interface element. 
         [0045]    In  FIG. 5 , the first digital image  31  is selected, which is indicated by the thick rectangle around the digital image  31 , as is also the case in  FIG. 4 . Other ways of showing a selected digital object and corresponding selected digital image are envisioned and are within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0046]      FIG. 5  illustrates the user interface screen  3  after the user has pressed the operable user interface element  4  in  FIG. 4 . A delete action is planned, but postponed: the actual deleting of the digital object is not yet started. According to the present invention, the digital object corresponding to the selected digital image  31  ( FIG. 4 ) is in a transition state between the first state and the second state. This is shown according to the present invention by replacing the corresponding digital image  31  ( FIG. 4 ) by a second digital image  31   a  ( FIG. 5 ). The second digital image  31   a  is light colored instead of the dark colored first digital image  31 . Other ways of representing the second digital image different from the first digital image are envisioned. The second digital image may be watermarked or written over by an image of a colored cross. The second digital image may be shrunk with regard to the first digital image. Depending on the duration of the predetermined time period of the transition state, the second digital image  31   a  may fade away, for example by showing respectively a dark colored image, a light colored image and then a very light colored image. In another embodiment, the digital image  31  fades away into the background of the user interface screen during the predetermined time period. 
         [0047]      FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of the method by using a variable image part  31   b  additional to the second digital image. The additional part  31   b  comprises a text item representing the amount of time left until the lapse of the predetermined time period. In an alternative embodiment, the variable image part is incorporated into the second digital image. Part  31   b  contains the text that indicates the planned user action and the time period still to go until the user action is actually executed, namely “deletion in 20 seconds”. The number “20” in the text is variable from a start number of seconds—in  FIG. 6 , 20 seconds is the starting number in the text—to 0 seconds in steps of a predetermined number of seconds, for example 1 second or more. The user is able to see how much time is left before a real deletion of the digital object. The user is also able to see how much time is left to cancel the planned delete action on the digital object. 
         [0048]      FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of the method by using a variable image part  31   c  additional to the second digital image. The additional part  31   c  comprises an image of small objects, for example squares, representing the amount of time left until the lapse of the predetermined time period. The colored objects dynamically represent the time that has passed and the uncolored objects dynamically represent the time left until the actual delete action. Each object may represent one second or two seconds or three seconds, etc. Other visual items, like time bars and progress bars are envisioned and are within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0049]    The embodiments shown in  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  may be combined in one way or another. Such combinations are within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0050]      FIG. 8  illustrates the user interface screen  3  after the predetermined time period of 20 seconds has lapsed. In this case, the user has not touched or selected the second digital image  31   a,    31   b ,  31   c.  Therefore, the second digital image has disappeared from the user interface screen on which the remaining digital images  32 - 35  are now shown. The digital object corresponding to the previous second digital image  31  has been deleted from memory. 
         [0051]    In case the user did actually touch or select the second digital image  31   a ,  31   b,    31   c  during the predetermined time period—in this example 20 seconds—the user interface screen  3  returns to the state as shown in  FIG. 4 . The digital object corresponding to the second digital image  31   a,    31   b,    31   c  is not deleted from memory and the first digital image  31  will appear again on the user interface screen  3 . 
         [0052]    In addition to a delete action, other user actions may be envisioned, like a print action, a rename action, a change action, a view action, a revert action, a load action, or a create action. Such other user actions fall within the scope of the present invention. The digital object may be a digital image, a digital document, a print job, a copy job, a user mailbox, a directory in a filing system, etc. 
         [0053]      FIG. 9  shows a flow diagram of the method according to the present invention. 
         [0054]    In a first step S 910 , a first digital image is displayed on the user interface screen in order to represent a corresponding digital object that resides in the memory of the electronic system. 
         [0055]    In a second step S 920 , a user action applicable to the digital object is received by the electronic system. The receipt may be after a selection of the first digital image and activating an action button on the user interface screen or after a detection of a user action gesture on the first digital image in case of a touch screen. 
         [0056]    In a third step S 930 , the first digital object is replaced by a second digital object on the user interface screen. 
         [0057]    In a fourth step S 940 , a counter mechanism is introduced. The counter is initialized to zero. 
         [0058]    In a fifth step S 945 , it is checked if the second digital image is selected by the user via a click or touch of the second digital image. 
         [0059]    If the check in the fifth step S 945  is positive, a sixth step S 950  cancels the user action planned for the digital object. 
         [0060]    In a seventh step S 960 , the second digital image is removed from the user interface screen and the method proceeds to the first step S 910 . 
         [0061]    If the check in the fifth step S 945  is negative, an eighth step S 965  checks if the counter is less than a time T, which is predetermined by the electronic system and is the maximal time of appearance of the second digital image on the user interface screen. The predetermined time T is in accordance with the counter mechanism in the electronic system. 
         [0062]    If the check in the eighth step S 965  is positive, the counter is incremented by 1 in a ninth step S 970 , and the method proceeds with the fifth step S 945 . 
         [0063]    If the check in the eighth step S 965  is negative, the second digital image is removed from the user interface screen in a tenth step S 980 . In an eleventh step S 990  the user action is applied on the digital object and the method ends in an end point B. 
         [0064]    Depending on the user action, the method may have an extra step (not shown) after end pint B of displaying the first digital image again on the user interface screen. For example, in the case that the user action is a print action and reprinting is available in the electronic system, the second digital image may be removed from the user interface screen and be replaced by the first digital image on the user interface screen. If the user action is a delete action the second digital image is removed in the tenth step S 980  and the digital object is deleted from memory and the method ends in the end point B. 
         [0065]    All foregoing described embodiments are suitable to be combined with or to be incorporated in the steps S 910 -S 990  of the flow diagram of  FIG. 9 . The method may be adapted in an appropriate way in order to be applied to a plurality of digital objects displayed on the user interface screen, whereby a multi-selection on the plurality of digital objects is envisioned. 
         [0066]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.