Patent Publication Number: US-2010125805-A1

Title: Methods of providing user interface for control of digital imaging system and corresponding apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Disclosed herein are methods of providing a user interface to control operation of a digital imaging system, as well as corresponding apparatus. 
     Image forming devices such as printers, copiers and multi-function devices provide users the ability to print from a device such as a desktop or laptop computer, a handheld computer, or other electronic devices, to a printer connected to the device. The electronic devices may be stand alone devices, or may be connected in a network, such as in a business computing environment, which may include one or more printers. 
     More complex production printing systems, such as digital presses and the like, often include a digital front end providing software and user interfaces to control complex printing jobs. These user interfaces may be very complex and cumbersome for a user to utilize 
     SUMMARY 
     According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods of providing a user interface to control operation of a digital imaging system, and corresponding apparatus and computer readable medium. The methods include displaying to a user on a display of the digital imaging system the user interface having a plurality of user interface display areas, the plurality of user interface display areas including a job list for displaying at least one available job, a job workspace for displaying a selected job be worked on, and a plurality of job modification display areas, each of the job modification display areas including at least one job modification feature, receiving from a user an indication of the selected job of the at least one available job to be worked on, wherein the user indicates selection of the selected job to be worked on by dragging and dropping one of the at least one available job to be worked on from the job list to the job workspace, displaying the selected job in the job workspace, receiving from the user at least one job modification of the selected job, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one job modification by dragging and dropping the at least one job modification from at least one of the plurality of job modification display areas to the selected job in the job workspace, and displaying the at least one job modification with the selected job in the job workspace. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of a system for controlling a printer. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram of a system for controlling a printer. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a diagram of a user interface. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a diagram of a user interface. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a diagram of a user interface. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a diagram of a user interface. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a diagram of a user interface. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a diagram of a user interface. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a flowchart of a method of providing a user interface to control operation of a digital imaging system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods of providing a user interface to control operation of a digital imaging system, and corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium. The embodiments may include a simple digital imaging system such as may be used on a personal computer, a complex digital imaging system such as a digital press, or anything in between. 
     The embodiments include methods of providing a user interface to control operation of a digital imaging system. The methods include displaying to a user on a display of the digital imaging system the user interface having a plurality of user interface display areas, the plurality of user interface display areas including a job list for displaying at least one available job, a job workspace for displaying at least one selected job be worked on, and a plurality of job modification display areas, each of the job modification display areas including at least one job modification feature, receiving from a user an indication of the at least one selected job of the at least one available job to be worked on, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one selected job to be worked on by dragging and dropping one of the at least one available job to be worked on from the job list to the job workspace, displaying the selected job in the job workspace, receiving from the user at least one job modification of the selected job, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one job modification by dragging and dropping the at least one job modification from at least one of the plurality of job modification display areas to the selected job in the job workspace, and displaying the at least one job modification with the selected job in the job workspace. 
     The embodiments further include an apparatus for controlling operation of a digital imaging system. The apparatus includes a memory that stores instructions, a display for displaying a user interface to a user, a user input device for allowing the user to interface with the digital imaging system, and a processor that executes the instructions to cause display and manipulation of the user interface of the digital imaging system upon receipt input from the user on the user input device, wherein the processor causes: display of the user interface having a plurality of user interface display areas, the plurality of user interface display areas including a job list for displaying at least one available job, a job workspace for displaying at least one selected job be worked on, and a plurality of job modification display areas, each of the job modification display areas including at least one job modification feature, displaying the selected job in the job workspace in response to receiving from a user an indication of the at least one selected job of the at least one available job to be worked on, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one selected job to be worked on by dragging and dropping on the user input device one of the at least one available job to be worked on from the job list to the job workspace, and displaying the at least one job modification with the selected job in the job workspace in response to receiving from the user at least one job modification of the selected job, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one job modification by dragging and dropping on the user input device the at least one job modification from at least one of the plurality of job modification display areas to the selected job in the job workspace. 
     The embodiments further include a computer readable medium, having a computer-usable data carrier storing instructions, the instructions when executed by a computer causing the computer to provide a user interface to control a digital imaging system by: displaying to a user on a display of the digital imaging system the user interface having a plurality of user interface display areas, the plurality of user interface display areas including a job list for displaying at least one available job, a job workspace for displaying at least one selected job be worked on, and a plurality of job modification display areas, each of the job modification display areas including at least one job modification feature, receiving from a user an indication of the at least one selected job of the at least one available job to be worked on, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one selected job to be worked on by dragging and dropping one of the at least one available job to be worked on from the job list to the job workspace, displaying the selected job in the job workspace, receiving from the user at least one job modification of the selected job, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one job modification by dragging and dropping the at least one job modification from at least one of the plurality of job modification display areas to the selected job in the job workspace, and displaying the at least one job modification with the selected job in the job workspace. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of a system  110 . The system  110  may be embodied within devices such as a digital imaging system, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a handheld communication device, or another type of computing device, or the like. The system  110  may include a memory  120 , a processor  130 , input/output devices  140 , a display  150  and a bus  160 . The bus  160  may permit communication and transfer of signals among the components of the computing device  110 . 
     Processor  130  may include at least one conventional processor or microprocessor that interprets and executes instructions. The processor  130  may be a general purpose processor or a special purpose integrated circuit, such as an ASIC, and may include more than one processor section. Additionally, the system  110  may include a plurality of processors  130 . 
     Memory  120  may be a random access memory (RAM or another type of dynamic storage device that stores information and instructions for execution by processor  130 . Memory  120  may also include a read-only memory (ROM which may include a conventional ROM device or another type of static storage device that stores static information and instructions for processor  130 . The memory  120  may be any memory device that stores data for use by system  110 . 
     Input/output devices  140  (I/O devices) may include one or more conventional input mechanisms that permit a user to input information to the system  110 , such as a microphone, touchpad, keypad, keyboard, mouse, pen, stylus, voice recognition device, buttons, etc., and output mechanisms such as one or more conventional mechanisms that output information to the user, including a display, one or more speakers, a storage medium, such as a memory, magnetic or optical disk, disk drive, a printer device, etc., and/or interfaces for the above. The display  150  may typically be an LCD or CRT display as used on many conventional computing devices, or any other type of display device. 
     The system  110  may perform functions in response to processor  130  by executing sequences of instructions or instruction sets contained in a computer-readable medium, such as, for example, memory  120 . Such instructions may be read into memory  120  from another computer-readable medium, such as a storage device, or from a separate device via a communication interface, or may be downloaded from an external source such as the Internet. The system  100  may be a stand-alone system, such as a personal computer, or may be connected to a network such as an intranet, the Internet, or the like. 
     The memory  120  may store instructions that may be executed by the processor to perform various functions. For example, the memory may store printer driver instructions to allow the system to perform various printing functions in association with a particular printer connected to the system. The printer driver instructions are typically unique to each specific type of printer, and the system  110  may store a plurality of print drivers each for a different printer. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a system  200 . The system  200  includes a computer  210 , which includes the elements of system  110 , including the memory  120 , the processor  130 , l/O devices  140  and a display  150 . The computer  210  could be a standard personal computer, or could be another type of computing device such as a digital imaging system, a handheld computer, a phone, a laptop computer, or the like. 
     The system  200  may also include a keyboard  220  functioning as an input device. The keyboard may be replaced or supplemented by the input devices as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The system  200  may also include a display  230  functioning as an output device for displaying images generated or received by the computer  210 , corresponding to display  150  shown in  FIG. 1 . The display  230  may display images to be viewed by a user, such as various application programs, a user interface (UI), text, photographic images, or the like. For example, the display may generate a user interface in response to instructions stored in memory  120 , such as a user interface for a digital imaging system. 
     The system  200  may have a printer  240  connected thereto for printing data such as images, text, or the like in response to a user directing the computer  210  to print, for example. In response to such a print command, the processor will typically cause the print driver to communicate with the printer to perform the needed printing. The printer  240  may be a small printer, or may be a large printer such as used in a digital production system such as a digital press, or the like. The computer  210  may be an integral part of a printing device, such as a digital production system, and may include a digital front end including software providing user interfaces and the like for assisting a user in operating the system. 
     The system  200  may be connected to a network, such as such as an intranet, the Internet, a wireless network, or the like. In addition, the system  200  may be connected to a plurality of printers such as printer  240 . The plurality of printers may be of a same printer type or of varying printer types. Further, the system  200  and the printer  240  may be integrated into one unit. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a user interface  310  that may be displayed on a display of computer  210 . The user interface  310  may be invoked and displayed when a user selects a print function or the like on the computer  210 , typically using an input device such as keyboard  220 , for example. The user interface  310  may include various display areas, such as a job display area  320  for displaying jobs. The job display area  320  may display one or more jobs that the user can act on. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary diagram of a further printer user interface  420  that may be displayed on the display  230  of computer  210 , for example. The user may select one of the print jobs from the job display area  320  of user interface  310  (which is the same as user interface  410 ), and select a function such as print from file, causing the opening of the print from file user interface  420 . 
     The print from file user interface  420  may include various functional tab headers  430  and drop lists, each of which may allow various manipulation of the image to be printed. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the functional tab headers  430  may include Files, Basic, Image Quality, Image Edit, and Special Pages. The print from file user interface  420  may include a Pages to Print input  440 , where a user can select pages to print, as well as various other items a user can select or manipulate, such as Document Format, Destination, Target Printer, Start Message, and the like. 
     Selection of any of the functional headers  430  may cause one or more additional user interfaces to open, which may have additional items for a user to select from. Use of this interface may be complex for a user. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a user interface  510  that may be displayed on a display of computer  210 . The user interface  510  may include a job workspace  520  where jobs may be listed and worked on, and a job list  530 . The user interface  510  may also include various job modification display areas  540 ,  550 ,  560 ,  570 ,  580  and  590 . The job modification display areas display various modifications that a user can make to a job. 
     The job modification display area  540  is for paper/media, and in this embodiment allows a user to select plain white, transparency, or heavy stock. The job modification display area  550  is for inserts and allows a user to select at page, image or feeder source. The job modification display area  560  is for image settings and allows a user to select sharpness, darken, lighten, toner saver, color settings, edge erase, or watermark. The job modification display area  570  is for finishing and allows a user to select stapling, folding or binding types. The job modification display area  580  is for covers and tabs and allows a user to select covers, 3 cut tabs or 5 cut tabs. The job modification display area  590  is for separator tabs, and allows a user to select color, size, between sets and between jobs. The particular job modification display areas shown are possible examples that may be used, and any other job modifications could be used as well. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a user interface  610  that may be displayed on a display of computer  210 . The user interface  610  is identical to the user interface  510 , except a job  1  and a job modification  640 , in this case plain white paper, have been added to the job workspace  620 . A user selected job  1  from the job list  630  and dragged and dropped it into the job workspace  620 . Jobs and job modifications can be selected by the user and dragged and dropped into the user workspace using an input device such as a mouse or the like. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a user interface  710  that may be displayed on a display of computer  210 . In  FIG. 7 , two jobs, Job  1   740  and Job  2   750 , have been selected by a user and dragged and dropped into the job workspace  712 . For job  1 , the user has also selected job modifications plain white and staple UL (upper left). For job  2   750 , the user has selected transparency and darken 0.5. The transparency job modification is show selected with cursor  760 . The user may select any number of jobs to work on in the job workspace  730 , and may select as many job modifications as needed for each job using the various job modification display areas by simply selecting a particular job modification such as through the use of a cursor and dragging and dropping the selected job modification onto the job in the job workspace  730 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a user interface  810  that may be displayed on a display of computer  210 . In  FIG. 8 , two jobs, Job  1  and Job  2 , have again been selected by a user and dragged and dropped into the job workspace  812 . For job  1 , the user has also selected job modifications plain white and staple UL (upper left), job modification  814 . In this instance, job modification  814  includes job modification feature staple and job modification sub-feature UL (upper left). 
     Where a job modification sub-feature is included, it may be selected by a user when selecting a corresponding job modification feature. For example, the job modification feature stapling  816  may when selected by a user cause the job modification sub-features  818  to appear for selection by the user. Any convenient way of displaying the job modification sub-features may be employed, such as the use of a dropdown list or the like. The user may then simply place the cursor over one of the job modification sub-features to select it and drag and drop it onto one of the jobs in the job workspace  812 . 
     The job modification features displayed in the job modification display areas may either have no job modification sub-features or have one or more job modification sub-features as needed. A user may also be able to select one or more job modification sub-features for each job modification feature. 
     Embodiments as disclosed herein may also include computer-readable media for carrying or having computer-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or combination thereof) to a computer, the computer properly views the connection as a computer-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of the computer-readable media. 
     Computer-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. Computer-executable instructions also include program modules that are executed by computers in stand-alone or network environments. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of the program code means for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a flowchart of a method of providing a user interface to control operation of a digital imaging system. The method starts at  9100 . At  9200 , the method displays to a user on a display of the digital imaging system the user interface having a plurality of user interface display areas, the plurality of user interface display areas including a job list for displaying at least one available job, a job workspace for displaying at least one selected job be worked on, and a plurality of job modification display areas, each of the job modification display areas including at least one job modification feature 
     At  9300 , the method receives from a user an indication of the at least one selected job of the at least one available job to be worked on, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one selected job to be worked on by dragging and dropping one of the at least one available job to be worked on from the job list to the job workspace At  9400 , the method displays the selected job in the job workspace. 
     At  9500 , the method receives from the user at least one job modification of the selected job, wherein the user indicates selection of the at least one job modification by dragging and dropping the at least one job modification from at least one of the plurality of job modification display areas to the selected job in the job workspace. At  9600 , the method displays the at least one job modification with the selected job in the job workspace. At  9700 , the method ends. 
     It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.