Patent ID: 8122375

Claim:
An electronic device which sets setting contents of various functions based on a function setting menu for managing plural items by a hierarchical structure, comprising: a hierarchical structure managing unit which stores and manages the function setting menu having the hierarchical structure of the plural items; a display controller which displays each item in the function setting menu having the hierarchical structure managed by the hierarchical structure managing unit on a display based on the hierarchical structure, a single item at a time, in accordance with an operation by a user; a function selection unit which displays on the display through an operation by a user a desired item of items belonging to a same level in the function setting menu displayed by the display control unit; a setting unit which selects and sets a setting content of a desired function corresponding to the item in the function setting menu displayed on the display by the function selection unit through an operation by the user; a hierarchical structure changing unit which changes the hierarchical structure of the function setting menu managed by the hierarchical structure managing unit so as to have the desired item in the function setting menu displayed on the display, positioned at the top in the same level of the hierarchical structure immediately following the setting content of the desired function being set by the setting unit; and a notification displaying controller which displays that the hierarchical structure of the function setting menu is being changed prior to displaying the hierarchical structure that has been changed by the hierarchical structure changing unit, wherein the hierarchical structure changing unit changes the hierarchical structure of the function setting menu so as to have the desired item positioned at the top in the same level of the hierarchical structure when the number of operations by the user that is required to access and display on the display the desired item of the desired function by the setting unit exceeds a predetermined number of operations, or when the total time that it takes the user to access and display on the display the desired item of the desired function by the setting unit exceeds a predetermined amount of time.