User interface device, image forming apparatus, user interface control method, and computer program product

摘要

A user interface device includes a display panel; a display-panel control unit that displays, at appropriate locations on the display panel, various types of display information and function buttons to which functions are allotted; an operation-location detecting unit that detects a user's operation performed in contact with or close to a surface of the display panel so as to acquire an operation location; a feedback output unit that outputs predetermined feedback that gives a touch sensation to a user; a determining unit that determines whether the operation location is a display location of the function button displayed on the display panel; and a control unit that, when the determining unit determines that the operation location is the display location of the function button, causes the feedback output unit to output predetermined feedback that is associated with the function button.

主权项

1. A user interface device comprising: a display panel; a display-panel control unit that displays, at appropriate locations on the display panel, various types of display information and function buttons to which functions are allotted;
an operation-location detecting unit that detects a user's operation performed in contact with or close to a surface of the display panel so as to acquire an operation location; a feedback output unit that outputs tactile feedback to a user; a determining unit that determines whether the operation location is a display location of a function button displayed on the display panel; and a control unit that, when the determining unit determines that the operation location is the display location of the function button, controls the feedback output unit to output a predetermined feedback that is associated with the function button, wherein when the operation-location detecting unit detects multiple operation locations, the determining unit determines whether a first operation location of the operation locations is the display location of the function button, and when the determining unit determines that the first operation location is the display location of the function button, the control unit controls the feedback output unit to output, at the first operation location, a first tactile feedback that indicates to the user that the first operation location corresponds to the function button and, at a second operation location of the multiple operation locations, a second tactile feedback that provides the user with information in Braille that describes the function of the function button; and the control unit controls the feedback output unit to output the second tactile feedback that provides the user with a symbol and character string in Braille that describes the function of the function button and the symbol and character string being are output in a first direction, starting from the operation location, the determining unit determines whether a space on the display panel, beginning from the operation location in the first direction, is large enough for the output of the entire symbol and character string of the second tactile feedback, and when the determining unit determines that the space is not large enough, the control unit controls the feedback output unit to output the symbol and character string of the second tactile feedback in a second direction different from the first direction, beginning from the operation location, such that the entire symbol and character string of the second tactile feedback is output.