DISPLAY DEVICE, ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE DISPLAY DEVICE, AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING INFORMATION

摘要

On a touch-panel display of an image forming apparatus, a function selecting area and a preview area are displayed next to each other. On the function selecting area, a function setting menu is displayed in one display mode among an icon mode in which only a group of icons are displayed, a regular mode in which a group of icons and a group of texts are displayed, and an express mode in which a group of icons, a group of texts and a group of function setting buttons are displayed. In the icon mode, detailed preview information is displayed on a large preview area, and in the express mode, detailed function selecting information is displayed on a large function selecting area.

主权项

1. A display device provided on an apparatus as an object of control, comprising:
a display unit displaying, on an approximately rectangular planar display area, information to be notified to a user; a display control unit dividing said planar display area into a plurality of areas and displaying information with a first display area displaying first information and a second display area displaying second information arranged next to each other; and an area changing unit, changing manner of display of said first information, and thereby changing width along the longitudinal direction of said planar display area of said first display area and width along the longitudinal direction of said planar display area of said second display area, to display information; wherein said first information includes setting information including a button for setting a function of said apparatus as the object of control; said second information includes preview information displaying, before execution, expected result of a process executed by the function set using said first information in said apparatus as the object of control; and said area changing unit changes said manner of display of said first information, and thereby makes narrower the width along the longitudinal direction of said planar display area of said first display area by a prescribed width and makes wider the width along the longitudinal direction of said planar display area of said second display area by said prescribed width, to display further information; said display device further comprising a touch-panel formed on said display unit, detecting either a touch operation based on a position where a finger tip of a user touched, or a gesture operation based on a trajectory of positions where the finger tip of the user touched; wherein said area changing unit changes said manner of display either by said touch operation or said gesture operation.