Image forming apparatus that displays plural pages of document images in three-dimensional preview presentation

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus including a control unit made of a display panel and a touch panel display for providing preview display, the touch panel display includes: a finished state preview controller for displaying the finished state of a hard copy formed by the image forming apparatus, on the display panel; and a confirmatory display controller for displaying preview images for confirmation in a turning manner. The display panel includes a first display area for displaying the finished state of the hard copy, a second display area for displaying a image of the page to be turned for confirmation and a third display area for displaying the images that have been displayed for confirmation, in order in a layered manner.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus that finishes recording mediums with images formed thereon as a hard copy, comprising:
 an input unit for acquiring inputting image data; 
 an image forming portion that forms images on recording mediums based on the image data input through the input unit; and, 
 an image display operating device including a display portion that displays a preview image based on the image data and a display controller that has a function of presenting plural pages of document images in preview representation on the display portion, 
 wherein the display controller includes: 
 a finished state preview display controller that displays the finished state of the hard copy that the image forming apparatus can form as a preview image on the display portion and, 
 a confirmatory display controller that displays the preview image displayed on the display portion so that each page of the preview image can be turned over, and, 
 the display portion includes: with respect to a preview display region for displaying the preview image, 
 a first display area for three-dimensionally displaying the finished state of the hard copy; 
 a second display area for displaying an image for each page associated with the finished states that has been displayed in the first display area, while turning the page in turn; and, 
 a third display area for three-dimensionally displaying the pages that have been turned in the second display area with the pages stacked in turned order, 
 wherein, when image forming is performed on both sides of the recording medium, 
 in the second display area, 
 the image of the back side of the page to be turned is displayed after the image of the front side of the page to be turned has been displayed, and afterward the image of the page to be turned is displayed in such a manner as to be moved to the third image display area, and 
 when the image of the front side of the page to be turned is displayed, the image of the front side is located closer to the first display displaying area, and 
 when the image of the back side of the page to be turned is displayed, the image of the back side is located closer to the third display area. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein when the image of the front side of the page to be turned displayed in the second display area is bound, the image of the front side of the page to be turned overlaps an image displayed in the first display area, and a bound portion position is displayed in the image of the front side at a position opposite the first display area, and 
 when the image of the back side of the page to be turned displayed in the second display area is bound, the image of the back side of the page to be turned overlaps an image displayed in the third display area, and the a bound portion position is displayed in the image of the back side at a position opposite to the third display are area. 
 
     
     
       3. An image forming apparatus that finishes recording mediums with images formed thereon as a hard copy, comprising:
 an input unit for acquiring inputting image data; 
 an image forming portion that forms images on recording mediums based on the image data input through the input unit; and, 
 an image display operating device including a display portion that displays a preview image based on the image data and a display controller that has a function of presenting plural pages of document images in preview representation on the display portion, 
 wherein the display controller includes: 
 a finished state preview display controller that displays the finished state of the hard copy that the image forming apparatus can form as a preview image on the display portion, and, 
 a confirmatory display controller that displays the preview image displayed on the display portion so that each page of the preview image can be turned over, and, 
 the display portion includes: with respect to a preview display region for displaying the preview image, 
 a first display area for three-dimensionally displaying the finished state of the hard copy; 
 a second display area for displaying an image for each page associated with the finished states that has been displayed in the first display area, while turning the page in turn; and, 
 a third display area for three-dimensionally displaying the pages that have been turned in the second display area with the pages stacked in turned order, 
 wherein the second display area is disposed at an approximately central portion of the preview image, and 
 wherein, when the finished state of the hard copy is one-sided left-bound, the first display area is disposed on a right side, and the third display area is disposed on a left side, with respect to the second display area, and 
 wherein, when the finished state of the hard copy is one-sided right-bound, the first display area is disposed on a left side, and the third display area is disposed on a right side, with respect to the second display area. 
 
     
     
       4. An image forming apparatus that finishes recording mediums with images formed thereon as a hard copy, comprising:
 an input unit for inputting image data;   an image forming portion that forms images on recording mediums based on the image data input through the input unit; and,   an image display operating device including a display portion that displays a preview image based on the image data and a display controller that has a function of presenting plural pages of document images in preview representation on the display portion,   wherein the display controller includes:   a finished state preview display controller that displays the finished state of the hard copy that the image forming apparatus can form as a preview image on the display portion and,   a confirmatory display controller that displays the preview image displayed on the display portion so that each page of the preview image can be turned over, and,   the display portion includes: with respect to a preview display region for displaying the preview image,   a first display area for displaying a first image for each page showing the finished state of the hard copy;   a second display area for displaying a second image for each page showing the finished state of the hard copy, the second image being shifted from the first display area; and   a third display area for displaying a third image for each page showing the finished state of the hard copy, the third image being shifted from the second display area,   the display portion further includes:   a task trigger region for displaying task trigger keys,   wherein, when image forming is performed on both sides of the recording medium,   in the second display area, the image of the back side of the second image is displayed after the image of the front side of the second image has been displayed, and afterward the second image is displayed in such a manner as to be moved to the third display area, and   when the image of the front side of the second image is displayed, the image of the front side is located closer to the first displaying area, and   when the image of the back side of the second image is displayed, the image of the back side is located closer to the third display area.   
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the task trigger keys are constantly displayed on the task trigger region. 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the task trigger region is displayed in such a way as to distinguish from the preview display region. 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the task trigger keys at least include a start key for causing the image forming apparatus to perform a process after displaying the preview image, a clear key for clearing a set function. 
     
     
       8. An image forming method in an image forming apparatus that finishes recording mediums with images formed thereon as a hard copy, comprising:
 an input step of inputting image data;   an image forming step of forming images on recording mediums based on the image data input through the input step; and   a display step of displaying a preview image on a display portion based on the image data;   a display control step of presenting plural pages of document images in preview representation on the display portion,   wherein the display control step includes:   a finished state preview display control step that displays the finished state of the hard copy that the image forming apparatus can form as a preview image on the display portion, and   a confirmatory display control step that displays the preview image displayed on the display portion so that each page of the preview image can be turned over, and   the display portion includes: with respect to a preview display region for displaying the preview image,   a first display area for displaying a first image for each page showing the finished state of the hard copy;   a second display area for displaying a second image for each page showing the finished state of the hard copy, the second image being shifted from the first display area; and   a third display area for displaying a third image for each page showing the finished state of the hard copy, the third image being shifted from the second display area,   the display portion further includes:   a task trigger for displaying task trigger keys, wherein   when image forming is performed on both sides of the recording medium, the confirmatory display control step has:
 a step of displaying the image of the back side of the second image in the second display area after the image of the front side of the second image has been displayed in the second display area; and 
 a step of displaying the second image, after the image of the back side of the second image has been displayed, in such a manner as to be moved to the third display area, 
   when the image of the front side of the second image is displayed, the image of the front side is located closer to the first displaying area, and   when the image of the back side of the second image is displayed, the image of the back side is located closer to the third display area.