In the office equipment industry, particularly in regard to what are generally called “copiers,” much effort is directed to enabling a human user to communicate to the machine the actions that are desired. Even in the basic copying context, a human user will have to enter such information as what size original documents are being loaded, what size output sheets are desired, whether transparencies are desired, whether the copies are to be one- or two-sided, how many copies are desired, how are the copies to be stapled, are the images to be changed in size, etc. Various schemes have been proposed over the years for presenting possible selections to a human user, usually through a changeable display such as a touchscreen, in a convenient and intuitive way. A patent giving an overview of “user interfaces” in a copier is U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,546.
In recent years the basic office copier has evolved into what can be called a “multi-function device” or MFD. With digital technology, a machine with the basic outward appearance of a traditional copier can perform additional functions such as printing documents submitted in digital form over a network; sending and receiving messages via facsimile; recording hard-copy original images in digital form and sending the resulting data over a network, such as in electronic mail; or recording hard-copy original images in digital form on a compact disc or equivalent medium. These additional functions present further challenges to a designer of a convenient and intuitive user interface.
When a human user approaches a digital copier or MFD, there are two basic actions: a document of hard-copy image-bearing sheets is loaded into the machine, and the user interacts with a series of screens at the user interface (UI) to communicate to the MFD the desired actions. Typically, the entry of selections into the UI consumes a significant amount of time, and is prone to mistakes and changes of mind on the part of the human user. Typically, the recording of the images on the original sheets cannot begin until the control system of the machine has been instructed through the UI.