# US 10,320,996 B2 · Operation apparatus having a voice generator,information processing system having the same, and operation method using the same

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- Number: US 10,320,996 B2
- Document ID: US10320996B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/689,354
- Filed: 2017-08-29
- Published: 2018-04-19
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-18
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Shuko Kubo
- Inventors: Shuko Kubo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320996B2

## CPC

- H04N 1/00384: {Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads (electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00)}
- G03G 15/5004: {Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off}
- G03G 15/5016: {User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console}
- G10L 15/26: Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence)
- H04N 1/00278: {with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer}
- H04N 1/00405: {Output means (output arrangements for computers G06F3/00)}
- G03G 2215/00126: Multi-job machines
- G06F 3/1229: {Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels}
- G10L 13/00: Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
- H04N 1/32582: {Output interface}
- H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

An operation apparatus operates an electronic device. The operation apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive a first image from the electronic device; an image generator configured to generate a second image including the first image received by the receiver; a message setter configured to set a message corresponding to a status of the electronic device, with respect to the first image included in the second image; a display configured to display the second image; and a voice sound outputter configured to output, by voice sound, the message set with respect to the first image, in response to a user operating the first image included in the second image being displayed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An operation apparatus for operating an electronic device, the operation apparatus comprising:
a processor that is configured to:
to receive a first image from the electronic device;
generate a second image including the first image received by the processor;
set a message corresponding to a status of the electronic device, with respect to the first image included in the second image;
cause a display to display the second image;
cause a speaker to output, by voice sound, the message set with respect to the first image, in response to a user operating the first image included in the second image being displayed,
request the electronic device to start operating an application, in response to a user operation with respect to an operation screen displayed by the display,
receive, from the electronic device, the first image corresponding to the application that has been requested to start operating, and
set the message reporting that the application will start operating, with respect to the first image included in the second image.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the processor is further to:
generate at least one image element, and generates the second image including the generated at least one image element and the first image received by the processor,
request the electronic device to stop operating the application, in response to a user operation with respect to the at least one image element included in the second image displayed by the display, and
delete the message set with respect to the first image included in the second image, in response to the user operation with respect to the at least one image element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the processor is further to:
receive, from the electronic device, an error report including the first image corresponding to an error, in response to the error occurring in the electronic device when the operation screen is displayed by the display,
generate the second image including the first image corresponding to the error, in response to the error report,
set the message reporting that the error has occurred, with respect to the first image included in the error report, in response to the error report, and
cause the display to display the second image generated by the image generator, in response to the error report.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The operation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
the processor is further to:
receive, from the electronic device, an error resolution report indicating that the error has been resolved, in response to the error, which has occurred in the electronic device, being resolved,
delete the message set with respect to the first image included in the second image, in response to the error resolution report, and
cause the display to display the operation screen displayed when the error has occurred, in response to the error resolution report.

### Claim 5

An information processing system comprising:
an electronic device; and
an operation apparatus for operating the electronic device, the electronic device and the operation apparatus being communicatively coupled to each other, wherein
the electronic device includes:
an acquirer to acquire a first image, and
a transmitter to send the acquired first image to the operation apparatus, and wherein
the operation apparatus includes:
a processor that is to:
to receive the first image from the electronic device;
generate a second image including the first image received by the processor;
set a message corresponding to a status of the electronic device, with respect to the first image included in the second image;
cause a display to display the second image;
cause a speaker to output, by voice sound, the message set with respect to the first image, in response to a user operating the first image included in the second image being displayed,
request the electronic device to start operating an application, in response to a user operation with respect to an operation screen displayed by the display,
receive, from the electronic device, the first image corresponding to the application that has been requested to start operating, and
set the message reporting that the application will start operating, with respect to the first image included in the second image.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein
the processor is further to:
generate at least one image element, and generate the second image including the generated at least one image element and the first image received by the processor,
request the electronic device to stop operating the application, in response to a user operation with respect to the at least one image element included in the second image displayed by the display, and
delete the message set with respect to the first image included in the second image, in response to the user operation with respect to the at least one image element.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein
the processor is further to:
receive, from the electronic device, an error report including the first image corresponding to an error, in response to the error occurring in the electronic device when the operation screen is displayed by the display,
generate the second image including the first image corresponding to the error, in response to the error report,
set the message reporting that the error has occurred, with respect to the first image included in the error report, in response to the error report, and
cause the display to display the second image generated by the image generator, in response to the error report.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein
the processor is further to:
receive, from the electronic device, an error resolution report indicating that the error has been resolved, in response to the error, which has occurred in the electronic device, being resolved,
delete the message set with respect to the first image included in the second image, in response to the error resolution report, and
cause the display to display the operation screen displayed when the error has occurred, in response to the error resolution report.

### Claim 9

A method executed by a computer for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving a first image from the electronic device;
generating a second image including the received first image;
setting a message corresponding to a status of the electronic device, with respect to the first image included in the second image;
displaying the second image;
outputting, by voice sound, the message set with respect to the first image, in response to a user operating the first image included in the second image being displayed, and
requesting the electronic device to start operating an application, in response to a user operation with respect to an operation screen being displayed, wherein
the receiving includes receiving, from the electronic device, the first image corresponding to the application that has been requested to start operating, and
the setting includes setting the message reporting that the application will start operating, with respect to the first image included in the second image.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein
the generating includes generating at least one image element, and generating the second image including the generated at least one image element and the received first image,
the requesting includes requesting the electronic device to stop operating the application, in response to a user operation with respect to the at least one image element included in the second image being displayed, and
the setting includes deleting the message set with respect to the first image included in the second image, in response to the user operation with respect to the at least one image element.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein
the receiving includes receiving, from the electronic device, an error report including the first image corresponding to an error, in response to the error occurring in the electronic device when the operation screen is displayed,
the generating includes generating the second image including the first image corresponding to the error, in response to the error report,
the setting includes setting the message reporting that the error has occurred, with respect to the first image included in the error report, in response to the error report, and
the requesting includes causing the generated second image to be displayed, in response to the error report.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein
the receiving includes receiving, from the electronic device, an error resolution report indicating that the error has been resolved, in response to the error, which has occurred in the electronic device, being resolved,
the setting includes deleting the message set with respect to the first image included in the second image, in response to the error resolution report, and
the requesting includes causing the operation screen displayed when the error has occurred to be displayed, in response to the error resolution report.