IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, DISPLAY UNIT, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

To discriminate a user's operating hand with a simple configuration, and provide an easy-to-use operation screen to the user according to the discriminated operating hand.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 comprises: a touch panel that displays an operation screen; an area specification unit 110 that specifies a contact area where the finger of a user who operates the touch panel comes into contact with the touch panel; a discrimination unit 120 that discriminates whether the user operates the touch panel with the left hand or operates the touch panel with the right hand according to the shape of the contact area specified by the area specification unit 110; a display control unit 130 that displays the operation screen on the touch panel so as to make different arrangement of display elements displayed on the operation screen according to a discrimination result from the discrimination unit 120; and a printing control unit 140 that causes a printing unit to perform printing based on an operation on the operation screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2 【課題】簡易な構成でユーザーの操作手を判別し、判別した操作手に応じて、使いやすい操作画面をユーザーに提供する。【解決手段】画像形成装置１は、操作画面を表示するタッチパネルと、タッチパネルを操作するユーザーの指がタッチパネルに接触した領域である接触領域を特定する領域特定部１１０と、領域特定部１１０により特定された接触領域の形状に応じて、ユーザーがタッチパネルを左手で操作したか、右手で操作したかを判別する判別部１２０と、判別部１２０の判別結果に応じて、操作画面上に表示される表示要素の配置が異なるように、操作画面をタッチパネルに表示させる表示制御部１３０と、操作画面の操作に基づいて、印刷部に印刷を行わせる印刷制御部１４０と、を備える。【選択図】図２