JP2005067152A - Business machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems that when many operation keys are provided to a business machine, each of the keys has to be made in a small size because the size of the business machine or a size of a panel for displaying the operation keys are limited, and when the keys are reduced in size, it is hard to discriminate each of the keys from the other by a vision-impaired person such as a poor eyesight person, and then he or she may erroneously operates the keys. <P>SOLUTION: When an operation key is operated once in this business machine, the user is notified of the information relating to the key by a sound. When the user understands that the operated key is the desired one by the sound, the user operates the identical key again. When the identical key is continuously operated two times, the operation corresponding to the operation key is carried out. When the user understands that the operated key is not the desired one, the user operates another key. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to office equipment such as a printer, a copier, a multifunction machine, and a facsimile machine.

In recent years, office equipment can provide various functions by connecting to a network as well as printing, copying, and reading originals. In order to realize such a large number of functions, a large number of operation keys are provided in office equipment. Some operation keys are displayed on a display panel, and others are provided in office equipment as physical keys (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-8-320636

  Since the size of the office equipment and the size of the panel that displays the operation keys are limited, if the office equipment is provided with a large number of operation keys, the operation keys must be made small. When the operation keys are reduced, it is difficult for visually impaired persons such as low vision people to distinguish between the operation keys, and there are cases where the operation keys are erroneously operated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an office device that can be operated accurately even by a visually impaired person.

  When the operation key is operated once by the user or the like, the office device according to the present invention notifies the information about the operated operation key by sound. The information regarding the operation key includes, for example, the type of the operation key, a description of processing corresponding to the operation key, and the like. By this notification, the user can know information about the operation keys even if the operation keys cannot be distinguished.

  When the user knows that the operation key is to execute a desired process by this notification, the user operates the operation key again. When the same operation key is operated again, the office device executes processing corresponding to the operation key for the first time.

  Further, when the notification indicates that the operated operation key is not an operation key for executing a desired process, the user operates another operation key. When an operation key different from the previous one is operated, the office equipment notifies information about other operation keys by sound.

  A visually handicapped person cannot distinguish between operation keys if the operation keys are small, but if the operation keys are operated once, information on the operation keys can be obtained by sound. Therefore, even if the operation keys cannot be identified, it can be determined whether or not the operation key operated by sound notification is an operation key for executing a desired process.

  The office device 100 of the present invention includes a plurality of operation keys 101 for inputting instructions such as copying, document reading, and fax transmission. Information relating to each operation key 101 is stored in the storage means 107 shown in FIG. The information related to the operation key 101 includes, for example, the name of the operation key 101 and a description of processing executed when the operation key 101 is operated.

  In the present embodiment, each operation key 101 corresponding to each user who has the authority to use the office equipment 100 is stored in the storage means 107 so that the information of the operation key 101 corresponding to the user can be notified by sound. Information about is stored. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, information 203 related to each operation key of each user is stored in association with the fingerprint 201 of each user. The information 203 related to the operation keys may be the same operation key or different for each user. For example, the information 203 regarding each operation key of the user with low vision or blindness is detailed information such as the name of each operation key, processing executed when the operation key 101 is operated, and the information 203 regarding each operation key of the user who is sighted. The name of each operation key may or may not be used.

  When the user operates the office device 100, in order to notify the user of information related to the operation key 101 according to the user by sound, in the present embodiment, the office device 100 uses the fingerprint of the user who operates the operation key 101. Acquisition means 104 is provided.

  When the user operates a predetermined operation key 101, the type of the operated operation key 101 is notified to the execution unit 102, and the acquisition unit 104 acquires the user's fingerprint from the operation key 101 operated by the user (FIG. 3). , S301 → S302).

  In this embodiment, in order to prevent a user without use authority from using the office device 100, the authentication unit 105 determines whether the fingerprint acquired by the acquisition unit 104 is stored in the storage unit 107. Done. For this determination, the fingerprint acquired by the acquisition unit 104 is input to the authentication unit 105. The authentication unit 105 determines whether the input fingerprint is stored in the storage unit 107 (FIG. 3, S303).

  If the authentication means 105 determines that it is stored, it sets a flag 204 in the area of the storage means 107 associated with the same fingerprint 201 as the stored fingerprint input from the acquisition means 104. Then, the authentication means 105 notifies the execution means 102 that the operation is a user authorized to use.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the information is not stored, the authentication unit 105 notifies the execution unit 102 that the operation is not performed by the user without the use of the flag 204. When notified that the operation is performed by a user without usage authority, the execution unit 102 regards the operation of the operation key 101 as invalid regardless of the type of the notified operation key, and ends the processing (FIG. 3). , S303 → End).

  When it is notified that the operation is by a user authorized to use, the execution unit 102 notifies whether the operation mode of the office device 100 is a voice mode for notifying information on the operation key 101 or not. It is determined whether the normal mode is not present (FIG. 3, S304). The operation mode may be switched by, for example, a user operating a switch for switching provided in the office device 100.

  In the normal mode, the execution means 102 executes a process corresponding to the operated operation key 101 (FIG. S304 → S306).

  When the voice mode is set, the execution means 102 determines whether or not the operation key 101 operated this time is the same as the operation key 101 operated last time (S305 in FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, the previously operated operation key is stored in the operation history storage means 103 for a predetermined time.

  If the operation key operated this time is the same as the operation key stored in the operation history storage unit 103, the execution unit 102 executes processing corresponding to the operated operation key (S306 in FIG. 3).

  When the operation key operated this time and the operation key stored in the operation history storage unit 103 are not the same, the execution unit 102 operates the operation key 101 operated last time stored in the operation history storage unit 103 this time. The operation key 101 is overwritten. If nothing is stored in the operation history storage unit 103 when comparing the operation key operated this time with the operation key stored in the operation history storage unit 103, the execution unit 102 The operation key 101 operated this time is stored in the operation history storage means 103.

  When the operation key operated this time is overwritten or stored, the execution means 102 notifies the notification means 106 of the type of the operation key 101 operated this time.

  When the type of the operation key 101 is notified, the notification means 106 is the information related to the operation key 101 notified of the type among the information about each operation key associated with the fingerprint 201 for which the flag 204 is set. 203 is obtained from the storage means 107. The notification means 106 notifies the acquired information by voice (FIG. 3, S307). For example, if the data format of the stored information is sound, a reproduction signal of the data is output from a speaker. If the data format is text, speech synthesis processing can be used to generate a playback signal.

  As described above, when the operation key 101 different from the previous operation or the operation key 101 operated for the first time is operated, the information 203 related to the operation key is notified by sound, so that the user can operate the operation key once by operating the operation key. Information 203 can be known. Even if the information 203 related to the operation key is notified, the user may forget the information 203 related to the operation key when a long time elapses after the operation key 101 is operated. However, since the operation history storage unit 103 stores the operation key only for a predetermined time, when the same operation key is operated again for a long time after the operation, the processing corresponding to the operation key 101 is not executed. In addition, information 203 on the operation keys is notified. Therefore, the process corresponding to the operation key 101 is not executed without the user knowing information about the operation key.

  When the user knows that the operation key 101 operated this time is the operation key 101 desired by the user, the user operates the same operation key 101 again. If the operation key 101 operated this time is an operation key 101 not desired by the user, the other operation key 101 is operated (S308 in FIG. 3).

  When the user operates the operation key 101, the type of the operated key is notified to the execution unit 102 as described above, and the fingerprint of the user is acquired by the acquisition unit 104 (FIG. 3, S302). Further, it is determined whether or not the fingerprint acquired by the authentication unit 105 is stored in the storage unit 107 (FIG. 3, S303). When the operation mode of the office device 100 is the voice mode even in the second operation, the execution means 102 determines whether the operation key operated the second time and the operation key 101 operated the first time are the same as described above. It is determined whether or not (FIG. 3, S304 → S305).

  If they are the same, the execution means 102 executes processing corresponding to the operation key 101 operated second time (FIG. 3, S306).

  As described above, the processing corresponding to the operation key 101 is executed after the information 203 regarding the operation key is notified. Therefore, even for a visually handicapped person who has difficulty in identifying the operation key, the desired processing can be ensured. Can be executed.

  If the same operation key is operated during sound notification, the notification means 106 may stop the notification.

It is a block diagram of the office equipment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the content which a memory | storage means memorize | stores. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure until the process corresponding to an operation key is performed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Office equipment 101 Operation key 102 Execution means 103 Operation history memory | storage means 104 Acquisition means 105 Authentication means 106 Notification means 107 Storage means

Claims (4)

Storage means for storing information about each operation key;
Operation history storage means for storing operation keys operated last time;
An execution means for determining whether or not the operated key is the same as the previously operated key, and executing the processing corresponding to the operated key if it is the same;
An office device comprising: a notifying unit for notifying the information stored in the storage unit regarding the operated key by sound when the process is not executed. The office device according to claim 1, wherein when the same key is operated within a predetermined period after the previous operation, the execution unit executes processing corresponding to the key. An acquisition means for acquiring a fingerprint of a finger operated by the operation key;
The storage means stores the information of each operation key for each user in association with the fingerprint of each user,
The office device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies information on an operation key associated with the acquired fingerprint. Authentication means for authenticating a user based on the fingerprint acquired by the acquisition means;
The office device according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit determines whether or not to make the determination based on a result of the authentication.

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