JP2006013584A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a notification function with sound by providing a speaker on the operating unit (touch panel) of an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The speaker 10 is provided on the operating surface of the operating unit (touch panel) 3 of the image forming apparatus 1, and the operating surface is disposed on the direction parallel to the perpendicular direction and facing a person (operator). Also, the direction of the operating surface of the operating unit 3 is changeable by an operation movable unit 12, and the operating surface is directed to the direction where the operator is detected. Also, the volume of the speaker 10 is adjusted in response to a detection result of the person (operator). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, when an abnormality such as a paper jam occurs, an abnormality is notified by sounding a voice guidance, a warning sound or the like by a speaker installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-102094 A

  However, the speaker installation position in the conventional image forming apparatus cannot be optimized for various reasons such as the function of the speaker (notification function) is not the main function of the image forming apparatus. For example, in a noisy environment, there has been a problem that it is difficult for an operator to transmit an appropriate sound due to problems such as directivity.

  An object of the present invention is to improve a sound notification function by providing a speaker on an operation unit (touch panel) of an image forming apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problem, an image forming apparatus according to claim 1 includes an operation unit for inputting an operation instruction, a speaker is provided on the operation surface of the operation unit, and the operation surface is parallel to the vertical direction. It is arranged in the direction facing the operator.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the speaker is a piezoelectric speaker.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a sensor that is provided near the operation unit and detects the presence of a person, and the speaker according to a detection result by the sensor. And a speaker control unit that adjusts the volume of the sound.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the sensor provided in the vicinity of the operation unit and detecting the presence of a person, and when the person is detected by the sensor, And an operation movable unit that controls the direction of the operation surface of the operation unit to a direction in which a person is detected.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a communication unit that controls communication with an external device via a communication network is provided near the operation unit. A microphone that inputs an operator's voice and a photographing device that is provided in the vicinity of the operation unit and captures an image of the operator, wherein the communication unit is configured to receive the voice input by the microphone and the photographing device. In addition to transmitting the image photographed by the external device to the external device, the information transmitted from the external device is received.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the fifth aspect, when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the image forming apparatus, the communication unit transmits data indicating the content of the abnormality to the operation of the image forming apparatus. It is characterized by being transmitted to a management server that manages information.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the communication unit, when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the image forming apparatus, the sound input by the microphone, and the photographing An image captured by the apparatus is transmitted to a management server that manages operation information of the image forming apparatus, and the speaker outputs sound transmitted from the management server.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the image forming apparatus, the speaker outputs an abnormality notification sound. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, since the speaker is provided on the operation surface of the operation unit, the output sound is clearer than in the conventional case where the speaker is installed in the main body, and the operator It is possible to reliably convey voice. In particular, the operation surface of the operation unit is arranged in parallel to the vertical direction and facing the operator, so that the operability is improved and the operator is away from the image forming apparatus. In such a case, even in a noisy environment, it becomes easier to convey the voice to the operator.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
First, the configuration in the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a management system 100 including an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. This management system 100 is a system for managing operation information of image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers installed in each company via a communication network N. As shown in FIG. , B company, C company,...

  Each of company A, company B, company C,... Is provided with one or a plurality of image forming apparatuses 1, and the service center 20 is managed for managing the operation information of the image forming apparatuses 1 of each company. A server 21 is installed, and the image forming apparatus 1 of each company and the management server 21 are connected via a communication network N. Here, the communication network N includes a public line such as a telephone line, a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), and the Internet.

  An operation unit 3 is provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation surface of the operation unit 3 is arranged in a direction parallel to the vertical direction and facing the operator. A speaker (piezoelectric speaker) 10 using a piezoelectric element (piezo element) is provided on the operation surface of the operation unit 3, and a microphone (hereinafter referred to as “microphone”) 8 is provided near the operation unit 3. A camera 61 is attached. The operation unit 3 is supported by the operation movable unit 12, and the direction of the operation surface is movable. The speaker 10, the microphone 8, the camera 61, and the operation movable unit 12 will be described in detail later.

  FIG. 2 shows a main part configuration inside the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming control unit 2, an image reading unit 2a, an image processing unit 2b, an image forming unit 2c, an operation unit 3, a system control unit 4, a human detection control unit 5, a person The detection sensor 6, the microphone control unit 7, the microphone 8, the speaker control unit 9, the speaker 10, the movable control unit 11, the operation movable unit 12, and the communication unit 13 are configured.

  The image forming control unit 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and the like, and controls the image reading unit 2a, the image processing unit 2b, the image forming unit 2c, and the operation unit 3 according to various control programs stored in the memory. To do.

  The image reading unit 2a includes a scanner and the like, and reads image information of an original with the scanner to generate a digital image signal. The image processing unit 2b performs predetermined image processing such as enlargement, reduction, and rotation on the image signal obtained by reading by the image reading unit 2a in accordance with the control signal input from the image formation control unit 2.

  The image forming unit 2c includes an LD (Laser Diode), a photosensitive drum, a paper feeding unit, a discharge unit, and the like. The image processing unit 2b performs image processing according to a control signal input from the image forming control unit 2. The LD is driven and controlled based on the image signal to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum. Further, the image forming unit 2c attaches toner to the area including the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum, transfers the toner onto the transfer paper conveyed from the paper feeding unit, fixes it, and then discharges it from the discharge unit. .

  The operation unit 3 includes a display screen such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and performs a required display process in accordance with a display control signal input from the image formation control unit 2. Further, the operation unit 3 has a touch panel provided so as to cover the display screen, detects coordinates instructed by a touch reading principle such as an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetostriction type, and a pressure sensitive type, and detects the detected coordinates. The position signal is output to the image formation control unit 2.

  The system control unit 4 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and the like. According to various control programs stored in the memory, the human detection control unit 5, the microphone control unit 7, the speaker control unit 9, the movable control unit 11, While controlling the communication part 13, it performs communication for controlling the image forming control part 2 and the entire image forming apparatus 1.

  The human detection control unit 5 controls the operation of the human detection sensor 6 and outputs a detection signal (a signal indicating the presence of a person) input from the human detection sensor 6 to the system control unit 4. The human detection sensor 6 is provided in the vicinity of the operation unit 3, detects the presence of a person in the vicinity, and outputs a detection signal to the human detection control unit 5. As human detection means, there are detection by the photographing apparatus 61 shown in FIG. 1, detection by infrared rays, detection by voice, and the like.

  In the case of detecting a person using the imaging device 61, the human detection sensor 6 uses each frame of image data obtained by imaging with a camera such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), for example. Are compared in time series, and a region with large movement is recognized as a person, and the face is detected using the vertical lines of the cheeks and the horizontal lines of eyebrows and eyes, which is one of the facial features of the human body. (See Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-13933). The imaging device 61 captures the movement of the operator and transmits the captured image data to the management server 21 connected to the communication network N when an abnormality occurs not only in human detection but also in the image forming apparatus 1. Also used in cases.

  When detecting a person by infrared rays, the human detection sensor 6 detects ambient infrared rays in time series, and detects a human body that has entered the detection range of the sensor based on a change amount of infrared rays incident on the sensor. When detecting a person by voice, the person detection sensor 6 detects ambient noise in time series, and recognizes the presence of a person when a sound is newly detected in the frequency band of voice.

  The microphone control unit 7 controls the microphone 8 and outputs voice data (calling voice) input from the microphone 8 to the system control unit 4. The microphone 8 converts audio input from the outside into an audio analog signal, converts the audio analog signal into a digital signal by an A / D converter (not shown), and outputs it as audio data to the microphone control unit 7.

  The speaker control unit 9 instructs the speaker 10 to output voice data (warning sound, operation guidance, call voice, etc.) according to the control signal input from the system control unit 4. Further, the speaker control unit 9 adjusts the volume of the speaker 10 according to the control signal input from the system control unit 4. The volume is adjusted according to the detection result of the human detection sensor 6. For example, when the presence of a person is detected, the volume is adjusted to be suitable for a person to talk in front of the image forming apparatus 1. When the presence of a person is not detected, the volume is adjusted in front of the image forming apparatus 1. The volume is adjusted higher than when there are people. This volume adjustment is performed by adjusting the volume corresponding to the level instructed by the system control unit 4 from a table storing a plurality of volume level data. When a volume level is designated by a touch instruction on the operation unit 3, the volume is adjusted to the designated level.

  The speaker 10 is a piezoelectric speaker that is provided on the operation surface of the operation unit 3 and uses a piezoelectric element (piezo element) as a vibrator. The speaker 10 emits sound generated by a transparent diaphragm provided on the display screen of the operation unit 3 in accordance with a control signal input from the speaker control unit 9.

  The movable control unit 11 outputs a drive signal to the operation movable unit 12 according to the control signal input from the system control unit 4. The operation movable unit 12 supports the operation unit 3 so that the direction (angle) of the operation unit 3 is movable, drives the motor according to the drive signal input from the movable control unit 11, and operates the operation unit 3. Change the orientation of the face.

  The communication unit 13 includes a call unit 131 and a data communication unit 132. The call unit 131 performs communication control in a call with an external device connected to the communication network N. The data communication unit 132 performs communication control in data communication with an external device connected to the communication network N.

Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described.
First, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3, processing executed in the image forming apparatus 1 when requesting a remote instruction from the service center 20 due to the occurrence of an abnormality in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.

  When a mechanical abnormality such as a jam occurs in the image forming apparatus 1 and the operator determines that the abnormality cannot be repaired by himself, the service call button displayed on the operation unit 3 is touched (step S1; YES). Then, the call unit 131 calls the manager of the service center 20, and the data communication unit 132 transmits abnormal data (LOG data) indicating the content of the abnormality to the management server 21 (step S2).

  Next, when the presence of a person (operator) is detected by the human detection sensor 6 (step S3; YES), the operation movable unit 12 is driven, and the operation surface of the operation unit 3 is in the direction in which the operator is detected. (Step S4). Then, the volume of the speaker 10 is adjusted to a volume suitable for a person in front of the image forming apparatus 1 to talk (step S5).

  Next, a call between the operator of the image forming apparatus 1 and the administrator of the service center 20 is started, and moving image data captured by the imaging apparatus 61 is transmitted to the management server 21 (step S6). In step S 6, the operator's voice input from the microphone 8 is transmitted to the management server 21, and the administrator's voice transmitted from the management server 21 is output from the speaker 10. A call is made.

  When the administrator of the service center 20 analyzes the abnormal data transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 and determines that the image forming apparatus 1 can be restored, the administrator of the service center 20 looks at the moving image data transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1. However, an operation method for restoring the image forming apparatus 1 is instructed to the operator through a telephone call.

  When a call between the administrator and the operator is started, the operator performs repair work for an abnormality of the image forming apparatus 1 in accordance with an instruction from the administrator of the service center 20 (step S7). The transmission of the moving image is continued (step S8; NO, steps S6 and S7). When the call between the administrator and the operator ends (step S8; YES), this process ends.

  Next, processing executed in the image forming apparatus 1 when an abnormality occurs during the printing operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the following flowchart, it is assumed that the operator is not in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus 1 when an abnormality occurs in the image forming apparatus 1.

  When an abnormality occurs in the image forming apparatus 1, the sound volume of the speaker 10 is adjusted to a sound volume suitable when there are no people around (step S10), and a warning sound or an abnormality notification sound for notifying abnormality content is output from the speaker 10. Is output (step S11).

  When the operator who has heard the abnormality notification sound output from the image forming apparatus 1 approaches the image forming apparatus, the presence of the operator is detected by the human detection sensor 6 (step S12; YES), and the volume of the speaker 10 is The volume is adjusted to be suitable for a person in front of the image forming apparatus 1 to talk (step S13).

  Next, the operator performs a repair operation of the image forming apparatus 1 by touching the button displayed on the operation unit 3 or opening the door of the image forming apparatus 1 (step S14), and an abnormality notification sound is generated. Is stopped (step S15), and this process ends.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, when the speaker 10 is provided on the operation surface of the operation unit 3, when the speaker is installed in the main body as in the related art. In comparison, the output sound becomes clear and it is possible to reliably convey the sound to the operator. In particular, since the operation surface of the operation unit 3 is arranged in parallel to the vertical direction and facing the operator, the operability is improved and the operator is away from the image forming apparatus 1. This makes it easier to convey the voice to the operator even in a noisy environment or in a noisy environment.

  Further, when an operator is not detected when an abnormality occurs in the image forming apparatus 1, the sound can be more reliably transmitted to the operator by adjusting the volume of the speaker 10 to be increased.

  Furthermore, when an operator is detected when an abnormality occurs in the image forming apparatus 1, voice can be transmitted to the operator more reliably by moving the operation unit 3 in the direction in which the operator is present. In addition, since the operator can photograph the state of the repair work by the photographing device 61 attached in the vicinity of the operation unit 3, the progress of the repair work can be transmitted to the management server 21 by an image. Furthermore, since the microphone 8 is attached in the vicinity of the operation unit 3, the operator can let go and perform repair work while talking to the manager of the service center 20.

  Note that the description in the present embodiment can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The figure which shows the structure of the management system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart showing processing executed in the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment when a service call is made to the service center due to occurrence of an abnormality. 6 is a flowchart showing processing executed in the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment when an abnormality occurs during a printing operation.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Image formation control part 2a Image reading part 2b Image processing part 2c Image forming part 3 Operation part (touch panel)
4 system control unit 5 human detection control unit 6 human detection sensor 61 photographing device 7 microphone control unit 8 microphone (microphone)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Speaker control part 10 Speaker 11 Movable control part 12 Operation movable part 13 Communication part 131 Communication part 132 Data communication part 20 Service center 21 Management server 100 Management system

Claims (8)

It has an operation unit for inputting operation instructions,
A speaker is provided on the operation surface of the operation unit, and the operation surface is arranged in a direction parallel to the vertical direction and facing the operator.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the speaker is a piezoelectric speaker. A sensor that is provided near the operation unit and detects the presence of a person;
A speaker control unit that adjusts a volume of the speaker according to a detection result by the sensor;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A sensor that is provided near the operation unit and detects the presence of a person;
When a person is detected by the sensor, an operation movable unit that controls the direction of the operation surface of the operation unit to the direction in which the person is detected;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A communication unit that controls communication with an external device via a communication network;
A microphone that is provided near the operation unit and that inputs an operator's voice;
Provided near the operation unit, and a photographing device for photographing an image of the operator,
The said communication part receives the information transmitted from the said external device while transmitting the audio | voice input with the said microphone, and the image image | photographed with the said imaging device to the said external device. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.   6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the image forming apparatus, the communication unit transmits data indicating the content of the abnormality to a management server that manages operation information of the image forming apparatus. Image forming apparatus. When an abnormality occurs in the operation of the image forming apparatus, the communication unit transmits the sound input by the microphone and the image captured by the imaging apparatus to a management server that manages the operation information of the image forming apparatus. ,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the speaker outputs sound transmitted from the management server.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an abnormality occurs in the operation of the image forming apparatus, the speaker outputs an abnormality notification sound.

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