JP2007121760A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of obtaining an optimum operating environment for each user based upon the personal information of the user. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes: an information input means 8 for inputting personal information including colors that are difficult for a visually handicapped user to see, colors need to be replaced; storage means 5 and 6 for storing personal information; determining means 9 for determining a comparison between the input personal information and the stored personal information; a display means 21 for replacing a display color based on the result of the determination and displaying it; and a control means 3 for integrally controlling each of the means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

Image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimile apparatuses, printer apparatuses, and multifunction machines that integrate the functions provided by these OA devices have a wide variety of functions to be handled, and only an operation panel attached to the image forming apparatus can be used. Since the operation is difficult, a touch panel is provided on a display unit (display) attached to the operation unit, and the user sets the paper type and the like by operating the touch panel.
Some image forming apparatuses display thumbnails of images to be printed on a display unit before printing based on data read from a document reading unit. The display unit is also changing from black and white display to color display.

By the way, in recent years, considering the social advancement of persons with physical disabilities, there is a need for an office that can work in the same way as a healthy person. However, the image forming apparatus described above is designed for a healthy person and is often inconvenient for use by a physically handicapped person. In particular, users with weak colors and color blindness cannot handle color display.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of obtaining an optimum operating environment for each user based on the user's personal information.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that information input means for inputting personal information, storage means for storing the personal information for display operation, input personal information and stored in the storage means. The main feature of the image forming apparatus is provided with a determination unit that compares and determines the personal information, and a control unit that controls the display color of the display unit that displays operation information based on the determination result of the determination unit. And
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus further includes a thumbnail generation unit that changes a display color and an image size of the thumbnail image based on a determination result of the determination unit.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, the control means includes personal information in which the display color of the display means or the display color of the thumbnail image is stored in the storage means. If the difference is different from the above, the display color change input is allowed and the storage means is overwritten.

  According to the present invention, the information input means for inputting personal information, the storage means for storing the display information, the personal information input by the information input means and the personal information stored in the storage means are compared. Based on the determination result, the display color of the display means for displaying the operation information is controlled by the control means. Therefore, for example, by inputting personal information including colors that are difficult to see for users with visual impairments or colors to be replaced by the information input means and storing them in the storage means, it is optimal for each user based on the user's personal information. It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can provide a simple operating environment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A personal authentication unit 2 is provided on the side of the operation unit 1. A user with visual impairment (color weakness, color blindness) inputs the individual user ID from the personal authentication unit 2 to the image forming apparatus. As a storage medium for storing a user ID used for information input, a user's mobile phone, an IC card, or the like can be considered. Further, a non-contact type IC card may be used.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
The image forming apparatus according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes an operation unit 1, a CPU (control unit) 3, a document reading unit 4, a first storage unit 5, a second storage unit 6, and a third storage unit 7. , An information input unit (continuous to the personal authentication unit 2) 8, a determination unit 9, an image processing unit 10, and a print execution unit 11. The operation unit 1 includes a display unit 21, an operation control unit 22, and an operation key unit 23. The document reading unit 4 includes a thumbnail generation unit 31 and a document reading control unit 32.
A user with visual impairment (color weakness, color blindness) registers personal information such as color information to be replaced with a user ID and color information that is difficult to see in the second storage unit 6 in the image forming apparatus in advance. deep. The second storage unit 6 is a data table in which personal information of each user is stored.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data table of personal information of each user. The data table of FIG. 3 stores the information (personal information) of the color to be replaced with a color that is difficult for each visually handicapped person to see together with the user ID, and the personal information input from the personal authentication unit 2 is: The data is transferred to the second storage unit 6 via the information input unit 8. Then, the determination unit 9 sequentially compares the personal information stored in the second storage unit 6 and searches for information that matches the user user ID.
Here, the found personal information is stored in the first storage unit 5. Next, the stored personal information is transferred to the operation control unit 22. When the personal information includes information for changing the color of the display unit, the operation control unit 22 changes the display color of the display unit 21. For example, since it is difficult to see yellow in the data table of FIG. 3, when the information of replacement in black is written, the yellow portion of the display unit 21 is replaced with black.
The document read by the document reading unit 4 is transferred to and stored in a third storage unit 7, for example, a hard disk. The stored information is transferred to the thumbnail generation unit 31. Here, the thumbnail generation unit 31 reads out information on colors that are difficult for the user to see from the first storage unit 5, and changes the colors used in the thumbnail images (color replacement) in the same manner as described above.
In addition, when the change in the display color of the thumbnail image and the change in the display size of the thumbnail image are written in the information read from the first storage unit 5, the operation unit control unit 22 reads the information from the document reading unit 4. Change the thumbnail image size of the print image and display it.
At this time, the information that the color of the display unit 21 is replaced with black was written. However, when the user cannot see easily even if the color is actually replaced with black, the operation key unit 23 is operated to change the color to blue or red. Replace. When the user who feels that blue is easier to see is determined to be replaced with blue by operating the numeric keypad, the operation unit control unit 22 accesses the second storage unit 6 and replaces the previous information with black. Is replaced with information that the replacement is performed.
When the display color of the thumbnail image is changed when printing is performed next time, the user performs the numeric keypad operation on the operation key unit 23 to print the preview screen with the display changed as it is or to read the document. It is possible to select whether to perform printing with the color scheme read from the section 4.
For example, when a yellow character of a document is changed to a black color by changing the display color, printing is performed with the black character displayed on the display unit 21 or with the original yellow character read from the document reading unit 4. Choose. Other changes in the color of the print image can also be set from the display unit 21. When the individual user ID is not input from the personal authentication unit 2 to the image forming apparatus, the user is determined to be a healthy person and the display color of the display unit 21 of the operation unit 1 is not changed.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. This is a summary of the series of processes described above. It is determined whether there is personal information input (S1), and if there is no personal information, it is regarded as a healthy person and a normal operation is performed (S2).
On the other hand, if there is an input of personal information, it is determined whether it matches the personal information stored in the second storage unit 6 (S3), and if it matches, the data table is read (S4).
Next, it is determined whether the thumbnail display is OK (S5). If it is not OK (N in S5), the display color of the thumbnail image is changed until it becomes OK (S6, S7), and the changed contents are stored in the storage means (S6). S8). Then, it is determined whether printing is performed according to the preview display color (S9). If printing is not performed according to the preview display color, printing is performed with the read color scheme (S10). If printing is performed according to the preview display color, printing is performed in that color (S11).

1 is an external view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the data table of the personal information of each user. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  1 operation unit, 2 personal authentication unit, 3 CPU (control unit), 4 document reading unit, 5 first storage unit (storage unit), 6 second storage unit (storage unit), 8 information input unit (information input) Means), 9 determination unit (determination unit), 21 display unit (display unit), 31 thumbnail generation unit (thumbnail generation unit)

Claims (3)

  Information input means for inputting personal information, storage means for storing the display information, determination means for comparing the input personal information with personal information stored in the storage means, and the determination means An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that controls a display color of a display unit that displays operation information based on the determination result.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a thumbnail generation unit that changes a display color and an image size of the thumbnail image based on a determination result of the determination unit.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit displays the display color when the display color of the display unit or the display color of the thumbnail image is different from the personal information stored in the storage unit. An image forming apparatus, wherein a change input is allowed and the storage unit is overwritten.

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