JP2008053822A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein it is difficult for a visually handicapped person to judge the kind of a document (one-sided or double-sided document) and a surface where the document is set, when using an image processor to read a document image, such as copying machine, facsimile apparatus, and scanner. <P>SOLUTION: The image processor has at least two operation modes, including an operation mode wherein a user can operate without using visual sensation, and is equipped with a switching means of switching the operation modes, a document read means of reading images of one side or both sides of a document, and a setting means for setting operation conditions of the image processor, the setting means that is characterized in setting operation conditions so that when the image processor is switched to the operation mode wherein the user can operate without depending on vision, the document read means reads the images of both the sides of the document. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing social interest in accessibility, and there is a need for equipment design that considers disabled and elderly people, as represented by the US Rehabilitation Act Article 508 and Japanese JISX8341.

  For example, Non-Patent Document 1 introduces a copying machine that navigates a screen operation procedure by voice and can be operated without relying on vision. Some copiers have already been commercialized. For example, Canon copiers are equipped with the optional “Voice Guidance Kit A2” to navigate the screen operation procedure by voice, and copy machines for the visually impaired. Is supporting the operation. In addition, Ricoh copiers can be operated with voice recognition technology using voice recognition technology in addition to the same voice guidance function as Canon copiers by installing “imageo® voice navigation type B”. We sell products that we have.

  In addition to these copying machines, many attempts have been made so far to support equipment operation of visually impaired persons by using voice operation guidance and voice recognition.

On the other hand, an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or a scanner that reads an original image needs to determine the type of original (one side or both sides) and the side on which the original is set, which is difficult for visually impaired people. . As a method for solving this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus that automatically determines a document surface. The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes image surface detection means that reads both sides of a document and detects whether the read surface is an image surface or a blank paper surface, and prints only the image surface, and does not print when the paper is blank. . Even when it is difficult for the user to visually confirm the document surface, the image forming apparatus can be used.
Tetsuya Sakayori, Tetsuya Muroi, Junichi Takami, Yoshinaga Kato, Yoshifumi Susumata, Ryo, Akira Saeki, Akira Okamoto, “A New Setting Operation Method for Copiers without Using Vision”, IEICE Technical Report (Trust) Science Report), WIT2002-77, pp. 1-5, March 2003 JP-A-5-4749 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-178519

  However, since the image surface detection unit of the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 determines whether a blank page or an image side after reading both sides of the document, even when copying only a single-sided document, both sides are read. It takes time to process. For example, in an office where a large number of users jointly use the image forming apparatus, if the original surface detection is left as it is, when many people copy only a single-sided original, the time efficiency becomes poor. Although it is conceivable that the initial setting is to scan one side with many users, in this case, there is a problem that a visually handicapped person must change the setting of the reading surface to automatic detection of the original surface every time it is used.

  In addition, in an inexpensive image forming apparatus, there is another problem that automatic document surface detection cannot be mounted in terms of cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problem. When the operation mode used by the healthy person and the visually impaired person is different, the normal person is also visually impaired by changing the reading surface of the document depending on the operation mode. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that is easy to use.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention has the following features. An image processing apparatus including an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision and having at least two operation modes, a switching unit that switches the operation mode, and a document reading unit that reads an image on one or both sides of a document And setting means for setting the operating conditions of the image processing apparatus, wherein the setting means displays the images on both sides of the document with the document reading means when the operation mode is switched to an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision. The operation condition is set so as to read.

  According to the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the setting of the document reading surface is changed according to the operation mode, and the optimum document reading surface for the user is automatically set. In other words, an appropriate image reading surface is set for both the user who can see the document surface and the user who cannot see the document surface, thus realizing an image processing device that is convenient for both healthy and visually impaired people. There is an effect that can be done.

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

  In this embodiment, a copier realized as an embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention will be described.

  The copying machine of this embodiment has two operation modes, a standard mode and a voice guidance mode. The standard mode is a standard operation method in which operation is performed while confirming the copy conditions such as magnification and number of copies on a liquid crystal display device or the like. The voice guidance mode is an operation mode in which an operation method, an execution result of the user's operation, a set copy condition, and the like are guided by voice in order to support a user who is difficult to visually recognize.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a copying machine according to this embodiment. The copying machine includes an operation unit 101, a document reading unit 102, a printing unit 103, an operation mode switching unit 104, a voice guidance unit 105, and a control unit 106.

  The operation unit 101 has buttons and a liquid crystal touch panel for the user to set copying conditions and operate the copying machine. FIG. 2 shows an example of the operation unit 101. In FIG. 2, 201 is an operation unit 101, 202 is a liquid crystal touch panel, and 203 is a button. The liquid crystal touch panel 202 displays setting contents of copying conditions such as magnification and paper, and buttons of GUI (graphical user interface) parts used for setting these conditions. A user operation performed on the operation unit 101 is detected by the control unit 106, and the control unit 106 performs a predetermined process according to the detected operation, and displays the set content on the liquid crystal touch panel 202.

  The document reading unit 102 has an automatic document reading function, and can read one side or both sides of a document. Whether to read one side or both sides depends on the setting at the start of copying.

  The printing unit 103 prints the content read by the document reading unit 104 on one side or both sides of the output paper. Whether to print on one side or both sides depends on the setting at the start of copying.

  The operation mode switching unit 104 switches the operation mode when the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit 101. As described above, the copying machine of the present embodiment has two types of operation modes, the standard mode and the voice guidance mode. When the user presses and holds a reset button (204 in FIG. 2) provided in the operation unit 101, the operation mode switching unit 104 switches the operation mode to the voice guidance mode. To return to the standard mode from the voice guidance mode, press and hold the reset button again. In the standard mode, the user operates the button 203 and the GUI component displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 202 while visually confirming the setting contents displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 202 to set the copying conditions. In the voice guidance mode, the voice guidance unit 105 guides the operation method of the copying machine by voice, and the user operates the buttons of the operation unit 101 according to the voice guidance to set the copying conditions. The contents set by the user are reflected on the display of the liquid crystal touch panel 202 and are notified by voice by the voice guidance unit 105. Therefore, even when visual confirmation is difficult, the set content can be confirmed by the notified voice.

  The voice guidance unit 105 has a voice output device such as a speaker, and guides the user about the operation method of the copying machine and the setting contents of the copying conditions.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of voice guidance when the number of copies is set to 15. 301 is an example of guidance of operation contents by voice immediately after switching to the voice guidance mode. 302 to 306 are examples of notifying operation contents by voice. Reference numeral 307 denotes an example of notifying the set content by voice.

  The control unit 106 controls the overall operation of the copying machine, manages the setting of copying conditions, and controls the operation of the copying machine so that printing is performed according to the set contents when starting copying. Further, when the operation mode is changed, the setting value of the copy condition is changed. In the copying machine of the present embodiment, when the operation mode is switched to the voice guidance mode, the reading surface when reading the original with the original reading unit 102 is set to both sides, and the printing surface to be printed when printing with the printing unit 103 is set to both sides. Set. When the voice guidance mode is switched to the standard mode, the settings for the reading side and the printing side are not changed. If the reset button for resetting the copying conditions is pressed while operating in the standard mode, both the reading surface and the printing surface are set to one side. If the reset button is pressed while operating in the voice guidance mode, both the reading side and printing side are set.

  The operation of the copying machine configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when the operation mode is switched in the copying machine of this embodiment.

  When the user presses the power button 206, the copying machine is turned on and the copying machine is activated (S101). At this time, the control unit 106 sets the operation mode of the copying machine to the standard mode (S102). Further, the control unit 106 sets both the reading surface for reading the document and the printing surface for printing the read document to one side (S103). When the user presses the reset button 204 for a long time, the operation mode switching unit 104 switches the operation mode to the voice guidance mode (S105). Subsequently, the control unit 106 sets the reading surface of the document and the printing surface of the read document to both sides (S106). The user sets the copying conditions such as the number of copies and the magnification according to the guidance of the voice operation performed by the voice guidance unit 105 (S107). At this time, the setting of the document reading surface and the printing surface can be freely changed by the user. When the setting is completed and the user presses the start button 205, copying is started (S108). That is, the document reading unit 103 reads the document according to the setting contents of the reading surface, and the printing unit 104 prints the read document according to the setting contents of the printing surface. If the user does not set the original reading surface and the printing surface in S107, copying is performed according to the setting contents set by the control unit in S106. That is, both sides of the original are read and the read original is printed on both sides. In this way, when operating in the voice guidance mode, it is possible to reliably copy an original without setting a reading surface or a printing surface. That is, even when it is difficult to visually determine the type of original (single-sided original or double-sided original), it is possible to copy without being aware of the type of original.

  If NO in S104, that is, if the user does not press and hold the reset button for a long time, copy conditions are set on the operation unit 101 while confirming the setting contents on the display of the liquid crystal touch panel 202 (S109). When the setting is completed and the user presses the start button 205, copying is performed in accordance with the setting contents of the copying conditions as in S108 (S110).

  As described above, in the operation mode used when visual recognition is difficult, the setting of the document reading surface and the printing surface is automatically double-sided, and the user needs to be aware of the type of document. Disappear. Further, it is possible to copy the original without making a mistake even if the original reading surface and the printing surface are not set. Further, there is an advantage that it is not particularly necessary to be aware of the direction of placing the document on the document table. As described above, when visual recognition is difficult, the convenience for the user who uses the image processing apparatus is improved.

  In the copier having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, a case where the document reading unit 102 has a function of detecting the type of document (single-sided or double-sided) will be described.

  The user can select one side, double side, or automatic for the reading side of the document. Here, “automatic” means that the document reading unit 102 automatically detects whether the document is single-sided or double-sided. Since a method for realizing this function is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-178519, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In addition to the document reading unit 102, the copying machine of this embodiment can set one side, both sides, and automatic for the printing side. However, the print side can be set automatically only when the original reading side is automatic. When the setting of the printing surface is automatic, printing is performed as read by the document reading unit 102 during printing. When the type of document detected by the document reading unit 102 is single-sided, the printing performed by the printing unit 103 is also performed on one side. When the document reading unit 102 detects a double-sided document, double-sided printing is performed on the read document. Therefore, even a manuscript in which one side and both sides are mixed can be efficiently printed because the printing surface to be printed by the printing unit 103 is changed according to the manuscript type detected by the manuscript reading unit 102.

  In addition to the above differences, the copying machine of this embodiment is different from the copying machine of Embodiment 1 in that the original reading surface and the printing surface are automatically set when the operation mode switching unit 104 switches the operation mode to the voice guidance mode. Different.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 4, the only difference from the copier of the first embodiment is that the setting of the reading surface and the printing surface is made automatic in the process of S <b> 106 performed after switching the operation mode to the voice guidance mode.

  By configuring as described above, printing efficiency by the printing unit 103 is improved as compared with the first embodiment, so that the convenience can be further improved as compared with the copying machine of the first embodiment.

  In the voice guidance mode described in the above embodiments, the user operates the button 202 to set the copy condition according to the voice guidance. However, the setting value can be input by voice instead of the setting by the button operation. It may be. In the copying machine having the same configuration as in the first embodiment, the voice guidance unit 105 further includes a voice input device such as a microphone, and can be realized by performing voice recognition processing on the voice of the user input from the voice input device. FIG. 5 shows an example of the operation method by voice and the operation of the copying machine by voice input. Reference numerals 601 and 603 denote operation method guidance, reference numerals 602 and 604 denote confirmation of operation contents (recognition results), and reference numeral 605 denotes an example of notification of setting contents.

(Other examples)
The object of the present invention can also be achieved as follows. That is, a storage medium in which a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded is supplied to the system or apparatus. Then, the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus reads and executes the program code stored in the storage medium. It goes without saying that the purpose is achieved even in this way.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

  The embodiment according to the present invention is not limited to the case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by executing the program code read by the computer. For example, an OS (operating system) running on a computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on an instruction of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments may be realized by the processing. Needless to say, it is included.

  Furthermore, the functions of the embodiment according to the present invention are also realized as follows. That is, the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Then, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing. It goes without saying that the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by this processing.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a copying machine according to the present invention. It is a figure explaining an example of the operation part of the copying machine which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining an example of operation of a copying machine by voice guidance mode with which a copying machine concerning the present invention is provided. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a processing flow of the copying machine according to the present invention. It is a figure explaining an example of operation of a copying machine by another voice guidance mode with which a copying machine concerning the present invention is provided.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Operation part 102 Original reading part 103 Printing part 104 Operation mode switching part 105 Voice guidance part 106 Control part

Claims (7)

An image processing apparatus including an operation mode that can be operated without depending on vision, and having at least two operation modes,
Switching means for switching operation modes;
An original reading means for reading an image of one side or both sides of an original;
Setting means for setting the operating conditions of the image processing apparatus,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets an operation condition so that the document reading unit reads images on both sides of the document when the operation mode is switched to an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision. Printing means for printing the read image on one or both sides of paper;
In the setting unit, when the operation mode is switched to an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision, the document reading unit reads images on both sides of the document, and the printing unit prints the read images on both sides of the paper. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is set. The document reading means further comprises detection means for automatically detecting whether the document type is a single-sided document or a double-sided document;
The setting unit is configured to detect a document type by the detection unit and read an image of the detected document type when the operation mode is switched to an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1. The document reading means further comprises detection means for automatically detecting whether the document type is a single-sided document or a double-sided document;
When the operation mode is switched to an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision, the setting unit detects a document type by the detection unit, reads an image of the detected document type, and reads the read image as the detected document. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an operation condition is set so that printing is performed on a type. Further comprising voice guidance means for guiding one or more contents among the operation method, the contents of the operation performed by the user, and the operation conditions;
The steering mode that can be operated without relying on vision is a mode in which one or more contents among an operation method, an operation content performed by a user, and an operation condition are guided by voice by voice guidance means. Item 5. The image processing device according to any one of Items 1 to 4. A control method for an image processing apparatus including an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision and having at least two operation modes,
A switching process for switching operation modes;
An original reading process for reading an image on one or both sides of the original;
A setting step for setting operating conditions of the image processing apparatus,
The control method is characterized in that, in the setting step, an operation condition is set so that an original reading unit reads images on both sides of an original when the operation mode is switched to an operation mode that can be operated without relying on vision.   The program for making a computer implement | achieve the control method of Claim 6.

Images