JP2008216710A - Image display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain energy saving effect even when a display image is changed and displayed at a display panel unit using electronic paper. <P>SOLUTION: The display panel unit 9 is constituted by arraying a plurality of electronic paper pieces 13 where images are electronically displayed and the display state is maintained even when driving power is ceased. A storage unit 5 stores the display images displayed on the display panel unit 9 while relating them to the electronic paper pieces 13. A discrimination unit 15 discriminates which of the display images by the electronic paper pieces stored in the storage unit 5 an image to be display changed corresponds to. A display control unit 17 applies driving electric power to the electronic paper piece 13 to be changed in display that the discrimination unit 15 discriminates to perform display change control. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image display apparatus, and more particularly to an improvement of an image display apparatus that is suitable for being mounted in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a multi function peripheral (MFP).

  In recent years, copiers and multifunction peripherals use so-called electronic paper for display panels that maintain the display state even when the power is turned off after applying a drive power supply to form a visual image display state. There is an attempt to ensure the power saving of the department.

  For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-256182 (Patent Document 1) is this type.

This patent document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a flat panel display (electronic paper) having a display memory effect that retains display contents even after the drive power is cut off after transferring display data is used as an operation display device. Thus, even when the power of the operation panel is cut off in the energy saving mode, the device information is continuously displayed, so that a high energy saving effect can be obtained.
JP 2006-256182 A

  However, in Patent Document 1 described above, when it is necessary to change the display of the flat panel display, the entire flat panel display is supplied with power to perform the change process. There is a waste of electric energy, and there is room for improvement in order to obtain an energy saving effect.

  Therefore, as a result of earnest observation and examination of the image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral, the present inventor noticed that the display image to be displayed by the menu operation is distinctly distinguished from the part that does not change so much. The present invention has been completed.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image display device capable of obtaining a higher energy saving effect in an image display device using electronic paper.

  In order to solve such a problem, an image display device according to the present invention is formed by arranging a plurality of electronic paper pieces that display an image electronically and that can retain the display state even when the drive power is cut off. A display panel unit, a storage unit that stores a display image displayed on the display panel unit in association with the electronic paper piece, and an electronic paper piece on which an image to be changed in display on the display panel unit is stored in the storage unit A discriminating unit that discriminates which one of the display images is to be changed, and a display control unit that controls display change by applying a driving power to the electronic paper piece that is discriminated from being changed by the discriminating unit. is doing.

  In the image display device of the present invention, the determination unit is configured to determine whether the electronic paper piece is changed when there is a difference between the display image stored for each electronic paper piece and the image to be changed in display. Is also possible.

  In the image display device of the present invention, the display panel unit may be configured such that an electronic paper piece is detachably connected.

  In such an image display device according to the present invention, a display panel unit is formed by arranging a plurality of electronic paper pieces in which an image is displayed electronically and the display state is preserved even when the drive power is cut off, The display image displayed on the display panel unit is stored in the storage unit in association with the electronic paper piece, and the display image of each electronic paper piece stored in the storage unit is stored for each image to be changed in display on the display panel unit. An image display device using electronic paper, because the determination unit determines which one is to be changed, and the display control unit controls the display change by applying a driving power to the determined electronic paper piece whose display is changed. In the above, no drive power is applied to any other than the electronic paper piece whose display is changed, and a higher energy saving effect can be obtained.

  In the image display device according to the present invention, in the configuration in which the determination unit compares the display image stored for each electronic paper piece with the image to be changed and determines the change of the electronic paper piece, particularly reliable. It becomes possible to make a distinction and obtain a good energy saving effect.

  In the image display device of the present invention, when the display panel unit is configured such that the electronic paper piece is detachably connected, only the defective electronic paper piece can be replaced, and maintenance such as replacement of the electronic paper piece is easy. It is.

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

  FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of an image display apparatus according to the present invention.

  1, the image display apparatus according to the present invention is configured to include an image reading unit 3, a storage unit 5, an operation unit 7, a display panel unit 9, and a printing unit 11 with a main control unit 1 as a center. Configures a multifunction device. The main control unit controls the image reading unit 3, the storage unit 5, the operation unit 7, the display panel unit 9, and the printing unit 11, and details thereof will be described later.

  Under the control of the main control unit, the image reading unit 3 optically reads an image from, for example, a printed document having a plurality of pages, prints electronic print data by performing filter processing, scaling processing, gradation processing, and the like. A known scanner or the like is generated as a job, and the generated print data is sequentially stored in the storage unit 5 for each page of the document.

  The storage unit 5 stores the display image displayed on the display panel unit 9 in association with an electronic paper piece 13 to be described later, in addition to the print data from the image reading unit 3 and the screen template displayed on the display panel unit 9. Another example is a hard disk (HDD) that stores the operation program of the main control unit.

  The operation unit 7 is a touch switch input unit arranged at the upper part of the apparatus main body case (not shown). For example, as shown in FIG. 2, selection keys such as “copy”, “printer”, “scanner”, “fax”, etc. 7a, a numeric keypad 7b for inputting various set values, a start key 7c, and the like.

  That is, the operation unit 7 functions as an input unit that accepts these input instructions, and outputs the input instructed information to the main control unit 1. Information input from the operation unit 7 is reflected on the display panel unit 9 and displayed.

  The display panel unit 9 has a function of visually displaying an operation state of the image forming apparatus and information input from the operation unit 7. For example, as shown in FIG. A plurality of sheets are continuously arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions without gaps.

  The electronic paper piece 13 is a conventionally known one using an electrophoretic method or charged particles, and the display state is maintained even when the power is turned off after the drive power supply is applied to form a visual image display state. For example, it has a square shape having a function capable of changing the image display state by applying a driving power source.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the electronic paper piece 13 has, for example, a 1 cm 2 main body 13 a and a large number of connection pins 13 b that hang from the back end of the paper main body 13 a by the number corresponding to the pixels. The connection pins 13b are inserted into and connected to the connection holes 13d formed continuously in the substrate 13c of the display panel unit 9 and are electrically connected to the display panel unit 9.

  As will be described later, the display panel unit 9 controls the main control unit 1 so that, for example, images and data are additionally written in a screen template stored in the storage unit 5 to form a display image. A display driving power source is applied to the screen to form a visual image display state, and the display state is maintained even when the power source is cut off. The display image displayed on the display panel unit 9 is stored in the storage unit 5.

  The printing unit 11 is a printing engine that prints print data on a conveyance sheet and discharges it under the control of the main control unit 1 and performs black and white and color printing. Since the printing unit 11 is a known engine, detailed description and illustration are omitted. .

  The main control unit 1 includes a CPU, a memory unit that stores an operation program of the CPU, and an input / output interface (none of which is shown). As described above, the main control unit includes the image reading unit 3 and the storage unit. 5. In addition to controlling the operation unit 7, the display panel unit 9, and the printing unit 11, it has functions as a determination unit 15 and a display control unit 17.

  The main control unit 1 applies a display drive power source to the electronic paper piece 13 via the display control unit 17 based on the operation of the apparatus and an input instruction from the operation unit 7 and displays an image of the operation state and the like. The display image is stored in the storage unit 5 in association with each electronic paper piece 13.

  The determination unit 15 compares the image whose display is changed based on the display information input from the operation unit 7 with the display image for each electronic paper piece 13 stored in the storage unit 5, and stores the image whose display is changed. It has a function of discriminating whether or not there is a difference between the display images and specifying the electronic paper piece 13 having the difference and outputting it to the display control unit 17.

  The display control unit 17 has a function of displaying an operation state and the like by applying a display driving power source to the corresponding individual electronic paper piece 13 and also displaying individual electronic signals that need to be changed as determined by the determination unit 15. The paper piece 13 has a function of applying a driving power supply to change and control the display, and shutting off the driving power supply. No driving power is applied to the electronic paper piece 13 that does not require display change.

  In such an image display device of the present invention, the display panel unit 9 is formed by arranging a plurality of electronic paper pieces 13 on which an image is displayed electronically and the display state is preserved even when the drive power is cut off, A storage unit 5 that stores the display image displayed on the display panel unit 9 in association with the electronic paper piece 13, and an operation unit (input unit) 7 that inputs display information relating to the image displayed on the display panel unit 9. And a discriminator 15 for discriminating whether or not an image whose display is changed based on the display information input from the operation unit 7 is different from the display image stored in the storage unit 5 for each electronic paper piece. And a display control unit 17 that controls the display change by applying a driving power to the electronic paper piece 13 that is determined by the determination unit 15 and needs to be changed.

  Therefore, when the display image displayed on the display panel unit 9 is changed and displayed, the drive power is applied only to the electronic paper piece 13 portion that is actually changed in display, and the electronic paper piece 13 portion that is not changed in display is changed. Since no driving power is applied to the display panel, unnecessary driving power is not applied when the display image of the display panel unit 9 is changed and displayed, and a higher energy saving effect than before can be obtained.

  Moreover, since the driving power is applied to the electronic paper piece 13 that has a difference between the image to be changed and the already displayed image, it is possible to make a reliable change determination and obtain a good energy saving effect. is there.

  However, the determination unit 15 according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the display-changed image is compared with the display image stored in the storage unit 5 for each electronic paper piece, and simply corresponds to the display-changed image. What is necessary is just to be formed so that the electronic paper piece to discriminate | determine.

  Furthermore, since the display panel unit 9 is detachably mounted and connected to the electronic paper piece 13, only the defective electronic paper piece 13 can be easily replaced individually, and maintenance such as replacement of the electronic paper piece 13 is easy. In addition, maintenance costs can be reduced.

  By the way, in the above-described image printing apparatus of the present invention, the display image displayed on the display panel unit 9 is input information from the operation unit 7, but is not necessarily as long as it is an image displayed on at least the display panel unit 9. The input information from the operation unit 7 is not necessary, and the object of the present invention can be achieved as long as the display image displayed on the display panel unit 9 can be determined for each electronic paper piece 13.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of an image display device according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the operation part in the image display apparatus of this invention, and a display panel part. It is a figure explaining the display panel part in the image display apparatus of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view explaining the electronic paper piece in the image display apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Main control unit (display control unit)
3 Image reading unit 5 Storage unit 7 Operation unit 7a Selection key 7b Numeric keypad 7c Start key 9 Display panel unit 11 Printing unit 13 Electronic paper piece 13a Paper body 13b Connection pin 13c Substrate 13d Connection hole 15 Discrimination unit (main control unit)
17 Display control unit (main control unit)

Claims (3)

A display panel portion in which a plurality of electronic paper pieces are arranged in which an image is displayed electronically and the display state is preserved even when the drive power is cut off,
A storage unit for storing a display image displayed on the display panel unit in association with the electronic paper piece;
A discriminating unit for discriminating which of the display images for each electronic paper piece stored in the storage unit is changed by the image to be displayed on the display panel unit;
A display control unit for controlling display change by applying a driving power to the electronic paper piece to be changed in display determined by the determination unit;
An image display device comprising: The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a change of the electronic paper piece when there is a difference between the display image stored for each electronic paper piece and an image to be changed. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the display panel unit is formed by detachably connecting the electronic paper pieces.

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