JP2014085288A - Electronic apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detect a static human body more properly by a pyroelectric infrared sensor in an electronic apparatus, such as an image forming apparatus, to provide an optimal operation environment for the human body detected.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 includes: an operation part 47; a sensor part 50 having a pyroelectric infrared sensor 501; a swing mechanism 60 for turning the sensor part 50 in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal thereto; a drive part 80 for turning the operation part 47 in the first and second directions; a control part 100 for controlling operation of the swing mechanism 60 and the drive part 80; and a detection position acquisition part 101 which acquires an object detection position detected by the sensor part 50 turning in the first direction and an object height position detected in turning in the second direction. The control part 100 controls the drive part 80 to turn the operation part 47 toward a direction indicated by the object detection position and the object height position.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a technique for detecting an object by a pyroelectric infrared sensor.

  Conventionally, electronic devices equipped with a human body detection sensor have been proposed. As such an electronic device, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, in an image forming apparatus, by starting heating of a fixing unit after human body detection by a human body detection sensor, an operator can operate an operation unit from the time of human body detection. In some cases, the fixing temperature during standby can be set lower than that of a device not equipped with a human body detection sensor by heating the fixing unit using the time until it approaches. In addition, when the human body is not detected by the human body detection sensor, the heater that heats the fixing unit by shifting the image forming apparatus from the normal mode in which image formation can be immediately performed to the sleep mode in the power saving state. The power can be reduced by stopping the driving in a timely manner.

JP 2008-64935 A

  Many human body detection sensors use a pyroelectric infrared sensor that includes a pyroelectric element that detects the human body based on the amount of change in infrared rays. In this pyroelectric infrared sensor, infrared light generated by the action of the human body is condensed on the light receiving portion of the pyroelectric element, and a signal due to the polarization of the pyroelectric element generated in response to the change in the infrared light is converted into a voltage signal. It is assumed that the human body is detected when the processed voltage signal is output as a high level by the comparator in comparison with the threshold value. In other words, since the pyroelectric infrared sensor uses the amount of change in the infrared rays to detect the presence or absence of the human body, when the human body that emits infrared rays stops in the sensor detection area and the generated infrared rays change, the human body May be undetected. In this case, although the operator is located in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, the control unit of the image forming apparatus causes the image forming apparatus to shift to the sleep mode based on the non-detection. Since problems such as impairing operation convenience for the operator occur, it is desired to solve the problem. Furthermore, it is also desired to provide an optimum operating environment according to each position where the operator of the apparatus exists.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. A pyroelectric infrared sensor provided in an electronic apparatus such as an image forming apparatus detects a stationary human body more accurately than in the past, and The purpose is to provide an optimal operating environment for the detected human body.

An electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an operation unit operated by an operator;
A sensor unit having a pyroelectric infrared sensor for detecting the presence of an object based on a change in infrared rays;
A swing mechanism for sequentially rotating the sensor unit in a predetermined first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A drive unit for rotating the operation unit in the first and second directions;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the swing mechanism and the drive unit;
An object detection position at which the object is detected by the sensor unit in the first direction when the control unit rotates the swing mechanism in the first and second directions; A detection position acquisition unit that acquires the object height position detected by the sensor unit in a second direction;
The control unit causes the drive unit to rotate the operation unit in a direction indicated by the object detection position and the object height position acquired by the detection position acquisition unit.

  According to the present invention, a pyroelectric infrared sensor provided in an electronic apparatus such as an image forming apparatus detects a stationary human body more accurately than in the past, and provides an optimal operating environment toward the detected human body. Can be provided.

1 is a front sectional view showing a structure of an image forming apparatus as an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of a sensor part and a swing mechanism. It is the schematic which shows the principal part of the drive part which drives an operation part and an operation part. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a main internal configuration of the image forming apparatus. FIG. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a state when the sensor unit detects an object located in front of the image forming apparatus in a state where the sensor unit is in a rotation center position facing the front front of the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a figure which shows a mode when a sensor part rotates to the left from the rotation center position to the limit angle which can detect a target object. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a state in which an object at a position near the right side from the front is detected by the sensor unit in front of the image forming apparatus, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which detects the target object in a position with a sensor part. (A) is a figure which shows a mode when a target object exists in the detection area | region of a sensor part, and a sensor part detects a target object, (B) shows the limit state from which a sensor part does not detect a target object. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a position and height of an operator and driving processing of an operation unit in the image forming apparatus. (A) is a diagram showing a relationship between an operator in a low posture and a detection area of the sensor unit facing the front angle, and (B) is detected by the sensor unit by rotating the operator in a low posture in the X direction. The figure which shows a mode, (C) is a figure which shows a mode that the operator of a low attitude | position detects a height by a sensor part by rotation to a Y direction.

  Hereinafter, an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing the structure of an image forming apparatus as an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  An image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions such as a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 11 that includes an operation unit 47, an image forming unit 12, a fixing unit 13, a paper feeding unit 14, a document feeding unit 6, a document reading unit 5, and the like.

  The operation unit 47 receives instructions such as an image forming operation execution instruction and a document reading operation execution instruction from the operator regarding various operations and processes that can be executed by the image forming apparatus 1. The operation unit 47 includes a display unit 473 formed of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and various key units 475 that receive input of operation instructions from the operator.

  A drive unit 80 including a rotation shaft 476, a rotation support unit 477, and a main body side support unit 478 is attached to the operation unit 47, and the operation unit 47 can rotate in the X direction and the Y direction shown in FIG. Has been.

  When the image forming apparatus 1 performs a document reading operation, the document reading unit 5 optically reads a document fed by the document feeding unit 6 or a document placed on the document placing glass 161, Generate image data. Image data generated by the document reading unit 5 is stored in a built-in HDD or a network-connected computer.

  When the image forming apparatus 1 performs an image forming operation, it is based on image data generated by the document reading operation, image data received from a computer connected to a network, image data stored in a built-in HDD, or the like. Then, the image forming unit 12 forms a toner image on the recording paper P as a recording medium fed from the paper feeding unit 14. When performing color printing, the magenta image forming unit 12M, the cyan image forming unit 12C, the yellow image forming unit 12Y, and the black image forming unit 12Bk of the image forming unit 12 respectively A toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 121 by charging, exposure, and development processes based on an image composed of each color component constituting data, and the toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 125 by the primary transfer roller 126. Let them transcribe.

  The toner images of the respective colors transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 125 are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 125 with the transfer timing adjusted to form a color toner image. The secondary transfer roller 210 passes the toner image of the color formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 125 from the paper supply unit 14 through the conveyance path 190 at a nip N between the intermediate transfer belt 125 and the driving roller 125a. It is transferred to the recording paper P that has been conveyed. Thereafter, the fixing unit 13 fixes the toner image on the recording paper P to the recording paper P by thermocompression bonding. The recording paper P on which the color image has been formed after completion of the fixing process is discharged to a discharge tray 151.

  In the case of performing double-sided printing in the image forming apparatus 1, the recording paper P having an image formed on one side by the image forming unit 12 is nipped by the discharge roller pair 159, and then the recording paper P is switched back by the discharge roller pair 159 and sent to the reverse conveyance path 195, and the conveyance roller pair 19 conveys the recording paper P again upstream in the conveyance direction of the recording paper P with respect to the nip portion N and the fixing unit 13. As a result, an image is formed on the other surface of the recording paper by the image forming unit 12.

  A pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 for detecting an object (human body) approaching the image forming apparatus 1 at an appropriate location on the front surface of the image forming apparatus 1, preferably at the center of the left and right sides of the front surface of the image forming apparatus 1. The sensor unit 50 having the above is installed. The image forming apparatus 1 has a swing mechanism 60 (see FIGS. 2 and 2) that performs a swing operation that sequentially rotates the sensor unit 50 in a predetermined first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. 4). Although the mounting position of the sensor unit 50 can be changed as appropriate, in the present embodiment, a case where the sensor unit 50 is mounted on the front side surface of the image forming apparatus 1 at a height of about 70 cm will be described as an example.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing main parts of the sensor unit 50 and the swing mechanism 60. The sensor unit 50 includes a pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 and a lens 502.

  The pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 includes a pyroelectric element having an electrode on a substrate surface having a pyroelectric effect, and uses this pyroelectric element to detect an object (a person or an object) in a predetermined detection area. Do. The pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 includes a pyroelectric element having a pyroelectric substrate made of a ferroelectric or the like and electrodes provided to face both sides of the pyroelectric substrate, and is generated by the action of a human body. Infrared light is condensed on the light receiving part of the pyroelectric element, a signal due to polarization of the pyroelectric element generated according to the change of the infrared light is converted into a voltage signal, and the voltage signal that has undergone predetermined processing is compared with a threshold value by a comparator. When the level is high or low, a signal indicating the high level or low level is output as an object detected.

  The number of pyroelectric elements included in the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 is not particularly limited, but the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 preferably includes a plurality of pyroelectric elements. In the present embodiment, the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 includes the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501. A case where a dual element in which two pyroelectric elements 501a and 501b are arranged side by side will be described as an example. The pyroelectric elements 501a and 501b are arranged in the horizontal direction, and the light receiving areas of the pyroelectric elements 501a and 501b are different in the horizontal direction. It is assumed that the sensor unit 50 detects the object when the object is detected by any of the pyroelectric elements 501a and 501b. The light receiving surface electrode or the counter surface electrode of each pyroelectric element 501a, 501b is connected in series so that the electric charge generated by the temperature change of the pyroelectric substrate has a reverse polarity, compared to the case where only one pyroelectric element is used. The detection accuracy of the object is improved.

  The lens 502 is, for example, a Fresnel lens, and widens the viewing angle of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 and condenses infrared rays generated in each predetermined range of the detection area, thereby the above-described pyroelectric infrared sensor 501. Each pyroelectric element is irradiated. In particular, the horizontal viewing angle is such that each pyroelectric element 501a, 501b is in the horizontal direction with respect to the sensor surface 510 of the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 so that a human body approaching the image forming apparatus 1 can be detected from the left and right. It is set to 110 degrees as a whole by 55 degrees.

  Further, a swing mechanism 60 is attached to the sensor unit 50. The head swing mechanism 60 performs a head swing operation for sequentially rotating the sensor unit 50 in a predetermined first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The predetermined first direction is a horizontal direction which is the X direction in the posture shown in FIG. 2, and the second direction is a vertical direction which is the Y direction. The head swing mechanism 60 can detect the presence of the operator by the sensor unit 50 even when the object of the sensor unit 50 is stationary at the front position of the image forming apparatus 1 that is within the detection area by the sensor unit 50. Therefore, the pyroelectric infrared sensor is turned in the X direction. Further, the swing mechanism 60 turns the sensor unit 50 in the Y direction so that the height of the operator who is the object of the sensor unit 50 can be detected.

  The head swing mechanism 60 includes a first shaft support portion 601 and a second shaft support portion 602. The first shaft support 601 supports the sensor unit 50 so as to be rotatable in the X direction. A rotation shaft (not shown) extending in the direction of the first shaft support portion 601 is attached to the lower portion of the sensor unit 50, and the rotation shaft is incorporated in the first shaft support portion 601. A stepping motor (not shown) is provided in the first shaft support portion 601. The rotation shaft is rotated by the rotational driving force supplied from the stepping motor, and the sensor unit 50 rotates with the rotation shaft in the X direction.

  Further, the second shaft support portion 602 supports the first shaft support portion 601 so as to be rotatable in the Y direction. A rotation shaft (not shown) extending toward the second shaft support portion 602 is attached to a side portion of the first shaft support portion 601, and the rotation shaft is incorporated in the second shaft support portion 602. A stepping motor (not shown) is provided in the second shaft support portion 602. The rotation shaft is rotated by the rotational driving force supplied from the stepping motor, and the first shaft support portion 601 rotates with the rotation shaft in the Y direction. The second shaft support portion 602 is fixed to the apparatus main body 11.

  The control unit 100 (FIG. 4) drives and controls the rotation of these stepping motors, and controls the rotation operation and the rotation angle of the sensor unit 50 and the first shaft support unit 601. By the rotation control of the sensor unit 50 and the first shaft support unit 601 by the control unit 100, the rotation (swinging motion) of the sensor unit 50 in the X direction and the Y direction is controlled.

  The first shaft support portion 601, the second shaft support portion 602, and each stepping motor as a drive source thereof are examples of the swing mechanism in the claims.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the main part of the operation unit 47 and the drive unit 80 that drives the operation unit 47.

  As described above, the driving unit 80 including the rotation shaft 476, the rotation support unit 477, and the main body side support unit 478 is attached to the operation unit 47.

  The rotating shaft 476 is attached to the lower part of the display unit 473 so as to be rotated with the display unit 473. The rotation shaft 476 supports the display unit 473 and is rotatably supported by the rotation support unit 477. The rotation shaft 476 is, for example, a rotational driving force supplied from a stepping motor (not shown) provided in the rotation support portion 477, and becomes a predetermined first direction, which is a horizontal direction in the posture shown in FIG. Rotate in the direction. The control unit 100 (FIG. 4) controls the rotation operation and the rotation angle in the X direction of the display unit 473 and various key units 475 accompanying the rotation of the rotation shaft 476 by controlling the rotation amount of the stepping motor. .

  The main body side support portion 478 rotatably supports the rotation support portion 477. The main body side support portion 478 is fixed to the apparatus main body 11. The rotation support portion 477 has a rotation shaft (not shown) extending in the X direction in FIG. 3 on the side surface facing the main body side support portion 478. The rotation shaft enters the main body side support portion 478, and the main body side support is supported. The shaft is rotatably supported by the portion 478. For example, a stepping motor (not shown) provided in the main body side support portion 478 supplies a rotation driving force to the rotation shaft, and the rotation support portion 477 is moved in a second direction (vertical direction) perpendicular to the first direction. In FIG. 3, it rotates in the Y direction. By the rotation amount control of the stepping motor by the control unit 100 (FIG. 4), the rotation operation and the rotation angle in the Y direction of the rotation support unit 477, the rotation shaft 476, and the operation unit 47 accompanying the rotation of the rotation shaft are controlled. The

  The rotation shaft 476, the rotation support portion 477, the main body side support portion 478, and a stepping motor as a drive source thereof are examples of the drive portion in the claims.

  Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the main internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 1.

  The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10. The control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM, a ROM, a dedicated hardware circuit, and the like, and controls overall operation of the image forming apparatus 1.

  The document reading unit 5 includes the reading mechanism 163 having a light irradiation unit, a CCD sensor, and the like under the control of the control unit 10. The document reading unit 5 reads an image from the document by irradiating the document with the light irradiating unit and receiving the reflected light with a CCD sensor.

  The image processing unit 31 performs image processing on the image data of the image read by the document reading unit 5 as necessary. For example, the image processing unit 31 performs predetermined image processing such as shading correction in order to improve the quality after the image read by the document reading unit 5 is formed by the image forming unit 12.

  The image memory 32 is an area for temporarily storing document image data obtained by reading by the document reading unit 5 and temporarily storing data to be printed by the image forming unit 12.

  The image forming unit 12 forms an image such as print data read by the document reading unit 5 and print data received from the computer 200 connected to the network.

  The operation unit 47 receives instructions from the operator regarding various operations and processes that can be executed by the image forming apparatus 1. The operation unit 47 includes a display unit 473.

  The drive unit 80 is a mechanism that rotationally drives the operation unit 47 as described above.

  The facsimile communication unit 71 includes an unillustrated encoding / decoding unit, modulation / demodulation unit, and NCU (Network Control Unit), and performs facsimile transmission using a public telephone network.

  The network interface unit 91 includes a communication module such as a LAN board, and transmits / receives various data to / from the computer 200 in the local area via a LAN connected to the network interface unit 91.

  The HDD 92 is a large-capacity storage device that stores document images and the like read by the document reading unit 5.

  The sensor unit 50 includes a pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 that detects the presence of an object based on a change in infrared rays, and notifies the swing control unit 100 of detection and non-detection of the object.

  The head swing mechanism 60 swings the sensor unit 50 up and down under the control of the control unit 100.

  The driving motor 70 is a driving source that applies a rotational driving force to each rotating member of the image forming unit 12, the conveyance roller pair 19, and the like.

  The control unit 10 includes a control unit 100 and a detection position acquisition unit 101.

  The control unit 100 includes a document reading unit 5, a document feeding unit 6, an image processing unit 31, an image memory 32, an image forming unit 12, an operation unit 47, a facsimile communication unit 71, a network interface unit 91, and an HDD (hard disk drive) 92. The sensor unit 50, the swing mechanism 60, the drive unit 80, and the like are connected to perform drive control of these units.

  The detection position acquisition unit 101 includes an object detection position in the X direction where the object is detected by the sensor unit 50 when the control unit 100 rotates the swing mechanism 60 in the X direction and the Y direction. The object height position in the Y direction is acquired from the swing angle when the sensor unit 50 detects the object. The detection position acquisition unit 101 determines the swing angle of the sensor unit 50 based on, for example, a detection signal from the sensor unit 50 during the swing operation and drive control information by the control unit 100 for the swing mechanism 60 (for example, the swing mechanism described above). It is obtained by measuring based on the number of driving pulses of each stepping motor of 60).

Next, processing for acquiring a detection position of an object in the X direction by the detection position acquisition unit 101 will be described. FIG. 5A illustrates a case where the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 located in front of the apparatus in a state where the sensor unit 50 is in a rotation center position (default position) facing the front front of the image forming apparatus 1. The state of is shown. In the initial operation, the control unit 100 causes the sensor unit 50 to be in the rotation center position in the X direction, facing the front front of the image forming apparatus 1, and in the Y direction, the front angle θ. It is set to face _d (for example, an angle of 90 ° in the vertical direction with respect to the front side portion of the image forming apparatus 1).

  As described above, in the case of the dual-type pyroelectric infrared sensor 501, the sensor unit 50 has two detection areas (a first detection area 511 and a second detection area 512). As shown in FIG. 5A, the first detection area 511 and the second detection area 512 are on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, for example, from the state where the sensor unit 50 is at the rotation center position. Is set to an area of 55 degrees and a total of 110 degrees. When the object 20 emitting infrared rays enters either the first detection area 511 or the second detection area 512, the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20.

  FIG. 5B shows a state when the sensor unit 50 is rotated leftward in FIG. 5B from the rotation center position to the limit angle at which the object 20 can be detected. When detecting the X direction position where the object 20 exists, the control unit 100 drives the swing mechanism 60 to move the sensor unit 50 from the rotation center position to the X direction, It is assumed that the sensor unit 50 can be rotated with respect to the detection limit angle with respect to the target object 20 when detecting the target object 20 positioned in front of the image forming apparatus 1 in the other side direction. (In this embodiment, the predetermined angle is set to 60 °).

  When the sensor unit 50 performs the rotation operation in a state where the object 20 is present in the detection area, the sensor unit 50 is rotated in either the one side direction or the other side direction. The object 20 reaches a position outside the detection area, and the sensor unit 50 is in a state where the object 20 is not detected.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the sensor unit 50 is rotated to the left (in the direction of arrow A in FIGS. 5A and 5B) from the state of FIG. After the state detected by 50 continues, the object 20 reaches a position outside the detection area, and the sensor unit 50 does not detect the object 20. When the control unit 100 drives the swing mechanism 60 to rotate the sensor unit 50 in the direction from the rotation center position, the detection position acquisition unit 101 is in a state where the sensor unit 50 is detecting the object 20. The number of drive pulses of the stepping motor of the swing mechanism 60 by the control unit 100 from the rotation center position is counted, and when the sensor unit 50 no longer detects the object 20, the number of drive pulses up to this point (for example, The number of drive pulses up to the final point where the object 20 has been detected by the sensor unit 50 and the rotation direction (hereinafter the same) are stored as limit angle information.

  That is, the number of driving pulses and the rotation direction stored by the detection position acquisition unit 101 are the angles from the rotation center position to the center of the detection area of the sensor unit 50 after the rotation, as shown in FIG. A rotation angle θL as a detection limit angle of the sensor unit 50 is indicated, and is object detection position information indicating the position of the object 20.

  In addition, when the control unit 100 is rotating the sensor unit 50 in the arrow B direction shown in FIG. 5A by the swing mechanism 60, the sensor unit 50 is in a state where it does not detect the object 20. In this case, the detection position acquisition unit 101 may similarly store the number of drive pulses up to this point as limit angle information.

  Next, a process for detecting the position of the object 20 at a position close to one side from the front of the image forming apparatus 1 by the sensor unit 50 will be described. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 located at a position near the right side from the front in FIG. 6A in front of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 located at a position near the left side from the front in FIG. 6B in front of the image forming apparatus 1.

  Even when the object 20 is located on the right or left side from the front of the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit 100 controls the object 20 within the detection area of the sensor unit 50. When the swing mechanism 60 is driven to rotate the sensor unit 50 in the X direction from the rotation center position in the one side direction and the other side direction, as shown in FIGS. When the sensor unit 50 is rotated in either the one side direction or the other side direction, the sensor unit 50 switches from a state in which the sensor unit 50 has detected the object 20 to a non-detection state. The detection position acquisition unit 101 stores the number of drive pulses up to this point as limit angle information as described above when the sensor unit 50 no longer detects the object 20.

  Next, the relationship between the angle of the sensor unit 50 in the Y direction and the height of the operator as the object 20 will be described. The case where the detectable distance by the sensor unit 50 in the front direction of the image forming apparatus 1 is 1 m will be described as an example.

  Then, the detection process of the X direction position and the Y direction height position of the target object as the target object 20 is demonstrated. FIG. 7A shows a state where the object 20 is in the detection area of the sensor unit 50 and the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20. The vertical direction in FIG. 7A is the Y direction (vertical direction). The conditions such as the viewing angle and the detectable region of the sensor unit 50 are the same as those described above.

When the control unit 100 detects the X-direction position and the Y-direction height of the object, first, the swing mechanism 60 rotates the orientation of the sensor unit 50 in the Y direction to the position of the front angle θ _d described above. .

  Subsequently, the control unit 100 drives the swing mechanism 60 to cause the sensor unit 50 to rotate in the X direction from the rotation center position to the one side direction and the other side direction. At this time, when the X direction angle of the sensor unit 50 reaches the detection limit angle described above, the detection position acquisition unit 101 acquires limit angle information as information indicating the X direction position of the object 20.

Then, the control unit 100, in the X-direction position, the swing mechanism 60, the X-direction orientation of the sensor unit 50 is rotated, a predetermined upper limit angle from the front angle theta _d in the Y direction, for example, toward an angle of 65 ° from the front angle theta _d in the Y direction to start the rotation of the sensor unit 50. In this state, it is assumed that the object 20 is in a state located within the detection area of the sensor unit 50.

Thus, when the control unit 100 drives the swing mechanism 60 to rotate the sensor unit 50 from the front angle θ _d to the upper limit angle, the detection position acquisition unit 101 detects the object 20 by the sensor unit 50. During this time, the number of driving pulses of the stepping motor of the swing mechanism 60 by the control unit 100 from the front angle θ _d position is counted, and as shown in FIG. At the time when the object 20 is no longer detected, the number of drive pulses up to this point (for example, the number of drive pulses up to the final point where the object 20 has been detected by the sensor unit 50 and the rotation direction. The same applies hereinafter). When the object 20 is an operator, it is stored as angle information indicating the height of the operator.

  In this way, the detection position acquisition unit 101 acquires the position of the object 20 in the X direction and the height position in the Y direction (or height if the object is an operator).

  As described above, the correspondence between the combination of the position of the object 20 in the X direction and the height position (height) in the Y direction and the driving amount of the driving unit 80 associated with the combination is not shown as a table. Alternatively, it is stored in the HDD 92 or the like. That is, the angle of the operation unit 47 that can be appropriately recognized by the operator as the object 20 having the height indicated by the height position in the Y direction, which is present at the detected X direction position. The driving amount is stored in the memory or the HDD 92 for each height position (height) in the X direction and the Y direction of the object 20.

  When the detection position acquisition unit 101 acquires the position of the object 20 in the X direction and the height position (height) in the Y direction, the control unit 100 acquires the position of the object 20 in the X direction and the height position in the Y direction. The driving amount of the driving unit 80 associated with (height) is read from the memory or the HDD 92, and the driving unit 80 is driven by the driving amount.

  In this way, the control unit 100 drives the drive unit 80 with a drive amount according to the detected position in the X direction and the height position (height) in the Y direction of the object 20, and changes the direction of the operation unit 47. The state is changed to a state that is easy for the operator to visually recognize.

  Next, an object position detection process for detecting the position and height of the operator by the image forming apparatus 1 and a drive process for the operation unit 47 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the position and height of the operator and the driving process of the operation unit in the image forming apparatus 1.

In the initial state, the sensor unit 50 is controlled by the control unit 100 to be directed to the rotation center position in the X direction by the swing mechanism 60, and in the Y direction, the front angle θ _d (for example, the image forming apparatus 1). (An angle of 90 ° in the vertical direction with respect to the front side portion). When the object 20 enters the detection area of the sensor unit 50 in this state, the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 as approaching (YES in S1).

  When the object 20 is detected by the sensor unit 50, the control unit 100 starts measuring a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) by a built-in timer (S2).

  Here, the control unit 100 monitors whether or not the state in which the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 continues until the timer counts the predetermined time (NO in S3). , S4).

  If the state in which the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 continues until the timer counts the predetermined time (NO in S4, YES in S3), the control unit 100 It determines with the thing 20 being an operator (S8).

On the other hand, before the timer counts the elapse of a predetermined time (NO in S3), if the sensor unit 50 enters a state in which the object 20 is not detected (YES in S4), the control unit 100 The object position detection process is started. That is, the control unit 100 causes the sensor unit 50 located at the front angle θ _d in the Y direction to rotate in the horizontal direction (X direction) by the swing mechanism 60, and the X-direction position of the object 20 described above. Rotation is performed to detect (S5).

  That is, the control unit 100 rotates the sensor unit 50 in the horizontal direction (X direction) by the swing mechanism 60 when the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 and then does not detect it. For this reason, even if the operator once detected by the sensor unit 50 is in a non-detection state because the operator 20 as a target object is stationary within the detection region by the sensor unit 50, the operator is It moves relative to the part 50. For this reason, it is possible to move the first detection area 511 and the second detection area 512 of the sensor unit 50 by a stationary operator as viewed from the sensor unit 50. Thereby, even if the operator is in a stationary state in the detection area, the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 changes the infrared rays from the operator acquired in the detection area, and based on the amount of change in the infrared rays. The sensor unit 50 accurately detects the presence / absence of the operator. Therefore, the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 can detect a stationary human body more accurately than in the past.

When the sensor unit 50 detects the object 20 during rotation in the Y-direction position that is the front angle θ _d (YES in S6), the control unit 100 detects that the object 20 is not detected by the sensor unit 50. At the time, limit angle information indicating the detection limit angle and angle information indicating the position of the sensor unit 50 in the Y direction are acquired (S7). At this time, the control unit 100 determines that the object 20 is an operator (S8). When the control unit 100 can selectively set the normal operation mode in which the image forming apparatus 1 is normally operable or the sleep mode in which the image forming apparatus 1 is in the power saving state, the control unit 100 can perform the target object in this way. When it is determined that 20 is an operator, the image forming apparatus 1 that has been in the sleep mode until then is set in the normal operation mode.

On the other hand, when the sensor unit 50 does not detect the object 20 due to the rotation of the sensor unit 50 in the X direction at the Y-direction position having the front angle θ _d (NO in S6), the control unit 100 swings. The mechanism 60 rotates the sensor unit 50 downward in the Y direction by a predetermined angle (S9).

  Here, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the movement in the Y direction has reached a predetermined lower limit angle (S10). If the lower limit angle has not been reached (NO in S10), the process is as follows. Returning to S5, it is determined whether or not the object 20 is detected by the sensor unit 50 rotated in the X direction by the swing mechanism 60 at the position in the Y direction after the movement (S5, S6).

For example, the control unit 100, if not detected an object 20 in the rotation of the sensor unit 50 in the X-direction in a front angle theta _d in the Y direction position as the initial position, Y from the front angle theta _d positions In the direction, the position of the detection region of the sensor unit 50 is changed to a position of 15 ° as the predetermined angle, and the sensor unit 50 is rotated in the X direction at the Y direction position. In the present embodiment, since the mounting position of the sensor unit 50, and the position of height 70cm, sensor portion 50 has a front angular theta _d position, in the Y direction, in the Y direction in the front and rear height 70cm The object is detected only in the detection area.

  For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 (A), when an operator as the object 20 is squatting and operating the paper feed cassette of the paper feed unit 14 installed at the lower part of the apparatus main body 11. When the operator is working at a position below the detection area of the sensor unit 50, the sensor unit 50 does not perform the operation even though the operator is located in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus 1. Does not detect the person. Therefore, under the control of the control unit 100, the position of the detection region of the sensor unit 50 is changed downward in the Y direction by the swing mechanism 60 by the predetermined angle, as shown in FIG. 9B. Thus, the operator can be detected as the object 20 existing below the height of about 70 cm. When the angle change is repeated, the angle change is performed up to a predetermined lower limit angle (for example, 45 ° with respect to the side surface portion on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1).

  When the control unit 100 determines that the movement in the Y direction in S9 has reached the lower limit angle (YES in S10), the control unit 100 determines that the object is a passing person (S11). Thereafter, the process ends. If the image forming apparatus 1 is in the sleep mode at this time, the control unit 100 maintains the sleep mode.

  On the other hand, after the detection position in the X direction of the target object is acquired by the detection position acquisition unit 101 in S7 and it is determined in S8 that the target object 20 is an operator, the control unit 100 drives the swing mechanism 60. Then, at this position in the X direction, the sensor unit 50 is rotated in the vertical direction (Y direction) by the swing mechanism 60 (S12). For example, the control unit 100 rotates the sensor unit 50 in the X direction by the swing mechanism 60 so that the center of the detection area of the sensor unit 50 coincides with the X direction position. The sensor unit 50 is rotated in the Y direction toward the upper limit angle.

  When the sensor unit 50 is rotated in the vertical direction (Y direction) in this way, when the sensor unit 50 is rotated to some extent, the detection range is the target as shown in FIGS. 7B and 9C. The object 20 is not detected past the top of (YES in S13). The detection position acquisition unit 101 stores the swing angle θ of the sensor unit 50 at the time of non-detection as the angle information described above (S14). Moreover, the control part 100 stops rotation of the sensor part 50 by the swing mechanism 60, when it becomes the said non-detection (S15).

  The swing angle θ indicates the height of the object 20, that is, the height of the operator as the object 20. Here, the height is the height position of the uppermost portion in the upright posture and the squatting posture (the posture is lowered).

The detection position acquisition unit 101 determines the swing angle θ as an angle from the front angle θ _d in the Y direction. For example, the stepping motor (swing mechanism 60 first axis by the control unit 100 from the front angle θ _{d is used.} This is indicated by drive control information of a stepping motor that is a drive source for rotating the support 601.

  The control unit 100 is associated with a combination of the position in the X direction of the object 20 acquired in S7 by the detection position acquisition unit 101 and the height position of the object 20 in the Y direction acquired in S14. The drive amount of the drive unit 80 that rotates the operation unit 47 (that is, the direction of the operation unit 47 stored in association with the combination) is determined from a memory (not shown) or a table stored in the HDD 92 or the like. Reading (S16), the control unit 100 drives the drive unit 80 with the read driving amount (S17).

  This drive amount is determined by the drive amount (number of drive pulses and rotation direction) of the stepping motor in the rotation support unit 477 that supplies the rotation shaft 476 of the operation unit 47 in the drive unit 80 and the rotation support unit 477. This includes the amount of drive (number of drive pulses and rotation direction) of the stepping motor in the main body side support portion 478 that supplies the drive force. The control unit 100 causes the drive unit 80 to rotate the operation unit 47 in the X direction and the Y direction according to these drive amounts. As a result, the orientation of the operation unit 47 has a height detected by the sensor unit 50 and is in a posture that is easy for an operator present at the detected position in the X direction to visually recognize.

  In the present embodiment, the object 20 in the direction obtained at the time of rotation using the rotation of the sensor unit 50 in the horizontal direction (X direction) based on the drive control of the swing mechanism 60 of the control unit 100. And the orientation of the operation unit 47 by the drive unit 80 at a position indicated by the height position (height of the operator) of the object 20 detected by the sensor unit 50 in the vertical direction (Y direction). Since the change is made, the operator at the detected position can easily recognize the operation unit 47. For this reason, according to the position where the operator of the image forming apparatus 1 exists, it becomes possible to provide the operator with an optimal operating environment for the image forming apparatus 1.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the pyroelectric infrared sensor 501 provided in the image forming apparatus 1 detects a stationary human body more accurately than in the past, and an optimum operating environment toward the detected human body. Can be provided.

  Further, the control unit 100 detects the object 20 by rotating the sensor unit 50 in the horizontal direction (X direction) and the vertical direction (Y direction) as described above, so that the vicinity of the front of the image forming apparatus 1 is detected. It is possible to detect exhaustively and accurately detect the presence of the object 20 and the height position in the vertical direction.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has been described using a multifunction peripheral. However, this is only an example, and other image forming apparatuses such as a printer, a copier, A facsimile machine or the like may be used. In the above, the image forming apparatus is shown as an embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the image forming apparatus, and may be another electronic device.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the structure and process shown using FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 9 are only one Embodiment of this invention, and are not the meaning which limits this invention to the said structure and process.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 10 Control unit 100 Control part 101 Detection position acquisition part 12 Image formation part 20 Object (operator)
47 Operation unit 80 Drive unit 476 Rotating shaft 477 Rotation support unit 478 Main body side support unit 50 Sensor unit 501 Pyroelectric infrared sensor 502 Lens 511, 512 Detection region 60 Swing mechanism 601 First shaft support unit 602 Second shaft support unit

Claims (5)

An operation unit operated by an operator;
A sensor unit having a pyroelectric infrared sensor for detecting the presence of an object based on a change in infrared rays;
A swing mechanism for sequentially rotating the sensor unit in a predetermined first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction;
A drive unit for rotating the operation unit in the first and second directions;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the swing mechanism and the drive unit;
An object detection position at which the object is detected by the sensor unit in the first direction when the control unit rotates the swing mechanism in the first and second directions; A detection position acquisition unit that acquires the object height position detected by the sensor unit in a second direction;
The said control part is an electronic device which makes the said drive part rotate the said operation part toward the direction which the said target object detection position acquired by the said detection position acquisition part and the said target object height position show.   When the control unit is further undetected after the object is once detected by the sensor unit at a predetermined initial position, the control unit moves the swing mechanism in the first and second directions. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein rotation of the sensor unit is started.   When the sensor unit rotates the sensor unit in the first and second directions by the swing mechanism, the control unit rotates first in the first direction and acquires the detection position in the first direction. The sensor unit is rotated in the second direction by the swing mechanism at the object detection position acquired from the sensor unit, and the detection position acquisition unit is moved from the sensor unit in the second rotation direction. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is rotated by the drive unit toward a direction indicated by the acquired object height position.   When the detection position acquisition unit does not acquire the object detection position from the sensor unit in the first direction in which the sensor unit is rotated first, the control unit causes the second mechanism to move the second detection unit. 4. The sensor unit according to claim 3, wherein the sensor unit is moved by a predetermined rotation amount in a direction, and the sensor unit is moved in the first direction by the swing mechanism at a second direction position after the movement. Electronics. An electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that fixes an image on a recording medium on which an image is formed by the image forming unit.