JP2543876B2 - Information addition unit for copier - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information adding unit for a copying machine, and more particularly to a copying machine for displaying information to be added to a document on a document table and copying the document together with the document. Information addition unit.

(Prior Art) Recently, the diversification and sophistication of copy information has been remarkable, and various demands have been made on copy machines. In order to meet these demands, an information adding unit for a copying machine has been developed in which a predetermined display portion is provided in a part of the document table or in a specific area around the document table and information is added to the document.

However, in such a conventional copying machine information adding unit, the mounting position thereof is fixed to the platen in a specific relationship, so that the position where information can be added to the document is limited. In some cases, it may not be possible to add information to the position desired by the operator.
In such a case, even if the copying machine is provided with a function for adding information, it cannot be added at a desired position, so that there is a problem that additional information must be handwritten after copying.

Also, if the information addition unit does not have a function to display the date and time, information is added using the clock function of a wrist watch or calculator, so it is possible to place the wrist watch or calculator on the platen of the copying machine and copy it with the original. Is. However, since wristwatches and calculators were not originally created for such purposes, various problems occur. For example, a wristwatch has a band and the edges of the display are rounded, which makes it difficult for the manuscript to lie on the platen, and it is difficult to determine the position, the surface is glossy, or it is colored.
Not only the date, but the wristwatch itself is imprinted on the copy. In the case of a calculator, a card-shaped one is a good fit on the platen, but otherwise has the same problem as a wristwatch. Further, if the original paper is thin, the amount of light that passes through is large, so even if the display of a switch other than the wristwatch or calculator or the date and time or the case is covered with the original, it will be shown through on the copy. Further, since the wristwatch and the calculator are placed upside down on the document table, the position of the display section cannot be directly seen, and it is difficult to accurately set the information addition position to the target position.

On the other hand, even if the information adding unit has a function of displaying the date and time, the change of the display is performed independently of the copying machine in the conventional device, so that it may happen that the unit rewrites the display by accident. When the timing at which the copying machine exposes and copies the additional information coincides, the transition process of display rewriting is copied on the transfer paper, making it impossible to read the additional information. This is rarely the case when adding a date, but there is a high probability of this occurring when adding a time, especially when adding a time up to the second unit. When using ECD as a display of additional information,
Due to this characteristic, when rewriting data, it is necessary to first erase the data before the change and then write new data. Moreover, since the response speed is slow, the above-mentioned problem is likely to occur due to the data rewriting timing.

Further, when adding pages and numbers, it is inconvenient because the page and number display of the unit must be manipulated each time the original is changed because a signal such as the number of copies cannot be received from the copying machine.

(Object of the invention) Therefore, the present invention provides a photodetector in the vicinity of the display surface,
By detecting the operation of the copier with the light that illuminates and automatically changing the display of additional data according to the operation of the copier, information can be added at any position to improve operability and display accuracy. It is an object.

(Structure of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the information adding unit for a copying machine according to the present invention has a display section for displaying additional information as a predetermined addition mode, and a plurality of photodetectors arranged close to the display section. A light detecting means consisting of, and an input means for designating by key input whether to perform continuous copying or single copying,
A control unit for controlling the display unit based on signals from the light detection unit and the input unit, wherein the display unit is placed on a document table and copied with the document to add information to the copy. The additional mode has page information, and the control unit detects light by the detector located downstream in the scanning direction across the display unit of the detector from the rise of the signal that the detector first detects light during exposure. It is determined that the lighting period is until the signal falls, and when continuous copying is specified by the input means, the time from the lighting period signal issued during the first exposure to the lighting period signal issued during the second exposure is calculated. When the lighting period signal is measured and the subsequent lighting period signal is not detected beyond the measured time, the value of the page is changed, and when the single copy is designated by the input means, It is characterized in that to change the numerical value of the per Chi down page.

Hereinafter, specific description will be given based on examples of the present invention.
1 to 11 are views showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an information adding unit, which is a surface 1a of an information adding unit (hereinafter, simply referred to as a unit) 1.
Is a display unit (display unit) 2 for displaying additional information such as date, time, page, number, a monitor display unit 3 for displaying information necessary for operating the unit, and switches for mode selection, time adjustment, etc. 4-9 are provided. As shown in the figure, the display unit 2 is composed of a 6-digit 7-segment numeric display unit and a display unit that displays a colon and a horizontal bar for every two digits. When displaying a date, the horizontal bar and time are displayed. When I show it, when I show the colon, the page, and the number, they both disappear and only the number is shown. As described above, in the information adding device of the copying machine, it is necessary for a person different from the person who has selected the copied one to see it after a certain period of time needs to be discriminated from one another. Has been changed. An electrochromic display (ECD) is used as the display element of the display 2. ECD reversibly changes color by electrochemical redox reaction,
It becomes blue when it develops color and white when it disappears. In addition, since the background plate of the display body is also a white alumina plate, the entire display portion becomes white when the color is erased. Therefore, since it is white like the paper forming the background of a general document, when the document is copied together with the document, information other than the color-developed portion of the display is white and information with good contrast can be added. 3 is a monitor display for mode selection, which is composed of an ECD, and the mode selection switch 4 changes the contents displayed on the display 2 in order of date, time, page, and number each time the switch is pressed. The selected mode is displayed on the monitor display 3.
Reference numeral 5 is a switch (input means) for setting whether to make one copy or two or more copies from one original in a copying machine when adding information. The selected result is displayed on the monitor display unit 3. To be done. Reference numeral 6 is a selection switch that allows the user to select whether to increase or decrease the numerical value by pressing this switch when changing the numeral by pressing the switch 8 when changing the date, adjusting the time, or setting the page or number. The selected one is displayed on the monitor display 3. This function is provided to reduce the number of pages to be added one by one because when a page is added to a copy by displaying a number, some copying machines copy the document from the back page to change the page order in the discharge section. .
The switch 9 is a switch for reversing the display of the date, time, page, and number upside down. The “up” or “down” selected by the switch 9 is the monitor display unit 3.
Is displayed, and the direction in which the date and the like is displayed is confirmed by the "up" and "down". When adding information to the manuscript table of a copier, the unit is turned over and the "upper" or "lower" display disappears, but this display serves as guidance when selecting functions. . By the way, the distinction between "upper" and "lower" is that the indicator 2 for displaying additional information is arranged at a position deviated from the center of the unit, and when "up" is selected by the switch 9, it is displayed at the end of the unit of the indicator. It is decided that the closer one is "top". The "up" and "down" inversions referred to here are not the inversion of each digit of the numerical display of the display 2, but the entire display on the plane.
Indicates that the display content is changed so that it is rotated 0 °.
Therefore, the inverted form of the date, time, page and number added to the copy does not change. For example,
If the time is displayed in the order of hours: minutes: seconds, the order remains the same even if it is reversed.

An example in which more beautiful information can be added by using this inversion function will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 is a contact glass of a document table of a copying machine, 12 is a scale around it, 13 is a document, and 1 is a document adding unit. A document 13 to be copied is placed on the contact glass 11 with its back side up (the letter A is shown by a broken line to indicate the orientation of the document). Here, as shown in FIG. 3, when the display direction of the information adding unit 1 is the same as the original 13 and the position 14 to be added is on the lower side of the original 13, the information adding unit 1 is placed on the original guide scale 12. Will have to (4th
See figure). In this case, the unit is lifted up from the contact glass by the thickness of the scale, and a black shadow easily appears around the additional information. However, in such a case, if the reversing function is used, it becomes as shown in FIG. 3, and the gap between the information adding unit and the contact glass is only the thickness of the document, so that the generation of shadows is reduced (FIG. 5). reference). Of course, since the additional information is inverted, even if the unit is replaced, the same information is added to the copy. As described above, the purpose and effect of reversing the information adding device is different from the case where the information adding device is fixed to the copying machine as in the conventional example.

Returning to FIG. 1 again, the switch 7 has a function to enter a mode for changing the data to be displayed. By pressing this switch, the number on the display 2 is a two digit number separated by a colon or a horizontal bar. Each time a triangle mark is displayed. Each time the switch 7 is pressed, this triangular mark moves to the next two digits to the left, and when the mark is no longer displayed, this mode is exited, and the number of that digit can be changed by the switch 8 while the mark is displayed. it can. The switch 8 has a function of erasing all the display of the monitor display 3 when data input is not possible (that is, when the triangle mark disappears), and the value increases by 1 each time it is pressed, When the button is continuously pressed for about 3 seconds or more, the built-in control unit continuously increases the value by one. The upper limit of the number of each digit depends on the selected mode, 59 for minutes and seconds, and
23, 12 for the month, 31 for the day, and 0 or 1 after that, and then 1 more. Then, when the necessary data set for each digit is completed, the data of that digit is determined by moving the changed digit by the switch 7. The display of the monitor display 3 to which the switches 7 and 8 are related does not show the selected mode but its function, and each of the switches 4 to 9 has a white color that covers a portion other than the display portion of the unit. It consists of a flat type switch whose operating surface is covered by a seat. Therefore, in the state where all the displays on the monitor display 3 are erased, the entire surface is white except for the additional information as shown in FIG. If the surface of the switch is covered with the same white sheet as the surrounding area, it is difficult to know where the switch is, even if the display on the monitor display 3 and the switch correspond to each other. For the sake of clarity, for example, the switch portion of the white sheet may be yellow so that it can be easily discerned from the viewpoint of the spectral sensitivity of the photoconductor of the copying machine, but it may not be visible in the copy. It may be possible to press a specific switch to return from the state where all the displays on the monitor display 3 are turned off, but it is difficult because there is no display, so press one of the switches. I have to.

Further, reference numerals 15 to 18 denote photodetectors (photodetection means) arranged close to the corners of the display unit 2. The photodetectors 15 to 18 have their surfaces covered with the white sheet. Is configured to detect light transmitted through the. These photodetectors detect the light of a lamp for illuminating the original of the copying machine and generate a signal for controlling the additional information when the information is added to the original table of the copying machine. Output to the microcomputer (control unit) 25. Note that the intensity of light from the illumination lamp on the platen is much higher than the intensity of natural light or general indoor illumination. Therefore, by setting the light detection level appropriately, It can be made to detect only. In this way, by controlling the display of the information adding unit by detecting the operation of the copying machine with the photodetectors 15 to 18, while maintaining the feature that it can be placed at any position on the platen with an independent unit, It can realize advanced functions. Further, when the display of the display units 2 and 3 is turned off, this entire surface is white, so even if this surface is copied, it is the same as the background of the original and is not reflected. This brings about an effect that it is not necessary to worry about show-through when adding information to a thin and highly transparent document.

FIG. 7 is a view showing the back surface 1b of the information adding unit 1 shown in FIG. 1, 19 is a lid of a case for accommodating a battery for supplying a battery to a display section and a control section of the unit, and 20 is a document table. It is a display showing the position of the display device 2 when placed. In this embodiment, since the unit is driven by the battery housed here, it can be operated as a unit completely independent of the main body of the copying machine, and information can be added at any position on the platen. be able to. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the information adding unit 1 and shows the positional relationship between the display unit 2 and the display 20. As shown in FIG.
Is located on the front side and the back side, and for information addition, the display position for information addition is displayed by the display 20 when placed on the platen, so the position to add information can be set easily and accurately. . Further, FIGS. 9 and 10 are examples showing another position display, and FIG. 9 shows four lines 21-
24 is a perspective view showing that 24 is extended to the end of the unit and a line is extended to the side surface of the unit, so that misalignment due to parallax due to the thickness of the unit can be prevented. FIG. 10 shows another example of the position display, in which the cross section of the unit has a trapezoidal shape with the long side on the surface and is changed into a guideline, which is color-coded to make it easier to see. By making the shape of the trapezoid, it is possible to prevent the black streaks appearing in the copy by making the gap between the unit and the scale small when the edge of the document table is abutted against the scale.

In FIG. 11, the signals from the photodetectors 15 to 18 are output to the microcomputer 25, and the microcomputer 25 is further input with the signals from the input switches 4 to 9. The microcomputer 25 is powered by a battery 26, and with the oscillation frequency of the crystal oscillator 27 as a reference,
It operates as a clock and always maintains date and time data, and controls the displays 2 and 3 based on the input signals from the input switches 4 to 9 and the photodetectors 15 to 18.

Next, the operation will be described. First, how the display is controlled by the signal of the photodetector will be described.

Since the lamp for illuminating the original of the copying machine is rod-shaped and scans sequentially from the end of the original table, no matter where the information adding unit 1 is placed on the original table, at least one detector illuminates the additional information. It is illuminated earlier and at least one detector is illuminated until the illumination of the additional information is finished. The first illuminated detector is 15, and the last illuminated detector is 17. That is, no matter which detector is illuminated first, the detectors on its diagonal will be illuminated last. The state in which the additional information is copied is detected using this relationship. After the operation mode of the unit is set, a signal during exposure [A] from the rising edge of the signal that first detects light to the falling edge signal of the detector on the diagonal of the detector is used. Signal [A]
Is determined including the order in which the light from the two photodetectors strikes, so that the correct exposure signal can be obtained even when the original illumination lamp of the copying machine is turned on in both directions. Since the control content depends on the selected mode of the unit,
I will explain separately.

In the date / time addition mode, when the additional information is being copied, that is, during the period of the signal [A], even if the number to be displayed changes due to the passage of time, the display change is suspended and the signal [A] is suspended. After the end of, rewrite the data.

In the page addition mode, different control is performed for one copy and multiple copies depending on the set initial value and the page increase / decrease designation. When a single copy is designated by the switch 5, the in-exposure signal [A] is detected and the additional information is rewritten at each trailing edge. Switch 5
Therefore, when continuous copying is designated, the additional information is changed until the during-exposure signal [A] issued during the first exposure and the dew signal [A] during the second exposure are detected. First, the repetition period of the signal [A] is measured. When the next signal cannot be detected even after exceeding the measured cycle, the additional information display is changed, and the additional information display is not changed while the signal can be detected within the cycle. As described above, the originals are exchanged by taking advantage of the fact that it takes longer time to exchange the originals and enter the next copying cycle than the copying cycle for making a plurality of copies from one original. Has detected that.

The numbering mode is only for multiple copies, and one copy is the same as one copy in page mode. In this mode, the additional information display is changed at each falling edge of the in-exposure signal [A], the cycle of the signal [A] is measured, and the additional information display is set when the signal [A] cannot be detected within the cycle. Return to value.

In any of the above modes, the time display mode is automatically selected and the data such as page and number are cleared when the photodetector is not input for a predetermined time or longer. In addition,
In this embodiment, by using four photodetectors, the correct control can be performed even if the unit is placed at an angle with respect to the original scanning direction of the copying machine, but it is necessary to place it at an angle. For example, two detectors on the diagonal may be used.

Next, how to use this unit to add information will be described.

When the date and time are used as additional information, the unit automatically updates the date and time data using the built-in clock function, so select the date or time mode with the mode selection switch 4 and select the original information. A space on the platen is made by shifting the position of the document to a part corresponding to the area to be added, folding, or cutting out, and the display unit 2 of the unit is aligned with the space for copying. When adding a page to a copy using the page display function, the page addition mode is selected by the mode selection switch 4. If no old data remains, the rightmost number on display 2 is 0.
And the other digits are blank. Here, the data set switch 7 is pressed so that the triangular mark under the rightmost two-digit numerical display is displayed, and then the lower two digits of the numerical value of the page to be copied first are set. When the data set switch 7 is pressed after setting, the triangular mark at that digit disappears,
The upper two digits display 00 and a triangular mark is displayed below. When the above two digits are unnecessary, pressing the data set switch 7 again causes the upper two digits to display 00 and the triangular mark below. If you do not need this digit set,
When the data set switch 7 is further pressed, the triangular mark disappears and the upper digit 0 disappears. Further, the switch 5 sets whether one copy is made from one original or two or more copies are made. When the setting of these conditions is completed, the switch 8 is pressed to turn off the display of the monitor display unit 3, and in this state, the unit is placed on the document table and copying is performed. Each time the original is replaced, the page display automatically changes by one. In this mode, whether to increase or decrease the lowest order data by 1 depends on the selection of the selection switch 6.

When a number is added, selecting the number addition mode with the mode selection switch 4 automatically makes a copy of a plurality of sheets and the number is in the increase mode. The initial value of the number is 1, but it is possible to set another initial value as in the page mode. If the original is placed on the platen and copied together with the original, a different number is added for each copy, and if the original is changed, a different number is added for each copy from the initial value.

In this way, the photo detectors 15 arranged at the corners of the display 2
The copy operation of the copying machine is detected by 18, and the display of the information adding unit 1 is appropriately controlled based on this detection signal. Therefore, by automatically switching additional data such as pages and numbers according to the operation of the copier,
You can easily add information such as pages and numbers,
Moreover, since it is unitized, it is possible to add information to any position on the document.

It should be noted that the present embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a device having a detector that detects light through a white diffusion surface, but of course the invention is not limited to this, and a device having a photodetector as a fixed pattern is used. It goes without saying that it can also be applied to.

(Effect) According to the present invention, the photodetector is provided on the display surface, the operation of the copying machine is detected by the light illuminating, and the display of the additional data is automatically changed according to the operation of the copying machine. Information can be added to any position, and operability and display accuracy can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 11 are views showing an embodiment of an information adding unit for a copying machine according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of the information adding unit for a copying machine, and FIG. 2 is an information adding unit for the copying machine. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the relationship between the unit and the document table, FIG. 3 is another plan view showing the relationship between the copying machine information adding unit and the document table, and FIG. 4 is the copying machine information adding unit and the document table. And FIG. 5 is another sectional view showing the relationship between the copying machine information adding unit and the document table, FIG.
FIG. 7 is a front view for explaining the function of the copying machine information adding unit, FIG. 7 is a rear view of the copying machine information adding unit, and FIG. 8 is an overall perspective view of the copying machine information adding unit. FIG. 9 is an overall perspective view for explaining the display position of the information adding unit for the copying machine, and FIG. 10 is another overall perspective view for explaining the display position of the information adding unit for the copying machine, FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the information adding unit for the copying machine. 1 ... Information addition unit, 2 ... Display (display section), 5 ... Switch (input means), 13 ... Original, 15, 16, 17, 18 ... Photodetector (photodetector), 25 ...... Microcomputer (control unit).

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --- Continued from the front page (56) References JP-A-63-237074 (JP, A) JP-A-63-294581 (JP, A) JP-A-54-106224 (JP, A) JP-A-58- 118661 (JP, A) Actual opening Sho 63-191342 (JP, U) Actual opening Sho 58-152634 (JP, U) Actual opening Sho 63-78955 (JP, U) Actual opening Sho 61-38675 (JP, U) Actual Kohei 4-22350 (JP, Y2)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A display section for displaying additional information as a predetermined addition mode, and a photodetector means composed of a plurality of photodetectors arranged in the vicinity of the display section, and performing continuous copying or single copying. It is provided with an input means for specifying whether or not by key input and a control section for controlling the display section based on the signals of the light detection means and the input section. In the information adding unit for a copying machine to be added, the adding mode has page information, and the control section scans the display section of the detector from the rising edge of the signal first detected by the detector at the time of exposure. The detector located downstream determines that the light detection signal falls until the fall of the illumination period, and when continuous copying is specified by the input means, the illumination period signal emitted during the first exposure is The time until the illumination period signal emitted during eye exposure is measured, and when the subsequent illumination period signal is not detected beyond the measured time, the numerical value on the page is changed, and single copy is designated by the input means. The information adding unit for a copying machine, wherein the numerical value of the page is changed every time the illumination period signal falls. 2. The additional mode has a page increasing mode and a page decreasing mode for continuous copying and single copying, respectively, and either one can be selected, and the numerical value of the page is set every predetermined number based on the selection. The information adding unit for a copying machine according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is controlled by increasing or decreasing it.