JP5996515B2 - Operation panel device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation panel device and an image forming apparatus that detect that an operation panel has been operated and vibrate the operation panel.

  Conventionally, in an operation panel device, when an operation panel is operated by a user, the operation panel is vibrated to notify the user that an operation on the operation panel has been accepted.

  For example, a technique has been proposed in which piezoelectric elements are provided at the four corners of the operation panel, the pressing force applied to the operation panel is detected by the piezoelectric elements, and each piezoelectric element is driven according to the pressing force to vibrate the operation panel (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-212725

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the vibration of each piezoelectric element interferes on the operation panel, and the strength of the vibration may vary depending on where the operation panel is pressed. The vibration was weakened and the user could not recognize the vibration.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said subject, and it aims at providing the technique which can solve the said subject.

An operation panel device of the present invention is provided on an operation panel, and detects a change in pressing force applied to the operation panel, and a voltage difference between maximum values of detection voltages of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. And a control means for controlling the timing of vibrating each piezoelectric element in accordance with the voltage difference so that the vibrations of the plurality of piezoelectric elements are aligned at the place where the operation panel is pressed. It is characterized by that.
The control means may vibrate a plurality of piezoelectric elements in descending order of the voltage difference.
Further, when the maximum value of the detection voltage of any one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is set as a reference voltage, the control means is based on a voltage difference from the maximum value of the detection voltage of the plurality of piezoelectric elements with respect to the reference voltage. A time difference may be obtained and each piezoelectric element may be vibrated with the time difference.
Further, any one of the piezoelectric elements may be a piezoelectric element having a maximum value among maximum values of detection voltages of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.
The voltage difference may be normalized as a ratio with respect to a maximum value among maximum values of detection voltages of the plurality of piezoelectric elements.
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the operation panel device described above.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique which can eliminate the dispersion | variation in the intensity which an operation panel vibrates when an operation panel is pushed can be provided.

1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the structural example of the touchscreen apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the detection voltage by the piezoelectric element shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the control part shown in FIG.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
The image forming apparatus 100 on which the touch panel device 10 according to the present embodiment is mounted is a copying machine, and includes a document reading unit 120, a document feeding unit 130, and a recording unit 140, as shown in FIG. . The document reading unit 120 is disposed above the recording unit 140, and the document feeding unit 130 is disposed above the document reading unit 120. Although the image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment has been described with reference to a copying machine, it is needless to say that a scanner, a multifunction peripheral, and the like are included.

  On the front side of the image forming apparatus 100, an operation unit 4 for setting and operating instructions of the image forming apparatus 100 is disposed. The operation unit 4 is provided with a touch panel device 10 and operation buttons 50. Here, the touch panel device 10 using the touch panel 12 will be described as an example of the operation panel. However, the operation panel device is not limited to the touch panel, and may be an operation panel device having an operation panel that does not have a substantial pushing stroke. Good. 2 and 3, the touch panel device 10 is provided on a display unit 11 that displays various operation keys that accept operation inputs, and a display surface of the display unit 11, and is input by pressing an operator's fingertip, stylus, or the like. And a touch panel 12 that receives an operation on the operation key displayed on the display unit 11 by outputting a signal corresponding to the position where the input is detected. As the display unit 11, for example, a liquid crystal display panel can be used.

  2 and 3, the display unit 11 is housed and held in the housing 13, and the touch panel 12 is held on the display unit 11 via an elastic member 14. The housing 13 is provided with an upper cover 16 that covers the display unit 11 and the peripheral area of the touch panel 12, and an elastic member 15 is disposed between the upper cover 16 and the touch panel 12. Further, band-shaped piezoelectric elements 17 a to 17 f are respectively attached to the back surface of the touch panel 12 at a location covered with the upper cover 16 of the housing 13. The piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 function as vibration means for vibrating the touch panel 12. In the present embodiment, the touch panel 12 is not detected by the function of the touch panel 12 but is detected by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f provided on the touch panel 12.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the operation button 50 includes a numeric keypad for inputting a numerical value such as the number of prints, a reset key for inputting an instruction for initializing setting information, a numerical value input to stop the copying operation, and so on. Permanent operation keys such as a stop key for erasing data, a start key for inputting an output instruction for starting a printing operation, a function selection execution key for switching the function mode, and a function mode switched by the function selection execution key There are provided function-specific operation keys and the like displayed in accordance with the function.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the document reading unit 120 includes a scanner 121, a platen glass 122, and a document reading slit 123. The scanner 121 includes an exposure lamp, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor, and the like, and is configured to be movable in the transport direction of the document MS by the document feeding unit 130. The platen glass 122 is an original table made of a transparent member such as glass. The document reading slit 123 has a slit formed in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the document MS is conveyed by the document feeding unit 130.

  When reading the document MS placed on the platen glass 122, the scanner 121 is moved to a position facing the platen glass 122 and reads the document MS while scanning the document MS placed on the platen glass 122. Image data is acquired, and the acquired image data is output to the recording unit 140. When reading the document MS conveyed by the document feeding unit 130, the scanner 121 is moved to a position facing the document reading slit 123, and the document MS by the document feeding unit 130 is moved through the document reading slit 123. The document MS is read in synchronism with the conveying operation to acquire image data, and the acquired image data is output to the recording unit 140.

  The document feeding unit 130 includes a document placing unit 131, a document discharge unit 132, and a document transport mechanism 133. The documents MS placed on the document placement unit 131 are sequentially fed out one by one by the document conveyance mechanism 133 and conveyed to a position facing the document reading slit 123 of the document reading unit 120, and then the document discharge unit. It is discharged to 132. The document feeding unit 130 is configured to be retractable, and the upper surface of the platen glass 122 can be opened by lifting the document feeding unit 130 upward.

  The recording unit 140 includes an image forming unit 150, and includes a paper feeding unit 160, a conveyance path 170, a conveyance roller 181, a discharge roller 182, and a discharge tray 190.

  The paper feed unit 160 includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes 161a to 161d that store the recording paper P, and a paper feed roller 162 that feeds the recording paper P from the paper feed cassettes 161a to 161d one by one to the transport path 170. . The paper feed roller 162, the transport roller 181 and the discharge roller 182 function as a transport unit, and the recording paper P is transported. The recording paper P fed to the transport path 170 by the paper feed roller 162 is transported to the image forming unit 150 by the transport roller 181. The recording paper P on which recording has been performed by the image forming unit 150 is output to the outside by the discharge roller 182. The recording sheet P on which recording has been performed is guided to the discharge roller 182 and output to the discharge tray 190.

  The image forming unit 150 includes a photosensitive drum 151, a charging unit 152, an exposure unit 153, a developing unit 154, a transfer unit 155, a cleaning unit 156, and a fixing unit 157. The exposure unit 153 is an optical unit including a laser device, a mirror, and the like. The exposure unit 153 outputs laser light based on image data, exposes the photosensitive drum 151 charged by the exposure unit 153, and An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface. The developing unit 154 is a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 151 using toner, and forms a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 151. The transfer unit 155 transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 151 by the developing unit 154 to the recording paper P. The fixing unit 157 heats the recording paper P on which the toner image is transferred by the transfer unit 155 to fix the toner image on the recording paper P.

Next, a hardware configuration example of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
The touch panel device 10, the document reading unit 120, the document feeding unit 130, the image forming unit 150, and the transport unit (paper feed roller 162, transport roller 181, discharge roller 182) of the image forming apparatus 100 are connected to the control unit 1. The operation is controlled by the control unit 1. In addition, a storage unit 2 and an image processing unit 3 are connected to the control unit 1.

  The control unit 1 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer including a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The ROM stores a control program for performing operation control of the image forming apparatus 100. The control unit 1 reads the control program stored in the ROM and develops the control program in the RAM to control the entire apparatus according to predetermined instruction information input from the touch panel device 10.

  The storage unit 2 is a storage unit such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores image data acquired by reading a document by the document reading unit 120.

  The image processing unit 3 is a unit that performs predetermined image processing on the image data. For example, image improvement processing such as enlargement / reduction processing, density adjustment, and gradation adjustment is performed.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the touch panel device 10 is provided with a vibration driving unit 21 that drives the piezoelectric elements 17 a to 17 f. Based on the control of the control unit 1, the vibration drive unit 21 applies a voltage signal to the piezoelectric elements 17 a to 17 f to vibrate the touch panel 12.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating detected voltages by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f when the position K illustrated in FIG. 2 is pressed. The detected voltage is a voltage detected when the touch panel 12 is pressed and the pressing force is changed by the detecting piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f. In a state where the touch panel 12 is pressed, that is, in a state where the user presses the touch panel 12 and stops (a state before the finger is released from the touch panel 12 and the pressing force is not changed), the displacement amount (deflection) of the touch panel 12 Therefore, the detection voltage by the detection piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f is not output. Moreover, even if the displacement amount changes except when the touch panel 12 is pressed (for example, when a finger is released from the touch panel 12), the detection piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f are not detected.

  The amount of displacement when the touch panel 12 is pressed becomes maximum at the pressed position on the operation surface on the touch panel 12, and decreases as the distance from the pressed position increases. Therefore, the detection voltage increases as the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f closer to the pressed location on the touch panel 12, and the time for detecting that there is a displacement becomes longer. Here, the piezoelectric element 17a is disposed closest to the position K. Therefore, the detection voltage by the piezoelectric element 17a is the largest among the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f, and the time for detecting that there is a displacement is long. That is, the closer the distance from the place where the touch panel 12 is pressed, the higher the detected voltage value by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f, and the longer it takes to detect that there is displacement. In the present embodiment, the control unit 1 detects the voltage difference between the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f, shifts the timing for vibrating the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f according to the voltage difference, and at the place where the touch panel 12 is pressed. Control is performed so that the vibration phases of the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f are the same.

  With reference to FIG. 6, the flow of the process of the control part 1 when the touch panel 12 is specifically pushed is demonstrated. The control unit 1 constantly monitors the detection voltages by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f.

  The control unit 1 stands by until all the detected voltages by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f exceed the predetermined threshold voltage (No in step s11), and when all exceed the predetermined threshold voltage (Yes in step s11), the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17a. It is determined whether all the detection voltages by 17f have returned to the reference voltage, that is, all the detection voltages by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f have changed from High to Low (step s12). When all the detected voltages by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f are not Low (No in Step s12), the process returns to Step s12.

  When all the detection voltages by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f are low (Yes in step s12), the control unit 1 identifies the piezoelectric element in which the detection voltage has the latest low time (step s13). Thereby, the piezoelectric element closest to the pressed location on the touch panel 12 is specified. Note that the control unit 1 may identify the piezoelectric element having the highest voltage value among the maximum voltage values from when the detected voltage by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f exceeds the predetermined threshold voltage until it becomes Low. Subsequently, the control unit 1 uses the maximum voltage value from when the detected voltage by the specified piezoelectric element exceeds the predetermined threshold voltage value until it becomes Low as a reference, and the detected voltage by each of the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f is the predetermined threshold value. A voltage difference from the maximum voltage value from when the voltage value is exceeded until when the voltage value becomes Low is obtained (step s14). Subsequently, the control unit 1 controls the vibration driving unit 21 to vibrate the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f in descending order of the obtained voltage difference (step s15).

  At this time, the control unit 1 multiplies (or adds, etc.) the voltage difference by a predetermined coefficient according to the voltage difference so that the vibrations of the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f are aligned at the pressed position on the touch panel 12. The timing for vibrating the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f may be shifted. The coefficient may be measured in advance or calculated and stored in a table or the like.

  Moreover, you may obtain | require the timing which shifts each piezoelectric element by the following calculations. Specifically, each point on the touch panel 12 is pressed to observe the detection voltage V of the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f, and the voltage difference ΔV between the detection voltage Vmax that is observed most greatly and the detection voltage V of each piezoelectric element. Is normalized (normalized) as a ratio to Vmax, and α = ΔV / Vmax = 1−V / Vmax is obtained in advance. The relationship of the distance L from the pressing point to each piezoelectric element is stored in a table (not shown) as L = kα. However, k is a value determined as a proportional coefficient between L and α in this measurement. Further, a propagation velocity v at which vibration generated from each piezoelectric element is transmitted on the touch panel 12 is obtained in advance and stored in a memory (not shown). Note that, by normalizing in this way, the distance can be detected in the same way even if the panel pressing method changes. Here, it is assumed that the phases of the waves generated from the piezoelectric elements are all the same at the start of vibration.

  When the touch panel 12 is pressed, the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f output a detection voltage V. The largest detection voltage among the detection voltages V is defined as Vmax, and a normalized voltage difference α = ΔV / Vmax between Vmax and the detection voltage V of each piezoelectric element is determined as α = 1−V / Vmax. Then, using the relationship of L = kα stored in the table, the distance L from the pressing point to each piezoelectric element is obtained.

Assuming that the obtained distance L is L1, L2, L3,... In order of size, the time for the vibration wave to reach from each piezoelectric element to the pressing point is t1 = L1 / v, t2 = L2 / v, t3 = L3 / v,... The largest time t1 of the time for the vibration wave from each piezoelectric element to reach the pressing point and the time tn (n = 1, 2, 3,...) For the vibration wave from each piezoelectric element to reach the pressing point. The time difference Δtn is
Δt1 = t1−t1 = 0 (reference)
Δt2 = t1−t2
Δt3 = t1−t3
・
・
It becomes. Transforming the above formula,
t1 + Δt1 = t1
t2 + Δt2 = t1
t3 + Δt3 = t1
・
・
It becomes. That is, when each Δtn is added to each tn, all become t1.

  This means that by delaying the timing of starting the vibration of each piezoelectric element by the corresponding Δtn, it is possible to make all the times when the vibration wave reaches the pressing point from each piezoelectric element can be matched. Therefore, if it does in this way, all the phases of the vibration wave which arrives at a press point from each piezoelectric element can be made the same, and interference of the vibration wave in a press point can be prevented.

  The control unit 1 obtains the timing for vibrating each piezoelectric element, temporarily stores the obtained timing in a memory, and simultaneously stores data indicating the respective vibration timing in each piezoelectric element based on the timing stored in the memory. It is also possible to cause each piezoelectric element to start vibrating based on the delay time data sent from the control unit 1.

  Thereby, the phase difference of the vibration by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f disappears at the pressed position on the touch panel 12, and the vibration of the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f does not interfere. Therefore, when the user presses the touch panel 12 and stops, the touch panel 12 always vibrates with equal strength. Thus, this process ends. After this, when the touch panel 12 is pressed by the user, this process starts again.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when it is detected that the touch panel 12 is pressed by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f, a voltage difference between the detection voltages by the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f is detected, and vibration is generated at the place where the touch panel 12 is pressed. The timings for vibrating the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f are shifted in accordance with the voltage difference so that the phases are aligned. Therefore, when the touch panel 12 is pressed, the touch panel 12 can always be vibrated with an equal strength, and variations in vibration when the touch panel 12 is pressed can be eliminated.

  In the above processing, the maximum detection voltage of the piezoelectric element whose detection voltage has the lowest Low time is used as a reference, but any one of the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f may be used as a reference. A time difference may be obtained by the above calculation from the voltage difference of the maximum detected voltages of the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f with respect to the reference voltage, and the control unit 1 may control the piezoelectric elements 17a to 17f to vibrate with this time difference.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control part 2 Memory | storage part 3 Image processing part 4 Operation part 10 Touch panel apparatus 11 Display part 12 Touch panel (operation panel)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Case 14, 15 Elastic member 16 Upper cover 17a-17f Piezoelectric element 21 Vibration drive part 50 Operation button 100 Image forming apparatus 120 Original reading part 121 Scanner 122 Platen glass 123 Original reading slit 130 Original feeding part 131 Original placing part 131 132 Document discharge section 133 Document transport mechanism 140 Recording section 150 Image forming section 151 Photosensitive drum 152 Charging section 153 Exposure section 154 Development section 155 Transfer section 156 Cleaning section 157 Fixing section 160 Paper feed section 161a-d Paper feed cassette 162 Paper feed Roller 170 Conveying path 181 Conveying roller 182 Discharging roller 190 Discharging tray

Claims (6)

A plurality of piezoelectric elements that are provided on the operation panel and detect changes in the pressing force applied to the operation panel;
Each piezoelectric element is detected according to the voltage difference so that the voltage difference between the maximum values of the detection voltages of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is detected and the vibrations of the plurality of piezoelectric elements are aligned at the place where the operation panel is pressed. An operation panel device comprising control means for controlling to shift the timing of vibrating the control panel. The control means includes
The operation panel device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are vibrated in descending order of the voltage difference. The control means includes
When the maximum value of the detection voltage of any one of the plurality of piezoelectric elements is set as a reference voltage, a time difference is obtained from a voltage difference between the maximum value of the detection voltages of the plurality of piezoelectric elements with respect to the reference voltage, and the time difference is calculated. The operation panel device according to claim 1, wherein each piezoelectric element is vibrated. The said any one piezoelectric element is a piezoelectric element which has the maximum value among the maximum values of the detection voltage of these several piezoelectric elements. The one of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Operation panel device.   5. The operation panel device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage difference is normalized as a ratio of a maximum value of detection voltages of the plurality of piezoelectric elements to a maximum value. 6. . An image forming apparatus comprising the operation panel device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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