JPH07295718A - Manipulator for electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the erroneous input setting of a command by preventing the output of any command when operation continuation time is settled within the range of specified values in the case of selectively setting either a first command or a second command corresponding to difference in the manipulation time of a key for setting. CONSTITUTION:When manipulation continuation time T of the key for setting is lower than 'two seconds' of set time, a command signal is outputted to instruct the first command of that key for setting but when the time T exceeds 'five seconds' of the set time, a command signal is outputted to instruct the second command of that key for setting. When the time T exceeds 'two seconds' but is shorter than 'five seconds' of the set time, each time one second passes, indication lamps 61-63 are successively turned on but no command signal to instruct any command is outputted. When the manipulation continuation time T is erroneously extended within the time up to 'five seconds' of the set time after the lapse of invalid time from two seconds to three seconds, the command signal instructing the second command is not outputted by the key operation is made invalid so that the erroneous input setting of the command can be surely prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device in which a first command and a second command are selectively input and set in a control device according to a difference in operating time of a setting key. The present invention relates to an operating device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a laser printer or the like capable of high-speed printing, print data such as document data or image data is received from an external device such as a host computer or a personal computer, and bits for printing the print data are received. While developing the image data, the developed bit image data is stored in the print data buffer, the bit image data for each dot line corresponding to one raster is sequentially read from the print data buffer, and the character is printed by the printing mechanism. And images are printed on the print medium.

By the way, this laser printer is provided with an operation panel equipped with a plurality of setting keys and display lamps, for resetting the printer, selecting the type of paper used for printing, and online and offline. Commands for executing a number of functions such as switching between, and so on can be selectively input and set in the printer control device by operating the corresponding one of these setting keys. ing. Further, when an error is detected during the printing process or data reception, a lamp corresponding to the error is turned on and a warning is displayed.

Here, particularly in a low-priced printer, in order to reduce the cost, the number of setting keys provided on the operation panel is reduced, and the first different keys are provided according to the difference in the operating time of the setting keys. The command and the second command can be selectively input and set. That is, for example, when the operation time is short, for example, less than 2 seconds, the line switching key is input and set with a command for alternately switching between online and offline.
When the operation time is longer than 2 seconds, the line switching key is set with a command to clear the reception buffer that stores the received print data.

[0005]

However, as described above, in a low-priced laser printer or the like, the operation time of the line switching key, which is a setting key, is made different between less than 2 seconds and 2 seconds or more. Thus, the first command for alternately switching the line and the second command for clearing the reception buffer are selectively input and set. Therefore, when the first command is input and set, When the operation time slightly exceeds the command switching time of "2 seconds", it means that the operator has input and set the second command which is not intended, and the reception buffer corresponding to the second command is set. There is a problem that the clear process is executed. That is, since a plurality of commands can be input with a single key, a command different from the command desired by the operator is often executed, resulting in poor usability.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the first command and the second command are selectively input and set depending on the difference in the operation time of the setting keys. It is an object of the present invention to provide an operating device of an electronic device that can reliably prevent erroneous command input settings at that time.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an operating device for electronic equipment according to a first aspect of the present invention provides a control device for electronic equipment with a first command and a second command different from the first command. An electronic device equipped with a setting key that can be selectively input and set by changing the pressing operation time,
Each time the setting key is operated, a time measuring means for measuring the operation time from the start of pressing the setting key to the end of pressing the setting key,
Discrimination to determine whether the operation time measured by the time measuring means is less than a predetermined first set time, less than a second set time obtained by adding a predetermined invalid time to the first set time, or more than a second set time. And a determination result of the determining means, the first command is output to the control device when the operation time is less than the first set time, and the second command is output to the control device when the operation time is equal to or more than the second set time. Command output means for outputting and not outputting any command when the operation time is equal to or more than the first set time and less than the second set time is provided.

Here, the electronic device is provided with a plurality of display lamps, and receives the operation time during the time measurement from the time measurement means.
A configuration in which a lighting control means for sequentially lighting a plurality of display lamps is provided according to an increase in operation time after a lapse of a set time (claim 2 subordinate to claim 1), the clocking means, and a determining means. The command output means can be configured in various modes such as a configuration provided in the control device (claim 3 dependent on claim 2).

[0009]

In the operating device for electronic equipment according to claim 1 having the above structure, the time measuring means is operated every time the setting key capable of selectively inputting and setting the first command and the second command is operated. In addition, since the operation time from the start of pressing the setting key to the end of the pressing is timed, the determining means determines that the operation time measured by the time measuring means is less than the predetermined first set time, and the predetermined invalid time in the first set time. It is determined whether the time is less than the second set time that is added time or more than the second set time. Then, the command output unit receives the determination result of the determination unit, outputs the first command to the control device when the operation time is less than the first set time, and outputs the second command when the operation time is the second set time or more. Is output to the control device, and no command is output when the operation time is equal to or longer than the first set time and shorter than the second set time.

As described above, when the operation time of the setting key is less than the first set time, the first command is output, and when the operation time is not less than the second set time, the second command is output, but the first set time is output. Since no command is output when the time is equal to or more than the second set time, the operation time is erroneously extended within the time from the first set time to the second set time after the predetermined invalid time has elapsed. If it happens, the key operation is invalidated without outputting the second command,
It is possible to reliably prevent erroneous command input settings.

Further, in the operating device for electronic equipment according to the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the electronic equipment is provided with a plurality of display lamps, and the operating time during the timing is received from the timing means.
Since the lighting control means for sequentially lighting the plurality of display lamps according to the increase of the operation time after the first set time is provided, the lighting state of the display lamps and the number of the lit display lamps can be visually checked. By checking, it is possible to reliably and selectively set the first command or the second command.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to a laser printer which receives print data from an external device, stores it in a memory, and prints the print data.
First, the printing mechanism PM provided in the laser printer 1 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. Laser printer 1
Includes a laser scanner device 10, a process cartridge 20, a transfer / separation device 25 including a transfer charger and a charge elimination needle, a fixing device 30 including a heating roller 31, a pressure roller 32, and a sheet feeding device. The transport device 35 includes a roller 36, a registration roller 37, a transport roller 38, a paper discharge roller 39, and the like.

The laser scanner device 10 is provided with a semiconductor laser 11, a hexahedral mirror 12, an imaging lens 13, a reflecting mirror 14, a lens member 15 made of synthetic resin, and the like. Inside the process cartridge 20,
The photosensitive drum 21, the primary charger 22, the developing cylinder 23, the exposure lamp 24 and the like are incorporated. The laser light LB emitted from the semiconductor laser 11 and incident on the hexahedral mirror 12 rotates at a constant high speed.
On the photosensitive drum 21 which is main-scanned over a predetermined angle range by being deflected by each of the two mirror surfaces, is reflected downward by the reflection mirror 14 via the imaging lens 13, and is rotated via the lens member 15. And the electrostatic latent image is formed.

The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 21 is developed by the toner supplied from the developing cylinder 23, and this visible image is fed from the paper feeding cassette 5 to the conveying device 35.
The recording paper P is transferred and printed on the recording paper P that is conveyed by, and then the printed recording paper P is conveyed to the paper ejection tray 6 by the conveyance roller 38 and the paper ejection roller 39 through the fixing device 30.

Next, the control system of the laser printer 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2. Since this control system is basically the same as the control system of a general laser printer, a brief description will be given. And The video controller 50 of the laser printer 1 includes a CPU 51, a ROM 52 that stores various control programs, a reception buffer that receives and stores transmission data transmitted from a data transmission device 70 such as a personal computer or a host computer. A RAM 53 provided with various memories,
A timing control circuit (TC) 54 that generates a timing signal for timing of writing / reading the transmission data to / from the reception buffer as reception data, and a serial interface (S) that receives print data transmitted from an external data transmission device 70.・ I / F) 55 and 2 of 4K bytes
A video interface (V.I / F) 56 which has one scan buffer and sequentially outputs the print information converted into bit image data to the DC controller circuit 59;
And a panel interface (P · I / F) 57 that receives a command signal output from the operation panel 60,
These are respectively connected to the CPU 51 via the bus 58.

Here, the printing mechanism PM includes the laser scanner device 10 and the process cartridge 2 as described above.
0, transfer / separation device 25, fixing device 30, transport device 35
Is provided, a main motor for driving the photosensitive drum 21 and the conveying device 35, a fixing heater for the heating roller 31, and other electric component circuits are provided. The DC controller circuit 59 includes these main motors. In addition to the fixing heater and various electrical component circuits, a semiconductor laser 1
It is configured to drive and control a scanner motor that drives the 1- and 6-sided mirrors 12. Although not shown, the DC controller circuit 59 includes a cover switch that detects the open / closed state of the cover for maintenance and inspection, a toner empty switch that warns when the amount of remaining toner is low, and a paper feed cassette. A paper empty switch or the like for detecting that the recording paper P in 5 has run out is connected.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 60 has a "READY" display lamp 62 that lights up when print data can be received and a "DATA" display lamp that lights up when print data is received. 63, "MANUAL" indicator lamp 6 which lights up when the recording paper P is manually fed
4. "ALARM" indicator lamp 6 for warning of paper empty (PAPER), cover open (COVER) and toner empty (TONER) in combination with any of these three indicator lamps 62 to 64 for abnormalities related to printing processing.
1 is provided. Further, when the operation time is shorter than 2 seconds, the operation panel 60 ejects the recording paper P whose printing is stopped due to an error that occurred during the printing process, and executes a command to cancel the error (in the figure, FF / CON
When the operation time is longer than 5 seconds, the paper feed key 65 that outputs the command to print the demonstration (shown by DEMO in the figure) is output when the operation time is longer than 5 seconds. , A command for alternately switching between online and offline (shown as SELECT in the figure) is output, and when the operation time is longer than 5 seconds, a command to clear the reception buffer of the RAM 60 that stores the received print data (Fig. Inside, a line switching key 66 for outputting RESET) is provided.

In the ROM 52, in addition to various control programs provided in an ordinary laser printer, a font memory storing printing dot pattern data relating to many characters such as characters and symbols, a RAM 53.
A memory management program for managing the memory capacity and the head address of each memory provided in, and a control program for the operation time determination control peculiar to the present application described later are stored in advance. The RAM 60 is provided with various memories, pointers and buffers for temporarily storing the calculation result calculated by the CPU 51.

Next, the operation time discrimination control routine executed by the video controller 50 of the laser printer 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the figure, Si (i = 11, 12, 13, ...) Shows each step. When the paper feed key 65 or the line switching key 66 of the operation panel 60 is operated, the CPU
This control is started by a key input interrupt to 51, and first, a soft timer (or a hard timer may be provided) T provided in the video controller 50 is instructed to start counting operation duration time (S11).

Next, when the operation of the setting key is continued (S12: Yes), the operation duration time T is 2 seconds (first
If it is less than the set time) (S13: No), S
12 to S13 are repeatedly executed. Then, when the key operation is stopped and the operation duration T is less than 2 seconds (S13 / S12: No), a command signal for instructing the first command of the operated setting key is output (S27). ), A command to stop timing by the soft timer T is issued (S26), the control is terminated, and the process returns to the main routine.

On the other hand, when the operation of the setting key is started for more than 2 seconds (S12 / S13: Yes), the first "ALARM" display lamp 61 is turned on (S14). Further, when the key operation is performed until the operation duration T reaches 3 seconds, S15 to S16 are repeated, and when the key operation is stopped, when the operation duration T is less than 3 seconds (S16). -S15: No), without outputting any command, the control ends through S26 and returns to the main routine. However, when the operation of the setting key is started and continues for 3 seconds or more (S15 / S16: Yes
), The next "READY" indicator lamp 62 is turned on (S1
7).

Further, when the key operation is started and the operation duration T is less than 4 seconds, S18 to S19 are repeated,
When the key operation is stopped and the operation duration time T is less than 4 seconds (S19 / S18: No), this command is terminated via S26 without any command being output, and the main routine is returned to. To return. However, when the operation of the setting key is started and continues for 4 seconds or more (S18 ・ S1
9: Yes), and the next "DATA" display lamp 63 is turned on (S20).

Further, when the key operation is started and the operation duration time T is less than 5 seconds, S21 to S22 are repeated,
When the key operation is stopped and the operation duration T is less than 5 seconds (S22 / S21: No), this command is terminated via S26 without any command being output, and the main routine returns. To return. However, when the operation of the setting key is started and continues for 5 seconds (corresponding to the second setting time) or more (S21 / S22: Yes), the next "MANUAL"
The display lamp 64 is turned on (S23). That is, as shown in FIG. 3, from the "ALARM" display lamp 61, the "MANUA"
Four lamps are lit up to the "L" display lamp 64. Then, when the operation of the setting key is stopped (S24:
Yes), a command signal for instructing the second command of the operated setting key is output (S25), the control is terminated via S26, and the process returns to the main routine.

As described above, when the operation duration time T of the setting key is less than the setting time "2 seconds", a command signal for instructing the first command of the setting key is output and the setting time "5 seconds". When the setting time is "2 seconds" or more and less than the setting time "5 seconds", the display lamps 61 to 61 are output every one second when the setting key is "2 seconds" or more and less than the setting time "5 seconds". 63 is sequentially turned on and no command signal for instructing any command is output. Therefore, the operation duration time T
If, after 2 seconds, the invalid time of 3 seconds has elapsed and the extension time is accidentally extended within the time until the set time "5 seconds" is reached, a command signal for instructing the second command is output. Since the key operation is invalidated without any action, it is possible to reliably prevent erroneous command input settings. Further, the state of lighting of the display lamps 61 to 64 and the lit display lamp 6
By visually confirming the number of 1 to 64, the first command or the second command
It is possible to reliably and selectively input the command.

The set time "2 seconds" for outputting the command signal for instructing the first command and the set time "5 seconds" for outputting the command signal for instructing the second command are merely examples. Instead, it may be set to an arbitrary time. Also, 1
The display lamps 61 to 63 are sequentially blinked every second,
When five seconds or more have elapsed, these four display lamps 61
It may be configured to light up to 63. It should be noted that, within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, various changes and modifications may be made to the devices and controls of the above-described embodiments based on existing technology and technology obvious to those skilled in the art. It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to operating devices for various electronic devices including an operation panel such as a facsimile and a copying machine.

[0026]

As described above, according to the electronic device operating apparatus of the first aspect, the time measuring means, the determining means, and the command output means are provided, and the operating time of the setting key is the first setting. When the time is less than the time, the first command is output, and when the time is the second set time or more, the second command is output, but when the time is the first set time or more and less than the second set time, neither command is output. Within the time from the first set time to the second set time after the predetermined invalid time has elapsed,
When the extension is erroneously made, the key operation is invalidated without outputting the second instruction, so that the erroneous input setting of the instruction can be reliably prevented.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the electronic device is provided with a plurality of display lamps, receives the operating time from the timing means during the time counting, and after the first set time has elapsed, the operating time is reached. Since the lighting control means for lighting the plurality of display lamps in sequence according to the increase in the number of the display lamps is provided, the first command can be performed by visually checking the lighting state of the display lamps and the number of the displayed lamps. Alternatively, the second command can be reliably and selectively input and set.

Further, according to the operating device of the electronic device of the third aspect, since the time measuring means, the judging means and the command output means are provided in the control device, the control by the control device is performed in an integrated manner. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a laser printer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of a laser printer.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an operation panel.

FIG. 4 is a schematic flowchart of a routine of operation time determination control.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Laser printer 50 Video controller 52 ROM 53 RAM 60 Operation panel 61 “ALARM” display lamp 62 “READY” display lamp 63 “DATA” display lamp 64 “MANUAL” display lamp 65 Paper feed key 65 Line switching key

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location B41J 29/00 G06F 3/02 360 A

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first command to a control device of an electronic device,
In an electronic device having a setting key capable of inputting and setting a second command different from the first command by changing a pressing operation time, each time the setting key is operated, A time measuring unit that measures the operation time from the start of pressing the setting key to the end of the pressing, and the operation time measured by the time measuring unit is less than a predetermined first set time, and a predetermined invalid time is added to the first set time. Done second
When the operation time is less than the first set time and the operation unit is less than the first set time, the control device sends the first instruction to the control device. And outputs the second command to the control device when the operation time is the second set time or longer, and outputs no command when the operation time is the first set time or longer and shorter than the second set time. An operating device for an electronic device, comprising: an output unit. 2. The electronic device is provided with a plurality of display lamps, receives the operation time during the time measurement from the time measuring means, and sequentially displays the plurality of display lamps according to an increase in the operation time after a first set time has elapsed. 2. The operating device for an electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising lighting control means for individually lighting the lighting device. 3. The electronic device operating device according to claim 2, wherein the clocking means, the determining means, and the command output means are provided in the control device.