Multi-functional machine

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: when a user U does not carry an ID card, a multi-functional machine 1 cannot automatically adjust the angle of a touch panel to be suitable for the user.SOLUTION: A multi-functional machine 1 comprises a movable panel part 5 that is provided to be angle adjustable for performing various operations, and comprises: a panel rotation part 6 that rotates the movable panel part 5 to change its angle; a face position information acquisition unit 7 that can acquire information on the position of the face F of a user U; and a control unit 8. The control unit 8 causes the panel rotation part 6 to rotate the movable panel part 5 to adjust the angle of the movable panel part on the basis of the information acquired by the face position information acquisition unit 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides Recording device Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] This kind of Recording device An example of this is described in Patent Document 1. Recording device The touch panel is equipped with a panel control means that automatically adjusts the angle of the touch panel to the angle appropriate for each user when they stand in front of it. Recording device The desired angle of the touch panel is determined by reading information from an ID card, such as a memory card carried by each user, on which personal information is recorded, using an information reading means, and identifying each user based on the read information. The panel control means automatically adjusts the touch panel to an angle corresponding to the identified user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-244497 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional Recording device If the user does not carry the ID card, i.e., has forgotten it, Recording device However, there is a problem that the touch panel cannot recognize the user and cannot automatically adjust the angle of the touch panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Recording device is provided with a movable panel section that is angle adjustable and allows various operations to be performed. Recording deviceThe device comprises a panel rotation unit that rotates the movable panel unit to change its angle, a face position information acquisition unit that can acquire information on the position of the user's face, and a control unit, and is characterized in that the control unit rotates the panel rotation unit to adjust the angle of the movable panel unit based on the information acquired by the face position information acquisition unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a multifunction peripheral according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of a control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control flow of a control unit of the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention will now be briefly described. Recording device The first aspect of the present invention is provided with a movable panel portion that is angle adjustable and is used for various operations. Recording device The device comprises a panel rotation unit that rotates the movable panel unit to change its angle, a face position information acquisition unit that can acquire information on the position of the user's face, and a control unit, and is characterized in that the control unit rotates the panel rotation unit to adjust the angle of the movable panel unit based on the information acquired by the face position information acquisition unit. Here, the "face position information acquisition unit capable of acquiring information on the position of a user's face" can be, for example, a face authentication camera or a face recognition camera, but in this specification, it is used in a positive sense as long as it can determine whether a human face is present in an image obtained by taking a picture with a camera and further specify the direction in which the face is located relative to the camera. Note that it is not limited to a camera, and also includes devices that can acquire information on the presence and position of a face from information obtained without contacting the object.

[0008] According to this aspect, the control unit is configured to drive the panel rotation unit to rotate the movable panel unit and adjust the angle based on the information acquired by the face position information acquisition unit. This allows the angle of the movable panel unit to be adjusted to suit the user, using only the information on the user's face position, without requiring an ID card as in the past. Also, there is no need to store the user's personal information in a storage unit in advance as in the past. Recording device By acquiring the position information of the face of the user, the angle of the movable panel portion can be adjusted to suit the user. Furthermore, since there is almost no need to touch the movable panel with one's hand in order to rotate it, it is hygienic.

[0009] Recording device A second aspect of the present invention is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the face position information acquisition unit is provided on the movable panel unit.

[0010] According to this aspect, the face position information acquisition unit is provided on the movable panel unit. This simplifies the control of the angle adjustment compared to when the face position information acquired for adjusting the angle of the movable panel unit is provided in a location separate from the movable panel unit. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the device from becoming too large.

[0011] Recording device The third aspect is an aspect dependent on the second aspect, Recording device and the control unit changes the face position information acquisition unit from an OFF state to an ON state when the human presence sensor detects the user. Note that this aspect can also be subordinate to the first aspect.

[0012] According to this aspect, when the motion sensor detects a user, the control unit changes the face position information acquisition unit from an OFF state to an ON state. This allows the face position information acquisition unit, such as an authentication camera, to be kept in an OFF state when the movable panel unit is not in use, thereby saving power compared to leaving it in an ON state. When a user uses the movable panel unit, the motion sensor detects the user's approach and changes the face position information acquisition unit to an ON state, so the movable panel unit is automatically adjusted to an angle suitable for the user.

[0013] Recording device The fourth aspect is a dependent aspect of the third aspect, characterized in that when the human presence sensor detects a user, the control unit rotates the movable panel unit so that the face position information acquisition unit moves to a position where the face position information acquisition unit can acquire the information.

[0014] According to this aspect, when the human presence sensor detects a user, the control unit rotates the movable panel unit so that the face position information acquisition unit moves to a position where the face position information acquisition unit can acquire the information. This allows the face position information acquisition unit to be kept in a non-exposed position when not in use, so that the user cannot accidentally touch it. Recording device When a person approaches and the human sensor detects the approach, the face position information acquisition unit automatically starts acquiring the information, and the movable panel unit can automatically adjust the angle to suit the user.

[0015] Recording device The fifth aspect is a mode dependent on any one of the first to fourth aspects, and is characterized in that the control unit stops driving the panel rotation unit when information is sent indicating that a load greater than a certain level has been detected while driving the panel rotation unit to automatically adjust the angle of the movable panel unit.

[0016] According to this aspect, when information indicating that a load exceeding a certain level is detected during automatic adjustment of the angle of the movable panel is received, the driving of the panel rotation unit is stopped, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the movable panel on which the face position information acquisition unit is provided.

[0017] Recording device A sixth aspect is an aspect dependent on any one of the first to fourth aspects, and is characterized in that the control unit can select between an automatic adjustment mode in which the angle of the movable panel unit is automatically adjusted and a manual adjustment mode in which the angle of the movable panel unit is manually adjusted without using the automatic adjustment mode. Note that this aspect can also be dependent on the fifth aspect.

[0018] According to this aspect, the control unit can select between the automatic adjustment mode and the manual adjustment mode, allowing the user to use either mode as appropriate.

[0019] [Embodiment] The following is a description of the present invention. Recording device The embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In the following explanation, the three mutually orthogonal axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, as shown in each figure. The directions indicated by the arrows on the three axes (X, Y, Z) are the + directions of each axis, and the opposite directions are the - directions. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction, i.e., the direction in which gravity acts, the +Z direction indicates a vertically upward direction, and the -Z direction indicates a vertically downward direction. The X-axis and Y-axis directions correspond to horizontal directions. The +Y direction indicates the front direction of the device, and the -Y direction indicates the rear direction of the device. The +X direction indicates the right direction of the device, and the -X direction indicates the left direction of the device.

[0020] [Embodiment 1] The multifunction device 1 of this embodiment is a recording device having the functions of a copier, an image scanner, and a facsimile. Here, the recording device is an inkjet printer. As shown in Figure 1, this multifunction device 1 has a multifunction unit 3 equipped with the functions of a copier, image scanner, and facsimile machine located above a recording device 2. On the front of the multifunction device 1, a movable panel unit 5, which is a touch panel for performing various operations, is provided with an adjustable angle. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 4 denotes a discharge receiving section, to which a medium such as paper on which recording has been performed by the recording device 2 is discharged.

[0021] 2, this embodiment includes a panel rotation unit 6 that rotates the movable panel unit 5 to change the angle, a face position information acquisition unit 7 that can acquire information about the position of the face F of the user U, and a control unit 8. The control unit 8 is configured to rotate the panel rotation unit 6 to adjust the angle of the movable panel unit 5 based on the information about the position of the face F acquired by the face position information acquisition unit 7. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 15 indicates the floor surface on which the multifunction printer 1 is placed. Here, the relationship between the information on the position of the face F and the amount of adjustment of the angle of the movable panel section 5, that is, the amount of rotation of the movable panel 5, is previously tabulated or set by a relational expression.

[0022] <Panel rotation part> 2, in this embodiment, the panel rotation unit 6 includes a motor 61, a hinge unit 62 that holds the movable panel unit 5 so that the angle can be changed, and a power transmission mechanism unit 63 that transmits the rotational power of the motor 61 to the hinge unit 62. The motor 61 is connected to one end of the power transmission mechanism 63 via a pinion 10 so that the rotational power can be transmitted. In addition, a gear (not shown) is attached to the hinge unit 62. This gear is connected to the other end of the power transmission mechanism 63 so that the rotational power can be transmitted. That is, the rotation of the motor 61 is transmitted from the pinion 10 via the power transmission mechanism 63 to the gear of the hinge portion 62, and as the gear rotates, the movable panel portion 5 rotates, allowing the angle to be adjusted.

[0023] <Face position information acquisition unit> In this embodiment, a face recognition camera 71 is used as the face position information acquisition unit 7. The face recognition camera 71 determines whether or not the face F of a human user U is present in the image captured within the captureable area R by using existing image data of the eyes, nose, and mouth. It also identifies the direction in which the face F is located relative to the recognition camera 71. This allows the face recognition camera 71 to acquire information about the position of the face F of the user U. Here, for ease of explanation, it is assumed that the user U is standing on his or her own two feet on the floor 15 or sitting in a wheelchair, but this is not a required condition. It is sufficient to be able to identify the position of the face F of the user U when operating the movable panel unit 5. Although the face recognition camera 71 is normally used to identify the person whose face F is being captured by comparing it with people who have been registered in advance, in the present invention, it is not necessary to go as far as to identify the person, and therefore it is not necessary to register the person in advance. A face recognition camera similar to a face recognition camera can also be used as the face position information acquisition unit 7. When using this face recognition camera, it is also used to acquire the position of the face F. That is, the face position information acquisition unit 7 may be any unit that can determine from an image captured by a camera whether a human face F is present in the image, and further, can identify the orientation of the face F relative to the camera. In addition, the face position information acquisition unit 7 is not limited to a camera, and any unit that can acquire information on the presence or absence and position of a face F from information obtained in a non-contact manner without contacting the target may also be used.

[0024] 2, in this embodiment, the face authentication camera 71 serving as the face position information acquisition unit 7 is provided on the movable panel unit 5. That is, when the movable panel unit 5 rotates, the position of the face authentication camera 71 also moves integrally with the movable panel unit 5 by the amount of rotation of the movable panel unit 5. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movable panel unit 5 is rotated so that the face F is located in the center of the image captured by the facial recognition camera 71, and in this state, the angle of the movable panel unit 5 is configured to be such that the face F of the user U is displayed from the front. In other words, by rotating the movable panel unit 5 so that the face F of the user U is located in the center of the image captured by the facial recognition camera 71, the movable panel unit 5 is configured to be adjusted to an angle that suits the user U. This makes it easier to control the adjustment of the angle compared to when the facial recognition camera 71 is provided in a different location from the movable panel unit 5. The face position information acquisition unit 7 may be provided in a location separate from the movable panel unit 5. Also, based on information obtained when the position of the face F is identified in the image captured by the face recognition camera 71, the angle of the movable panel unit 5 may be adjusted so that the face F of the user U is displayed in a frontal position.

[0025] <Motion sensor> 2, in this embodiment, the multifunction device 1 is provided with a human presence sensor 9 on the front surface thereof for detecting a user U using the multifunction device 1. This human presence sensor 9 is a general type that can sense the approach of the user U by infrared rays. The control unit 8 is configured to change the face recognition camera 71, which is the face position information acquisition unit 7, from an OFF state to an ON state when the human presence sensor 9 detects the approach of the user U. That is, in this embodiment, the face recognition camera 71 is not used when the user U is not approaching the multifunction device 1, and is therefore set to be in the OFF state. Then, when the user U approaches the multifunction device 1, the control unit 8 changes the face recognition camera 71 to the ON state, making it possible to acquire position information of the user U's face F. It is not necessary to provide the human sensor 9. In that case, the face authentication camera 71 is to be kept in the ON state.

[0026] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 8 is configured so that, when the motion sensor 9 detects the user U, the face recognition camera 71 serving as the face position information acquisition unit 7 moves to a position where it can acquire position information of the face F of the user U. Here, the face recognition camera 71 is provided on the movable panel unit 5 as follows. The face recognition camera 71 is configured to be retractable so that it can be switched between an "appearing position" when taking a photograph, i.e., when taking a photograph, and a "retracted position" when not taking a photograph. In the retracted state, there is no risk of the camera being accidentally touched by other objects or the user U, so there is little risk of damage. Furthermore, instead of the above-mentioned "appear" and "return" switching structure, the rotation range of the movable panel unit 5 may be configured so that it can be moved to a storage position where the facial recognition camera 71 cannot acquire positional information of the user U's face F. The face authentication camera 71 may be held in a position where it can always acquire position information of the face F of the user U.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 8 is configured to stop driving the panel rotation unit 5 if information is received indicating that a load of a certain level or greater has been detected while the control unit 8 is driving the panel rotation unit 6 to automatically adjust the angle of the movable panel unit 5. Here, the detection of the "load of a certain level or greater" is performed by sensing changes in the current of the motor 61. Furthermore, if the movable panel 5 is not actually rotating despite being in a rotating state according to a control signal from the control unit 8, the image captured by the authentication camera 71 will also remain unchanged. Information on this state of the image not changing may be used to detect the "load above a certain level."

[0028] <Electrical configuration of the control unit> Next, the electrical configuration of the control unit 8 in the multifunction device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The control unit 8 is provided with a CPU 81 that is responsible for overall control of the multifunction device 1. The CPU 81 is connected via a system bus 82 to a ROM 83 that stores various control programs executed by the CPU 81, maintenance sequences, etc., and a RAM 84 that can temporarily store data. The CPU 81 is also connected to a motor drive unit 85 via a system bus 82. The motor drive unit 85 is connected to a motor 61 for rotating the movable panel unit 5. The CPU 81 is also connected to an input / output unit 86 via the system bus 82. The input / output unit 86 is connected to the face position information acquisition unit 7 and the human presence sensor 9. The input / output unit 86 is also configured to be connectable to a personal computer (not shown), and is configured to allow various data to be input to the multifunction device 1 from outside. The control unit 8 of the multifunction device 1 is equipped with, for example, a head drive unit for controlling the driving of other components such as the recording device 2, but these are all omitted from the illustration to avoid complicating the drawing.

[0029] <Control flow by the control unit of embodiment 1> The flow of control by the control unit when a user U approaches the multifunction device 1 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. When user U approaches multifunction peripheral 1, motion sensor 9 detects the approach in step S1, and the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, it is determined whether authentication camera 71, which is the face position information acquisition unit 7, is ON. If the determination is Yes, the power of authentication camera 71 is ON and capable of capturing images, and the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, it is determined whether face authentication camera 71 is positioned so that it can acquire information about the position of user U's face F. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, face authentication camera 71 captures an image of user U and acquires information about the position of face F. If user U is operating movable panel unit 5, the position of face F will remain substantially constant for a certain period of time from the position where the user is viewing movable panel unit 5, so it is preferable to acquire information about the position of face F from an image in that state. Then, the process proceeds to step S5, where the angle of movable panel unit 5 is adjusted to match the position of user U's face F, i.e., to make it easier for user U to see, and the angle is maintained. This allows user U to operate movable panel unit 5 while viewing it from approximately the front. If the answer is No in step S2, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the authentication camera 71, which is in the power-off state, is turned on, and the process proceeds to step S3. If the result of step S3 is No, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the face recognition camera 71 moves to a position where it can acquire information about the position of the face F of the user U, and the process proceeds to step S4.

[0030] <For tall and short users> 2, if user U is a tall person UH, authentication camera 71 acquires the position of the face FH and rotates movable panel 5 so that face FH is in the center of the image captured by authentication camera 71. As a result, movable panel 5 rotates to the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2 and is held in that position, allowing user UH to operate movable panel 5 from approximately in front of it. On the other hand, if the user U is a short person UL, the authentication camera 71 acquires the position of the face FL, and the movable panel unit 5 is rotated so that the face FL is in the center of the image captured by the authentication camera 71. As a result, the movable panel section 5 rotates to the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 and is held in that position, allowing the user UL to operate the movable panel section 5 from substantially the front. In addition, in the case of a user whose height is between user UH and user UL, the angle of the movable panel portion 5 is between the position indicated by the solid line and the position indicated by the broken line in FIG.

[0031] <Explanation of the operation of the first embodiment> (1) In this embodiment, the control unit 8 is configured to drive the panel rotation unit 6 to rotate the movable panel unit 5 and adjust the angle based on information acquired by the face position information acquisition unit 7. This allows the angle of the movable panel unit 5 to be adjusted to suit the user U, using only information on the position of the user U's face F, without the need for an ID card as in the past. Furthermore, without the need to store the user's personal information in advance in a storage unit as in the past, the angle of the movable panel unit 5 can be adjusted to suit the user U by acquiring information on the position of the face F of the person using the multifunction peripheral 1. Furthermore, since there is almost no need to touch the movable panel unit 5 with your hands to rotate it, it is hygienic.

[0032] (2) In addition, in this embodiment, the face position information acquisition unit 7 is provided on the movable panel unit 5. This simplifies the control of the angle adjustment compared to when the information on the position of the face F acquired to adjust the angle of the movable panel unit 5 is provided in a location separate from the movable panel unit 5. In addition, it is possible to prevent the device from becoming too large. (3) In addition, in this embodiment, when the motion sensor 9 detects the user U, the control unit 8 changes the face position information acquisition unit 7 from OFF to ON. This allows the face position information acquisition unit 7, such as the authentication camera 71, to be kept OFF when the movable panel unit 5 is not in use, thereby saving power compared to leaving it ON. When the user U uses the movable panel unit 5, the motion sensor 9 detects the approach of the user U and changes the face position information acquisition unit 7 to ON, so that the angle of the movable panel unit 5 is automatically adjusted to suit the user U.

[0033] (4) Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the motion sensor 9 detects the user U, the control unit 8 rotates the movable panel unit 5 so that the face position information acquisition unit 7 moves to a position where the face position information acquisition unit 7 can acquire the information. This allows the face position information acquisition unit 7 to be kept in a non-exposed position when not in use, preventing the user U from accidentally touching it. Then, when the user U approaches the multifunction peripheral 1 and the motion sensor 9 detects the approach, the face position information acquisition unit 7 moves to a position where the face position information acquisition unit 7 can acquire the information, the face position information acquisition unit 7 automatically starts acquiring the information, and the movable panel unit 5 can automatically adjust to an angle suitable for the user U. (5) In addition, in this embodiment, if information indicating that a load greater than a certain level is detected is received while the angle of the movable panel unit 5 is being automatically adjusted, the driving of the panel rotation unit 6 is stopped. This reduces the risk of malfunctioning of the movable panel unit 5 on which the face position information acquisition unit 7 is provided.

[0034] [Other Embodiments] The multifunction device 1 according to the present invention is based on the configuration of the above-described embodiment, but it is of course possible to modify or omit some of the configuration within the scope of the gist of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the recording device 2 of the multifunction device 1 is an inkjet printer, but other printers may also be used. In the above embodiment, the movable panel 5 has the hinge 62 at the upper end and is configured to rotate up and down around the hinge 62 as a rotation fulcrum, but the hinge 62 may be located at the lower end. Also, the hinge 62 may be located laterally so that it rotates horizontally.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the control unit 8 is described as having only an automatic adjustment mode that automatically adjusts the angle of the movable panel unit 5, but the control unit 8 may also be configured to have a manual adjustment mode that does not use the automatic adjustment mode but instead manually adjusts the angle of the movable panel unit 5, and the user may be able to select between the two modes. This allows the user U to use either mode as appropriate.

[0036] As explained in the above embodiment, the control unit 8 automatically adjusts the angle of the movable panel unit 5, but there may be cases where the adjusted angle is difficult for the user to use. Therefore, an angle reset unit may be further provided, and when the user U operates the angle reset unit, the face position information acquisition unit 7 may acquire information on the position of the face F of the user U again, allowing the angle to be adjusted again. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1...Multifunction printer, 2...Recording device, 3...Compounding section, 4...Discharge receiving section, 5...Moveable panel section, 6...Panel rotation section, 7...Face position information acquisition section, 8...Control section, 9...Human sensor, 15...Floor surface, 61...Motor, 62...Hinge section, 63...Power transmission mechanism section, 71...Face recognition camera, 81...CPU, 82...System bus, 83...ROM, 84...RAM, 85...Motor drive section, F...Face, FH...Face, FL...Face, U...User, UH...Tall person, UL...Short person

Claims

1. A recording device having a movable panel unit that is angle-adjustable and is used for various operations, a panel rotation unit that rotates the movable panel unit to change the angle; a face position information acquisition unit capable of acquiring information on the position of a user's face; a control unit, The control unit adjusts the angle of the movable panel unit by rotating the panel rotation unit based on the information acquired by the face position information acquisition unit.

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, The recording device is characterized in that the face position information acquisition unit is provided on the movable panel unit.

3. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, a human presence sensor for detecting a user using the recording device; The recording device is characterized in that the control unit changes the face position information acquisition unit from an OFF state to an ON state when the human presence sensor detects a user.

4. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, A recording device characterized in that, when the human presence sensor detects a user, the control unit rotates the movable panel unit so that the face position information acquisition unit moves to a position where the information can be acquired.

5. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit stops driving the panel rotation unit when information is sent indicating that a load greater than a certain level has been detected while driving the panel rotation unit to automatically adjust the angle of the movable panel unit.

6. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit an automatic adjustment mode in which the angle of the movable panel portion is automatically adjusted; a manual adjustment mode in which the angle of the movable panel portion is manually adjusted without using the automatic adjustment mode.

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