Controlling device, controlling system, controlling method, and program

Abstract

To control traffic flow without compromising visitor experience.SOLUTION: A control device that controls an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person is present and is holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed includes: an environment acquisition unit that acquires environmental information indicating the state of the space; and an irradiation control unit that controls the irradiation of invisible light from the invisible light source based on the environmental information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control system, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in concert halls, event halls, aquariums, museums, theme parks, amusement facilities, etc., various performances are performed indoors and outdoors so that visitors can enjoy extraordinary experiences. For example, in concert halls, a performance may be performed in which penlights or the like are distributed to visitors and they participate in lighting up the hall. In such a performance, visitors can experience a sense of unity with the entire hall by helping to enliven the hall.

[0003] One such possible presentation would be to utilize various printed materials that visitors have at the venue, such as the admission tickets that visitors bring with them, or flyers, pamphlets, or posters distributed at the venue.

[0004] One example of a production that uses various printed materials held by visitors is to use invisible images (images that are difficult to see under visible light but can be seen under invisible light such as infrared or ultraviolet light) printed on admission tickets to amusement facilities to check whether the tickets are genuine. In this case, the invisible images are simple images that can be expressed in one color, such as numbers, letters, bar codes, or two-dimensional codes. In this example, the staff at the amusement facility can check whether the admission ticket is a fake by shining ultraviolet light emitted by a black light on the admission ticket.

[0005] In facilities where visitors can move freely between multiple areas, it is common for visitors to concentrate in a specific area. For example, in an aquarium or museum, many visitors may stay in a popular or highly-visited area, such as a special exhibition area, while no visitors may gather in other areas.

[0006] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a people flow control system that controls the flow of people within a given area. This people flow control system estimates the degree of congestion in the area after a given time, and controls the content to be presented according to the estimated result of the congestion degree. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, conventional technologies can sometimes impair the experience of visitors in a facility. For example, in Patent Document 1, visitors are guided to the points with the least estimated degree of congestion, thereby directly guiding them to reduce congestion. Such guidance makes visitors aware of the crowded state, which hinders their immersion in the performance provided in the facility.

[0008] In view of the above technical challenges, one embodiment of the present invention aims to control the flow of people without compromising the visitor's experience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A control device that is one embodiment of the present invention is a control device that controls an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person is holding a printed material on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed, and is equipped with an environment acquisition unit that acquires environmental information that indicates the state of the space, and an irradiation control unit that controls the irradiation of invisible light from the invisible light source based on the environmental information. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to control the flow of people without compromising the visitor experience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a usage scene of a printed matter according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printed matter according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of a printed matter according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of a printed matter according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation using printed matter in one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a facility according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an overall configuration of a control system in a first embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram of a copying machine according to an embodiment; [Figure 9] 2A to 2C are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a toner image and a toner layer formed by a copying machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control system according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a control system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of history information in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, components having the same functions are given the same reference numbers, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0013] [First embodiment] One embodiment of the present invention is a control system that controls an invisible light source that irradiates invisible light. The invisible light source is used to irradiate invisible light onto a printed matter on which an invisible image is formed. An example of an invisible light source is a black light (ultraviolet light). In this embodiment, a printed matter is produced using an image forming device having a function of forming an invisible image on an image forming medium.

[0014] The control system in this embodiment is used in a facility that is divided into a plurality of areas (an example of space). Visitors to the facility (an example of a person) can freely move between the plurality of areas and freely stay in any of the areas. Examples of such facilities include an aquarium, a museum, a theme park, or an amusement facility.

[0015] <Scenes where invisible images can be used> First, a description will be given of a scene in which a printed matter produced by the image forming apparatus in this embodiment is used. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which a printed matter in this embodiment is used.

[0016] The image forming apparatus IF included in the control system in this embodiment prints various printed materials including a pamphlet BR, a ticket TK, and a poster PS. The pamphlet BR, the ticket TK, and the poster PS all include invisible images that are invisible or difficult to see under visible light (bright places) but visible under black light (dark places). The pamphlet BR, the ticket TK, and the poster PS are used in such a manner that the invisible images printed thereon can be viewed in dark places (an exhibition room at an aquarium in the example shown in FIG. 1).

[0017] The image forming device IF can express any invisible color (a color that is visible under invisible light but difficult to see under visible light) by superimposing invisible green, invisible red, and invisible blue. Invisible green means a green color that is visible under invisible light but difficult to see under visible light. Invisible red means a red color that is visible under invisible light but difficult to see under visible light. Invisible blue means a blue color that is visible under invisible light but difficult to see under visible light.

[0018] Visible light is electromagnetic waves having a wavelength that is recognized as light by humans. Invisible light is electromagnetic waves having a wavelength other than that of visible light. In this embodiment, the invisible light is ultraviolet light emitted by black light or long-wavelength ultraviolet light. In this embodiment, the invisible color is transparent under visible light such as light emitted by fluorescent lamps or sunlight, and becomes visible under invisible light such as ultraviolet light emitted by black light.

[0019] Specifically, an invisible green image is realized by invisible green toner (hereinafter referred to as "G toner"), an invisible red image is realized by invisible red toner (hereinafter referred to as "R toner"), and an invisible blue image is realized by invisible blue toner (hereinafter referred to as "B toner"), and an invisible color image other than invisible green, invisible red, and invisible blue is realized by overlapping at least two invisible color toners among G toner, R toner, and B toner.

[0020] Invisible black, which is black that can be seen under invisible light, is achieved by not applying any of G toner, R toner, and B toner. Special color images that can be seen under visible light are achieved by using special color toner (hereinafter referred to as "S toner"), and black images that can be seen under visible light are achieved by using black toner (hereinafter referred to as "K toner").

[0021] In this embodiment, the invisible toner is generated by combining a transparent toner with a fluorescent material, a transparent fluorescent material, or the like. That is, the invisible toner is typically generated with a clear toner as a base. The transparent fluorescent material is a transparent fluorescent pigment or a transparent fluorescent dye, or the like. In addition, in this embodiment, the invisible toner is a pulverized toner having a higher fixing temperature than the polymerized toner. However, the invisible toner may be a polymerized toner. The invisible color may be expressed by an invisible ink (for example, an ink generated by a clear ink and a transparent fluorescent material), or the like. In addition, a color material including an invisible toner and an invisible ink is called an invisible color material (a color material that expresses an invisible color), and the invisible color material is composed of a transparent fluorescent material and a medium (clear toner, clear ink, or the like). The invisible color material is printed on a recording medium by an image forming device, for example, an electrophotographic printing device in the case of a toner, or an inkjet printing device in the case of an ink. An invisible image is an image in which an invisible color material including a transparent fluorescent material is printed on a recording medium. On the printed matter, both an invisible image using invisible color materials and a visible image using visible color materials (visible CMYK color toners, CMYK color inks, etc.) may be printed.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a printed matter in this embodiment. Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 2(b) are plan views of a pamphlet BR including a piece of paper as a cover on which an invisible red monochromatic image D1 formed by R toner, an invisible green monochromatic image D2 formed by G toner, and an invisible blue monochromatic image D3 formed by B toner are printed so as not to overlap each other. Fig. 2(a) shows the state of the pamphlet BR placed under a fluorescent lamp (under visible light), and Fig. 2(b) shows the state of the pamphlet BR placed under a black light (under invisible light). Note that in Fig. 2(a), for clarity, illustrations of characters and patterns visible under visible light are omitted.

[0023] 2(c) and 2(d) are plan views of a ticket TK, which is a rectangular piece of paper printed with an invisible full-color image D4 formed by overlapping R toner, G toner, and B toner. Fig. 2(c) shows the state of the ticket TK placed under a fluorescent lamp (under visible light), and Fig. 2(d) shows the state of the ticket TK placed under a black light (under invisible light).

[0024] 2(e) and 2(f) are perspective views of a signboard (floor-standing poster) to which a poster PS, a large piece of paper on which invisible-colored letters D5 formed by overlapping R toner, G toner, and B toner are attached. FIG. 2(e) shows the signboard (poster PS) placed under a fluorescent lamp (visible light), and FIG. 2(f) shows the signboard (poster PS) placed under a black light (invisible light). For clarity, letters and designs visible under visible light are omitted from FIG. 2(e), although they can be printed by an image forming device or the like.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of a printed matter in this embodiment. FIG. 3(a), FIG. 3(b), and FIG. 3(c) are plan views of the stamp mount SR on which a full-color image D6 in invisible colors formed by overlapping R toner, G toner, and B toner is printed. FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b) show the state of the stamp mount SR placed under a fluorescent lamp (under visible light). FIG. 3(a) shows the stamp mount SR in a state where no stamp is pressed. FIG. 3(b) shows the stamp mount SR in a state where stamps E1 and E2 are pressed using ink visible under visible light. FIG. 3(c) shows the state of the stamp mount SR placed under a black light (under invisible light).

[0026] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of a printed matter in this embodiment. FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b) are plan views of a fan PF on which a full-color image D7 (invisible image) of invisible colors formed by overlapping R toner, G toner, and B toner (invisible color material) is printed. An image E3 (visible image) formed using toner (visible color material) visible under visible light is printed on the fan PF. FIG. 4(a) shows the state of the fan PF placed under a fluorescent lamp (under visible light), and FIG. 4(b) shows the state of the fan PF placed under a black light (under invisible light). Each printed matter may be printed with a visible color material together with the invisible image, such as letters or images indicating that an invisible image is printed, images indicating the area or position where the invisible image is printed, and text or images encouraging users (visitors) to apply invisible light to the printed matter.

[0027] In this way, the printed matter of this embodiment can have an image that is visible under black light but not under fluorescent light (an image of invisible color). Also, the printed matter of this embodiment can combine an image that is visible under fluorescent light (an image of visible color) with an image that is not visible under fluorescent light. Therefore, operators of facilities or venues can realize various presentations by using these printed matters.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a presentation using printed matter in this embodiment. The fan PF, stamp mount SR, and poster PS shown in Fig. 5 are printed matters printed by the image forming apparatus IF in this embodiment. The fan PF is a novelty item distributed to visitors to the aquarium on hot days such as summer. The stamp mount SR is a small piece of paper distributed to visitors to the aquarium to stamp the stamps placed in each area of ​​the aquarium. The poster PS is a large piece of paper that explains the creatures exhibited in each exhibition room of the aquarium.

[0029] The fan PF, the stamp mount SR, and the poster PS are printed with an invisible image in addition to a visible image printed with a visible toner such as K toner. The ticket TK may be printed with another invisible image such as numbers, letters, a barcode, or a two-dimensional code to verify the authenticity of the ticket TK.

[0030] Specifically, FIG. 5 shows the state of an exhibition room in an aquarium. This exhibition room is an exhibition room for living things (exhibits) such as corals, deep-sea fish, or jellyfish that fluoresce in response to black light, and the exhibition room is kept as dark as possible to express that it is in the sea, while the entire exhibition room is irradiated with black light so that the exhibits emit light (fluorescence). Since black light does not emit light from anything that does not contain a fluorescent substance such as a fluorescent agent, it does not brighten the surroundings, unlike fluorescent lamps. Therefore, black light can meet the demand to make a space such as this exhibition room, which is intended to express that it is in the sea, as dark as possible while making only specific things (exhibits and reading materials related to the exhibits, etc.) visible. Note that each area of ​​the exhibition room and its vicinity may be irradiated with other lighting together with black light so that the brightness is maintained to the extent that visitors can grasp and move around the objects and their surroundings. In that case, both the invisible image made of the invisible color material printed on the printed matter and the visible image made of the visible color material are visible to the visitors.

[0031] When a visitor to the aquarium enters the exhibition room, the fan PF held by the visitor makes an invisible full-color image D7 appear in areas that looked blank under visible light before the visitor entered the exhibition room, areas that looked like they had something drawn but it was difficult to see what it was, or areas that had images in other visible colors. In the illustrated example, the invisible full-color image D7 includes an image of the same fish as the fish swimming in the aquarium. This effect gives a surprise to the visitor holding the fan PF, and allows the visitor to share an extraordinary experience, or increases the sense of unity among the visitors through a common experience. The same applies to the effect of invisible images printed on the stamp mount SR held by the visitor to the aquarium.

[0032] Poster PS, attached to a signboard installed in the exhibition room, illuminates invisible letters D5 when illuminated by black light. In the illustrated example, the invisible letters D5 indicate "deep-sea fish," a type of fish swimming in the aquarium. This presentation has the effect of allowing visitors to read the letters D5 even in the dark exhibition room and obtain information about the creatures in the aquarium.

[0033] This type of effect can be achieved both indoors and outdoors in facilities other than aquariums, such as concert venues, event venues, museums, art galleries, theme parks, or amusement facilities, as long as a specified lighting environment is achieved.

[0034] It is also possible to realize a performance that uses printed materials other than those installed in a place where a specified light environment is realized, such as the distributed fans PF or stamp mounts SR, or printed materials held by visitors in the place where a specified light environment is realized, or posters PS attached to signboards, etc. For example, it is also possible to realize a performance that uses printed materials such as labels attached to carrier bags or clothing.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a facility in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the facility 9 in this embodiment is divided into a plurality of areas 90-1 to 90-7. A visitor to the facility 9 purchases an admission ticket at a ticket counter provided outside the facility 9, and enters through area 90-1 where the entrance is located. The visitor holds a printed material on which an invisible image is formed at the time of entering the facility 9. The printed material is, for example, at least one of a ticket TK, a pamphlet BR, a fan PF, or a stamp mount SR. Printed materials other than the ticket TK may be distributed to the visitor when purchasing an admission ticket at the ticket counter or immediately after entering the facility 9.

[0036] Visitors to facility 9 can freely move through each of areas 90-1 to 90-7 within facility 9 at their own pace and stay there as they wish. In the example shown in FIG. 6, visitors enter through area 90-1, move through areas 90-2 to 90-7 in order, and exit again through area 90-1. At this time, visitors are free to stay for however long they like in any of areas 90-2 to 90-7. Facility 9 may have a predetermined route as in the example shown in FIG. 6, or may have no predetermined route and visitors may move through it in any order.

[0037] In a facility 9 that is divided into multiple areas, visitors often tend to concentrate in specific areas. In an aquarium, many visitors may stay in a special exhibition area where rare creatures are exhibited for a specific period of time, resulting in a concentration of visitors in that area.

[0038] The purpose of this embodiment is to control the flow of people without impairing the experience of the visitors, in other words, to guide visitors who are concentrated in a specific area to move to other areas on their own accord without making the visitors aware of the crowded condition.

[0039] For this purpose, in this embodiment, whether or not the invisible light source installed in each area 90 in the facility 9 irradiates invisible light is controlled according to the environment of each area. In the facility 9, there will be a mixture of areas where invisible images can be observed and areas where invisible images cannot be observed, and the attractiveness of the areas where invisible images can be observed will be relatively improved. In one aspect, according to this embodiment, it is possible to guide visitors from areas where they tend to congregate to other areas without compromising the experience of the visitors, thereby easing congestion in the facility. Note that there may be provided areas where invisible light is always irradiated from an invisible light source regardless of environmental information, and areas where it is not irradiated.

[0040] <Overall configuration of the control system> The overall configuration of the control system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the control system in this embodiment.

[0041] 7, a control system 1000 in this embodiment includes a control device 10, an invisible light source 11, a sensor 12, and an image forming apparatus IF. The control device 10 is electrically connected to each of the invisible light source 11 and the sensor 12.

[0042] The image forming apparatus IF is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on an image forming medium. The image forming apparatus IF has a function of forming an invisible image and a visible image on the image forming medium. The image forming apparatus IF produces a printed matter PM on which an invisible image or a visible image is formed. The printed matter PM is distributed to a visitor V of the facility 9. The visitor V moves freely through each area of ​​the facility 9 while holding the printed matter PM.

[0043] The invisible light source 11 and the sensor 12 are installed in each of at least two areas 90 of the facility 9. The control device 10 may be installed in the same area 90 as the invisible light source 11 and the sensor 12, or may be installed in another area within the facility 9. The image forming device IF may be installed within the facility 9, or may be installed in a location other than the facility 9.

[0044] The invisible light source 11 is a light source capable of emitting invisible light. One example of the invisible light source 11 is a black light capable of emitting ultraviolet light. In an area 90 where invisible light is emitted from the invisible light source 11, if a visitor V holding a printed matter PM is present, the invisible image formed on the printed matter PM becomes visible. On the other hand, in an area 90 where invisible light is not emitted from the invisible light source 11, the invisible image formed on the printed matter PM cannot be seen even if a visitor V holding a printed matter PM is present.

[0045] The sensor 12 is a measuring device that observes the inside of the area 90. One example of the sensor 12 is a camera (image sensor) that captures an image (moving image or still image) within the area 90. Another example of the sensor 12 is a human presence sensor that detects a person present within the area 90. The sensor 12 may be an IC tag reader that receives a signal from an IC tag present within the area 90.

[0046] The control device 10 is an information processing device that controls the invisible light source 11. An example of the control device 10 is a computer such as a personal computer or an embedded system. The control device 10 acquires the state of the area 90 based on sensor data observed by the sensor 12. The control device 10 controls the irradiation of invisible light from the invisible light source 11 based on the state of the area 90.

[0047] The overall configuration of the control system 1000 shown in Fig. 7 is an example, and various system configuration examples are possible depending on the application and purpose. For example, the control system 1000 may include a plurality of the control device 10, the invisible light source 11, the sensor 12, or the image forming device IF. For example, the control device 10 may be realized by a plurality of computers, or may be realized as a cloud computing service. The division of the devices such as the control device 10, the invisible light source 11, the sensor 12, and the image forming device IF shown in Fig. 7 is an example.

[0048] <Image forming device> The image forming apparatus in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. An example of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment is a tandem type color laser copier (hereinafter simply referred to as a "copier") in which multiple photoconductors are arranged in parallel.

[0049] The basic configuration of the copying machine in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the copying machine in this embodiment. This copying machine is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and includes a printer 100, a feeding device 200, a scanner 300, and an automatic document feeder 400. However, the image forming apparatus IF in this embodiment may include some of these as long as it is a printing device with a printing function for printing and outputting printed matter, and is not limited by its name.

[0050] The printer 100 includes an image forming unit GU having five developing stations 18S, 18G, 18R, 18B, and 18K for forming images in each color of special color (S), invisible green (G), invisible red (R), invisible blue (B), and black (K: key plate). The subscripts S, G, R, B, and K added after the number (18) of each reference symbol indicate that the member is for the special color, invisible green, invisible red, invisible blue, and black, respectively. The same applies to other reference symbols used in the following description. In addition, in the following description, the letters S, G, R, B, and K may indicate the special color, invisible green, invisible red, invisible blue, and black, respectively. Note that the special color is a general term for colors that are different from any of invisible green, invisible red, invisible blue, and black. Black means black that can be seen under visible light, and special color means special color that can be seen under visible light. The printer 100 can form or print visible images by installing C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow) toner, metallic toner (gold, silver, copper), fluorescent toner, light color toner, etc. as visible color materials. The visible image and invisible image may be all formed in one printing run, or may be printed twice, overlapping each other.

[0051] In addition to the development stations 18S, 18G, 18R, 18B, and 18K, the housing of the printer 100 also includes an optical writing unit 21, an intermediate transfer unit 17, a secondary transfer device 22, a pair of registration rollers 49, and a fixing device 25 using a belt fixing method.

[0052] The optical writing unit 21 includes a light source, a polygon mirror, an f-θ lens, a reflecting mirror, and the like, and irradiates the surfaces of the photoconductors 1S, 1G, 1R, 1B, and 1K with laser light based on image data.

[0053] The developing stations 18S, 18G, 18R, 18B, and 18K each include a charging roller, a developing device, a drum cleaning device, a static elimination lamp, and the like in addition to the drum-shaped photoconductors 1S, 1G, 1R, 1B, and 1K.

[0054] The surface of the photoconductor 1S in the S (special color) developing station 18S is uniformly charged by a charging roller, which is a charging means. The charged surface of the photoconductor 1S is irradiated with laser light that is modulated and deflected by the optical writing unit 21. Then, the potential of the irradiated area (exposed area) is attenuated. Due to this attenuation, an S electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 1S. The formed S electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing device, which is a developing means, into an S toner image.

[0055] The S toner image formed on the S photoconductor 1S is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 110. After the primary transfer, the surface of the photoconductor 1S is cleaned by a drum cleaning device to remove any residual toner remaining after transfer.

[0056] In the S developing station 18S, the photoconductor 1S cleaned by the drum cleaning device is neutralized by the neutralizer. Then, the photoconductor 1S is uniformly charged by the charger and returned to its initial state. The above series of processes are performed in the same manner in the other color (G, R, B, K) developing stations (18G, 18R, 18B, 18K).

[0057] The intermediate transfer unit 17 includes an endless intermediate transfer belt 110 and a belt cleaning device 90. It also includes a drive roller 15, a secondary transfer backup roller 16, and four primary transfer bias rollers 62S, 62G, 62R, 62B, and 62K.

[0058] The endless intermediate transfer belt 110 is tensioned by a plurality of tension rollers, including a drive roller 15, disposed inside the loop of the intermediate transfer belt 110. The intermediate transfer belt 110 is moved endlessly in the clockwise direction in the drawing by the rotation of the drive roller 15, which is driven by a belt drive motor.

[0059] The primary transfer bias rollers 62S, 62G, 62R, 62B, and 62K for S, G, R, B, and K are disposed so as to contact the back surface (inner peripheral surface) of the intermediate transfer belt 110, and a primary transfer bias output from a power source is applied to the primary transfer bias rollers 62S, 62G, 62R, 62B, and 62K. The primary transfer bias rollers 62S, 62G, 62R, 62B, and 62K press the intermediate transfer belt 110 from its back surface toward the photoconductors 1S, 1G, 1R, 1B, and 1K. This forms primary transfer nips for S, G, R, B, and K where the photoconductors 1S, 1G, 1R, 1B, and 1K come into contact with the front surface (outer peripheral surface) of the intermediate transfer belt 110. In these primary transfer nips, a primary transfer electric field is formed between the photoconductors 1S, 1G, 1R, 1B, and 1K and the primary transfer bias rollers 62S, 62G, 62R, 62B, and 62K due to the influence of the primary transfer bias.

[0060] The S toner image formed on the S photoconductor 1S is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 110 by the influence of the primary transfer electric field and nip pressure. The G toner image, R toner image, B toner image, and K toner image formed on the G, R, B, and K photoconductors 1G, 1R, 1B, and 1K are sequentially superimposed and primarily transferred onto this S toner image. A multi-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 110 by this superimposed primary transfer.

[0061] The multi-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 110 is secondarily transferred to a recording sheet in a secondary transfer nip described below. Residual toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 110 after passing through the secondary transfer nip is cleaned by a belt cleaning device 90 that sandwiches the belt between itself and a drive roller 15.

[0062] The secondary transfer device 22 disposed below the intermediate transfer unit 17 forms a secondary transfer nip by bringing a secondary transfer roller 23 into contact with a portion of the intermediate transfer belt 110 where the secondary transfer backup roller 16 is wound around it. A secondary transfer bias of the same polarity as the toner is applied to the secondary transfer backup roller 16, while the secondary transfer roller 23 is grounded. As a result, a secondary transfer electric field is formed in the secondary transfer nip, which electrostatically moves the multi-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 110 from the belt side toward the secondary transfer roller 23 side. The multi-color toner image is secondarily transferred onto a recording sheet fed into the secondary transfer nip by a pair of registration rollers 49 in synchronization with the multi-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 110, by the action of this secondary transfer electric field and nip pressure.

[0063] The feeding device 200, which is provided in the lower part of the housing of the printer 100, is provided with a feeding cassette 44 that stores a plurality of recording sheets stacked together in a sheet bundle, and a paper bank 43. The feeding cassette 44 and the paper bank 43 press a feeding roller 42 against the topmost recording sheet of the paper bundle. The topmost recording sheet is fed toward a feeding path 46 by rotating the feeding roller 42.

[0064] A feeding path 46 that receives recording sheets sent out from a feeding cassette 44 or a paper bank 43 has a plurality of conveying roller pairs 47 and a registration roller pair 49 provided near the end of the path. The recording sheets are conveyed toward the registration roller pair 49. The recording sheets conveyed toward the registration roller pair 49 are sandwiched between the rollers of the registration roller pair 49. Meanwhile, in the intermediate transfer unit 17, a multi-color toner image formed on an intermediate transfer belt 110 enters a secondary transfer nip as the belt moves endlessly.

[0065] The pair of registration rollers 49 sends out the recording sheet sandwiched between them at a timing that allows the recording sheet to come into contact with the multi-color toner image at the secondary transfer nip. As a result, the multi-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 110 comes into contact with the recording sheet at the secondary transfer nip. The multi-color toner image is then secondarily transferred onto the recording sheet, becoming a full-color image on the white recording sheet. The recording sheet on which the full-color image has been formed in this way leaves the secondary transfer nip as the secondary transfer roller 23 is driven to rotate, and is then sent to the fixing device 25 via a sheet transport unit equipped with a transport belt.

[0066] The fixing device 25 has a belt unit that moves the fixing belt 26 endlessly while stretching it between two rollers, and a pressure roller 27 that is pressed against one of the rollers of the belt unit. The fixing belt 26 and the pressure roller 27 come into contact with each other to form a fixing nip, and a recording sheet received from the sheet conveying unit is sandwiched in the fixing nip. Of the two rollers in the belt unit, the fixing roller that is pressed by the pressure roller 27 has an internal heat source (heater) that generates heat to heat the fixing belt 26. The heated fixing belt 26 heats the recording sheet sandwiched in the fixing nip. Due to the effect of this heat and the nip pressure, a full-color image is fixed to the recording sheet.

[0067] The recording sheet that has been subjected to the fixing process in the fixing device 25 is either stacked on a stack section protruding from the left side panel of the housing of the copier, or returned to the secondary transfer nip to form a toner image on the other side.

[0068] When copying an original, for example, a stack of sheet originals is set on the original table 31 of the automatic original feeder 400. However, if the original is a single-sided bound original that is closed like a book, it is set on the contact glass 32. Prior to this setting, the automatic original feeder 400 is opened relative to the copying machine body, and the contact glass 32 of the scanner 300 is exposed. After this, the single-sided bound original is pressed down by the closed automatic original feeder 400.

[0069] After the document is set in this manner, when the copy start switch is pressed, the document reading operation by the scanner 300 starts. However, when a sheet document is set in the automatic document feeder 400, the automatic document feeder 400 automatically conveys the sheet document to the contact glass 32 prior to the document reading operation.

[0070] In the document reading operation, first, the first traveling body 33 and the second traveling body 34 both start moving, and light is emitted from a light source provided in the first traveling body 33. Then, the light reflected from the document surface is reflected by a mirror provided in the second traveling body 34, passes through an imaging lens 35, and is then incident on the reading sensor 36. The reading sensor 36 creates image information based on the incident light.

[0071] In parallel with this document reading operation, the devices in each developing station (18S, 18G, 18R, 18B, 18K), intermediate transfer unit 17, secondary transfer device 22, and fixing device 25 start to operate. Then, based on the image information constructed by reading sensor 36, optical writing unit 21 is controlled to form S, G, R, B, and K toner images on photoconductors 1S, 1G, 1R, 1B, and 1K. These toner images are transferred onto intermediate transfer belt 110 in a superimposed state to form a multi-color toner image.

[0072] Almost simultaneously with the start of the document reading operation, a feeding operation is started in the feeding device 200. In this feeding operation, one of the feeding rollers 42 is selectively rotated to feed a recording sheet from the paper bank 43 or the feeding cassette 44. The fed recording sheets are separated one by one by the separation roller 45 and enter a reversing feeding path, and then are conveyed by the conveying roller pair toward the secondary transfer nip.

[0073] A control unit consisting of a CPU and the like that controls each device is disposed inside the housing of the printer 100. In addition, an operation display unit 500 consisting of a liquid crystal display and various key buttons and the like is disposed on the top surface of the housing. An operator can specify a single-sided print mode in which an image is formed on only one side of a recording sheet, or a double-sided print mode in which an image is formed on both sides, by sending a command to the control unit through an input operation on the operation display unit 500.

[0074] A bottle storage section 65 is provided at the top of the housing of the printer 100. The bottle storage section 65 stores toner bottles 51S, 51G, 51R, 51B, and 51K that store S toner, G toner, R toner, B toner, and K toner for refilling. Bottle drive units 52S, 52G, 52R, 52B, and 52K of toner refill devices for S, G, R, B, and K, which will be described later, are fixed to the bottle storage section 65. The bottle drive units 52S, 52G, 52R, 52B, and 52K for S, G, R, B, and K detachably hold the toner bottles 51S, 51G, 51R, 51B, and 51K.

[0075] 8, the developing stations 18S, 18G, 18R, 18B, and 18K for the respective colors are arranged so that the toner images are superimposed and primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 110 in the order of S, G, R, B, and K. However, depending on the type of special color S, it may be desired to change the order of superimposition of the colors.

[0076] For example, when a transparent color is used as the special color S, a transparent toner layer is generally formed in order to impart gloss to the image. In this case, the color order of superimposition of S, G, R, B, and K (hereinafter referred to as the default color order) may be used as shown in FIG. 8. Specifically, when the multicolor toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 110 by superimposition of the default color order is secondarily transferred to the recording sheet, the S toner is positioned at the top (surface layer side) of each color toner as shown in FIG. 9(a). When such a multicolor toner image is passed through the fixing device 25 together with the recording sheet SH, a multicolor toner image is formed on the surface of the recording sheet SH in which a K toner layer, a B toner layer, an R toner layer, a G toner layer, and a transparent toner layer are laminated in this order as shown in FIG. 9(b). The top transparent toner layer plays a role in imparting gloss to the color image.

[0077] <Computer hardware configuration> The control device 10 in this embodiment is realized by a computer. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration when the control device 10 is realized by a computer.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 10, the computer in this embodiment includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a HD 504, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0079] Of these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire computer. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as the IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501.

[0080] The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external devices are, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a printer. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the communication network N1. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501.

[0081] Moreover, the keyboard 511 is a type of input means having a plurality of keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from a DVD-RW 513 as an example of a removable recording medium. Note that this is not limited to DVD-RW, and may be DVD-R, etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a recording medium 515 such as a flash memory.

[0082] <Control system functional configuration> An example of the functional configuration of the control system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control system in this embodiment.

[0083] Control device As shown in FIG. 11, the control device 10 in this embodiment includes an environment acquisition unit 101 and an irradiation control unit 102.

[0084] The environment acquisition unit 101 and the irradiation control unit 102 are realized, for example, by processing executed by the CPU 501 and the network I / F 509 in accordance with a program loaded from the ROM 502 onto the RAM 503 shown in FIG.

[0085] The environment acquisition unit 101 acquires environmental information indicating the state of the area 90 based on sensor data acquired by the sensor 12. The environmental information in this embodiment may include the crowded state of the area 90. The environmental information in this embodiment may include information indicating a time period such as date, time and day of the week, or information indicating the weather around the facility 90. The environmental information may also use information indicating whether an area is manned or unmanned based on data acquired from the sensor 12. Note that the presence information may indicate crowded when there is a predetermined number of people or more, when a predetermined number of people continues for a predetermined period of time or more, or when the number of people at a predetermined period of time is a certain number or more.

[0086] The irradiation control unit 102 performs control to irradiate invisible light from the invisible light source 11 based on the environmental information acquired by the environment acquisition unit 101. When the congestion state included in the environmental information indicates that it is not crowded, the irradiation control unit 102 performs control to irradiate invisible light from the invisible light source 11. On the other hand, when the congestion state included in the environmental information indicates that it is crowded, the irradiation control unit 102 performs control not to irradiate invisible light from the invisible light source 11.

[0087] <Control method processing procedure> The processing procedure of the control method executed by the control system 1000 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control method in this embodiment.

[0088] In step S1, the environment acquisition unit 101 of the control device 10 acquires environment information from the sensor 12. In this embodiment, the environment information includes the congestion state of the area 90. Next, the environment acquisition unit 101 transmits the acquired environment information to the irradiation control unit 102.

[0089] Specifically, the environment acquisition unit 101 acquires the crowded state of the area 90 based on the sensor data observed by the sensor 12. When the sensor 12 is a camera, the environment acquisition unit 101 calculates the number of visitors captured in the image captured by the camera 12, and estimates the crowded state in the area 90. The number of visitors captured in the image may be, for example, the number of instances recognized as humans based on a trained object detection model. In this case, the environment acquisition unit 101 determines that the area is crowded if the number of visitors captured in the image is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and determines that the area is not crowded if the number of visitors captured in the image is less than the predetermined threshold.

[0090] When the sensor 12 is a human presence sensor, the environment acquisition unit 101 can estimate the crowded state in the area 90 based on the frequency with which the human presence sensor 12 detects humans. In this case, the environment acquisition unit 101 determines that the area is not crowded if the time that has elapsed since the human presence sensor 12 last detected a human is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and determines that the area is crowded if the time is less than the predetermined threshold. The environment acquisition unit 101 may determine that the area is crowded if the number of times the human presence sensor 12 has detected humans per unit time (for example, in the last minute) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and may determine that the area is not crowded if the number of times the human presence sensor 12 has detected humans per unit time (for example, in the last minute) is less than the predetermined threshold.

[0091] When the sensor 12 is an IC tag reader, the environment acquisition unit 101 can estimate the crowded state in the area 90 based on the frequency with which the IC tag reader 12 receives a signal. In this case, it is assumed that an IC tag is embedded in advance in the printed matter PM. The environment acquisition unit 101 determines that the area is not crowded if the time elapsed since the IC tag reader 12 last received a signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and determines that the area is crowded if the time elapsed since the IC tag reader 12 last received a signal is less than the predetermined threshold. The environment acquisition unit 101 may determine that the area is crowded if the number of times the IC tag reader 12 receives a signal per unit time (for example, in the last minute) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and may determine that the area is not crowded if the number of times is less than the predetermined threshold.

[0092] In step S2, the irradiation control unit 102 of the control device 10 receives environmental information from the environment acquisition unit 101. Next, the irradiation control unit 102 determines whether or not the environmental information acquired in step S1 satisfies a predetermined irradiation condition. The predetermined irradiation condition is, for example, that the congestion state included in the environmental information indicates that it is not crowded. The predetermined irradiation condition may be a condition related to a time period or weather. For example, the predetermined irradiation condition may be that the current time is included in the nighttime period, or that the current weather is rainy or cloudy.

[0093] If the environmental information satisfies the predetermined irradiation condition (YES), the irradiation control unit 102 advances the process to step S3. On the other hand, if the environmental information does not satisfy the predetermined irradiation condition (NO), the irradiation control unit 102 advances the process to step S4.

[0094] In step S3, the irradiation control unit 102 of the control device 10 controls the irradiation of invisible light from the invisible light source 11. That is, the irradiation control unit 102 turns on the switch of the invisible light source 11 to start emitting invisible light.

[0095] In step S4, the irradiation control unit 102 of the control device 10 performs control not to irradiate invisible light from the invisible light source 11. That is, the irradiation control unit 102 turns off the switch of the invisible light source 11 and stops irradiating invisible light. The irradiation control unit 102 may repeat the following control based on the environmental information: when the environmental information indicates the presence of a person, the irradiation control unit 102 starts control to irradiate invisible light, when it determines that the place is crowded, the irradiation control unit 102 performs control not to irradiate invisible light, and when it determines that the place is not crowded again, the irradiation control unit 102 performs control to irradiate invisible light again. When performing the control not to irradiate, the light may be turned off immediately, or the light may be stopped (turned off) after a predetermined time has elapsed after determining that the place is crowded, or the light may be gradually turned off by gradually reducing the amount of irradiation of invisible light. The amount of irradiation may be changed according to the congestion information.

[0096] The control of irradiation may be control of irradiating invisible light from an invisible light source so that an invisible image printed on the printed matter together with a visible image becomes visible, while the control of not irradiating may be control of not irradiating invisible light from an invisible light source so that an invisible image printed on the printed matter together with a visible image becomes invisible.

[0097] <Advantages of the First Embodiment> The control device 10 in this embodiment acquires environmental information indicating the state of the area 90 in which the invisible light source is installed, and controls the irradiation of invisible light from the invisible light source based on the environmental information. Since the visitor V stays in the facility 9 while holding the printed matter PM on which the invisible image is formed, the area 90 in which the invisible image can be seen becomes more attractive to the visitor V. As a result, even in a facility where the visitors V tend to concentrate in a specific area 90, the visitors V can be guided to other areas 90. In one aspect, according to this embodiment, the flow of people can be controlled without impairing the visitor's experience.

[0098] According to this embodiment, among the multiple areas 90 in the facility 9, there will be a mixture of areas 90 in which invisible images can be seen and areas 90 in which invisible images cannot be seen. For the visitor V, the invisible images become visible and invisible as he moves through the facility 9, providing a fresh experience. In this embodiment, a usage scene using a fan PF, a stamp mount SR, and the like has been described, but by using this mechanism, there is room to devise various new presentations. In one aspect, according to this embodiment, the appeal of the entire facility can be improved.

[0099] In the present embodiment, the environmental information of the control device 10 may include the crowded state of the area 90. When the area 90 is crowded, the control device 10 may perform control not to emit invisible light from the invisible light source 11. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the visitor V can be naturally guided from the crowded area 90 to the uncrowded area 90 without being aware of the crowded state.

[0100] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the control device 10 controls the invisible light sources 11 installed in one area 90 in accordance with the state of that area 90. In the second embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the control device 10 controls each of the invisible light sources 11 installed in each area 90 while taking into consideration the states of multiple areas 90 overall.

[0101] The control system in the second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0102] <Overall configuration of the control system> The overall configuration of the control system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the control system in this embodiment.

[0103] 13, a control system 1000 in this embodiment includes a control device 10, a plurality of invisible light sources 11 (11-1 to 11-3), a plurality of sensors 12 (12-1 to 12-3), and an image forming apparatus IF. The control device 10 is electrically connected to each of the invisible light sources 11-1 to 11-3 and the sensors 12-1 to 12-3.

[0104] Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the multiple invisible light sources 11, they will be described using sub-numbers such as "invisible light source 11-1," "invisible light source 11-2," etc. Similarly, when distinguishing between the multiple sensors 12, they will be described using sub-numbers such as "sensor 12-1," "sensor 12-2," etc.

[0105] The invisible light source 11-1 and the sensor 12-1 are installed in an area 90-1 of the facility 9. The invisible light source 11-2 and the sensor 12-2 are installed in an area 90-2 of the facility 9. The invisible light source 11-3 and the sensor 12-3 are installed in an area 90-3 of the facility 9. That is, one invisible light source 11 and one sensor 12 are installed in each area 90. In the example shown in FIG. 13, there are three areas 90-1 to 90-3 in the facility 9, but the number of areas 90 in the facility 9 is not limited as long as there is more than one. Furthermore, some of the areas 90 in the facility 9 may have areas 90 in which the invisible light source 11 and the sensor 12 are not installed.

[0106] <Control system functional configuration> An example of the functional configuration of the control system in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control system in this embodiment.

[0107] Control device 14, the control device 10 in this embodiment includes an environment acquisition unit 101, an illumination control unit 102, a history storage unit 103, and a light source selection unit 104. That is, the control device 10 in this embodiment includes the environment acquisition unit 101 and the illumination control unit 102, as in the first embodiment, and further includes the history storage unit 103 and the light source selection unit 104.

[0108] The environment acquisition unit 101, the irradiation control unit 102, and the light source selection unit 104 are realized, for example, by processing executed by the CPU 501 and the network I / F 509 in accordance with a program loaded from the ROM 502 onto the RAM 503 shown in FIG.

[0109] The history storage unit 103 is realized, for example, by using the HD 504 shown in Fig. 10. Reading or writing of data stored in the HD 504 is performed via an HDD controller 505, for example.

[0110] The environment acquisition unit 101 in this embodiment acquires environmental information indicating the state of each area 90 based on sensor data acquired by each of the multiple sensors 12. The environment acquisition unit 101 stores the acquired environmental information in the history storage unit 103 together with information indicating the current time zone and information indicating the area 90. At this time, the environment acquisition unit 101 may further store information indicating the current weather in the history storage unit 103. The current weather may be acquired, for example, from a weather forecast service that provides weather information via a network such as the Internet.

[0111] The environment acquisition unit 101 in this embodiment may predict the congestion state in each area 90 based on the history information of the environmental information stored in the history storage unit 103. In this case, the environment acquisition unit 101 first acquires the current time period (date, time, and day of the week) or weather. Next, the environment acquisition unit 101 extracts environmental information that matches the current time period or weather from the history information stored in the history storage unit 103. Then, the environment acquisition unit 101 performs statistical processing (for example, averaging or majority voting) on ​​the extracted environmental information. This allows the environment acquisition unit 101 to predict the current congestion state.

[0112] History information of the environmental information is stored in the history storage unit 103. The history information may be accumulated environmental information acquired by the environment acquisition unit 101, may be environmental information collected by other means and stored in advance, or may be information manually input by an administrator of the control system 1000 or the like.

[0113] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of history information in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 15, the history information in this embodiment has date and time, day of the week, weather, area, congestion, etc. The date and time is the date and time when the environmental information was acquired. The day of the week is the day of the week corresponding to the date and time. The weather is the weather when the environmental information was acquired. The area is information indicating the area where the environmental information was acquired. The congestion is a congestion state estimated based on the environmental information. The congestion state may be a numerical value or category indicating the degree of congestion, or may be a truth value indicating whether or not it is crowded.

[0114] The light source selection unit 104 selects invisible light sources 11 that emit invisible light rays, based on the environmental information acquired by the environment acquisition unit 101. For example, the light source selection unit 104 may select invisible light sources 11 installed in areas 90 with a relatively low level of congestion. In this case, the light source selection unit 104 may arrange the areas 90 in order of least crowded state, and select invisible light sources 11 installed in a predetermined number of areas 90 with the least crowded state.

[0115] The irradiation control unit 102 in this embodiment performs control to irradiate invisible light from the invisible light source 11 selected by the light source selection unit 104. The irradiation control unit 102 performs control not to irradiate invisible light from the invisible light source 11 not selected by the light source selection unit 104.

[0116] <Control method processing procedure> The processing procedure of the control method executed by the control system 1000 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control method in this embodiment.

[0117] In step S11, the environment acquisition unit 101 of the control device 10 acquires environmental information from the sensor 12. In this embodiment, the environmental information includes the congestion state of the area 90, information indicating the current time zone, and information indicating the current weather. Next, the environment acquisition unit 101 extracts environmental information that matches the current time zone and weather from the history storage unit 103. Then, the environment acquisition unit 101 predicts current environmental information based on the environmental information acquired from the sensor 12 and the environmental information extracted from the history storage unit 103. Then, the environment acquisition unit 101 stores the predicted environmental information in the history storage unit 103. In addition, the environment acquisition unit 101 sends the acquired environmental information to the light source selection unit 104.

[0118] In step S12, the light source selection unit 104 of the control device 10 receives the environment information from the environment acquisition unit 101. Next, the light source selection unit 104 selects an invisible light source 11 that emits invisible light based on the environment information. Then, the light source selection unit 104 sends selection information indicating the selected invisible light source 11 to the irradiation control unit 102.

[0119] In step S13, the illumination control unit 102 of the control device 10 receives selection information from the light source selection unit 104. Next, the illumination control unit 102 selects an invisible light source 11 to be controlled. Then, the illumination control unit 102 determines whether or not the selected invisible light source 11 has already been selected by the light source selection unit 104. Specifically, the illumination control unit 102 determines whether or not the invisible light source 11 to be controlled is indicated in the selection information.

[0120] If the invisible light source 11 has been selected (YES), the irradiation control unit 102 advances the process to step S14. If the invisible light source 11 has not been selected (NO), the irradiation control unit 102 advances the process to step S15.

[0121] In step S14, the irradiation control unit 102 of the control device 10 controls the irradiation of invisible light from the invisible light source 11 to be controlled. That is, the irradiation control unit 102 turns on the switch of the invisible light source 11 to be controlled, and starts emitting invisible light.

[0122] In step S15, the irradiation control unit 102 of the control device 10 performs control so as not to irradiate invisible light from the invisible light source 11 to be controlled. That is, the irradiation control unit 102 turns off the switch of the invisible light source 11 to be controlled to stop irradiating invisible light.

[0123] The processes from step S13 to step S15 are repeatedly executed for all invisible light sources 11. As a result, the invisible light source 11 selected in step S12 (an example of one invisible light source) is controlled to irradiate invisible light, and the invisible light source 11 not selected in step S12 (an example of the other invisible light source) is controlled not to irradiate invisible light. Details of the control of each invisible light source 11 to irradiate or not irradiate invisible light can be similar to those of the first embodiment. Also, each invisible light source 11 that is controlled based on environmental information and each invisible light source 11 that is controlled regardless of environmental information (an invisible light source that always irradiates and an invisible light source that never irradiates) may be provided for each area.

[0124] <Effects of the second embodiment> The control device 10 in this embodiment performs control so that invisible light is emitted from the invisible light source 11 installed in at least one area 90, and invisible light is not emitted from the invisible light sources 11 installed in the other areas 90. Among the multiple areas 90 in the facility 9, there will be a mixture of areas 90 in which invisible images can be seen and areas 90 in which invisible images cannot be seen, and the areas 90 in which invisible images can be seen will be more attractive to visitors V. In one aspect, according to this embodiment, it is possible to control the flow of people without impairing the experience of the visitors.

[0125] The control device 10 in this embodiment may predict the current crowded state based on information indicating the time period or weather and historical information on the crowded state. In many facilities, the number of visitors and the customer base differ depending on the time period, such as weekdays or holidays, or morning, daytime, or nighttime, so the areas that tend to be crowded may change depending on the time period. Similarly, the number of visitors and the customer base change depending on the weather, so the areas that tend to be crowded may change depending on the weather. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to control the invisible light source depending on the tendency of the crowded state.

[0126] [Other embodiments] In each of the above embodiments, invisible light is irradiated according to the state of each area 90 in the facility 9, but a specific area 90 may be controlled to be irradiated with invisible light at all times, or not irradiated with invisible light at all times. For example, an area that is expected to be constantly crowded, such as a special exhibition area, may be controlled not to irradiate invisible light at all times. Also, for example, an area where it is desired to attract as many visitors as possible, such as a shop, may be controlled to irradiate invisible light at all times.

[0127] [supplement] Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and a device such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or a conventional circuit module designed to execute each function described above.

[0128] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0129] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> A control device for controlling an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person is present, the person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed, an environment acquisition unit that acquires environment information indicating a state of the space; an irradiation control unit that controls irradiation of the invisible light from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A control device comprising: <2> the above <1> The control device according to the present invention comprises: The environmental information includes a congestion state of the space. Control device. <3> the above <2> The control device according to the present invention comprises: the irradiation control unit performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays from the invisible light source when the crowded state indicates that the crowded area is not crowded. Control device. <4> A control device for controlling a plurality of invisible light sources installed in each of a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed is present, and an irradiation control unit that performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays from at least one of the invisible light sources installed in the space and not irradiate the invisible light rays from the invisible light sources installed in the other spaces. Control device. <5> the above <4> The control device according to the present invention comprises: an environment acquisition unit that acquires environment information indicating a state of the space; a light source selection unit that selects the invisible light source that emits the invisible light based on the environmental information; The control device further comprises: <6> the above <5> The control device according to the present invention comprises: The environmental information includes a congestion state of the space, the light source selection unit selects the invisible light source installed in the space that indicates that the crowded state is not crowded. Control device. <7> the above <2> , <3> or <6> The control device according to the present invention comprises: The environment acquisition unit predicts the current congestion state based on information related to a time period or weather and history information about the congestion state. Control device. <8> the above <1> from <7> The control device according to any one of the above, The printed matter is distributed to the person who enters the facility having the space. Control device. <9> the above <8> The control device according to the present invention comprises: The printed matter includes a fan, a ticket, a pamphlet, or a stamp sheet. Control device. <10> the above <8> or <9> The control device according to the present invention comprises: The facility includes an aquarium, a museum, a theme park, or an amusement facility. Control device. <11> the above <5> or <6> The control device according to the present invention comprises: The invisible light is ultraviolet light, the invisible light source is a black light that irradiates the ultraviolet light, the invisible image that is visible under invisible light is an image in which an invisible color material containing a phosphor is printed on a recording medium, the printed matter has both the invisible image and a visible image formed by a visible color material printed thereon, The irradiation control unit is performing control to irradiate the invisible light from one of the invisible light sources so that the invisible image printed on the printed matter together with the visible image becomes visible based on the environmental information; performing control such that the invisible light is not emitted from the other invisible light source so that the invisible image printed on the printed matter together with the visible image becomes invisible; Control device. <12> the above <11> The control device according to the present invention comprises: The irradiation control unit starts the control of irradiating the invisible light rays when the environmental information indicates the presence of a person, and then performs control not to irradiate the invisible light rays when it is determined that the area is crowded, and further performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays again when it is determined that the area is not crowded again. Control device. <13> the above <12> The control device according to the present invention comprises: When performing the control not to irradiate, the irradiation control unit stops irradiating the invisible light after a predetermined time has elapsed after determining that the area is crowded. Control device. <14> an image forming device for forming an invisible image on an image forming medium, the invisible image being visible under invisible light; an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person holding a printed matter on which the invisible image is formed is present; A control device for controlling the invisible light source; A control system comprising: The control device includes: an environment acquisition unit that acquires environment information indicating a state of the space; an irradiation control unit that controls irradiation of the invisible light from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A control system comprising: <15> an image forming device for forming an invisible image on an image forming medium, the invisible image being visible under invisible light; a plurality of invisible light sources installed in a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which the invisible image is formed is present; A control device for controlling the invisible light source; A control system comprising: The control device includes: and an irradiation control unit that performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays from at least one of the invisible light sources installed in the space and not irradiate the invisible light rays from the invisible light sources installed in the other spaces. Control system. <16> A control device for controlling an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person is present, the person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed, acquiring environmental information indicating a state of the space; A step of controlling irradiation of the invisible light rays from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A control method for performing the above. <17> a control device for controlling a plurality of invisible light sources installed in each of a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed is present, executing a step of controlling the invisible light source installed in at least one of the spaces to emit the invisible light rays, and the invisible light sources installed in the other spaces not to emit the invisible light rays; Control methods. <18> A control device for controlling an invisible light source installed in a space where a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed is located, acquiring environmental information indicating a state of the space; A step of controlling irradiation of the invisible light rays from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A program for executing. <19> A control device controls a plurality of invisible light sources installed in each of a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed stays, A program for executing a procedure for controlling the emission of invisible light from at least one of the invisible light sources installed in the space, and the emission of invisible light from other invisible light sources installed in the space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] IF Image forming device 10 Control device 11 Invisible light source 12 Sensors 101 Environmental Acquisition Department 102 Irradiation control unit 103 History memory unit 104 Light source selection section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0131] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-204136 A

Claims

1. A control device for controlling an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person is present, the person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed, an environment acquisition unit that acquires environment information indicating a state of the space; an irradiation control unit that controls irradiation of the invisible light from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A control device comprising:

2. The control device according to claim 1 , The environmental information includes a congestion state of the space. Control device.

3. The control device according to claim 2, the irradiation control unit performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays from the invisible light source when the crowded state indicates that the crowded area is not crowded. Control device.

4. A control device for controlling a plurality of invisible light sources installed in each of a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed is present, an irradiation control unit that performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays from at least one of the invisible light sources installed in the space and not irradiate the invisible light rays from the invisible light sources installed in the other spaces; Control device.

5. The control device according to claim 4, an environment acquisition unit that acquires environment information indicating a state of the space; a light source selection unit that selects the invisible light source that emits the invisible light based on the environmental information; The control device further comprises:

6. The control device according to claim 5, The environmental information includes a congestion state of the space, the light source selection unit selects the invisible light source installed in the space that indicates that the crowded state is not crowded. Control device.

7. The control device according to claim 2 or 6, The environment acquisition unit predicts the current congestion state based on information related to a time period or weather and history information about the congestion state. Control device.

8. 7. The control device according to claim 1, The printed matter is distributed to a person who enters a facility having the space. Control device.

9. The control device according to claim 8, The printed matter includes a fan, a ticket, a pamphlet, or a stamp sheet. Control device.

10. The control device according to claim 8, The facility includes an aquarium, a museum, a theme park, or an amusement facility. Control device.

11. The control device according to claim 5, The invisible light is ultraviolet light, the invisible light source is a black light that irradiates the ultraviolet light, the invisible image that is visible under invisible light is an image in which an invisible color material containing a phosphor is printed on a recording medium, the printed matter has both the invisible image and a visible image formed by a visible color material printed thereon, The irradiation control unit is performing control to irradiate the invisible light from one of the invisible light sources so that the invisible image printed on the printed matter together with the visible image becomes visible based on the environmental information; performing control such that the invisible light is not emitted from the other invisible light source so that the invisible image printed on the printed matter together with the visible image becomes invisible; Control device.

12. The control device according to claim 11, The irradiation control unit starts the control of irradiating the invisible light rays when the environmental information indicates the presence of a person, and then performs control not to irradiate the invisible light rays when it is determined that the area is crowded, and further performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays again when it is determined that the area is not crowded again. Control device.

13. The control device according to claim 12, When performing the control not to irradiate, the irradiation control unit stops irradiating the invisible light after a predetermined time has elapsed after determining that the area is crowded. Control device.

14. an image forming device for forming an invisible image on an image forming medium, the invisible image being visible under invisible light; an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person holding a printed matter on which the invisible image is formed is present; A control device for controlling the invisible light source; A control system comprising: The control device includes: an environment acquisition unit that acquires environment information indicating a state of the space; an irradiation control unit that controls irradiation of the invisible light from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A control system comprising:

15. an image forming device for forming an invisible image on an image forming medium, the invisible image being visible under invisible light; a plurality of invisible light sources installed in a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which the invisible image is formed is present; A control device for controlling the invisible light source; A control system comprising: The control device includes: an irradiation control unit that performs control to irradiate the invisible light rays from at least one of the invisible light sources installed in the space and not irradiate the invisible light rays from the invisible light sources installed in the other spaces; Control system.

16. A control device for controlling an invisible light source installed in a space in which a person is present, the person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed, acquiring environmental information indicating a state of the space; A step of controlling irradiation of the invisible light rays from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A control method for performing the above.

17. a control device for controlling a plurality of invisible light sources installed in each of a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed is present, executing a procedure of controlling the invisible light source installed in at least one of the spaces to emit the invisible light rays and the invisible light sources installed in the other spaces not to emit the invisible light rays; Control methods.

18. A control device for controlling an invisible light source installed in a space where a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed is located, acquiring environmental information indicating a state of the space; A step of controlling irradiation of the invisible light rays from the invisible light source based on the environmental information; A program for executing the above.

19. A control device controls a plurality of invisible light sources installed in each of a plurality of spaces in which a person holding a printed matter on which an invisible image that is visible under invisible light is formed stays, A program for executing a procedure for controlling the emission of invisible light from at least one of the invisible light sources installed in the space, and the emission of invisible light from other invisible light sources installed in the space.

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