Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image-forming apparatus capable of detecting a user using the image-forming apparatus even when two covers are placed in front of the human sensor that detects a user using the image-forming apparatus.SOLUTION: The image-forming apparatus includes: a human sensor 32 that detects a user using the apparatus; a black cover 34 placed in front of the human sensor 32; and a transparent cover 33 placed in front of the black cover 34, which is configured not to hinder the human sensor 32 from detecting detect objects.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an image processing apparatus that, when detecting a moving body (user) with a human sensor, uses a commercial power supply as a power source and determines whether to supply power to various devices or the like to transition to a standby mode or to transition back to a sleep mode according to the situation of the moving body, thereby suppressing wasteful power consumption.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an image forming apparatus, a human sensor for detecting a user who uses the apparatus is provided, and the operation of the apparatus is controlled using the detection result of this human sensor. Conventionally, in order to make this human sensor invisible to the user, a cover such as black is provided in front of the human sensor.

[0005] In recent years, for design reasons, for example, a transparent cover may be provided on the front of the image forming apparatus. However, if such a transparent cover is provided overlapping in front of the human sensor, there is a possibility that the human sensor cannot correctly detect a user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of detecting a user who uses the image forming apparatus even when two covers are provided in front of a human sensor for detecting a user who uses the image forming apparatus.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] The image forming apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a human sensor that detects a user who uses the apparatus itself, and a first cover installed in front of the human sensor, and a second cover disposed in front of the first cover and configured not to interfere with the detection of the detection object by the human sensor.

[0008] The image forming apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the first cover is black.

[0009] The image forming apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, wherein the second cover is transparent.

[0010] The image forming apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the first cover is a cover having a structure that prevents the human sensor from being visually recognized from the outside.

[0011] The image forming apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the second cover is a cover having a structure that allows the first cover to be visually recognized from the outside.

[0012] The image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the human sensor includes a light source that irradiates measurement light and a position detection element that detects a position where the reflected light of the measurement light is received, and is a distance measurement sensor that measures the distance to a detection object based on the output value of the position detection element.

[0013] The image forming apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein the second cover is made of a material that can transmit the wavelength of the measurement light used by the human sensor.

[0014] The image forming apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein the second cover is made of a material having a transmittance of 70% or more in a wavelength band of light of 800 nm or more and 940 nm or less.

[0015] The image forming apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein with the second cover covering the human presence sensor, the distance between the first cover and the second cover is configured to be a distance that does not interfere with the detection of a detection object by the human presence sensor.

[0016] The image forming apparatus according to the tenth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the ninth aspect, wherein with the second cover covering the human presence sensor, the distance between the first cover and the second cover is configured to be 5 cm or less.

[0017] The image forming apparatus according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the second cover is configured to be openable and closable on the front of the apparatus, and is configured to be transitionable between a state of covering the human presence sensor and a state of not covering it.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the image forming apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, even when two covers are provided in front of a human presence sensor that detects a user using the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user using the image forming apparatus.

[0019]

[0020] According to the image forming apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, even when two covers are provided in front of a human presence sensor that detects a user using the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user using the image forming apparatus.

[0021] ​ According to the image forming apparatus of the fourth aspect of the present invention, even when two covers including a cover that makes the human presence sensor not visible from the outside are provided in front of the human presence sensor that detects a user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0022] According to the image forming apparatus of the fifth aspect of the present invention, even when two covers including a cover having a structure that allows the rear cover to be visible from the outside are provided in front of the human presence sensor that detects a user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0023] According to the image forming apparatus of the sixth aspect of the present invention, even when two covers are provided in front of the human presence sensor that measures the distance to the user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0024] According to the image forming apparatus of the seventh aspect of the present invention, even when two covers are provided in front of the human presence sensor that measures the distance to the user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0025] According to the image forming apparatus of the eighth aspect of the present invention, even when two covers are provided in front of the human presence sensor that measures the distance to the user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0026] According to the image forming apparatus of the ninth aspect of the present invention, even when two covers are provided in front of the human presence sensor that measures the distance to the user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0027] According to the image forming apparatus of the tenth aspect of the present invention, even when two covers are provided in front of the human presence sensor that measures the distance to the user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect the user who uses the image forming apparatus.

[0028] According to the image forming apparatus of the 11th aspect of the present invention, since a cover configured to be openable and closable is provided on the front of the apparatus, even when two covers are provided in front of a human sensor that detects a user who uses the image forming apparatus, it is possible to detect a user who uses the image forming apparatus.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0029]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0031] FIG. 1 is an external view for explaining the schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, only the configuration related to the description of the present invention is shown, and other configurations are omitted.

[0032] The image forming apparatus 10 is a so-called multifunction device having a plurality of functions such as a printing function, a scanning function, a copying function, and a facsimile function. In this image forming apparatus 10, a discharge tray 31 for discharging printed paper is provided inside the body at the upper part of the apparatus. Also, a human presence sensor 32 for detecting a user who uses the apparatus itself is provided on the left side of the front surface of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0033] And a transparent cover 33 is provided in front of the location where the discharge tray 31 is provided. This transparent cover 33 is provided for design reasons so that the front shape of the image forming apparatus 10 looks flat. Note that the transparent cover 33 is made of a transparent material, and the paper discharged into the discharge tray 31 can be seen through the transparent cover 33.

[0034] Here, for design reasons, the transparent cover 33 has the same length as the width of the apparatus and has a structure that covers the human presence sensor 32 provided on the left side of the discharge tray 31. However, in the present embodiment, even if the transparent cover 33 does not have the same length as the width of the apparatus, a configuration in which the transparent cover 33 is located in front of the human presence sensor 32 may be employed.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, this transparent cover 33 is configured to be openable and closable in the front of the image forming apparatus 10, and is configured to be able to transition between a state of covering the human presence sensor 32 and a state of not covering it. By opening the transparent cover 33, the paper discharged into the discharge tray 31 becomes clearly visible, so that a user who prefers such a state can use the image forming apparatus 10 with the transparent cover 33 open.

[0036] Note that the human presence sensor 32 is provided inside the image forming apparatus 10, and in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cover that conceals the human presence sensor is indicated by a dashed line for simplicity of explanation, and is referred to as the human presence sensor 32.

[0037] As the human presence sensor 32, for example, a distance measuring sensor that includes a light source that irradiates measurement light and a position detection element that detects the position where the reflected light of the measurement light is received, and measures the distance to the detection target based on the output value of the position detection element to detect the distance to the user can be used. A state in which the human presence sensor 32 detects a user approaching to use the apparatus is shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the light emitted from the human presence sensor 32 is reflected by the user, and by the reflected light entering the human presence sensor 32, it becomes possible to measure the distance between the image forming apparatus 10 and the user.

[0038] Note that in this embodiment, the case where a distance measuring sensor is used as the human presence sensor 32 will be described, but any sensor may be used as long as it can detect a user who uses the apparatus.

[0039] And in the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, for example, by detecting a user who uses the apparatus itself using this human presence sensor 32, control is performed to return the apparatus itself from the power saving state to the normal operation state. Here, the normal operation state means a state in which power is supplied to each unit constituting the image forming apparatus 10 and various functions provided in the image forming apparatus 10 can be used. Further, the power saving state is a state in which the power supply to each unit constituting the image forming apparatus 10 is partially stopped and the power consumption is reduced as compared with the normal operation state.

[0040] Next, the structure of the human presence sensor 32 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0041] The human presence sensor 32 includes an LED 41 and a PSD (abbreviation for Position Sensitive Detector) 42. Note that FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation principle and structure of the human presence sensor 32, and the structure of the optical system such as a lens is omitted from the explanation.

[0042] The LED 41 emits light toward a detection object 71 such as a user to be measured. The light emitted by the LED 41 is reflected by the detection object 71 and enters the PSD 42. Then, the spot position where the reflected light from the detection object 71 enters the PSD 42 changes depending on the distance D between the detection object 71 and the human presence sensor 32.

[0043] That is, the spot position changes when the position of the detection object 71 is far from the human presence sensor 32 and the distance D becomes long, and when the position of the detection object 71 is close to the human presence sensor 32 and the distance D becomes short.

[0044] And the PSD 42 is configured such that the output voltage Vout changes according to the spot position where the reflected light enters. Therefore, by detecting this output voltage Vout, the spot position is specified, and the distance D to the detection object is calculated by triangulation from the spot position and the distance between the PSD 42 and the LED 41.

[0045] Here, in the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, a black cover is provided in front of the human presence sensor 32. That is, when the transparent cover 33 is closed, two covers are provided in front of the human presence sensor 32. This black cover may be a structure for preventing the human presence sensor 32 from being visually recognized from the outside. Here, being unable to be visually recognized from the outside is not limited to the case where it cannot be visually recognized at all, but also includes the case where it is difficult to visually recognize but can be faintly visually recognized.

[0046] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes a human presence sensor 32 that detects a user who uses the apparatus itself, a black cover 34 installed in front of the human presence sensor 32, and a transparent cover 33 disposed in front of the black cover 34 and configured not to interfere with the detection of a detection object by the human presence sensor 32. Therefore, there are two covers, namely the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33, in front of the human presence sensor 32. As a result, the light emitted from the LED 41 of the human presence sensor 32 passes through the black cover 34, then passes through the transparent cover 33, is reflected by the detection object 71, and then passes through the transparent cover 33 and the black cover 34 again and is incident on the PSD 42.

[0047] Here, the transparent cover 33 is a cover having a structure that allows the black cover 34 to be visually recognized from the outside. However, even the transparent cover 33 cannot transmit all light and reflects some light. Therefore, if the light emitted from the LED 41 of the human presence sensor 32 is reflected by the transparent cover 33 after passing through the black cover 34 and is incident on the PSD 42, the distance to the user cannot be correctly detected and the user who uses the apparatus itself cannot be detected.

[0048] For these reasons, even when the transparent cover 33 is closed and there are two covers, namely the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33, in front of the human presence sensor 32, it is necessary to be able to correctly detect the distance to the user.

[0049] Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, even when a black cover 34 is installed in front of the human sensor 32 for detecting a user who uses the apparatus itself and a transparent cover 33 is disposed in front of the black cover 34, the transparent cover 33 is configured not to prevent the human sensor 32 from detecting the user who is the detection target.

[0050] Specifically, the transparent cover 33 is made of a material that can transmit the wavelength of the measurement light used by the human sensor 32. For example, when the light emitted from the LED 41 is near-infrared light, the transparent cover 33 is made of a material having a transmittance of 70% or more in a wavelength band of 800 nm or more and 940 nm or less.

[0051] Also, the distance between the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 affects the detection of the detection target by the human sensor 32.

[0052] Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, with the transparent cover 33 covering the human sensor 32, the distance between the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 is configured to be a distance that does not prevent the human sensor 32 from detecting the detection target.

[0053] Specifically, with the transparent cover 33 covering the human sensor 32, the distance between the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 is configured to be 5 cm or less.

[0054] The reason for configuring the distance between the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 to be 5 cm or less in order to enable detection of the user even when the two covers, the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33, are provided in front of the human sensor 32 will be described below.

[0055] First, FIG. 6 shows a state where there is no transparent cover 33, that is, a state where the light from the human sensor 32 passes only through the black cover 34 and is reflected back by the user 90.

[0056] An example of the relationship between the output voltage Vout of PSD42 and the distance to the user 90 in the state shown in FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. 7. Referring to FIG. 7, it can be seen that as the distance to the user 90 decreases, the voltage value of the output voltage Vout of PSD42 increases.

[0057] For example, when the distance D to the user 90 is 60 cm, the output voltage Vout of PSD42 is about 0.5 V, and when the distance to the user 90 is 20 cm, the output voltage Vout of PSD42 is about 1.25 V.

[0058] By detecting such an output voltage Vout of PSD24, the distance to the user 90 can be measured.

[0059] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, when the distance from the human presence sensor 32 to the black cover 34 is distance A and the distance between the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 is distance B, the distance from the human presence sensor 32 to the transparent cover 33 is distance A + B. By making this distance B as close to 0 as possible, that is, by arranging the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 as close to each other as possible, it should be possible to reduce the false detection due to the reflected light of the transparent cover 33. However, due to design reasons, it is not possible to make this distance B zero.

[0060] Next, FIG. 8 shows the state when the transparent cover 33 is provided in front of the human presence sensor 32, that is, when the light from the human presence sensor 32 passes through both the black cover 34 and the transparent cover.

[0061] An example of the relationship between the output voltage Vout of PSD42 and the distance between the transparent cover 33 and the black cover 34 in the state shown in FIG. 8 is shown in FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 9, when the distance between the transparent cover 33 and the black cover 34 is 0, that is, in a state where it can be regarded as a single cover, it can be seen that the voltage value of the output voltage Vout of PSD42 is approximately 0V. However, as the black cover 34 is gradually separated from the transparent cover 33 and the distance between the transparent cover 33 and the black cover 34 becomes longer, it can be seen that the voltage value of the output voltage Vout of PSD42 increases. For example, when the distance between the transparent cover 33 and the black cover 34 is 20 cm, the output voltage Vout of PSD42 is about 1.0 V. And if the distance between the transparent cover 33 and the black cover 34 is made even longer, the output voltage Vout of PSD42 also gradually decreases.

[0062] Even when the user 90 to be detected is not present in this way, there may be a case where the output voltage Vout becomes large due to the presence of the transparent cover 33. Therefore, by making the voltage value of the output voltage Vout due to the reflected light from the transparent cover 33 as low as possible, the influence on the output voltage Vout based on the distance to the detection target 71 can be reduced. For example, if the voltage value of the output voltage Vout due to the reflected light from the transparent cover 33 is set to 0.3 V or less, it will not have a great influence when detecting the distance to the detection target 71. Therefore, by adjusting the distance between the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 with the transparent cover 33 covering the human sensor 32, the influence on the output voltage Vout of PSD42 due to the reflected light of the transparent cover 33 can be reduced to a practically acceptable level. For example, by setting the distance between the black cover 34 and the transparent cover 33 to 5 cm or less, a distance can be realized that can reduce the influence on the output voltage Vout of PSD42 due to the reflected light of the transparent cover 33 to a practically acceptable level.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the case where the black cover 34 is provided in front of the human presence sensor 32 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case, and the present invention is equally applicable even when a cover of a color other than black is provided in front of the human presence sensor 32, not limited to black.

[0064] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the case where the cover disposed on the front side of the black cover 34 is the transparent cover 33 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case, and the cover may be a cover of a color other than transparent as long as it is made of a material capable of transmitting the emitted light from the human presence sensor 32, not limited to transparent.

[0065] Also, in the present embodiment described above, the user who uses the image forming apparatus 10 is detected by one human presence sensor 32. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case, and the present invention includes cases where the user is detected by two human presence sensors.

[0066] For example, the presence or absence of a user may be detected by using two human presence sensors: a distance measuring sensor such as the human presence sensor 32 described above and a pyroelectric sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of surrounding users in a wide detection range. Since the distance measuring sensor consumes a large amount of power for emitting its own detection light, it is set to a standby state in a power saving state, and when the pyroelectric sensor alone detects that a user is approaching the image forming apparatus 10, the distance measuring sensor is activated to measure the distance to the user when the pyroelectric sensor detects the user.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0067] 10 Image forming apparatus 31 Discharge tray 32 Human presence sensor 33 Transparent cover 34 Black cover 41 LED 42 PSD 71 Detection object 90 User

Claims

1. A human presence sensor that detects a user who uses the device, A first black cover installed in front of the human presence sensor, A second cover disposed in front of the first cover and configured not to interfere with the detection of a detection object by the human presence sensor, An image forming apparatus comprising the above.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second cover is transparent.

3. A human presence sensor that detects a user who uses the device, A first cover installed in front of the human presence sensor, A second cover disposed in front of the first cover and configured not to interfere with the detection of a detection object by the human presence sensor, and The first cover is a cover having a structure that prevents the human presence sensor from being visually recognized from the outside, An image forming apparatus.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second cover is a cover having a structure that allows the first cover to be visually recognized from the outside.

5. The human presence sensor includes a light source that irradiates measurement light and a position detection element that detects a position where the reflected light of the measurement light is received, and is a distance measurement sensor that measures the distance to a detection object based on the output value of the position detection element. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second cover is made of a material that can transmit the wavelength of the measurement light used by the human presence sensor.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second cover is made of a material having a transmittance of 70% or more in a wavelength band of 800 nm or more and 940 nm or less of light.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in a state where the second cover covers the human presence sensor, the distance between the first cover and the second cover is configured to be a distance that does not interfere with the detection of a detection object by the human presence sensor.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in a state where the second cover covers the human presence sensor, the distance between the first cover and the second cover is configured to be 5 cm or less.

10. A human presence sensor that detects a user who uses the device, A first cover installed in front of the human presence sensor, A second cover disposed in front of the first cover and configured not to interfere with the detection of a detection object by the human presence sensor, and The second cover is configured to be openable and closable at the front of the apparatus, and is configured to be transitionable between a state of covering the human sensor and a state of not covering it. An image forming apparatus.

Images