Operation input device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To obtain a satisfactory tactile sense of a vibration response in vibrating an operation panel installed on a floor type apparatus such as an image forming apparatus as the operation response even when the situation or the operation state of the operation panel is different.SOLUTION: The present invention is applied to an operation input device that, when detecting an operation of an operation panel by a user, vibrates the operation panel attached to an apparatus body with a vibration element to perform notification to the user. Here, in driving the vibration element, when detecting operation input from the operation panel, the operation input device selects at least one vibration direction from a plurality of types of vibration directions before driving the vibration element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation input device and an image forming apparatus, and particularly to a technique for vibrating an operation panel portion of the apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in portable terminals such as smartphones, various types of practical applications have been made for performing vibration notifications as a response to operations on a touch panel or the like. That is, a vibration element called a vibrator is built into the portable terminal, and as a response when a touch is detected on the touch panel, the portable terminal is vibrated by the vibration element for a preset time to perform an operation response by vibration to the user who holds the portable terminal.

[0003] In the case of a portable terminal such as a smartphone, since the user holds the portable terminal during operation, the vibration by the vibration element is directly transmitted to the hand. Therefore, the location where the vibration is generated by the vibration element does not need to be related to the pressing position on the touch panel, and it is sufficient that the vibration is uniformly transmitted to the hand that is holding it. Generally, the back surface of the terminal is configured to vibrate strongly.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for presenting a plurality of levels of tactile sensations to a user by changing the tactile sensation presented according to the position where the user touches the panel in a tactile presentation device provided with a touch panel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] As described in Patent Document 1, it has been proposed that even in stationary devices such as digital multifunction printers, the operation panel, such as a touch panel, responds to operation with vibration. In the case of stationary equipment, when operating the control panel, the operator only touches the equipment with their fingertips, and the control panel itself is held by the stationary equipment.

[0007] For stationary equipment to transmit vibrations to the operator's fingertips, the control panel needs to vibrate. However, the control panels of stationary equipment are often large, and the touchable area of ​​the control panel is spread across various regions. On the other hand, the placement of the vibration elements is fixed to specific locations for each device, so the intensity of the vibration transmitted to the operator's finger will vary depending on the area of ​​the control panel touched. As a result, depending on where the control panel is touched, the operator may not be able to correctly perceive the vibration response.

[0008] In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when the control panel is vibrated by a vibration element, a technique is described in which the vibration amount is set based on the mounting position of the vibration element and corrected to provide a nearly uniform vibration to each part of the control panel. However, when vibration is applied to the fingertips in response, the sensation received by the operator varies from person to person depending on differences in how the operator's fingertips perceive things and how they touch the control panel with their fingertips. Therefore, even if the same vibration is always applied, some operators may not perceive a vibration response.

[0009] Furthermore, in recent years, to improve the operability of digital multifunction printers, the installation angle of the control panel is sometimes made adjustable, or the control panel is configured to be freely rotated vertically and horizontally. However, if the vibration direction of the vibration element is unidirectional, when the angle or orientation of the control panel is changed, the direction of vibration changes, altering the tactile sensation and intensity of the vibration felt by the operator when using the touch panel.

[0010] The present invention aims to provide an operation input device and an image forming apparatus that can obtain a good tactile vibration response when vibrating an operation panel installed on a stationary device as an operation response, even when the state of the operation panel or the operating conditions differ. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The operation input device of the present invention detects user operation of the operation panel, and when this operation is detected, the operation panel, which is attached to the main body of the device via a vibration-absorbing member and is capable of vibrating when detached from the main body of the device, is activated. of This is an operation input device that notifies the user by vibrating a vibration element attached to the control panel, wherein the vibration element can be selectively set to one or more of several vibration directions when vibrating the control panel, and when vibration in the set direction is transmitted to the control panel, the control panel also vibrates in the same direction. A storage unit that stores at least multiple types of information on the direction of vibration as vibration driving conditions for vibrating a vibration element, A vibration control unit, upon detecting an operation input from the control panel, selects at least one of several vibration directions and drives the vibration element in the corresponding vibration direction. A user authentication unit that identifies or authenticates the user, Equipped with The memory unit stores vibration directions associated with each user pre-registered by the user authentication unit, reads out the vibration direction corresponding to the user identified or authenticated by the user authentication unit, and the vibration control unit drives the vibration element in the corresponding direction. It is characterized by the following:

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that performs image forming on a medium. The image forming apparatus is equipped with a vibration element attached to the main body of the apparatus, which is attached to the apparatus via a vibration-absorbing member and is detached from the main body of the apparatus. When user operation of the control panel is detected, the control panel vibrates to notify the user. The vibration element allows for the selective setting of one or more of a plurality of vibration directions when vibrating the control panel. The vibration in the set direction is transmitted to the control panel, causing the control panel to vibrate in the same direction. A storage unit that stores at least multiple types of information on the direction of vibration as vibration driving conditions for vibrating a vibration element, A vibration control unit, upon detecting an operation input from the control panel, selects one of several vibration directions stored in the vibration condition memory unit and drives the vibration element in the corresponding vibration direction. A user authentication unit that identifies or authenticates the user, Equipped with The memory unit stores vibration directions associated with each user pre-registered by the user authentication unit, reads out the vibration direction corresponding to the user identified or authenticated by the user authentication unit, and the vibration control unit drives the vibration element in the corresponding direction. It is characterized by the following: Characterized by comprising.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, by changing the vibration direction according to the state of the operation panel and the usage conditions, even when the state of the operation panel and the usage conditions are different, a good vibration response touch can be given to the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a configuration diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing an example of a control configuration of an apparatus according to a first embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an operation unit according to a first embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an operation panel unit according to a first embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart showing a basic control example of a vibration control unit according to a first embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the difference in sensation due to the difference in vibration direction. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the change in vibration direction due to the orientation of the operation panel. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of vibration elements according to a first embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing a detailed control example of a vibration control unit according to a first embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an example of an operation panel according to a second embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the tilt operation (a) and rotation operation (b) of an operation panel according to a second embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the change in vibration direction during the tilt operation and rotation operation of an operation panel according to a second embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. is a diagram showing an example of setting the vibration direction during the tilt operation and the rotation operation of the operation panel according to the second embodiment example of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. is a flowchart showing a control example of the vibration control unit according to the second embodiment example of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, each embodiment example of the present invention will be described in order with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment example described below, the same reference numerals are given to common parts, and duplicate explanations are omitted.

[0016] [1. First Embodiment Example] The first embodiment example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. 1 shows an example of the image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment example. The image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment example is a digital multi-function peripheral called an MFP (MultiFunction Peripheral). The digital multi-function peripheral has functions such as a copier, an image scanner, a facsimile, in addition to the function as a printer that forms an image on paper (medium).

[0017] The image forming apparatus 100 includes a paper cassette 101, an image forming unit 102, a paper discharge unit 103, a document reading unit 104, and an operation panel unit 110. The image forming unit 102 performs an image forming process of forming an image of a document read by the document reading unit 104 or a document transmitted from the outside on the front or back surface of the paper conveyed from the paper cassette 101. The paper on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 102 is discharged from the paper discharge unit 103.

[0018] The control panel 110 is an operation unit for making various settings related to image formation processing and issuing commands to start image formation. This control panel 110 includes a liquid crystal display panel that displays various operation buttons, and a touch panel that detects touches on the panel surface. The liquid crystal display panel of a digital multifunction printer is relatively large, for example, about 10 cm high by 20 cm wide. Furthermore, the operation panel 110 in this embodiment is equipped with a function that causes the panel itself to vibrate as an operation response. Details of this vibration function will be described later.

[0019] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the control unit 120 of the image forming apparatus 100. The image forming process performed by the image forming apparatus 100 is carried out under the control of the control unit 120 built into the image forming apparatus 100. The control unit 120 comprises a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as "CPU") 121, a drawing unit 122, an image processing unit 123, an image processing unit 124, an image output unit 125, and an illumination control unit 126. The control unit 120 also comprises a ROM 127, RAM 128, a hard disk drive (hereinafter referred to as "HDD") 129, and a network interface 130.

[0020] The CPU 121 reads the programs and data necessary for control from the connected ROM 127, RAM 128, or HDD 129, and executes control processing for image formation. Upon execution of the read program, a control processing unit 121a is formed in the CPU 121, which performs control processing functions. Furthermore, upon execution of the read program, a discrimination processing unit 121b is formed in the CPU 121, which performs discrimination functions to determine the state of each part of the image forming apparatus 100. ROM127 and RAM128 are memory units used for temporary data storage, while HDD129 is a memory unit primarily used for storing image data (original data). The network interface 130 connected to the CPU 121 receives original document data and other information from external sources. Communication with the monitoring department, which monitors the operating status of the image forming apparatus 100, is also conducted via the network interface 130.

[0021] The document read by the document reading unit 104 in Figure 1 is supplied to the CPU 121 via the image reading unit 123 of the control unit 120. The CPU 121 performs image formation processing on the document read via the image reading unit 123 or the document received by the network interface 130. Here, an image processing unit 124 is connected to the CPU 121, and image correction and processing of the image obtained from the document data is performed in the image processing unit 124. Then, the image data processed by the image processing unit 124 is output from the image output unit 125, and image formation is performed in the image formation unit 102 (Figure 1).

[0022] Furthermore, a drawing unit 122 is connected to the CPU 121, and the drawing unit 122 draws the operation screen to be displayed on the operation panel unit 110 based on instructions from the CPU 121. The operation panel unit 110 displays the operation screen drawn by the drawing unit 122. Furthermore, a lighting control unit 126 is connected to the CPU 121, and controls the lighting of the screen of the operation panel unit 110 based on instructions from the CPU 121.

[0023] Figure 3 shows the control configuration of the operation panel unit 110. The control panel unit 110 comprises a CPU 111, a touch panel 117, and a liquid crystal display panel 118. The touch panel 117 and the liquid crystal display panel 118 are arranged on top of each other. The touch panel 117 detects touches on the surface of the display screen of the liquid crystal display panel 118. The CPU 111 controls the touch detection on the touch panel 117 and the display on the liquid crystal display panel 118.

[0024] The CPU 111 includes a coordinate determination unit 111a that determines the touched coordinate position on the touch panel 117, and a display control unit 111b that controls the display on the liquid crystal display panel 118. The display control unit 111b controls the display on the liquid crystal display panel 118 based on image data supplied from the drawing unit 122 (Figure 2) of the control unit 120 of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0025] Furthermore, the control panel section 110 includes a buzzer section 113 and a vibration element 115. The buzzer unit 113 outputs various sounds, such as warning sounds, under the control of the buzzer control unit 112. The type of sound output and volume correction are set based on data stored in the memory unit 116. The buzzer control unit 112 controls the output of warning sounds and other sounds based on instructions from the CPU 111.

[0026] The vibration element 115 vibrates the touch panel 117 and the liquid crystal display panel 118 under the control of the vibration control unit 114. Data on the vibration state, such as the direction and intensity of vibration when the vibration element 115 vibrates the touch panel 117 and the liquid crystal display panel 118, is stored in the memory unit 116. Based on instructions from the CPU 111, the vibration control unit 114 controls the vibration state of the vibration element 115 while reading the data stored in the memory unit 116. In the configuration shown in Figure 3, the CPU 111 and the vibration control unit 114 are separated. However, the CPU 111 may also be configured to function as the vibration control unit 114, allowing the CPU 111 to directly control the vibration element 115.

[0027] Next, a configuration in which the touch panel 117 and the liquid crystal display panel 118 are vibrated by the vibration element 115 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the operation panel 110 attached to the image forming apparatus 100. The touch panel 117 and liquid crystal display panel 118 of the control panel section 110 are positioned on the control panel holding frame 106. This control panel holding frame 106 is installed on the housing side of the image forming apparatus 100 via a vibration absorbing member 107.

[0028] The vibration absorbing members 107 are made of rubber, springs, dampers, etc., and are placed at the four corners of the control panel holding frame 106. Placing the vibration absorbing members 107 at the four corners is just one example; for example, the vibration absorbing members 107 may be made of rubber sheets and placed on the entire back surface of the control panel holding frame 106.

[0029] A vibration element 115 is attached to the back side of the control panel holding frame 106. The vibration element 115 vibrates the control panel holding frame 106, the touch panel 117, and the liquid crystal display panel 118 in a specific direction when a drive signal is applied. The vibration element 115 is composed of, for example, a linear actuator and generates vibration in a specific direction through linear motion. However, as will be described later, the vibration element 115 in this embodiment can vibrate in multiple directions, and is set to vibrate in at least one of these directions by the control of the vibration control unit 114.

[0030] Here, the control panel holding frame 106 is installed on the main body side of the apparatus via a vibration absorbing member 107. As a result, vibrations are not transmitted to the main body side of the image forming apparatus 100 other than the control panel section 110, and the control panel section 110 vibrates efficiently while being isolated from the main body side.

[0031] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the basic processing when the CPU 111 of the control panel unit 110 vibrates the vibration element 115. This flowchart in Figure 5 does not explain the process of selecting the vibration direction when driving the vibration element 115 under the control of the CPU 111 and vibration control unit 114 of the control panel unit 110. The process of selecting the vibration direction when driving the vibration element 115 will be described later in the flowchart of Figure 9.

[0032] First, the CPU 111 performs touch detection to determine whether or not the touch panel 117 has been pressed (step S100). Here, for example, the CPU 111 detects an interrupt signal from the touch panel 117 and determines whether or not a press has occurred. If there is no touch (NO in step S100), no process is performed to cause vibration, and this determination process is repeated in step S100 until a touch is detected.

[0033] Then, if a touch is detected in step S100 (YES in step S100), the CPU 111 obtains the position on the touch panel 117 where the press occurred (step S101). Furthermore, it determines whether the press position (touch position) obtained in step S101 is within the area of ​​any button displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 118 (step S102). If the button area is not pressed (NO in step S102), the CPU 111 returns to the judgment in step S100, and if a new press occurs, it repeats the same process.

[0034] Furthermore, if step S102 indicates a button press (YES in step S102), the CPU 111 instructs the vibration control unit 114 to execute vibration processing (step S103), returns to the decision in step S100, and if there is another press, the same process is repeated. Upon receiving the vibration processing instruction in step S103, the vibration control unit 114 vibrates the vibration element 115 for a short time. For example, the vibration control unit 114 vibrates the vibration element 115 for a short period of time, between approximately 20ms and 100ms. When the vibration element 115 performs a short-duration vibration, and the touch panel 117 directly above the button displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 118 is pressed, the response to that press is provided by vibration. The touch panel 117 can be pressed either by the user's finger or by a pre-prepared stylus.

[0035] As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment has an operation panel 110 equipped with a touch panel 117. When the touch panel 117 is touched by a user's finger or the like, the touch panel 117 itself responds by vibrating. If the touch location is in an area other than a button displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 118, no vibration response is made. Only when the correct location of a button is touched is the user who performed the operation accurately notified of the touch by vibration.

[0036] As described above, in this embodiment of the image forming apparatus 100, when the touch panel 117 is touched by a user's finger or the like, the touch panel 117 itself responds by vibrating. Here, we will explain the difference in sensation transmitted to the finger depending on the direction of vibration when the vibration element 115 vibrates the touch panel 117. Figure 6 shows the case when the touch panel 117 is vibrated in the X direction (horizontal direction) (a), the Y direction (vertical direction) (b), and the Z direction (up and down direction) (c).

[0037] As shown in Figure 6(a), when vibrated in the X direction, the vibration Mx transmitted to the fingertips of the touching hand H becomes a horizontal vibration. Also, as shown in Figure 6(b), when vibrated in the Y direction, the vibration My transmitted to the fingertips of the touching hand H becomes a vertical vibration. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(c), when vibrated in the Z direction, the vibration Mz transmitted to the fingertips of the touching hand H becomes an up-and-down vibration. As shown in Figures 6(a), (b), and (c), differences in the direction of vibration of the operating surface result in differences in the sensation of vibration felt by the operator's fingertips. In the following explanation, when the vibration direction is referred to as the X direction, Y direction, or Z direction, it means the vibration directions shown in Figure 6.

[0038] Next, referring to Figure 7, we will explain how the direction of vibration differs depending on the arrangement of the touch panel 117 when operating it. Figure 7(a) shows the touch panel 117 in a horizontal orientation, and Figure 7(b) shows the touch panel 117 in a vertical orientation. The vibration caused by the vibration element 115 here is a vibration Mx in the X direction (longitudinal direction). As can be seen by comparing Figure 7(a) and Figure 7(b), when the orientation of the touch panel 117 is changed, the direction of vibration Mx transmitted from the vibration element 115 to the fingertips of the operator's hand H also changes in conjunction with the change in orientation.

[0039] Here, for example, as shown in Figure 7(b), if the direction of vibration Mx from the vibrating element 115 coincides with the direction of gravity (vertical direction), the amount of vibration is attenuated due to the effect of gravity. Therefore, in the state shown in Figure 7(b), it becomes more difficult to feel the vibration response at the fingertips than in the case of Figure 7(a).

[0040] Therefore, in this embodiment, the vibration element 115 that vibrates the touch panel 117 is configured to vibrate in multiple directions. By configuring it in this way, the vibration direction of the vibration element 115 can be controlled according to setting conditions such as the orientation of the touch panel 117, so that an appropriate vibration response can be obtained under any circumstances.

[0041] Next, with reference to Figure 8, a configuration that allows the vibration element 115 to vibrate in multiple directions will be described. In this embodiment, the vibration element 115 is located on the operation panel holding frame 106, as already described in Figure 4, but for the sake of simplicity, we will assume here that the vibration element 115 is attached to the back side of the touch panel 117.

[0042] The example shown in Figure 8(a) has a vibration element 115a on the back side of the touch panel 117 that can vibrate in multiple directions. This vibration element 115a can selectively perform three types of vibrations, for example, vibration in the Mx direction, vibration in the My direction, and vibration in the Mz direction, as shown in Figure 6. The example shown in Figure 8(b) has multiple vibration elements 115x, 115y, and 115z, each with a different vibration direction, arranged on the back side of the touch panel 117. The three vibration elements 115x, 115y, and 115z are vibration elements that individually vibrate in the Mx direction, My direction, and Mz direction, respectively, as shown in Figure 6.

[0043] The example shown in Figure 8(c) has a vibrating element 115b whose mounting position can be moved, located on the back side of the touch panel 117. For example, the vibrating element 115b can be positioned to vibrate horizontally (Mx direction), as shown by the solid line in Figure 8(c), or vertically (My direction), as shown by the dashed line in Figure 8(c). In the case of Figure 8(c), the vibration element 115b is mounted on the back side of the touch panel 117 in a manner that allows it to move by a variable vibration element holder (not shown). Furthermore, the vibration element 115b may be configured to vibrate in the vertical direction (Mz direction) by using a variable vibration element holding unit.

[0044] In this embodiment, the vibration element 115 is configured to vibrate in multiple directions by applying one of the configurations shown in Figures 8(a), (b), and (c). When performing a vibration response using the vibration element 115, the vibration response is performed in one of the vibration directions according to the settings configured for the device at that time. Settings such as the vibration direction are stored, for example, in the memory unit 116 (Figure 3).

[0045] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the process flow for selecting the vibration direction when driving the vibration element 115, controlled by the CPU 111 of the control panel unit 110. First, the CPU 111 performs touch detection to determine whether or not the touch panel 117 has been pressed (step S200). Here, for example, the CPU 111 detects an interrupt signal from the touch panel 117 and determines whether or not a press has occurred. If there is no touch (NO in step S200), no process is performed to cause vibration, and this determination process is repeated in step S200 until a touch is detected.

[0046] Then, if a touch is detected in step S200 (YES in step S200), the CPU 111 obtains the position on the touch panel 117 where the press occurred (step S201). Furthermore, it determines whether the press position (touch position) obtained in step S201 is within the area of ​​any button displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 118 (step S202). If the button area is not pressed (NO in step S202), the CPU 111 returns to the judgment in step S200, and if a new press occurs, it repeats the same process.

[0047] Furthermore, if a button is pressed in step S202 (YES in step S202), the vibration control unit 114 reads the current vibration direction setting information based on instructions from the CPU 111 (step S203). Then, the vibration control unit 114 determines whether the read vibration direction setting is in the X direction or not (step S204). When the vibration direction is determined to be set to the X direction in step S204 (YES in step S204), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the X direction to perform a vibration response to the touch (step S206).

[0048] Furthermore, if step S204 determines that the vibration direction setting is not the X direction (NO in step S204), the vibration control unit 114 determines whether the read vibration direction setting is the Y direction or not (step S205). When the vibration direction is determined to be the Y direction in step S205 (YES in step S205), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the Y direction to provide a vibration response to the touch (step S207).

[0049] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S205 that the vibration direction is not set to the Y direction (NO in step S205), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the Z direction to perform a vibration response to the touch (step S208).

[0050] As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment can select the vibration direction when performing vibration response based on predetermined setting conditions. The direction of vibration may be determined based on the type of user performing the operation. In other words, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a user authentication unit that identifies the user by inputting an authentication card or authentication code, and a storage unit (such as an HDD 129) that stores the vibration conditions (settings of vibration direction) for each user. When the user authentication unit identifies a user to use the image forming apparatus 100, the vibration control unit 114 reads the vibration conditions for the corresponding user stored in the storage unit and sets the vibration direction and vibration intensity based on the vibration conditions. By allowing users to set vibration conditions individually, each user can configure their preferred vibration conditions, enabling the system to respond appropriately to those conditions.

[0051] Alternatively, the image forming apparatus 100 may associate the operation image displayed by the display control unit 111b with the vibration conditions and store them in a storage unit (such as an HDD 129), and the vibration control unit 114 may drive the vibration element 115 by reading the vibration conditions corresponding to the operation image displayed by the display control unit 111b. For example, when a button displaying a function selection is touched, the vibration element 115 vibrates weakly in a direction parallel to the operating surface of the touch panel 117. Furthermore, for buttons that instruct execution, such as the print start button or delete button, the vibration element 115 vibrates strongly in a direction perpendicular to the operating surface of the touch panel 117. In this way, by changing the vibration conditions according to the displayed content, it becomes possible to understand what kind of response is occurring based on the vibration response state, and to achieve an appropriate vibration response.

[0052] [2. Second Embodiment Example] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 14. In Figures 11 to 14, the same reference numerals are used for parts corresponding to Figures 1 to 9 described in the first embodiment, and redundant explanations are omitted. In this embodiment, the operation panel 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 is configured to be movable relative to the apparatus body, and the vibration state of the vibration element 115 is varied in accordance with the movable state of the operation panel 110. Except for the movable operation panel 110, the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment is configured similarly to the image forming apparatus 100 described in the first embodiment.

[0053] First, referring to Figure 10, we will explain how the intensity of vibration transmitted to the operator's fingertips changes depending on the direction of vibration of the vibration element 115 located on the control panel 110. Figure 10(a) shows the case where the vibration element 115 vibrates the touch panel 117 located on the operation panel section 110 in a direction M1 parallel to the surface of the touch panel 117. Figure 10(b) shows the case where the vibration element 115 vibrates the touch panel 117 located on the operation panel section 110 in a direction M2 perpendicular to the surface of the touch panel 117. In both Figures 10(a) and (b), the operating surface of the touch panel 117 is positioned horizontally.

[0054] In the case of vibration direction M1 shown in Figure 10(a), the direction of gravity of the touch panel 117 (up and down direction in the figure) is different from the vibration direction M1, and no damping of vibration due to gravity (self-weight) occurs when the vibration element 115 is vibrating. On the other hand, in the case of vibration direction M2 shown in Figure 10(b), the direction of gravity of the touch panel 117 coincides with the vibration direction M2, and when vibration occurs due to gravity (self-weight), damping of the vibration occurs. Therefore, when the direction of gravity of the touch panel 117 coincides with the vibration direction, it is preferable to increase the driving force of the vibration element 115 to compensate for the damping due to gravity.

[0055] In this embodiment, the control panel 110 is configured to be movable, and the situation in which the direction of gravity and the direction of vibration of the control panel 110 coincide varies depending on the orientation of the control panel 110. Figure 11 shows a configuration in the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment in which the orientation of the operation panel 110 can be varied. Figure 11(a) shows an example of tilting the operation panel 110 of the image forming apparatus 100. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11(a), the image forming apparatus 100 allows the tilt angle Ta to be freely set between the operation panel 110-1, which is positioned horizontally, and the operation panel 110-2, which is positioned upright.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11(b), the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment allows the rotation angle Tb to be freely set between the vertically oriented operation panel 110-3 and the horizontally oriented operation panel 110-4. This is achieved by connecting the control panel unit 110 to the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 in a state that allows for tilt and rotation movements of the control panel holder (not shown). The tilt angle Ta and rotation angle Tb are detected by a control panel state detection unit (not shown) built into the image forming apparatus 100.

[0057] Figure 12 shows how the direction of vibration by the vibration element 115 attached to the control panel 110 changes when the tilt angle Ta and rotation angle Tb of the control panel 110 are changed. As explained in Figure 6 of the first embodiment, the vibration element 115 is designed to allow selection of three vibration directions for the touch panel 117: vibration in the X direction (horizontal direction) (Figure 6(a)), vibration in the Y direction (vertical direction) (Figure 6(b)), and vibration in the Z direction (up and down direction) (Figure 6(c)).

[0058] As shown in Figure 12(a), in the case of the control panel 110-A positioned horizontally, the X direction is the direction from the front to the back of the surface of the control panel 110, and the Y direction is the left-right direction of the control panel 110. The Z direction, which is perpendicular to these X and Y directions, is the up-down direction of the control panel 110, and this Z direction is the direction of gravity. In contrast, as shown in Figure 12(b), in the case of the control panel 110-B, which is positioned in an upright, horizontal orientation, the direction of gravity is the Y direction. Also, as shown in Figure 12(c), in the case of the control panel 110-C, which is positioned in an upright, vertical orientation, the direction of gravity is the X direction.

[0059] In this way, the direction of vibration that coincides with the direction of gravity changes as the tilt angle Ta and rotation angle Tb of the control panel 110 are changed. As already explained, when the control panel 110 is vibrated by the vibration element 115 in the direction that coincides with the direction of gravity, vibration damping occurs due to gravity (self-weight). However, since the direction that coincides with the direction of gravity changes depending on the tilt angle Ta and rotation angle Tb, it is also necessary to change the direction in which the vibration damping due to gravity is corrected depending on the positioning angle of the control panel 110.

[0060] Figure 13 shows examples of the direction of gravity and the direction of vibration unaffected by gravity for the control panel sections 110-A, 110-B, and 110-C at the three placement positions shown in Figure 12, as well as for control panel section 110-D when the tilt angle Ta is set between 0° and 90°. In the case of the control panel 110-A with a tilt angle Ta of 0° as shown in Figure 13(a), the Z direction, which is the vertical direction of the control panel 110, is the direction of gravity. Therefore, in the case of the control panel 110-A, vibrations that are not affected by gravity can be performed by setting the X or Y direction as the vibration direction.

[0061] Furthermore, in the case of the control panel 110-B shown in Figure 13(b), where the tilt angle Ta is 90° and the rotation direction is horizontal, the Y direction, which is the direction connecting the upper and lower ends of the control panel 110, is the direction of gravity. Therefore, in the case of the control panel 110-B, vibrations that are not affected by gravity can be performed by setting the X or Z direction as the vibration direction. Furthermore, in the case of the control panel 110-C shown in Figure 13(c), where the tilt angle Ta is 90° and the rotation direction is vertical, the X direction, which is the direction connecting the upper and lower ends of the control panel 110, is the direction of gravity. Therefore, in the case of the control panel 110-C, vibrations that are not affected by gravity can be performed by setting the Y or Z direction as the vibration direction.

[0062] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13(d), when the tilt angle Ta is set to inclined states of 0° and 90°, that is, when the operation panel 110-D has a horizontal rotation direction, gravity acts in both the Y and Z directions.

[0063] As can be seen from the above explanation, in order to eliminate the influence of gravity when performing vibration response when the touch panel 117 located on the control panel unit 110 is touched, it is necessary to detect the positioning of the control panel unit 110 and set an appropriate vibration direction according to the detected positioning.

[0064] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the processing flow when the vibration element 115 is driven by the control of the CPU 111 of the operation panel unit 110 in this embodiment. First, the CPU 111 performs touch detection to determine whether or not the touch panel 117 has been pressed (step S300). Here, for example, the CPU 111 detects an interrupt signal from the touch panel 117 and determines whether or not a press has occurred. If there is no touch (NO in step S300), no process is performed to cause vibration, and this determination process is repeated in step S300 until a touch is detected.

[0065] Then, if a touch is detected in step S300 (YES in step S300), the CPU 111 obtains the position on the touch panel 117 where the press occurred (step S301). Furthermore, it determines whether the press position (touch position) obtained in step S301 is within the area of ​​any button displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 118 (step S302). If the button area is not pressed (NO in step S302), the CPU 111 returns to the judgment in step S300, and if a new press occurs, it repeats the same process.

[0066] Furthermore, if a button is pressed in step S302 (YES in step S202), the vibration control unit 114 receives instructions from the CPU 111 to acquire the tilt angle and rotation angle, which represent the current state of the operation panel unit 110 (step S303). This state of the operation panel unit 110 is detected by an operation panel state detection unit (not shown). Then, the vibration control unit 114 determines whether the acquired tilt angle is 0° or not (step S304).

[0067] When it is determined in step S304 that the tilt angle is 0° (YES in step S304: state shown in Figure 13(a)), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the X or Y direction to provide a vibration response to the touch (step S305).

[0068] If it is determined in step S304 that the tilt angle is not 0° (NO in step S304), the vibration control unit 114 determines whether or not the tilt angle is 90° (step S306). If the tilt angle is determined to be 90° in step S306 (YES in step S306), the vibration control unit 114 determines whether the rotation position is horizontal or vertical (step S307). When it is determined in step S307 that the rotation position is lateral (YES in step S307: state shown in Figure 13(b)), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the X or Z direction to produce a vibration response to the touch (step S308). When it is determined in step S307 that the rotation position is vertical (step S307 NO: state shown in Figure 13(c)), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the Y direction or Z direction to produce a vibration response to the touch (step S309).

[0069] If the tilt angle is determined to be less than 90° in step S306 (i.e., "other than 90 degrees" in step S306), the vibration control unit 114 determines whether the rotation position is horizontal or vertical (step S310). When it is determined in step S310 that the rotation position is lateral (YES in step S310: state shown in Figure 13(d)), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the X direction to produce a vibration response to the touch (step S311). When it is determined in step S310 that the rotation position is vertical (NO in step S310), the vibration control unit 114 drives the vibration element 115 in the Y direction to provide a vibration response to the touch (step S312).

[0070] As described above, in the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, when the tilt angle and rotation angle of the operation panel section 110 on which the touch panel 117 is located are set to a preferred angle, the direction in which the vibration element 115 performs vibration response is set to a direction other than the direction of gravity. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the vibration response by the vibration element 115 is performed with appropriate strength without attenuation due to the effect of gravity, and can be performed appropriately regardless of the angle at which it is installed.

[0071] [3. Variant] In the second embodiment described above, the vibration direction was set to avoid the direction of gravity, depending on the angle of the control panel 110. In contrast, vibrations in the direction of gravity may be performed individually or simultaneously depending on the installation angle of each control panel 110. In this case, when vibrations in the direction of gravity are performed simultaneously with vibrations in other directions, the driving force of the vibration element 115 may be increased compared to the other directions to compensate for damping due to the effect of gravity. Even when vibrating only in the direction of gravity, it is preferable to use a stronger vibration than when vibrating only in other directions to compensate for damping due to the effect of gravity.

[0072] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, one vibration direction is selected. In contrast, the three vibration directions, X, Y, and Z, may be combined depending on the arrangement angle of the control panel 110. For example, as shown in Figure 13(d), when the tilt angle is set to approximately 45°, vibrations in the Y direction and Z direction may be performed simultaneously, and the combination may be made to feel as if the vibration is occurring in the direction of gravity. In this case as well, the driving force of the vibration element 115 may be increased to compensate for the damping due to gravity.

[0073] Furthermore, when combining multiple vibration directions, for example, the control panel state detection unit may linearly detect the orientation (tilt angle and rotation angle), and the vibration control unit 114 may linearly change the combination of drive ratios for the multiple vibration directions according to the detection result of the orientation, thereby strengthening the driving force in the direction of gravity.

[0074] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments involved vibrating the control panel of a stationary image forming apparatus, similar configurations and control processes may be applied to vibrating the control panel of various other stationary devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 100…Image forming apparatus, 101…Paper cassette, 102…Image forming unit, 103…Paper ejection unit, 104…Document reading unit, 105…Illumination unit, 106…Operation panel holding frame, 107…Vibration absorbing member, 110…Operation panel unit, 111…Central processing unit (CPU), 114…Vibration control unit, 115…Vibration element, 116…Storage unit, 117…Touch panel, 118…Liquid crystal display panel, 120…Control unit, 121…Central processing unit (CPU), 122…Drawing unit, 123…Image reading unit, 124…Image processing unit, 125…Image output unit, 126…Illumination control unit, 127…ROM, 128…RAM, 129…Hard disk drive (HDD), 130…Network interface

Claims

1. An operation input device that, upon detecting operation of the operation panel by a user, vibrates the operation panel, which is attached to the main body of the device via a vibration-absorbing member and is capable of vibrating while detached from the main body of the device, using a vibration element attached to the operation panel to notify the user, The vibration element is capable of selectively setting one or more of a plurality of vibration directions as the direction of vibration when vibrating the control panel, and when vibration in the set direction is transmitted to the control panel, the control panel also vibrates in the same direction. The vibration driving conditions for vibrating the aforementioned vibration element include a storage unit that stores at least multiple types of information on the direction of vibration, A vibration control unit, upon detecting an operation input from the control panel, selects at least one vibration direction from among multiple vibration directions stored in the memory unit and drives the vibration element in the corresponding vibration direction. The system includes a user authentication unit that identifies or authenticates the user, The storage unit stores the vibration direction associated with each user pre-registered by the user authentication unit, reads the vibration direction corresponding to the user identified or authenticated by the user authentication unit, and drives the vibration element in the corresponding direction via the vibration control unit. Operation input device.

2. Furthermore, it includes a display control unit that controls the operation image displayed on the operation panel, The storage unit stores the operation image displayed by the display control unit in association with the vibration direction, reads the vibration direction corresponding to the operation image displayed by the display control unit, and drives the vibration element in the corresponding direction. The operation input device according to claim 1.

3. Furthermore, the control panel holder is used to fix the control panel to the main body of the device, with the control panel's operating surface being adjustable to multiple orientations. It includes an operation panel state detection unit that detects the orientation of the operation panel, The vibration control unit determines the direction of vibration when driving the vibration element according to the orientation of the operation panel detected by the operation panel state detection unit. The operation input device according to claim 1.

4. The vibration control unit selects and drives at least one of a plurality of vibration directions according to the detection result of the operation panel state detection unit. The operation input device according to claim 3.

5. The vibration control unit selects a vibration direction different from the direction of gravity on the operating surface of the operating panel, according to the detection result of the operating panel state detection unit, and drives the vibration accordingly. The operation input device according to claim 4.

6. The vibration control unit changes the drive ratio of multiple vibration directions according to the detection result of the operation panel state detection unit. The operation input device according to claim 3.

7. The aforementioned drive ratio is a ratio that increases the driving force of vibrations in the same direction as gravity on the operating surface of the control panel. The operation input device according to claim 6.

8. The control panel state detection unit linearly detects the orientation of the control panel, and the vibration control unit strengthens the driving force in the direction of gravity on the operating surface of the control panel by combining the driving ratios of multiple vibration directions according to the detection result of the orientation of the control panel. The operation input device according to claim 6.

9. Furthermore, it includes a vibration element variable unit that varies the vibration direction of the vibration element, The vibration control unit changes the vibration direction of the vibration element in the vibration element variable unit according to the detection result of the operation panel state detection unit. The operation input device according to claim 3.

10. An image forming apparatus that, when it detects user operation of an operation panel that is attached to the main body of an image forming apparatus via a vibration absorbing member and is detached from the main body of the apparatus, vibrates the operation panel using a vibration element attached to the operation panel to notify the user, The vibration element is capable of selectively setting one or more of a plurality of vibration directions as the direction of vibration when vibrating the control panel, and when vibration in the set direction is transmitted to the control panel, the control panel also vibrates in the same direction. The vibration driving conditions for vibrating the aforementioned vibration element include a storage unit that stores at least multiple types of information on the direction of vibration, A vibration control unit, upon detecting an operation input from the control panel, selects at least one vibration direction from among multiple vibration directions stored in the memory unit and drives the vibration element in the corresponding vibration direction. The system includes a user authentication unit that identifies or authenticates the user, The storage unit stores the vibration direction associated with each user pre-registered by the user authentication unit, reads the vibration direction corresponding to the user identified or authenticated by the user authentication unit, and drives the vibration element in the corresponding direction via the vibration control unit. Image forming apparatus.

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