JP7278877B2 - image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus to which an input device having hardware keys can be externally connected.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, for example, have been widely used as copiers, printers, facsimiles, multi-function machines having a plurality of these functions, and the like. As an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus having a touch panel type display capable of displaying software keys on the screen has been proposed. In this case, the user can perform various functions assigned in advance to the software keys by performing touch operations on the software keys on the screen. However, the number of software keys that can be displayed simultaneously on the screen is usually limited from the viewpoint of user convenience, operability, visibility, and the like. Therefore, relatively frequently used keys such as the numeric keypad and start key are provided as hardware keys on an external input device (for example, a numeric keypad unit, etc.), and this input device can be connected to the image forming apparatus. has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

In addition, as an image forming apparatus, for example, an image forming apparatus equipped with a voice guide function for providing voice guidance on how to operate the apparatus has been proposed (Patent Document 2).

JP 2011-118584 A JP-A-2006-23637

Recently, from the viewpoint of user convenience, a voice guide key has been used as a hardware key for switching various functions such as the above voice guide between an enabled state and a disabled state according to the user's operation. It may be placed on an external input device. Since the voice guide mode is especially intended for use by the visually impaired, the voice guide keys are provided as hardware keys instead of software keys so that they can be easily touched and operated by the visually impaired. The voice guide key is provided with, for example, an LED, and by controlling the lighting of this LED, it is possible to notify the user whether the voice guide mode is enabled or disabled depending on the lighting state of the LED. ing.

Further, the image forming apparatus has a function of limiting the power supply from the power supply to shift the image forming apparatus from a standby state to a sleep state that consumes less power (a so-called power saving mode). Conventionally, a power-saving button, which is a hardware key for setting and canceling the power-saving mode, is provided. The power-saving button is lit by an LED or the like when switching from the standby state to the sleep state, and is lit during the power saving mode. maintained in condition. Then, the user can cancel the power saving mode by operating the lighted power saving button, thereby returning the image forming apparatus from the sleep state to the standby state. When returning the image forming apparatus from the sleep state to the standby state, the power saving button is turned off.

Recently, it has been considered to use the power saving button as described above as a software key. However, if the power save button is a software key and an input device having the voice guidance key as a hardware key is connected, when the user cancels the power saving mode, the voice guidance key that is lit may be mistaken for the power save button. There is a risk of recognition and operation. In that case, even if the user operates the voice guidance key, the power saving mode is not released, which reduces convenience for the user.

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can prevent a user from erroneously operating the hardware keys of the input device in sleep mode when an external input device having hardware keys that can be illuminated is connected. intended to

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit capable of forming an image on a sheet , and includes a panel unit capable of displaying software keys and inputting information ; An input device connectably provided to the image forming apparatus, the hardware key for inputting an instruction to switch a predetermined function of the image forming apparatus between an enabled state and an disabled state, and lighting and extinguishing. and a light-emitting unit capable of displaying that the predetermined function is in the enabled state or the disabled state by being turned on ; a control unit that turns on the light -emitting unit when the predetermined function transitions from the disabled state to the enabled state, wherein the control unit controls the predetermined function when the predetermined function is in the enabled state. and, when the image forming apparatus is shifted from the standby state to a sleep state in which power consumption is less than that of the standby state, the panel section and the light emitting section are turned off .

According to the present invention, when an external input device having hardware keys that can be illuminated is connected, it is possible to easily prevent the user from erroneously operating the hardware keys of the input device in the sleep state. can.

1 is a perspective view for explaining a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram for explaining a control unit; Schematic diagram for explaining a software key and a hardware key. Control block diagram of the ten-key unit. 4 is a flowchart showing lighting control processing when a voice guide key is operated on the input device side. 4 is a flowchart showing lighting control processing when a voice guide key is operated on the device main body side. 4 is a flowchart showing control processing when power saving mode is set; 4 is a flowchart showing control processing when power saving mode is canceled;

An image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. In this embodiment, the front side of the image forming apparatus 1 is represented by the front side F, the back side (dorsal side) is represented by the rear side B, the left side is L, the right side is R, the upper side is U, and the lower side is D. there is Further, the image forming apparatus 1 is configured such that the user is positioned facing from the front side F to the rear side B and performs various operations.

In this embodiment, a tandem-type full-color printer will be described as an example of the image forming apparatus 1 . The image forming apparatus 1 can be implemented in various applications such as printers, various printing machines, copiers, facsimiles, and multi-function machines. Note that the present embodiment is not limited to the tandem-type image forming apparatus 1, and can be applied to image forming apparatuses of other types. Further, the present invention is applicable not only to full-color image forming apparatuses, but also to monochrome or mono-color image forming apparatuses.

<Image forming apparatus>
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus main body) 10. As shown in FIG. The apparatus main body 10 includes a document reading device 20, a sheet feeding section 21, an image forming section 22 (see FIG. 2), a sheet discharging section 23, a control section 30 (see FIG. 2), an operating section 50, It has The sheet, which is the recording material, is used to form a toner image, and specific examples thereof include plain paper, a resin sheet that is a substitute for plain paper, thick paper, and an overhead projector sheet.

The document reading device 20 is, for example, a flatbed scanner device, and is provided on the upper portion of the device main body 10 . The document reading device 20 includes a document table 600 on which a document can be placed, an image reading section 601 capable of reading an image on the document placed on the document table 600, and conveys the document to the image reading section 601. and a document feeder 602 (Auto Document Feeder). The document conveying section 602 is provided with a sensor 604 as a document detecting section capable of detecting that a document is placed on a tray 603 as a document placing section. Although not shown, the image reading unit 601 is mainly provided with a first reading unit, a platen glass, and a scanning glass. The document conveying unit 602 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the platen glass of the image reading unit 601 . A document placed on the document platen glass is pressed by a pressure plate (not shown) provided in the document conveying unit 602 so as to face the document platen glass, and operates in response to the start of copying or scanning of the document. An image is read by the first reading unit. On the other hand, although not shown, the document conveying section 602 mainly includes a second reading section and a document conveying body. The document placed on the tray 603 is sent onto the flow reading glass of the image reading section 601 by the document conveying body that operates in response to the start of copying or scanning, and the image on the first side is read by the first reading section. , the image on the second side opposite to the first side is read by the second reading section. The images thus read by the first reading section and the second reading section are used as image data.

The sheet feeding unit 21 is arranged in the lower part of the apparatus main body 10, and includes sheet cassettes 21a and 21b for storing stacked sheets such as recording paper. send. The sheet cassettes 21 a and 21 b can accommodate sheets for image formation in the image forming section 22 . Further, in the case of the present embodiment, a manual feeding unit 700 is provided as an openable and closable loading unit on the side surface of the apparatus main body 10, and not only the sheets accommodated in the sheet cassettes 21a and 21b, but also the manual feeding unit 700 is provided. A sheet placed on the feeding section 700 may be fed. In this case, the manual feeding unit 700 is provided with a sensor 701 as a detection unit capable of detecting that a sheet has been placed.

The image forming section 22 is provided inside the apparatus main body 10, and includes an image forming unit, a toner bottle, an intermediate transfer unit, a secondary transfer section, a fixing device, etc., each of which has a developing device and a photosensitive drum (not shown). there is The image forming section 22 can form an image on the sheet fed from the sheet feeding section 21 based on the image information from the control section 30 . The sheet discharge section 23 includes a discharge tray 24 arranged downstream of a sheet discharge port (not shown) formed in the apparatus main body 10 . The discharge tray 24 stacks sheets discharged from the discharge port.

<Control part>
As shown in FIG. 2, a control section 30 as a main body side control section is configured by a computer. The control unit 30 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 32 that temporarily stores data. The control unit 30 also includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 33 that stores programs for controlling each unit, and a hard disk device (HDD 34). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 30 has a system bus 30a and an image bus 30b, and the CPU 31, RAM 32, ROM 33, and HDD 34 are all connected to the system bus 30a. The CPU 31 is a processor that comprehensively controls the image forming apparatus 1 and is the main body of the system controller. The CPU 31 performs, for example, image processing of image data to be formed into an image, network control, outputs an image forming instruction to the image forming section 22 , and performs image forming processing by transmitting and receiving information to and from the operation section 50 . Control.

The RAM 32 is a system work memory for the operation of the CPU 31, is also an image memory for temporarily storing image data, and functions as a main memory, a work area, and the like for the CPU 31. FIG. The RAM 32 stores setting information in the image forming apparatus 1, job logs and operation logs when each process is performed, and the like. The ROM 33 stores, for example, an image forming job (program) for forming an image on a sheet. By executing an image forming job (program) stored in the ROM 33, the CPU 31 can operate the image forming section 22 and perform image forming control. The HDD 34 is a hard disk drive and stores system software, applications, image data, screen data, and the like.

An image forming job is a series of operations from the start of image formation to the completion of the image formation operation based on a print signal for forming an image on a sheet. That is, after starting a preliminary operation (so-called pre-rotation) necessary for image formation, the image forming process is performed, and then a preliminary operation (so-called post-rotation) necessary for completing image formation is completed. It is a series of actions up to

The control unit 30 includes an operation unit input/output circuit (I/F) 35, a power supply input/output circuit (I/F) 36, a modem 37, an SRAM 38, an RTC 39, and an external and an input/output circuit (I/F) 40 . The operation unit input/output circuit 35 transmits screen data to the operation unit 50 to be described later, performs various communications from the operation unit 50 , and inputs information input by the user from the operation unit 50 to the CPU 31 . The power supply input/output circuit 36 controls the power supply 25 of the image forming apparatus 1 . In addition to permitting the output of the power source 25 according to the power state such as the power saving mode, the power source 25 inputs information such as overcurrent detection to the CPU 31 .

The modem 37 is connected to the public line 91, functions as a facsimile communication unit, and inputs and outputs information. As a result, under the instruction of the CPU 31, the control unit 30 can communicate with other connected PCs and servers via the external input/output circuit 40 via the network 90 or via the modem 37 via the public line 91. . That is, the image forming apparatus 1 inputs and outputs image information and device information by connecting to the network 90 and the public line 91 .

The SRAM 38 is a non-volatile storage medium capable of high speed operation. The RTC 39 is a real-time clock, and performs processing for continuing to count the current time even when the control unit 30 is not powered on. The external input/output circuit 40 is a general-purpose input/output circuit such as USB, and connects a general-purpose PC, a memory device, and a numeric keypad unit 200 (to be described later) via a USB standard USB connector 40 a and a USB port 12 . Note that USB is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. The USB port 12 is, for example, a connector installed on the side or front of an installation surface 13 (see FIG. 1), which will be described later, on which the ten-key unit 200 is installed in the device main body 10, or on the side of the operation unit 50, or the like. A numeric keypad unit 200 can be connected to the USB port 12 .

The control unit 30 has an image bus input/output circuit (I/F) 41 and an audio processing input/output circuit (I/F) 48 . The image bus input/output circuit 41 is a bus bridge that connects the system bus 30a and the image bus 30b that transfers screen data at high speed and converts the data structure. The image bus 30b is composed of, for example, a PCI bus or IEEE1394.

A voice processing input/output circuit (I/F) 48 can process voice data for guiding the user, for example, how to operate each part by voice, and can transmit the voice data to the speaker 49 . The speaker 49 that has received the audio data emits sound (audio guide) according to the audio data. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the speaker 49 may be housed inside the device body 10 or may be connected to the outside of the device body 10 as an external unit. In this embodiment, a voice guide function (voice guide mode) is provided as a predetermined function of the main body of the apparatus. 3) can be switched. The enabled state of the voice guide function is a state in which the operation of the software keys displayed on the panel section 57 (see FIG. 1) described later is guided, and the disabled state of the voice guide function is a state displayed on the panel section 57 described later. This is a state in which the software key operation is not guided.

Further, the control unit 30 includes a device input/output circuit (I/F) 42 all connected to the image bus 30b, a RIP unit 43, a scanner image processing unit 44, a printer image processing unit 45, and an encryption processing unit. 46 and a decoding processing unit 47 . The device input/output circuit 42 connects the document reading device 20 and the image forming section 22 to the control section 30, and performs synchronous and asynchronous conversion of screen data. The RIP unit 43 is a raster image processor and develops PDL data into a bitmap image. The scanner image processing unit 44 corrects, processes, and edits input image data. The printer image processing unit 45 performs printer correction, resolution conversion, and the like on print output image data. The encryption processing unit 46 encrypts input data including image data. The decryption processing unit 47 decrypts the encrypted data. Further, the control unit 30 receives the detection results of the sensor 604 of the document reading device 20 and the sensor 701 (see FIG. 1) of the manual feeding unit 700, and based on the received detection results, the sheet is fed to the tray 603 or the manual feeding unit 700. is placed.

<Operation part>
Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the operation unit 50 will be described. The operation unit 50 has a microcomputer 51 , a touch panel module 52 , a data converter (Conv) 53 and a liquid crystal module 54 . The operation unit 50 is connected to the control unit 30 by a serial bus 60 for communicating with the CPU 31 and a bus 61 for transferring data to be displayed on the liquid crystal module 54 .

A microcomputer 51 as a panel-side control section is a microcomputer that controls the operation section 50 in an integrated manner. The microcomputer 51 is equipped with a ROM (not shown) in which a program for operating the microcomputer 51 is stored. The touch panel module 52 is arranged on the surface of the liquid crystal module 54 , and when touched by the user, notifies the microcomputer 51 of the location information of the touched portion via the touch panel communication bus 62 . The operation unit 50 can display a software numeric keypad section 58 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, on the liquid crystal module 54 , and can input information by touching the touch panel module 52 via the software numeric keypad section 58 . The touch panel module 52 is composed of a touch panel device and a touch panel device controller. As the touch panel device, any of a resistive film type, a capacitive type, and an optical type such as an infrared ray may be applied.

The data converter 53 is a module that receives screen data from the operation unit input/output circuit 35 of the control unit 30 via the bus 61 and converts it into a data format receivable by the liquid crystal module 54 , and is managed by the microcomputer 51 . The microcomputer 51 causes the data converter 53 to convert the screen data having the software key transmitted from the control unit 30 and inputs it to the liquid crystal module 54 . For example, from the control unit 30 , data conforming to standards such as DisplayPort and HDMI (registered trademark) is received, converted into LVDS and CMOS level signal formats that the liquid crystal module 54 can receive, and sent to the liquid crystal module 54 via the bus 63 . to enter. The data converter 53 is connected to the microcomputer 51 via a bus 64, and has a function of overwriting the screen data sent from the control unit 30 with the screen data generated by the microcomputer 51 at a predetermined position. .

The liquid crystal module 54 is composed of an LCD (not shown) and a backlight 59 such as an LED, receives data from the data converter 53 via the bus 63, and transfers the screen data to the LCD at a predetermined timing. . At this time, the screen data transferred to the LCD is displayed as a visible image by lighting the backlight 59 as the panel-side lighting means. The brightness of the backlight 59 is adjusted by operating switches 55 and 56 dedicated to brightness adjustment attached to the operation unit 50 . In this embodiment, the power supply 25 described above can supply power to the backlight 59 .

Specifically, when the switch 55 is pushed down once, the microcomputer 51 transmits a control signal (command) to the CPU 31 via the serial bus 60 to brighten the backlight 59 by one step. The CPU 31 receives a control signal from the microcomputer 51 to brighten the backlight 59 by one step, and controls the power supply 25 so as to increase the power supplied to the backlight 59 by a predetermined value. On the other hand, when the switch 56 is pushed down once, the microcomputer 51 transmits a control signal (command) to the CPU 31 via the serial bus 60 to dim the backlight 59 by one step. The CPU 31 receives a control signal from the microcomputer 51 to darken the backlight 59 by one step, and controls the power supply 25 so as to reduce the power supplied to the backlight 59 by a predetermined value.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 50 is provided on the front panel 10a of the apparatus main body 10. As shown in FIG. The operation unit 50 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular flat plate, and the panel unit 57 configured by stacking the touch panel module 52 on the liquid crystal module 54 (see FIG. 2) is directed upward U. is fixed to the The shape of the operation portion 50 is not limited to a rectangular flat plate shape, and may be another shape. Also, the orientation of the panel section 57 is not limited to the upper side U, and may be in another direction. good.

An installation surface 13 is provided on the right side R of the operation unit 50 . A numeric keypad unit 200 or the like can be installed on the installation surface 13, and the numeric keypad unit 200 is arranged adjacent to the right side R of the operation unit 50 when viewed from the front side. A USB port 12 is provided on the right R side surface of the installation surface 13 on the exterior of the device main body 10 . A user can attach an external device having a USB terminal such as a numeric keypad unit 200, an IC card reader, a USB memory, etc. to the USB port 12 and connect it via USB.

As shown in FIG. 3, a software numeric keypad section (software keys) 58 can be displayed on the right side R of the panel section 57, for example. The software numeric keypad 58 displays numerical keys displaying numerical values from 0 to 9, a start key labeled "Start", and the like, and detects input of each key by touching the display portion of each key. is an input key.

In the case of this embodiment, a power saving button 58 a is displayed on the software numeric keypad section 58 . The power saving button 58a ( transition key) has a function (so-called power saving mode) of limiting the power supply from the power supply 25 and shifting the image forming apparatus 1 from the standby state to a sleep state that consumes less power than the standby state. It is a software key for setting. When the image forming apparatus 1 is not in the power saving mode, the user can set the power saving mode by operating the power saving button 58a, thereby shifting the image forming apparatus 1 from the standby state to the sleep state. On the other hand, when the image forming apparatus 1 is in the power saving mode, the user can cancel the power saving mode by operating the power saving button 58a, thereby returning the image forming apparatus 1 from the sleep state to the standby state. The standby state referred to here is a state in which the image forming section 22 is capable of forming an image, and is in a state of waiting for reception of a print signal for forming an image on a sheet.

<Numeric keypad unit>
Next, the hardware configuration and operation of the ten-key unit 200 as a general-purpose input device connected to the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the numeric keypad unit 200 has a connection cable 201 made of a USB cable and a USB connector 202, and is electrically connectable to the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment as well as a general PC. It is The numeric keypad unit 200 has at least one hardware key and is attached to the image forming apparatus 1 having, for example, an operation unit 50 capable of inputting information, and can input information to the image forming apparatus 1 separately from the operation unit 50. is. As an example of using the operation section 50 and the numeric keypad unit 200 for different input of information, the operation section 50 is used to input settings such as density and size related to image formation, and the numeric keypad unit 200 is used to input the number of copies for image formation and the facsimile destination number. Enter a numerical value such as In this embodiment, power is supplied to the numeric keypad unit 200 by the power supply 25 described above. That is, the power supply 25 supplies power to the LED 213 of the numeric keypad unit 200 which will be described later.

The numeric keypad unit 200 has, for example, a housing 203 , a top cover 204 provided on the top surface of the housing 203 , and operation keys (a plurality of hardware keys) 205 provided on the top cover 204 . The operation keys 205 are roughly divided into a ten key portion (numerical key portion) 206 and a function key portion 207 . A numeric keypad unit 206 is hardware keys for inputting at least numerical information such as “0” to “9”, “*” and “#”. A function key unit 207 is used for instructing the start of an image forming job that can be executed by the image forming apparatus 1, such as "Start", and for instructing the stop of an image forming job that is being executed, such as "Stop". Has a hardware key. In the case of this embodiment, the function key unit 207 has a voice guidance key 207a, which is a hardware key for switching the voice guidance function between a valid state and a disabled state.

As shown in FIG. 1, the numeric keypad unit 200 is mounted adjacent to the right side R of the operation unit 50 of the image forming apparatus 1 by, for example, screwing or bonding. This allows the user to easily use the ten-key unit 200 while looking at the operation section 50 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the numeric keypad unit 200 has a substrate 220, on which there are a hardware switch unit 210, a microcomputer 211, a substrate connector 212, an LED 213, a USB hub 214, and an external USB port. 215 are provided. The USB hub 214 is connected to the microcomputer 211 and the external USB port 215 as well as to the connection cable 201 via the board connector 212 . The board connector 212 is arranged on the board 220 and connected to the base end side of the connection cable 201 .

In this embodiment, a tactile switch 216 is used as an example of a hardware key in order to give the user an operational feeling (for example, a click feeling) of the operation key 205 (see FIG. 3). The tactile switches 216 are arranged one by one inside the housing 203 of each operation key 205 and connected to the microcomputer 211 in a matrix, for example. Each tactile switch 216 is composed of, for example, a protective cover, a plunger pressed by the operation key 205, a reversing spring that produces a click feeling and functions as a movable contact, and a base portion that has two contacts. As the tactile switch 216, an existing configuration or a new appropriate configuration can be adopted, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The microcomputer 211 can execute, for example, input detection from the hardware switch unit 210 and lighting control of the LED 213 . The USB connector 202 is connected to a USB port, which is a USB connector of the external input/output circuit 40 (see FIG. 2) of the device main body 10 . As a result, the microcomputer 211 and the control unit 30 are USB-connected via the connection cable 201, and can communicate with each other using the USB HID protocol. That is, the connection cable 201 is USB-connected from the housing 203 to the apparatus main body 10 , the microcomputer 211 is connected to the USB connector 202 via the USB hub 214 , for example, and is connected to the CPU 31 of the image forming apparatus 1 via the external input/output circuit 40 . and USB communication is possible.

When the tactile switch 216 is depressed by the user, the microcomputer 211 identifies the depressed tactile switch 216 and generates a predetermined code. Microcomputer 211 transmits the generated key code to CPU 31 of image forming apparatus 1 via connection cable 201 . The CPU 31 performs processing according to the input key.

The LED 213 as the input-side lighting means can light up the voice guide key 207a by controlling the lighting by the microcomputer 211 as the input-side control section. That is, the microcomputer 211 performs lighting control of the LED 213 based on the lighting signal and the lighting-out signal transmitted from the control unit 30 (see FIG. 2). The LED 213 is provided to inform the user whether the input by the user's voice guide mode is accepted (input enabled state) or the user's input is not accepted (input disabled state). In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the LED 213 is arranged on the audio guide key 207a, and the microcomputer 211 controls the audio guide key 207a to either turn on or off. In the case of this embodiment, the LED 213 is lit when the audio guide function is enabled, and is turned off when the audio guide function is disabled (except for the sleep state).

Note that, as shown in FIG. 3, the start key 207b (another hardware key) may also be provided with an LED 217 (another input side lighting means) different from the LED 213 . However, the start key 207b (specifically, the LED 217) is lit by the microcomputer 211 in the standby state so that it is lit when the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 (for example, copy operation or scan operation) is possible by pressing the key. controlled. The start key 207b is controlled by the microcomputer 211 so that it is turned off when the image forming apparatus 1 cannot be operated by pressing the key (for example, when the sheet size is not input). That is, like the voice guide key 207a, an LED 217 is provided to inform the user whether the function of the start key 207b is enabled or disabled. Note that the state displayed by the voice guide key 207a indicates whether or not the input in the voice guide mode is possible, and the state displayed by the start key 207b indicates whether the image forming apparatus 1 can be operated. be. That is, the LEDs 213 and 217 display different states.

<Processing when operating the voice guidance key>
Next, lighting control of the LED 213 when the voice guide key 207a is operated will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing lighting control processing at the time of voice guide key operation on the input device (ten-key unit 200) side.

As shown in FIG. 5, the microcomputer 211 of the numeric keypad unit 200 determines whether or not the voice guide key 207a has been operated (S1). If the voice guide key 207a has not been operated (No in S1), the microcomputer 211 jumps to the process of step S3. When the voice guide key 207a has been operated (Yes in S1), the microcomputer 211 transmits a signal indicating that the voice guide key 207a has been operated to the control unit 30 (S2). However, when the image forming apparatus 1 is in the sleep state, the microcomputer 211 does not execute the processes of steps S1 and S2.

The microcomputer 211 determines whether or not a lighting signal for lighting the LED 213 has been received from the control unit 30 (S3). When the lighting signal is received from the control unit 30 (Yes in S3), the microcomputer 211 lights the LED 213 (S4), and terminates the lighting control process. On the other hand, if the lighting signal has not been received from the control unit 30 (No in S3), the microcomputer 211 determines whether or not it has received a turn-off signal for turning off the LED 213 from the control unit 30 (S5). If the light-off signal has not been received from the control unit 30 (No in S5), the lighting control process ends. When the light-off signal is received from the control unit 30 (Yes in S5), the microcomputer 211 turns off the LED 213 (S6) and terminates the lighting control process.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing lighting control processing at the time of voice guide key operation on the side of the device body to which the input device (ten-key unit 200) is connected. As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 30 determines whether or not a signal indicating that the voice guide key 207a has been operated has been received from the microcomputer 211 of the ten-key unit 200 (S11). If the signal indicating that the voice guide key 207a has been operated has not been received (No in S11), the controller 30 ends the lighting control process. When a signal indicating that the voice guide key 207a has been operated is received (Yes in S11), the control unit 300 determines whether or not the voice guide function is enabled (S12). If the voice guide function is enabled (Yes in S12), the controller 30 transmits a turn-off signal for turning off the LED 213 to the microcomputer 211 of the ten-key unit 200 (S13). Further, the control unit 30 switches the voice guide function from the enabled state to the disabled state (S14), and ends the lighting control process. On the other hand, if the voice guide function is disabled (No in S12), the controller 30 transmits a lighting signal for lighting the LED 213 to the microcomputer 211 of the ten-key unit 200 (S15). Also, the control unit 30 switches the voice guide function from the disabled state to the enabled state (S16), and ends the lighting process.

<Processing when power saving mode is set>
Next, the control processing when the power saving mode is set, which is performed on the device main body to which the input device (ten-key unit 200) is connected, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 and using FIG. This process is executed by the control unit 30 when the power saving button 58a is operated while the image forming apparatus 1 is in the standby state, or when the image forming apparatus 1 has been in the standby state for a predetermined period of time.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 30 transmits an extinguishing signal for extinguishing the LED 213 to the microcomputer 211 of the input device (ten-key unit 200) (S21). Then, the control unit 30 sets a function of limiting the power supply from the power supply 25 (so-called power saving mode) (S22), and shifts the image forming apparatus 1 from the standby state to the sleep state. When the power saving mode is set, power supply to the backlight 59 by the power supply 25 is stopped and the panel section 57 is blacked out, so that the user cannot operate the power saving button 58a which is a software key.

<Processing when exiting power saving mode>
Next, the control processing when the power-saving mode is canceled, which is performed on the device main body to which the input device (ten-key unit 200) is connected, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 and using FIG. This process is executed by the control unit 30 when the user touches the panel unit 57 in the sleep state of the image forming apparatus 1 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 30 cancels the function of limiting the power supply from the power supply 25 (power saving mode) (S31), and shifts the image forming apparatus 1 from the sleep state to the standby state. When the power saving mode is canceled, power supply to the backlight 59 by the power supply 25 is resumed and a screen is displayed on the panel section 57, so that the user can operate the power saving button 58a. Then, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the voice guide function is enabled (S32). If the voice guide function is not enabled (No in S32), the control unit 30 terminates the control process. On the other hand, if the voice guide function is enabled (Yes in S32), the control section 30 transmits a lighting signal for lighting the LED 213 to the microcomputer 211 of the input device (ten-key unit 200) (S33).

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the image forming apparatus 1 is switched from the standby state to the sleep state in accordance with the power saving mode set by the user, the voice guide key 207a (specifically, the LED 213) of the numeric keypad unit 200 lights up. If so, turn it off. When the image forming apparatus 1 is returned from the sleep state to the standby state in response to cancellation of the power saving mode by the user, the voice guide key 207a is returned to the lighting state in the standby state. That is, if the voice guide key 207a is lit when the power saving mode is set, it is lit when the power saving mode is canceled. . In this way, the voice guide key 207a is always turned off during the power saving mode (sleep state). can be easily prevented.

<Other embodiments>
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the LED 213 is provided in the audio guide key 207a in the ten-key unit 200 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the numeric keypad unit 200, the above-described embodiments are applicable when an LED is provided for another hardware key that switches various functions between an enabled state and an disabled state according to the user's operation.

Note that in the above-described embodiment, the user can cancel the power saving mode by operating the power saving button 58a, thereby returning the image forming apparatus from the sleep state to the standby state, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the sensor 701 (see FIG. 1) of the manual feeding unit 700 detects a sheet to be supplied to the image forming unit 22 in the sleep state, the image forming apparatus may return from the sleep state to the standby state. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus may return from the sleep state to the standby state when the sensor 604 (see FIG. 1) of the document reading device 20 detects the document in the sleep state.

In the above-described embodiment, the ten-key unit is applied as the input device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to an input device that supports input of characters other than numerical values, such as a full keyboard.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Image forming apparatus 10... Apparatus main body 22... Image forming part 25... Power supply 30... Main body side control part (control part) 51... Panel side control part (microcomputer) 57... Panel part 58a... Software Keys (start key, power saving button) 59 Panel-side lighting means (backlight) 200 Input device (ten-key unit) 207a Hardware key (audio guide key) 211 Input-side controller (microcomputer) 213 Input-side lighting means (LED) 601 Image reading unit 602 Document conveying unit 603 Document placing unit (tray) 604 Document detecting unit (sensor) 700 Placing unit (manual feed) part), 701 ... detection part (sensor)

Claims (9)

An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit capable of forming an image on a sheet ,
A panel section that displays software keys and allows information to be entered ;
an input device connectably provided to the image forming apparatus, the hardware key for inputting an instruction to switch a predetermined function of the image forming apparatus between an enabled state and an disabled state ; an input device having a light-emitting unit capable of indicating that the predetermined function is in the enabled state or the disabled state by turning off the light ;
a control unit that lights up the light emitting unit when the predetermined function transitions from the disabled state to the enabled state in a standby state in which the image forming unit can form an image on a sheet ;
When the predetermined function is in the enabled state and the image forming apparatus is shifted from the standby state to a sleep state that consumes less power than the standby state, the control unit controls the panel unit and extinguish the light-emitting unit ,
An image forming apparatus characterized by: When the predetermined function is in the valid state and the image forming apparatus is shifted from the sleep state to the standby state, the control unit turns on the panel unit and the light emitting unit . light up the
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit does not switch the predetermined function between the enabled state and the disabled state when the hardware key is operated in the sleep state.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The predetermined function is a voice guide function that guides the operation of the panel unit by voice,
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the software key has a transition key for transitioning to the sleep state;
The control unit shifts the image forming apparatus from the standby state to the sleep state in response to the operation of the shift key.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit shifts the image forming apparatus from the standby state to the sleep state when the standby state of the image forming apparatus continues for a predetermined time.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: When the image forming apparatus is in the sleep state, the control unit shifts the image forming apparatus from the sleep state to the standby state in response to operation of the panel unit.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a placement unit on which a recording material to be supplied to the image forming unit can be placed;
a detection unit capable of detecting that the recording material is placed on the placement unit;
When the image forming apparatus is in the sleep state and the detection unit detects a recording material, the control unit shifts the image forming apparatus from the sleep state to the standby state.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a manuscript placement unit for placing a manuscript;
an image reading unit that reads an image on a document;
a document conveying unit that conveys a document placed on the document placing unit to the image reading unit;
a document detection unit capable of detecting that a document is placed on the document placement unit;
When the image forming apparatus is in the sleep state, the control unit shifts the image forming apparatus from the sleep state to the standby state when the document detection unit detects a document.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by:

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