JP7826648B2 - Information processing device and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing program.

Patent Document 1 discloses a contact history recording system that records contact history when a person touches each contact detection target location on a device. The contact history recording system includes multiple transmitters attached to each target location and a receiver that communicates with the multiple transmitters. Each transmitter has a storage unit that pre-stores individual identification information for the target location to which the transmitter is attached, and a transmission unit that transmits the individual identification information stored in the storage unit when the target location to which the transmitter is attached is touched by a person. The receiver has a receiving unit that receives the individual identification information transmitted from the transmitter, and a control unit that inputs the individual identification information received by the receiving unit to a recording unit that records the input individual identification information.

Patent Document 2 discloses an operating device that includes an operating unit operated by a user; a contamination state determination unit that compares the user's actions contained in video captured by a capture unit with pre-registered video patterns to determine whether the user is contaminated; a contaminated part identification unit that identifies a contaminated part of the user determined to be contaminated; a contaminated part approach detection unit that detects when the identified contaminated part is approaching the operating unit; a notification information creation unit that creates notification information that enables the operating unit to be operated without touching the contaminated part when it is detected that the contaminated part is approaching the operating unit; and a notification unit that notifies the user of the created notification information.

JP 2011-83942 A JP 2018-84974 A

Conventionally, methods have been known to detect where a user touches a device by installing a power generation element that generates electricity when pressure is applied to the device's housing, or by installing a camera on the ceiling to photograph the device.

With these detection methods, in order to detect where the user has touched, it is necessary to install a detection device that detects the user's operation status, such as a power generation element and a camera. Furthermore, when using a power generation element to detect where the user has touched, there may be places on the device's casing where it is impossible to attach a power generation element due to space or functionality constraints. Furthermore, when using a camera to detect where the user has touched, there may be blind spots depending on the user's position.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device and information processing program that can notify the user of the location they have touched without using a detection device that detects the user's operation status.

The information processing device according to the first aspect includes a processor that acquires the operation history of each user who has operated the device, and uses the operation history to identify contact points on the device that have been touched by at least one user, and notifies the user of the contact points.

In the information processing device according to the second aspect, in the information processing device according to the first aspect, the processor identifies the degree of contamination of the contact points from the number of times the contact points have been touched recorded in the operation history, and notifies the contact points as well as the degree of contamination at each of the contact points.

In the information processing device of the third aspect, the processor notifies the user of the difference in the degree of contamination at each of the contact points by changing the color of the diagram representing the shape of the device.

In the information processing device of the fourth aspect, the processor notifies the user of the difference in the degree of contamination at each of the contact points by varying the brightness of the color applied to a diagram representing the shape of the device.

The information processing device according to the fifth aspect is the information processing device according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, in which the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact area depending on the material of the contact area.

In a sixth aspect of the information processing device, in the fifth aspect, the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point made of glass so that it is higher than the degree of contamination of the contact point made of synthetic resin when the number of contacts at the contact point made of glass and the number of contacts at the contact point made of synthetic resin are the same.

The information processing device according to the seventh aspect is the information processing device according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, in which the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point based on differences in surface finish at the contact point.

In an eighth aspect of the information processing device, in the seventh aspect, the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact area that has not been treated with antibacterial treatment so that it is higher than the degree of contamination of the contact area that has been treated with antibacterial treatment when the number of contacts at the contact area that has been treated with antibacterial treatment is the same as the number of contacts at the contact area that has not been treated with antibacterial treatment.

In the information processing device of the ninth aspect, the processor of any one of the information processing devices of the second to eighth aspects receives morbidity information from the user and corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point based on the morbidity information.

In a tenth aspect of the information processing device, in the information processing device of the ninth aspect, if the disease information includes information that the user has contracted a predetermined disease that is transmitted by contact, the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point touched by the user corresponding to the disease information so that it is higher than the degree of contamination of the contact point touched by a user who is not infected with the disease, if the number of times the contact point touched by the user corresponding to the disease information is the same as the number of times the contact point touched by a user who is not infected with the disease.

In an information processing device according to an eleventh aspect, in the information processing device according to the tenth aspect, the processor disables the use of functions associated with the contact point touched by the user corresponding to the morbidity information for a specified period of time.

In an information processing device according to a twelfth aspect, in the information processing device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the processor acquires identification information of a user who is about to use the device, and uses the operation history to notify the user represented by the identification information of the contact points that have been touched.

In an information processing device according to a thirteenth aspect, in the information processing device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the processor limits the contact points to be notified if the state of the device obtained from the operation history satisfies predetermined conditions, even if the contact points are identified from the operation history.

In an information processing device according to a fourteenth aspect, in the information processing device according to the thirteenth aspect, the processor does not notify the contact point if a predetermined time has passed since the last operation on the device.

In the information processing device according to the 15th aspect, in the information processing device according to the 13th aspect, when the operation history includes a cleaning history of cleaning the device itself, the processor notifies only the contact points identified from the operation history after the cleaning history was recorded.

In the information processing device of the 16th aspect, in the information processing device of any one of the 1st to 15th aspects, the processor displays the contact point on the screen of an information device designated in advance by the user who intends to operate the device.

In a seventeenth aspect of the information processing device, in the sixteenth aspect, the information device includes a camera that captures video, and the processor displays on the screen of the information device an image in which the contact point is superimposed on the video of the information device captured by the camera.

The information processing program according to the eighteenth aspect is a program for causing a computer to acquire the operation history of each user who has operated the device, use the operation history to identify contact points on the device that have been touched by at least one user, and notify the user of the contact points.

The first and eighteenth aspects have the advantage of being able to notify the location the user has touched without using a detection device that detects the user's operation status.

The second aspect has the effect of informing the user of the degree of contamination of the contact point.

The third aspect has the advantage of making it easier to grasp the distribution of contamination levels at contact points on an information processing device, compared to when the contamination level at contact points is reported numerically.

The fourth aspect has the advantage that the user can be informed of the degree of contamination of the contact area even if the screen displaying the degree of contamination of the contact area is a screen that only supports grayscale display.

The fifth aspect has the advantage of being able to accurately notify the degree of contamination of a contact point, compared to when the degree of contamination at a contact point is determined solely from the number of times the user has touched the point.

The sixth aspect has the advantage that the degree of contamination can be corrected according to the survival period of the virus, even if the number of contacts is the same.

The seventh aspect has the advantage of being able to accurately notify the degree of contamination of a contact point, compared to when the degree of contamination at a contact point is determined solely from the number of times the user has touched the point.

According to the eighth aspect, even if the number of contacts is the same, the degree of contamination can be corrected depending on the surface treatment applied to the contact points.

The ninth aspect has the advantage that the user's disease status can be reflected in the degree of contamination of the contact point.

The tenth aspect has the effect of alerting users other than the affected user to prevent the disease from spreading.

The eleventh aspect has the advantage of being able to curb the spread of diseases transmitted through contact, compared to when the user is notified of the degree of contamination of the contact point and warned.

The twelfth aspect has the advantage of being able to notify each user of the areas of the information processing device that are more likely to be touched by the user than other areas.

The thirteenth aspect has the advantage of preventing warnings from being issued for contact points that are harmless even if touched.

The fourteenth aspect has the advantage of being able to limit warnings to users to periods when there is a possibility of contact infection with a particular disease.

The fifteenth aspect has the advantage of being able to accurately notify the current level of contamination of a contact point, compared to when the level of contamination of a contact point is determined by taking into account the number of contacts made before cleaning.

According to the sixteenth aspect, even if the information processing device does not have an operation panel that displays the contact point, the user can grasp the contact point on the information processing device.

The seventeenth aspect has the advantage of making it possible to grasp the contact point on the information processing device while viewing an image of the actual information processing device.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of an image processing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an image processing apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation history. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation coordinate system set on an operation panel. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main part of an electrical system of an image processing apparatus using a computer. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a notification process. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a contact determination table. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating display examples of device icons representing contact points. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a display of a contact point in an area of a corresponding device icon on an operation panel. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a notification process for correcting the degree of contamination. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a notification process for notifying a contact point according to a usage status of the image processing device by a user. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a contact point on an information device.

This embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components and processes will be assigned the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an information processing device. The information processing device according to this embodiment may be any type of information processing device that is operated by a user through contact and that records a history of user operations, and preferably is an information processing device that is shared and used by multiple users. Therefore, hereinafter, the disclosed technology will be explained using an image processing device 10, which is an example of an information processing device installed in a company, for example.

As an example, the image processing device 10 has the functions of scanning, which reads an image recorded on a recording medium such as paper as image data, printing, which forms an image represented by image data on a recording medium, and copying, which forms an image identical to the image formed on one recording medium on another recording medium. Note that the image processing device 10 does not necessarily have to have each of the functions of copying, printing, and scanning; it is sufficient if it has at least one function. Furthermore, the functions provided by the image processing device 10 are not limited to copying, printing, and scanning. For example, the functions provided by the image processing device 10 may be any function that involves image processing, such as a fax function for sending and receiving image data.

Next, we will explain the image processing device 10 related to this embodiment.

The image processing device 10 shown in Figure 1 has, for example, a document reading unit 2 at the top, and an image forming unit 4 below the document reading unit 2.

The document reading unit 2 is composed of an optical reading device (not shown) and a document transport device 8 inside the document cover 6. The document transport device 8 sequentially pulls in the documents 1 placed on the document table 6A provided in the document cover 6 and transports the documents 1 onto a document transport reading glass (also called a "platen glass") (not shown). The document reading unit 2 reads the contents of the documents 1 transported onto the document transport reading glass (not shown) as image data using an optical reading device (not shown). The document transport device 8 then ejects the documents 1, after the contents have been read, onto an ejection tray 6B provided in the document cover 6.

Meanwhile, the image forming unit 4 forms an image represented by image data on recording media stored in storage shelves 9, which are classified by recording medium type and size. In the example of the image processing device 10 shown in Figure 1, three storage shelves 9 are provided, one for each type and size of recording medium, and when distinguishing between the individual storage shelves 9, they may be referred to as "Tray A," "Tray B," and "Tray C."

The image processing device 10 is provided with an operation display unit 3 that accepts operations from the user to perform various functions such as copying, printing, and scanning. Specifically, the operation display unit 3 includes a reader device 7 that acquires information about the user performing the operation, and an operation panel 5 that accepts user operations.

The reader device 7 is a device that, for example, when a user's employee ID card is brought close to the reader device 7, contactlessly reads identification information (referred to as a "user ID") that uniquely identifies the user from the IC chip embedded in the employee ID card. The image processing device 10 accepts user operations if the user represented by the user ID is a user who is authorized to use the image processing device 10. In other words, the image processing device 10 performs user authentication and provides the functions of the image processing device 10 to users who have been successfully authenticated.

The operation panel 5 is a display on which a touch panel is superimposed, and operation objects such as buttons that the user operates to execute desired functions are displayed on the operation panel 5. When the user touches the operation panel 5 to operate an operation object, a process previously associated with the operation object is executed on the image processing device 10, and a response to the operation is displayed on the operation panel 5.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image processing device 10. The image processing device 10 includes functional units, namely, an interface unit 11, a control unit 12, a function execution unit 13, and a history management unit 14, as well as an operation history 15. The interface unit 11 is connected to an operation display unit 3 and a communication unit 16, and the function execution unit 13 is connected to a document reading unit 2 and an image forming unit 4.

The interface unit 11 accepts information for the image processing device 10 from the outside, and notifies information inside the image processing device 10 to the outside of the image processing device 10. Specifically, the interface unit 11 accepts user instructions, for example, from the operation and display unit 3, and receives image data, etc. from the communication unit 16 connected to a communication line. The interface unit 11 also displays, for example, the processing status of image processing in the image processing device 10 and the status of the image processing device 10 on the operation panel 5 of the operation and display unit 3, and transmits image data that has undergone image processing to an external device connected to the communication unit 16 via a communication line.

There are no restrictions on the connection type of the communication line, and the connection type of the communication line may be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless. Furthermore, there is no limit to the number of external devices that may be connected to the image processing device 10; for example, no external devices may be connected to the image processing device 10.

The control unit 12 controls the interface unit 11, function execution unit 13, and history management unit 14 to provide functions in accordance with user instructions notified by the interface unit 11.

The function execution unit 13 drives at least one of the document reading unit 2 and the image forming unit 4 under the control of the control unit 12, and executes the process instructed by the control unit 12, from among copying, printing, and scanning.

Under the control of the control unit 12, the history management unit 14 stores the operation history 15 in a storage medium, acquires the operation history 15 stored in the storage medium, and notifies the control unit 12 of the acquired operation history 15.

Operation history 15 is history information related to operations on the image processing device 10, and includes the user's operations on the image processing device 10 and the operating status of the image processing device 10 associated with the user's operations. Specifically, operation history 15 includes the user's operations on the operation display unit 3, the status of image data transmission and reception in the communication unit 16, and the operating status of the document reading unit 2 and image forming unit 4.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of an operation history 15. The operation history 15 includes items such as user, recording date and time, function, operation content, setting value/event, coordinate value, and number of sheets, and each item is associated along the row direction to form one operation history 15.

The user item in the operation history 15 represents the user ID of the user who operated the image processing device 10. In other words, the operation history 15 is stored for each user.

The recording date and time item in operation history 15 indicates the date and time when the user operation stored in operation history 15 was performed.

The function items in the operation history 15 indicate the types of functions executed by the user. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the function names copy, print, and scan are set, but if, for example, a maintenance technician for the image processing device 10 performs maintenance such as cleaning on the image processing device 10, a name such as "maintenance" is set as the function item. When performing maintenance on the image processing device 10, the maintenance technician starts maintenance on the image processing device 10 by, for example, selecting a maintenance button (not shown) displayed on the operation panel 5. When the "maintenance" button is selected, the image processing device 10 generates an operation history 15 in which the function item is set to "maintenance." Note that the maintenance technician may also be a user of the image processing device 10.

The operation content items in the operation history 15 represent the content of the operation performed by the user for the function represented by the function item. For example, "Reading accuracy setting" indicates that the user selected a button to set the reading accuracy of the original 1 in the original reading unit 2. Furthermore, "Start (automatic transport)" indicates that the user selected a button to start the execution of the function represented by the function item. Note that "(automatic transport)" in the operation content item indicates that the original 1 placed on the original table 6A was transported by the original transport device 8 to the transported original reading glass (not shown) and read into the image processing device 10. In contrast, "(Platen)" in the operation content item indicates that the image processing device 10 read the original 1 placed on the transported original reading glass (not shown) by the user, rather than the original 1 transported by the original transport device 8.

The setting value/event item in the operation history 15 represents the value set by the user when the operation content item contains an operation content that sets the operating conditions of a function. For example, in the setting value/event item in the operation history 15 shown in Figure 3, "300 dpi" indicates that the user set the reading accuracy of document 1 to 300 dpi.

The setting value/event items in the operation history 15 also include records of events related to malfunctions or missing parts that occur in the image processing device 10 as a result of operations. For example, in the setting value/event items in the operation history 15 shown in Figure 3, "Out of paper (Tray A)" indicates that Tray A ran out of paper when forming an image on paper, and "Jam (automatic transport)" indicates that the original 1 became stuck in the document transport device 8 while it was being transported by the document transport device 8. In other words, the information in parentheses in the setting value/event items indicates the location where an event such as an out-of-paper event or a jam occurred.

In addition, if the processing associated with the user's operation is completed normally, no particular events related to failures or missing parts occur, and there is nothing in particular to record, for example, the setting value/event item in the operation history 15 will be set to "-".

The coordinate value item in the operation history 15 represents the position operated by the user on the operation panel 5.

Figure 4 shows an example of an operation coordinate system set on the operation panel 5. The operation panel 5 is equipped with a so-called capacitive touch panel, which detects the operation position from changes in capacitance that occur when the user touches the operation panel 5. In an operation panel 5 equipped with such a touch panel, the change in capacitance at the point where the user's finger touches is greater than the change in capacitance at other points. Therefore, the operation panel 5 detects the point within the range of the operation panel 5 where the change in capacitance is greatest as the user's operation position.

Meanwhile, in order to identify the user's operation position on the operation panel 5, an operation coordinate system is defined for the operation panel 5. The operation coordinate system is expressed as a two-dimensional coordinate system with an origin P at any point on the operation panel 5. In the example of the operation panel 5 shown in Figure 4, the origin P is set at one of the vertices on the outline of the rectangular operation panel 5. Furthermore, in the example of the operation panel 5 shown in Figure 4, the X axis is set along the horizontal direction of the operation panel 5 relative to the origin P, and the Y axis is set along the vertical direction of the operation panel 5.

The user's operation position on the operation panel 5 is represented by coordinate values (x, y) that combine the X coordinate value x and the Y coordinate value y of coordinate point Q, which is the point within the range of the operation panel 5 where the change in capacitance is greatest. The coordinate value item of the operation history 15 is set to the coordinate value (x, y) of coordinate point Q, where the user touched the operation panel 5.

The number of sheets item in the operation history 15 indicates the number of sheets of paper used for copying and printing. A "-" in the number of sheets item indicates that no paper was used, i.e., the number of sheets of paper used is 0.

Note that the items set in the operation history 15 are not limited to the items shown in FIG. 3. For example, in addition to or instead of the coordinate values of the position of the operation panel 5 operated by the user, the name of the operation object operated by the user may be set in the operation history 15. For example, if the user operates the number of copies button to select the number of copies to make, the operation object item added to the operation history 15 may be set as "number of copies button."

Next, an example of the main configuration of the electrical system of the image processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 5. The image processing device 10 is configured using, for example, a computer 20.

In the computer 20, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, a non-volatile memory 24, and an input/output interface (I/O) 25 are each connected via a bus 26.

The CPU 21 is an example of a processor that handles the processing of each functional unit of the image processing device 10 shown in Figure 2. The ROM 22 is an example of a storage medium that stores an information processing program executed by the CPU 21. The RAM 23 is an example of a storage medium used as a temporary work area for the CPU 21.

The non-volatile memory 24 is an example of a storage medium in which stored information is maintained even if the power supplied to the non-volatile memory 24 is cut off. For example, a semiconductor memory is used, but a hard disk may also be used. The operation history 15 according to this embodiment is stored in the non-volatile memory 24, for example, but may also be stored in an external device. In this case, the CPU 21 stores the operation history 15 in the external device via the communication unit 16, and also acquires the operation history 15 from the external device.

Note that the non-volatile memory 24 does not necessarily have to be built into the computer 20, but may be a storage medium that can be attached to or detached from the computer 20, such as a memory card or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.

For example, the document reading unit 2, operation and display unit 3, image forming unit 4, and communication unit 16 are connected to the I/O 25. Note that the devices connected to the I/O 25 are not limited to the various units illustrated in FIG. 5. Depending on the functions possessed by the image processing device 10, devices required to realize the functions are connected to the I/O 25.

Next, the operation of the image processing device 10 will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of notification processing executed by the CPU 21 when a user has successfully passed user authentication. The information processing program that defines the notification processing is stored in advance in, for example, the ROM 22 of the image processing device 10. The CPU 21 of the image processing device 10 reads the information processing program stored in the ROM 22 and executes the notification processing.

For ease of explanation, it is assumed that at least one operation history 15 is stored in the non-volatile memory 24.

First, in step S10, the CPU 21 acquires all operation history 15 stored in the non-volatile memory 24 and stores it in the RAM 23.

In step S20, the CPU 21 uses the operation history 15 acquired in step S10 to identify all contact points 19 on the device that have been touched by at least one user.

Figure 7 shows an example of a contact determination table 17 used when identifying a contact point 19 from an operation history 15.

The contact detection table 17 is a table that associates items in the operation history 15 with contact locations 19. FIG. 7(A) is an example of a contact detection table 17 that associates function items in the operation history 15 with contact locations 19, FIG. 7(B) is an example of a contact detection table 17 that associates operation content items in the operation history 15 with contact locations 19, and FIG. 7(C) is an example of a contact detection table 17 that associates setting value/event items in the operation history 15 with contact locations 19.

The CPU 21 references the contact detection table 17 and determines, for each of the operation histories 15 acquired in step S10, whether the contents of the items in the operation history 15 defined in the contact detection table 17 are included in the acquired operation history 15. If the contents of the items in the operation history 15 defined in the contact detection table 17 are included in the acquired operation history 15, the CPU 21 identifies the contact point 19 in the contact detection table 17 that is associated with the contents of the items included in the acquired operation history 15 as the contact point 19 touched by each user.

For example, in the case of user B's operation history 15 shown in Figure 3, "Copy" is set as the function item, "Platen" is included in the operation content item, and "Out of paper (Tray A)" is set as the setting value/event item. Therefore, the CPU 21 refers to the contact determination table 17 in Figure 7 and identifies the "Discharge tray" associated with "Copy," the "Document reading unit (handle) and edge of the platen glass" associated with "Platen," and "Tray A" associated with "Out of paper (Tray A)" as the contact points 19.

Furthermore, in the case of user C's operation history 15 shown in Figure 3, "Copy" is set as the function item, "Automatic transport" is included as the operation content item, and "Jam (Automatic transport)" is set as the setting value/event item. Therefore, the CPU 21 refers to the contact determination table 17 in Figure 7 and identifies the "Discharge tray" associated with "Copy," the "Document tray/Discharge tray" associated with "Automatic transport," and the "Document reading unit" associated with "Jam (Automatic transport)" as the contact points 19.

The contact determination table 17 is stored in advance in the non-volatile memory 24, and the correspondence between the items in the operation history 15 and the contact locations 19 is set by the user. Therefore, the correspondence between the items in the operation history 15 and the contact locations 19 can be changed by the user.

Furthermore, if coordinate values are set in the operation history 15, the CPU 21 identifies each user's contact point 19 on the operation panel 5 from the coordinate values in the operation history 15. For example, the CPU 21 identifies the user's contact point 19 on the operation panel 5 as the area within a circle of a predetermined radius centered on coordinate point Q represented by the coordinate values (x, y) included in the operation history 15. The radius of the circle representing the contact point 19 may be stored in advance in, for example, the non-volatile memory 24.

The shape of the range of contact point 19 based on coordinate point Q is not limited to a circle, and may be set to suit the size of the user's finger and the operation situation, such as a rectangle including coordinate point Q. For example, when the user flicks the operation panel 5, the CPU 21 sets the coordinate values corresponding to the start position of the flick as coordinate values in the operation history 15, and also stores the direction of the flick in the operation history 15. In this case, by referring to the operation history 15, the CPU 21 can set the range of contact point 19 from the start position of the flick in the direction of the flick.

In step S30 of FIG. 6, the CPU 21 determines the degree of contamination for each contact point 19 determined in step S20. The degree of contamination represents the degree of dirt on the contact point 19 that has adhered due to contact by each user. The higher the degree of contamination, the dirtier the contact point 19 is. Note that dirt includes not only visible dirt but also invisible dirt such as viruses.

Since the degree of contamination of a contact point 19 is thought to increase in proportion to the number of times each user has contacted it, the CPU 21 determines that the more frequently a contact point 19 is contacted, the higher the degree of contamination, thereby identifying the degree of contamination of each contact point 19 identified in step S20.

The number of times a contact point 19 has been touched is represented by the number of times it has been identified as a contact point 19. For example, if the discharge tray 6B has been identified as a contact point 19 10 times based on each operation history 15 acquired in step S10, the CPU 21 determines that each user has touched the discharge tray 6B 10 times. In this way, the CPU 21 determines the degree of contamination for each contact point 19 identified in step S20.

In step S40, the CPU 21 notifies the user of each contact point 19 identified in step S20. In this case, in addition to notifying the user of the contact points 19, it is preferable that the CPU 21 also notify the user of the degree of contamination at each contact point 19 identified in step S30.

The user is notified of the contact point 19 and the degree of contamination, for example, by displaying it on the operation panel 5.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example display of a contact point 19. The CPU 21 displays a device icon 18 that roughly represents the shape of its own device, i.e., the image processing device 10, on the operation panel 5, and displays the portion of the device icon 18 that corresponds to the contact point 19 in a form that can be distinguished from portions that are not contact points 19. In the example of the device icon 18 shown in Figure 8, the shaded portions represent the contact points 19, and the unshaded portions represent portions that are not contact points 19.

The display form of the contact point 19 on the device icon 18 may not only be the presence or absence of shading, but may also be, for example, the presence or absence of a pattern, or an illustration using a line or arrow. If the operation panel 5 supports color display, the contact point 19 may be displayed by changing the color.

When the CPU 21 displays the operation panel 5 as the contact point 19, it does not display the entire operation panel 5 as the contact point 19, but rather displays only the range of the contact point 19 represented by the coordinate point Q described above within the area 27 of the device icon 18 corresponding to the operation panel 5 as the contact point 19.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the display of a contact point 19 in an area 27 of a device icon 18 corresponding to the operation panel 5. As shown in Figure 9, the CPU 21 displays, in the area 27, a predetermined range including a position corresponding to coordinate point Q (referred to as the "point corresponding to coordinate point Q") that represents the user's operation position on the operation panel 5, as the contact point 19.

Meanwhile, the CPU 21 indicates the degree of contamination at the contact point 19 by varying the display format of the contact point 19 displayed on the device icon 18. For example, the CPU 21 displays the degree of contamination by varying the brightness of the color, such as by displaying it darker the higher the degree of contamination, or by varying the hue, such as by displaying it in a reddish color the higher the degree of contamination and in a bluish color the lower the degree of contamination.

Naturally, the CPU 21 may display the degree of contamination by changing the pattern, such as shading, applied to the contact point 19, or may convert the degree of contamination into a numerical value and display it in text on the contact point 19.

<Correction of contamination level>
The above describes an example in which the more frequently a contact point 19 is touched, the higher the degree of contamination is determined to be. However, the CPU 21 may also correct the degree of contamination determined based on the number of contacts using at least one of the characteristics of the housing of the image processing device 10 and information about the user operating the image processing device 10.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the notification process for correcting the contamination level. The notification process shown in Figure 10 differs from the notification process shown in Figure 6 in that step S35 has been added. Therefore, the following explanation will focus on the processing of step S35.

In step S30 of Figure 10, once the degree of contamination for each contact point 19 has been determined, the process proceeds to step S35.

In step S35, the CPU 21 corrects the degree of contamination for each contact point 19 identified in step S30. Specifically, the CPU 21 corrects the degree of contamination for each contact point 19 depending on the material of the contact point 19.

For example, it is known that the survival period of a virus varies depending on the material to which the virus is attached, and experiments have shown that the survival period of a virus after attaching to a material varies for each material.

Therefore, the CPU 21 corrects the degree of contamination of contact points 19 made of materials used in the housing of the image processing device 10 that have a longer virus survival period than other materials, so that the degree of contamination is higher than the degree of contamination of contact points 19 made of other materials, even if the number of times the user has touched them is the same as that of contact points 19 made of other materials.

For example, if viruses that adhere to glass, which has a smoother surface, survive longer after adhering to a material than those that adhere to synthetic resin, even if the number of contacts at each contact point 19 made of either glass or synthetic resin is the same, the CPU 21 will set the contamination level of the contact point 19 made of glass to be higher than the contamination level of the contact point 19 made of synthetic resin. Note that synthetic resin refers to resins produced using chemical synthesis, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. In the image processing device 10, glass is used as the glass for reading transported documents.

Information regarding the survival period of viruses for each material and the usage status of the material in the image processing device 10 may be stored in advance, for example, in non-volatile memory 24.

In step S40, the CPU 21 associates the corrected degree of contamination with each identified contact point 19 and notifies the user of the contact point 19 and the degree of contamination at the contact point 19.

The method of correcting the degree of contamination shown above is just one example, and there are various variations on the method of correcting the degree of contamination. For example, the CPU 21 may correct the degree of contamination of the contact point 19 depending on differences in the surface finish of the contact point 19.

For example, if there are areas on the surface of the housing of the image processing device 10 that have been treated with an antibacterial agent, even if the number of contacts at the contact areas 19 that have been treated with an antibacterial agent and the contact areas 19 that have not been treated with an antibacterial agent are the same, the CPU 21 will set the degree of contamination at the contact areas 19 that have not been treated with an antibacterial agent to a higher level than the degree of contamination at the contact areas 19 that have been treated with an antibacterial agent.

Antibacterial processing methods include using materials that are more effective at suppressing the growth of certain viruses than other materials, applying antibacterial film, spraying and coating with a chemical that has proven antibacterial properties, and creating an uneven surface on the material to make it less likely for viruses to adhere to the user's hands.

The CPU 21 may also receive disease information about the user from an external device via the communication unit 16 and correct the degree of contamination of the contact point 19 based on the received disease information. Disease information is information indicating that the user has contracted a disease, and may include, for example, the user ID of the user who has contracted the disease, the name of the disease, and the date and time the user was diagnosed with the disease.

If a user is diagnosed with a disease, they voluntarily register the name of the disease and the date and time of diagnosis in an external device using an information device 28 (see Figure 12) such as a smartphone. Once the disease information is registered in the external device, the external device transmits the disease information registered by the user to the image processing device 10 via a communication line.

The CPU 21 stores the disease information acquired from the external device, for example, in non-volatile memory 24, and references the disease information stored in non-volatile memory 24.

It is preferable that a user does not register disease information in an external device regardless of the type of disease they have, but rather registers disease information in an external device when they are diagnosed with a predetermined disease that involves contact infection. It is also preferable that the external device extracts only disease information related to predetermined diseases that involve contact infection from the disease information registered by the user and transmits this to the image processing device 10. Alternatively, the external device may transmit all disease information registered by the user to the image processing device 10, and the image processing device 10 may extract only disease information related to predetermined diseases that involve contact infection from the received disease information and store this in the non-volatile memory 24.

When the disease information includes information that a user has contracted a predetermined disease that involves contact infection, even if the number of times a contact point 19 touched by a user represented by the user ID included in the disease information (referred to as the "diseased user") is touched is the same as the number of times a contact point 19 touched by a user whose user ID is not included in the disease information (referred to as the "healthy user") is touched, the CPU 21 will set the degree of contamination of the contact point 19 touched by the diseased user to be higher than the degree of contamination of the contact point 19 touched by the healthy user.

In particular, for specific diseases that are more susceptible to contact infection than other diseases, the CPU 21 may prohibit functions that cannot be executed unless the affected user touches a contact point 19 that has been touched by the affected user, i.e., functions related to the affected user's contact point, for a specified period from the diagnosis date and time. Specifically, the CPU 21 may make operation objects related to the prohibited functions on the operation panel 5 inoperable or not display them.

The CPU 21 references the correspondence between disease names and specified periods during which function use is prohibited, which is stored in advance in the non-volatile memory 24, and sets the period during which function use is prohibited based on the disease name. If recovery information indicating that the affected user has been diagnosed with recovery from the disease is registered in an external device, the CPU 21 may, upon receiving the recovery information from the external device, lift the prohibition on the use of functions related to the affected user's contact points.

<Customized contact point notification for users>
6 and 10, if the operation history 15 stored in the image processing device 10 is the same, the contact point 19 notified to each user will be the same. Here, an image processing device 10 will be described that notifies each user of the contact point 19 according to the usage status of the image processing device 10 for each user who uses the image processing device 10.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a notification process for notifying a user of a contact point 19 according to how the user is using the image processing device 10. The notification process shown in Figure 11 differs from the notification process shown in Figure 6 in that step S15 has been added and step S20 has been replaced with step S20A. Therefore, the following explanation will focus on the processes of steps S15 and S20A.

When the operation history 15 is acquired in step S10 of Figure 11, the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the CPU 21 obtains the user ID entered during user authentication, i.e., the user ID of the user attempting to use the image processing device 10 (for convenience of explanation, referred to as the "authenticated user").

In step S20A, the CPU 21 references the operation history 15 acquired in step S10 that includes the user ID acquired in step S15 in the user field, and identifies the contact points 19 that have been touched by the user represented by the user ID acquired in step S15, i.e., the authenticated user.

As a result, the processing from step S30 onwards will only notify the degree of contamination of the contact points 19 that the authenticated user has touched so far.

In step S20A, the CPU 21 may identify only those contact points 19 that the authenticated user has touched the most recently, the contact points 19 that have been touched a predetermined threshold or more, as contact points 19 that the authenticated user is particularly likely to touch.

<Contact point notification restriction based on the device's status>
As in the above example in which only the contact points 19 of the authenticated user are notified among all the contact points 19, the CPU 21 may limit the contact points 19 to be notified even when the contact points 19 are identified from the operation history 15. Here, "limiting the contact points 19 to be notified" refers to narrowing down the contact points 19 to be notified.

Such limitations on the contact points 19 to be notified may be performed when the state of the device itself meets predetermined conditions. The state of the device itself may include, for example, the timing of a user operation on the image processing device 10.

Even if a user touches the image processing device 10 and a virus adheres to the image processing device 10, it is known that the virus will become inactive over time. In other words, if the last operation on the device occurred before the virus's survival period, the user's chances of contracting the virus are lower no matter which contact point 19 they touch compared to touching the contact point 19 during the virus's survival period. Therefore, the CPU 21 references the recording date and time item in the operation history 15 to identify the last operation history 15 on the device, and if a time equivalent to the virus's survival period has passed since the last operation on the device, it does not notify all contact points 19 even if contact points 19 exist. The virus's survival period is an example of a "predetermined time" according to this embodiment.

As already explained, the survival period of a virus varies depending on the material to which the virus is attached. Therefore, it is preferable for the CPU 21 not to notify all contact points 19 if a time equivalent to the longest survival period of the viruses for each material has passed since the last operation on the device. Furthermore, even for the same material, the survival period of a virus varies depending on the type of virus. Therefore, for example, information regarding the survival period of a virus for each material and for each virus may be stored in the non-volatile memory 24 of the image processing device 10, and the CPU 21 may identify the type of virus from the infection information and set the survival period of the virus.

In addition, the status of the device itself includes the user's cleaning status of the image processing device 10.

Even if a user touches the image processing device 10, viruses and dirt adhering to the surface of the housing of the image processing device 10 can be removed by the maintenance staff of the image processing device 10 wiping and disinfecting the surface. As already explained, when a maintenance staff performs maintenance such as cleaning, a name such as "Maintenance" is set as a function item in the operation history 15. Therefore, when each operation history 15 includes an operation history 15 in which the function item content is set to "Maintenance," the CPU 21 may notify only the touch points 19 that were touched after the recording date and time of the operation history 15 in which the function item was set to "Maintenance" out of all the touch points 19 identified from each operation history 15. An operation history 15 in which the function item is set to "Maintenance" is an example of a "cleaning history in which cleaning of the image processing device itself was performed" according to this embodiment.

Whether or not a maintenance technician has performed maintenance may be determined not only by selecting the maintenance button displayed on the operation panel 5, but also by, for example, deleting video footage captured by a camera or the operation history 15. Deleting the operation history 15 means that a maintenance technician has performed maintenance. In this case, only the operation history 15 after maintenance is performed is stored, and therefore, only the contact points 19 identified from the operation history 15 stored after maintenance is performed are notified.

In step S40 of each notification process shown in Figures 6, 10, and 11, an example was described in which the contact points 19 and the degree of contamination at each contact point 19 are displayed on the operation panel 5. However, the CPU 21 may also display the contact points 19 and the degree of contamination at each contact point 19 not on the operation panel 5 but on the screen of an information device 28 designated in advance by the user who is attempting to operate the device.

If the information device 28 designated in advance by the user is equipped with a camera for capturing images, such as a smartphone, the CPU 21 may work in conjunction with the information device 28 to display the contact points 19 of the image processing device 10 and the degree of contamination at each contact point 19 on the screen of the information device 28.

Specifically, the CPU 21 transmits information representing the contact points 19 of the image processing device 10 and the degree of contamination at each contact point 19 to an information device 28 connected to the communication line via the communication unit 16. The CPU 21 then displays, on the screen of the information device 28, an image of the image processing device 10 captured by the camera of the information device 28, in which the transmitted contact points 19 of the image processing device 10 and the degree of contamination at each contact point 19 have been superimposed. In other words, the CPU 21 works in conjunction with the information device 28 to display the contact points 19 of the image processing device 10 and the degree of contamination at each contact point 19 on the image of the image processing device 10 using an AR (Augmented Reality) function. The camera is an example of an "imaging device" according to this embodiment, and the information device 28 is an example of an "external device."

Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the contact point 19 of the image processing device 10 on the information device 28. The display of the contact point 19 of the image processing device 10 on the information device 28 is similar to the display example of the device icon 18 on the operation panel 5 shown in Figure 8, and is done, for example, by the presence or absence of shading, the presence or absence of a pattern, and by drawing a line around it or using an arrow. Furthermore, the display of the degree of contamination at the contact point 19 of the image processing device 10 on the information device 28 is also done by differences in hue and brightness, etc., similar to the display example of the device icon 18 on the operation panel 5 shown in Figure 8.

The CPU 21 may control the information device 28 so that, when the user taps a contact point 19 on the screen of the information device 28, the information device 28 notifies the user of the degree of contamination of the tapped contact point 19 by voice or numerical value.

The above describes one aspect of the image processing device 10 using an embodiment, but the disclosed form of the image processing device 10 is merely an example, and the form of the image processing device 10 is not limited to the scope described in the embodiment. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure, and forms incorporating such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the disclosure. For example, the order of the notification processes shown in Figures 6, 10, and 11 may be changed without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the notification process was implemented by software. However, processes equivalent to the notification processes shown in Figures 6, 10, and 11 may also be implemented by hardware. In this case, the processing speed can be increased compared to when the notification process is implemented by software.

In the above embodiment, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU 21) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

Furthermore, the processor operations in the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the information processing program is stored in ROM 22, but the storage location of the information processing program is not limited to ROM 22. The information processing program of the present disclosure can also be provided in a form recorded on a storage medium readable by computer 20. For example, the information processing program may be provided in a form recorded on an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) or a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory). The information processing program may also be provided in a form recorded on portable semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or memory card.

ROM 22, non-volatile memory 24, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, USB, and memory cards are examples of non-transitory storage media.

Furthermore, the image processing device 10 may download an information processing program from an external device connected to the communication unit 16 via a communication line and store the downloaded information processing program in a non-transitory storage medium. In this case, the CPU 21 of the image processing device 10 reads the information processing program downloaded from the external device from the non-transitory storage medium and executes the notification process.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Document 2 Document reading unit 3 Operation display unit 4 Image forming unit 5 Operation panel 6 Document cover 6A Document tray 6B Discharge tray 7 Reader device 8 Document transport device 9 Storage shelf 10 Image processing device 11 Interface unit 12 Control unit 13 Function execution unit 14 History management unit 15 Operation history 16 Communication unit 17 Contact determination table 18 Device icon 19 Contact location 20 Computer 21 CPU
22 ROM
23 RAM
24 Non-volatile memory 25 I/O
26 Bus 27 Area 28 Information device P Origin Q Coordinate point

Claims (18)

a processor;
The processor:
Acquires the operation history of each user who operated the device;
Using the operation history, an operation panel of the own device touched by at least one user and a contact point on the own device other than the operation panel are identified;
An information processing device that notifies the contact location. The processor identifies a degree of contamination of the contact point from the number of times the contact point has been touched, which is recorded in the operation history;
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the degree of contamination at each of the contact points is notified along with the contact points. The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor notifies the user of the difference in the degree of contamination at each of the contact points by using a different color in a diagram representing the shape of the device. The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor notifies the user of the difference in the degree of contamination at each of the contact points by varying the brightness of a color applied to a diagram representing the shape of the device. 5. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point depending on the material of the contact point. The information processing device of claim 5, wherein the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point made of glass to be higher than the degree of contamination of the contact point made of synthetic resin when the number of contacts at the contact point made of glass and the number of contacts at the contact point made of synthetic resin are the same. 7. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point depending on the difference in surface treatment at the contact point. 8. The information processing device of claim 7, wherein the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact area that has not been treated with antibacterial agents so that it is higher than the degree of contamination of the contact area that has been treated with antibacterial agents when the number of contacts at the contact area that has been treated with antibacterial agents is the same as the number of contacts at the contact area that has not been treated with antibacterial agents. The processor accepts disease information of a user;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the degree of contamination of the contact point is corrected based on the morbidity information. If the disease information includes information that the user has contracted a predetermined disease involving contact infection,
The information processing device of claim 9, wherein the processor corrects the degree of contamination of the contact point touched by the user corresponding to the morbidity information so that it is higher than the degree of contamination of the contact point touched by a user not suffering from the disease if the number of times each of the contact points touched by the user corresponding to the morbidity information and the contact points touched by a user not suffering from the disease is the same. The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the processor disables a function associated with the contact point touched by the user corresponding to the morbidity information for a specified period of time. The processor acquires identification information of a user who is attempting to use the device;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the operation history is used to notify the user of the contact points that have been touched by the user represented by the identification information. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the processor limits the contact points to be notified if the state of the device obtained from the operation history satisfies a predetermined condition, even if the contact points are identified from the operation history. The information processing device according to claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured not to notify the contact point if a predetermined time has elapsed since the last operation on the device itself. The information processing device according to claim 13, wherein, when the operation history includes a cleaning history of cleaning the device itself, the processor notifies only the contact points identified from the operation history after the cleaning history was recorded. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the processor displays the contact point on a screen of an information device designated in advance by a user who intends to operate the device. the information device includes a photographing device for photographing an image,
The information processing device according to claim 16 , wherein the processor displays, on a screen of the information device, an image in which the contact point is superimposed on an image of the information processing device captured by the image capturing device. On the computer,
Acquires the operation history of each user who operated the device;
Using the operation history, an operation panel of the own device touched by at least one user and a contact point on the own device other than the operation panel are identified;
An information processing program for executing the process of notifying the contact point.