CN106973176A - Image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a kind of image processing system.Described image forming apparatus has the different multiple patterns of sound level.Described image forming apparatus possesses：Operating member, carries out predetermined action；Sound obtaining section, obtains the sound around described image forming apparatus；The characteristic sounds with predetermined characteristic are extracted in characteristic sounds extraction unit, the sound obtained from the sound obtaining section；Signal resolution portion, resolves the features as sound；Pattern selector, a pattern is selected according to the analysis result of the characteristic sounds from the multiple pattern；And operation control part, the pattern selected by the pattern selector acts the operating member.

Description

image forming device

technical field

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

Background technique

An image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multifunction Printer: Multifunctional Digital All-in-One) has a distinctive operating sound. In order to silence operation sounds, image forming apparatuses sometimes have a silent mode. The silent mode refers to a mode in which the productivity of printing is lowered, and instead, the operation sound of the image forming apparatus is quieter than usual.

Normally, the silent mode is set by the user operating the operation panel. However, in this case, the user sometimes forgets to set the silent mode, although the silent mode is required during a meeting or the like. In this case, the image forming apparatus obstructs the conversation due to the loud operation sound. Also, users sometimes forget to disable silent mode. In this case, the image forming apparatus imposes inconvenience on other users due to the slow printing speed.

As one method of solving this problem, it is conceivable to determine whether the image forming apparatus itself is operating in the silent mode based on the volume of sound around the image forming apparatus. However, in this method, when the noise around the image forming apparatus is inherently high, a problem occurs that the image forming apparatus often operates in the silent mode. If the threshold is raised in consideration of the level of noise, this time, on the contrary, when the silent mode is required, there is a problem that the image forming apparatus does not enter the silent mode.

Contents of the invention

An image forming apparatus having a plurality of operation modes with different sound levels, the image forming apparatus comprising: an operation unit performing a predetermined operation; a sound acquiring unit acquiring sounds around the image forming apparatus; a characteristic sound extracting unit, A characteristic sound having a predetermined characteristic is extracted from the sound obtained by the sound acquisition unit; a signal analysis unit analyzes the characteristic sound; an operation mode selection unit selects from the plurality of operation modes based on the analysis result of the characteristic sound selecting one of the operation modes; and an operation control unit configured to operate the operation unit in accordance with the operation mode selected by the operation mode selection unit.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a printing system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an example of an operation mode selection screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing data stored in a storage unit.

FIG. 6A is an example of an operation mode table.

Fig. 6B is another example of the operation mode table.

Fig. 7 is an example of setting the environment table.

Fig. 8 is an example of a time zone table.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of a control unit.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of printing processing.

FIG. 11 is a modified example of the operation mode table.

detailed description

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the same or equivalent parts in the drawings are marked with the same symbols.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a printing system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The printing system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 100 and a user terminal 200 . The user terminal 200 is, for example, a personal computer. User terminal 200 is connected to image forming apparatus 100 via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

The image forming apparatus 100 is an apparatus having a printing function such as an MFP (Multifunction Printer: Multifunction Printer). FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus 100 . As shown in FIG. 2 , image forming apparatus 100 includes communication unit 110 , sound collecting unit 120 , display unit 130 , operation unit 140 , image reading unit 150 , operation unit 160 , storage unit 170 , and control unit 180 .

Communication unit 110 is a communication interface for connecting image forming apparatus 100 to a network. For example, the communication unit 110 is a LAN interface connected to a communication device such as a router via a LAN cable. Communication unit 110 receives print data from user terminal 200 and sends it to control unit 180 .

Sound collecting unit 120 is a device that collects sounds around image forming apparatus 100 . For example, sound collecting unit 120 is a microphone built into image forming apparatus 100 . Sound collecting unit 120 converts sounds around image forming apparatus 100 into sound (sound) signals, and outputs the signals to control unit 180 . The sound signal can be a virtual signal or a digital signal.

The display unit 130 is a device that outputs various information to the user. For example, the display unit 130 is a display such as a liquid crystal display (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 130 may also be a touch screen display. The display unit 130 displays various information in accordance with the control of the control unit 180 .

The operation unit 140 is a device that performs a predetermined operation. The predetermined operations are various operations performed by the image forming apparatus 100 , such as printing operations. It should be noted that operations other than the printing operation may also be included in the predetermined operation. For example, if the image forming apparatus 100 includes a scanner, the predetermined operation may be a scanning operation of the scanner. In the following description, as an example, the predetermined operation performed by the operation unit 140 is a printing operation. At this time, the action unit 140 may be referred to as the printing unit 140 . Here, the printing operation refers to an operation of forming an image on a printing medium such as a sheet. It should be noted that the printing operation includes not only the operation of the image forming unit, but also the operation of the transport unit for paper feeding and paper discharge, and the operation of the suction and exhaust fans for heat dissipation. The operation unit 140 includes a transport unit 141 , an image forming unit 142 , and a fan 143 .

The conveying unit 141 is a device that conveys the printing medium to each part of the image forming apparatus 100 . FIG. 3 shows an example of the appearance of the image forming apparatus 100 . The transport unit 141 picks up a sheet from the paper feed tray 141 a, transports it to the image forming unit 142 , and discharges the sheet on which an image is formed to the paper output tray 141 b. The transport unit 141 includes a pickup roller that picks up a sheet, a transport roller that transports the sheet, and a motor that operates these rollers. The transport unit 141 operates the motor according to the control of the control unit. Due to the operation of the motor, the transport unit 141 emits an operation sound.

The image forming unit 142 is a device that forms an image on a printing medium such as a sheet. The image forming unit 142 may be, for example, a device that forms an image on a printing medium by an inkjet method, or may be a device that forms an image on a printing medium by a dry electrophotographic method. In addition, the dry electrophotographic method refers to a printing method used in a laser printer or an LED (Light Emitting Diode: Light Emitting Diode) printer.

When the image forming unit 142 is an inkjet system, the image forming unit 142 includes an inkjet head and a motor for operating the inkjet head. When the image forming unit 142 is a dry electrophotographic system, the image forming unit 142 includes a photosensitive drum, a fixing roller, a transfer belt, and a motor that operates these. The image forming unit 142 operates the motor under the control of the control unit. Image forming unit 142 emits an operation sound due to the operation of the motor.

The fan 143 is an intake and exhaust fan for exhausting heat generated by the image forming apparatus 100 (for example, heat generated by a fixing roller) during image formation. The fan 143 is composed of an impeller for blowing air and a motor for rotating the impeller. The fan 143 operates a motor under the control of the controller. The fan 143 emits an operating sound by the operation of the motor.

The image reading unit 150 is an imaging device such as a scanner or a camera. The image reading unit 150 reads an image from a sheet and stores it in the storage unit 170 under the control of the control unit 180 .

The operation unit 160 is a user interface such as a switch or a touch panel. The operation unit 160 notifies the control unit 180 of an input from the user. It should be noted that the switch also includes a push button switch. In addition, when the display unit 130 is used as a touch panel display, the display unit 130 can also be regarded as a part of the operation unit 160 .

The switches included in the operation unit 160 include a print start switch. The print start switch is a switch for starting the printing operation in the operation unit 140 . The printing start switch may be a hardware push button switch, or may be a button displayed on a touch panel display. The print start switch may also be a copy start button. When the copy start button is pressed, image forming apparatus 100 reads an image in image reading unit 150 , and then prints the read image in operation unit 140 .

It should be noted that, when the user operates the print start button to start the printing operation in operation unit 140 , operation unit 160 is configured so that the user can select an operation mode of image forming apparatus 100 . The operation mode is a mode related to the sound level at which the operation unit 140 performs a predetermined operation. When the operation unit 140 performs a printing operation, the operation mode is a mode related to the sound level of the printing operation. There are two types of operation modes of image forming apparatus 100 , a normal mode and a silent mode. The normal mode and silent mode will be described later.

FIG. 4 is an example of an operation mode selection screen displayed on the display unit 130 . The display unit 130 is a touch panel display and functions as a part of the operation unit 160 . The operation mode is selected by the user pressing any button in "normal mode" or "silent mode". The selected operation mode is sent to the control unit 180 as selection information. It should be noted that there is also a possibility that the user presses the "unselected" button without selecting an action mode. In this case, no selection information is sent.

The storage unit 170 is a data-readable storage device such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), flash memory, or hard disk. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing data stored in the storage unit 170 . Data such as installation environment information 171 , an operation mode table 172 , an installation environment table 173 , and a time zone table 174 are stored in the storage unit 170 . These data are used in the printing process described later.

The installation environment information 171 is information showing the installation environment of the image forming apparatus 100 . The installation environment information 171 may be text information such as "convenience store", "meeting room", and "office", or may be symbols displaying these. The installation environment information 171 is input by the user operating the operation unit 160 when the image forming apparatus 100 is installed.

Operation mode table 172 is a table that stores information that associates information indicating whether or not someone is talking around image forming apparatus 100 with the operation mode of image forming apparatus 100 .

There are two types of operation modes of the image forming apparatus 100 described above, a normal mode and a silent mode. The normal mode is a mode in which the printing operation is performed at a normal sound level without reducing the printing productivity. The silent mode is a mode in which the printing productivity is lowered, and the printing operation is performed at a lower sound level than the normal mode instead. When the silent mode is set, image forming apparatus 100 achieves quietness by, for example, delaying the operation of various motors included in operating unit 140 .

FIG. 6A is an example of the operation mode table 172 . In the action mode table 172 shown in FIG. 6A, the sound level and the frequency of occurrence are associated with the action mode.

The voice level is the level of human voices (hereinafter simply referred to as voices) included in the voices collected by the sound collecting unit 120 . The unit of the sound level is arbitrary. For example, the unit of the sound level may be dB (decibel). In addition, the sound level may be displayed in stages from 1 to n (n is an integer). In this embodiment, the sound level is set in two stages, high and low.

The frequency of occurrence is the frequency of sounds occurring within a predetermined time range. For example, the frequency of occurrence is the proportion of sounds having a level above a predetermined threshold within a predetermined time range. If the total time of sounds having a level equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 60 dB) is 6 seconds within a predetermined time range of 10 seconds, the frequency of appearance is 0.6. It should be noted that the frequency of occurrence can also be displayed by stages. For example, if the frequency of occurrence is 0.5 or more, it may be "large", and if it is less than 0.5, it may be "small". In this embodiment, the frequency of occurrence is set to two stages, high and small.

It should be noted that the information associated with the working mode is not limited to the sound level and its frequency of occurrence. FIG. 6B is another example of the operation mode table 172 . In action mode, in addition to the sound level and its frequency of occurrence, the noise level is associated.

The noise level is the level of noise included in the sound collected by the sound collecting unit 120 . The unit of the sound level is arbitrary. For example, the unit of the sound level may be dB (decibel). In addition, the noise level can be displayed by stage. In this embodiment, the noise level is set in two stages, high and low.

The installation environment table 173 is a table that stores information that associates the installation environment of the image forming apparatus 100 with the operation mode of the image forming apparatus 100 . FIG. 7 is an example of the setting environment table 173 . The setting environments of the setting environment table 173 correspond to the setting environment information 171 . If the setting environment information 171 is text information, the setting environment of the setting environment table 173 is also text information. If the installation environment information 171 is a symbol, the installation environment of the installation environment table 173 is also a symbol.

Time zone table 174 is a table that stores and displays information related to time zones and operation modes of image forming apparatus 100 . FIG. 8 is an example of the time zone table 174 . The time zone is information showing time zones such as morning, noon, and evening. The time zone may be displayed at times such as 21:00 to 23:00, or may be displayed as a symbol of the time zone.

The control unit 180 is a processing device such as a processor. Control unit 180 functions as a control device that controls image forming apparatus 100 . The control unit 180 operates according to a program stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory) not shown, and realizes various operations including "printing processing" described later. . The control unit 180 operates according to the above program, and functions as a voice acquisition unit 181 , a characteristic sound extraction unit 182 , a signal analysis unit 183 , an operation mode selection unit 184 , and an operation control unit 185 as shown in FIG. 9 . These operations will be described at the point where the printing process will be described later.

Next, the operation of image forming apparatus 100 having such a configuration will be described.

When the user instructs the start of the process, the control unit 180 starts the print process. The command to start the process is executed when the user operates the print start button on the operation unit 160 . Alternatively, the process start command is executed by the user sending the print data to the image forming apparatus 100 via the network. Hereinafter, the printing process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10 .

The operation mode selection unit 184 determines whether printing is started by operating the operation unit 160 or by receiving print data (step 101 ). When starting by receiving print data (step 101 : NO), proceed to step 104 .

When starting by operating the operation unit 160 (step 101: Yes), the operation mode selection unit 184 determines whether or not selection information from the operation unit 160 has been received (step 102).

When the selection information is received (step 102: Yes), the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the operation mode included in the selection information as the operation mode for operating the operation unit 140 (step 103).

When the selection information has not been received (step 102: No), the operation mode selection unit 184 judges whether the installation environment recorded in the installation environment information 171 (hereinafter referred to as the setting installation environment.) is in the installation environment table 173 The setting environment (hereinafter referred to as the designated setting environment) to which the operation mode is assigned (step 104).

When the setting setting environment is any one of the specified setting environments (step 104: Yes), the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the assigned operation mode as the operation mode for operating the operation unit 140 (step 105 ).

When the setting setting environment is not any one of the specified setting environments (step 104: No), the operation mode selection part 184 judges whether the current time is within the time zone to which the operation mode is assigned in the time zone table 174 (hereinafter referred to as is the specified time zone.) (step 106).

When the current time is any one of the designated time zones (step 106: Yes), the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the allocated operation mode as the operation mode for operating the operation unit 140 (step 107). .

When the current time is not any time in the specified time zone (step 106 : NO), the sound acquisition unit 181 starts the operation of the sound collection unit 120 . Then, the sound acquisition unit 181 acquires the sound signal from the sound collection unit 120 at a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as a set time) (step 108 ). The set time may be a fixed time (for example, 10 seconds), or may not be a fixed time. For example, the set time may be a variable time such as "from the start of the sound collecting unit 120 to the position where the operation unit 140 can start the printing operation". After a set time, the sound acquisition unit 181 may shut down the operation of the sound collection unit 120 to save power.

Next, the characteristic sound extraction unit 182 extracts characteristic sounds having predetermined characteristics from the sound signal acquired in step 108 (step 109 ). In the present embodiment, the characteristic sound extraction unit 182 extracts a human voice as a characteristic sound.

Various known methods can be used for sound extraction. For example, the following methods can be used. First, the device maker generates feature data recording voice features, and stores them in the storage unit 170 in advance. Then, the characteristic sound extraction unit 182 extracts a signal matching the characteristic data as a sound. Frequency bands other than the frequency band of human voice (for example, 100 Hz to 1000 Hz) can be removed as noise. It should be noted that the method of extracting sound is not limited to the method of using feature data. The characteristic sound extraction part 182 may extract only the signal of the predetermined frequency band (for example, 100Hz-1000Hz) from a sound signal.

In addition, the characteristic sound extraction unit 182 may extract noise (hereinafter simply referred to as noise) from the sound signal. As the noise extraction method, various known methods can be used. For example, the characteristic sound extraction unit 182 may extract the noise from the sound signal using the characteristic data of the noise as in the case of the sound. In addition, the characteristic sound extraction unit 182 may extract a predetermined frequency band (for example, 100 Hz or less and 1000 Hz or more) as noise.

Next, the signal analysis unit 183 analyzes the characteristic sound extracted in step 109 (step 110). If the sound is extracted as a characteristic sound, the signal analysis unit 183 judges the sound level and frequency of appearance.

As described above, the sound level is the level of the sound included in the sound collected by the sound collecting unit 120 . If the sound level is greater than the predetermined threshold, the signal analysis unit 183 determines that the sound level is “loud”, and if the sound level is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the signal analysis unit 183 determines that the sound level is “low”. In this case, the sound level used for the judgment may be the maximum value or the average value over the set time. The set time is the time when the sound acquiring unit 181 operates the sound collecting unit 120 in step 108 .

Also, the frequency of occurrence is the frequency of sounds that appear within a predetermined time range. For example, the signal analysis unit 183 accounts for the ratio of sounds having a level equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold within a set time range. If the total time of sounds having a level equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold (for example, 60 dB) is 6 seconds in the set time of 10 seconds, the frequency of appearance is 0.6. If the frequency of appearance is greater than a predetermined threshold (for example, 0.5), the signal analysis unit 183 judges that the frequency of appearance is "high". If the frequency of appearance is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the signal analysis unit 183 judges that the frequency of appearance is "small".

In addition, if the characteristic sound extraction unit 182 extracts noise as a characteristic sound, the signal analysis unit 183 also judges the noise level. As described above, the noise level is the level of noise included in the sound collected by the sound collecting unit 120 . If the noise level is greater than a predetermined threshold, the signal analysis unit 183 judges that the noise frequency is "high". If the noise level is lower than a predetermined threshold, the signal analysis unit 183 judges that the noise frequency is "small".

Next, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects an operation mode based on the analysis result in step 110 (step 111 ). More specifically, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects an operation mode by comparing the analysis result in step 110 with the operation mode table 172 stored in the storage unit 170 .

A specific description will be given with reference to FIG. 6A . For example, in step 110, it is judged that the sound level is "loud". At this time, since it is considered that a person is approaching image forming apparatus 100 , operation mode selection unit 184 selects the silent mode. It is judged that the sound level is "small", and the frequency of occurrence is also "small". At this time, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the normal mode because it is considered that the person is far away. It is judged that the sound level is "small" and the frequency of occurrence is "big". At this time, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the silent mode because the person is considered to be in a distant position but is within the influence range of the operation sound.

If the analysis result in step 110 includes the determination result of the noise level, the operation mode selection unit 184 can use the table shown in FIG. 6B to determine the operation mode. For example, in step 110, it is judged that the noise level is "small". At this time, image forming apparatus 100 exists in a quiet environment, and operation mode selection unit 184 selects the silent mode because it considers that the operation sound can be heard far away. When it is judged that the noise level is "high", the operation mode selection unit 184 makes the same selection as when using the table in FIG. 6A .

Next, the operation control unit 185 operates the operation unit 140 in the operation mode selected in step 111 (step 112). When the printing is completed, the control unit 180 ends the printing process.

According to the present embodiment, image forming apparatus 100 does not simply select an operation mode based on the voice, but selects the most appropriate operation mode based on the analysis result of the human voice extracted from the voice. Therefore, when the silent mode is required, the image forming apparatus 100 can mute the sound of the operation unit 140 without requiring the user to operate manually.

In addition, when the user operates the operation unit 160 to start the printing operation, the image forming apparatus 100 sets the operation mode according to the user's selection regardless of the analysis result of the characteristic sound. When the user operates the operation unit 160 to start printing by the image forming apparatus 100 , since the user is near the image forming apparatus 100 , it is considered that the situation around the image forming apparatus 100 can be judged. Therefore, image forming apparatus 100 can operate in the most suitable operation mode rather than automatically selecting the operation mode. Even when the user has not selected an operation mode, image forming apparatus 100 automatically selects an operation mode based on the audio analysis result. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 100 does not operate in the silent mode when the operation sound prevents conversations of surrounding people.

In addition, when the installation environment recorded in the installation environment information 171 is the installation environment of the operation mode assigned in the installation environment table 173, regardless of the analysis result of the characteristic sound, the image forming apparatus 100 uses the assigned operation mode as the The operation mode in which the operation unit 140 operates is selected. Therefore, image forming apparatus 100 can operate in an optimal operation mode according to the installation environment. Even if the operation mode is not assigned, since the image forming apparatus 100 automatically selects the operation mode based on the analysis result of the sound, there is no possibility that the operation sound will disturb the conversation of the surrounding people, and it will not operate in the silent mode when the silent mode is unnecessary. Condition.

In addition, when the current time is within the time zone of the operation mode allocated in the time zone table 174, the image forming apparatus 100 uses the allocated operation mode as the time zone for operating the operation unit 140 regardless of the analysis result of the characteristic sound. select the action mode. Therefore, image forming apparatus 100 can operate in an optimum operation mode according to the time zone. Even when the operation mode is not assigned, since the image forming apparatus 100 automatically selects the operation mode based on the analysis result of the sound, it does not occur that the operation sound hinders the conversation of the surrounding people and operates in the silent mode when the silent mode is unnecessary. Condition.

In addition, each said embodiment is an example, and various changes and applications are possible.

For example, in the operation mode table 172 shown in FIG. 6A , the sound level and the frequency of appearance are associated with the operation mode, but the frequency of appearance may not be associated with the operation mode. Simply, it is also possible to associate only the sound level in action mode. At this time, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the silent mode when the sound level is "loud", and selects the normal mode when the sound level is "low".

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, there are two types of operation modes of the image forming apparatus 100 , the normal mode and the silent mode. However, the image forming apparatus 100 may have more than two operation modes. For example, image forming apparatus 100 may have a total of four operation modes including a normal mode and three quiet modes with different quiet levels. Then, image forming apparatus 100 can select the most appropriate operation mode from among the four silent modes according to the sound level. For example, the device maker causes the storage unit 170 to store the operation mode table 172 shown in FIG. 11 that associates sound levels with operation modes. Then, the signal analysis unit 183 determines the sound level and any one of the four levels. Then, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects an operation mode based on the determination result of the sound level and the operation mode table 172 .

In addition, in the actual form described above, although image forming apparatus 100 selects an operation mode according to the sound level, the operation mode may be selected according to the distance to the source of the sound. In this case, the sound collecting unit 120 and steps 108 to 111 may be modified as follows.

First, the sound collecting unit 120 includes a plurality of microphones. The microphones should be set as far apart as possible. Then, the audio acquisition unit 181 acquires audio from each of the plurality of microphones (step 108). The voice acquisition unit 181 extracts human voices from the audio signals acquired by the voice acquisition unit 181 (step 109 ). The signal analysis unit 183 judges the distance to the source of the sound from the time difference between the sound and the sound (step 110 ). The operation mode selection unit 184 selects an operation mode based on the distance determined by the signal analysis unit 183 (step 111 ). For example, if the distance is greater than a predetermined threshold, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the normal mode, and if the distance is smaller than the predetermined threshold, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the silent mode.

In addition, image forming apparatus 100 may select an operation mode according to whether a characteristic sound (for example, footsteps) is moving. In this case, the storage unit 170 and steps 108 to 111 may be modified as follows. As an example the characteristic sound is the sound of footsteps, but the characteristic sound may not be the sound of footsteps.

First, the device maker stores characteristic data of footstep sounds in the storage unit 170 in advance. The sound collecting unit 120 includes a plurality of microphones. The microphones should be set as far apart as possible. Then, the audio acquisition unit 181 acquires audio from each of the plurality of microphones (step 108). The sound acquisition unit 181 extracts footstep sounds from the sound signals based on the feature data of the footstep sounds (step 109 ). The signal analysis unit 183 determines the location where the footstep sound occurs based on the time difference between the footstep sound and the footstep sound. In most cases, multiple footsteps are included in the audio signal. The signal analysis unit 183 specifies the positions of all footsteps. Then, the signal analysis unit 183 judges whether the footstep sound is moving based on the determined positions (step 110 ). Thereafter, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects an operation mode based on the determination result of the signal analysis unit 183 (step 111 ). For example, if the sound of footsteps is moving, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the silent mode, and if the sound of footsteps is not moving, selects the normal mode.

It should be noted that the signal analyzing unit 183 may also determine whether the footstep sound is approaching the image forming apparatus 100 according to the determined position (step 110 ). Then, the operation mode selection unit 184 may select an operation mode based on the determination result of the signal analysis unit 183 (step 111 ). For example, if the sound of footsteps is approaching, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects the silent mode, and if the sound of footsteps is not approaching, selects the normal mode.

In the above-described embodiment, image forming apparatus 100 selects an operation mode based on selection information (steps 101 to 103). However, the image forming apparatus 100 may not have the processing of steps 101 to 103 .

In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 selects an operation mode according to the installation environment (steps 104 to 105). However, the image forming apparatus 100 may not have the processing of steps 104 to 105 .

In the above-described embodiment, image forming apparatus 100 selects an operation mode according to a time zone (steps 106 to 107). However, the image forming apparatus 100 may not have the processing of steps 106 to 107 .

In the above-described embodiments, image forming apparatus 100 selects an operation mode based on the sound signal detected by the microphone. However, image forming apparatus 100 may select an operation mode using information from sensors other than the microphone. For example, image forming apparatus 100 may include a distance sensor. Then, the signal analysis unit 183 may analyze the signal from the distance sensor in addition to the analysis of the characteristic sound. For example, the signal analysis unit 183 may detect whether there is a person within a certain range of the image forming apparatus 100 based on the signal of the distance sensor. Then, the operation mode selection unit 184 selects an operation mode based on the analysis result of the signal from the distance sensor and the analysis result of the characteristic sound. For example, if it is determined that there is a person within a certain range of image forming apparatus 100 and the audio signal contains sound at a level higher than a certain threshold, operation mode selection unit 184 may select the silent mode, and otherwise select the normal mode.

The control device for controlling the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment may be realized by a dedicated computer system, or may be realized by an ordinary computer system. For example, a program for executing the above operations may be distributed and stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as an optical disk, semiconductor memory, magnetic tape, or floppy disk, the program may be installed in the computer, and the control device may be configured by executing the above-mentioned processing. In this case, the control device may be a computer (processor) built into the image forming apparatus 100 or may be a computer that controls the image forming apparatus 100 from the outside. In addition, the above-mentioned program may be stored in a disk device provided with a server device on a network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded to a computer or the like. In addition, the above-mentioned functions can also be realized by cooperation of an OS (Operating System: operating system) and application software. In this case, parts other than the OS may be distributedly stored on the medium, or may be stored in a server device and downloaded to a computer.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This new embodiment can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent range.

Claims (10)

1. a kind of image processing system, with the different multiple patterns of sound level, described image Forming apparatus possesses：

Operating member, carries out predetermined action；

Sound obtaining section, obtains the sound around described image forming apparatus；

Being extracted in characteristic sounds extraction unit, the sound obtained from the sound obtaining section has The characteristic sounds of predetermined characteristic；

Signal resolution portion, resolves the features as sound；

Pattern selector, according to the analysis result of the characteristic sounds from the multiple A pattern is selected in pattern；And

Operation control part, the pattern selected by the pattern selector Act the operating member.

2. image processing system according to claim 1, wherein,

People is extracted in the sound that the characteristic sounds extraction unit has been obtained from the sound obtaining section Sound,

The signal resolution portion judges the grade of the sound, and judges when set in advance Between sound described in scope the frequency of occurrences,

The pattern selector goes out according to the grade and the sound of the sound Show frequency and a pattern is selected from the multiple pattern.

3. image processing system according to claim 2, wherein,

The multiple pattern includes：Carried out with common sound level described predetermined The general mode of action and institute is carried out with the operation sound less than the common sound level The silent mode of predetermined action is stated,

In the case where the grade of the sound is more than first threshold, the pattern selection Portion selects the silent mode from the multiple pattern,

It is less than the appearance of the first threshold and the sound in the grade of the sound In the case that frequency is more than Second Threshold, the pattern selector is from the multiple action The silent mode is selected in pattern,

It is less than the appearance of the first threshold and the sound in the grade of the sound In the case that frequency is less than the Second Threshold, the pattern selector is from the multiple The general mode is selected in pattern.

4. image processing system according to claim 1, wherein,

Described image forming apparatus possesses multiple microphones,

The sound obtaining section obtains sound from the multiple microphone respectively,

Carried in the sound that the characteristic sounds extraction unit has been obtained from the sound obtaining section respectively The sound of people is taken,

The signal resolution portion is judged according to the time difference of the sound to the hair of the sound Distance untill source of students,

The pattern selector according to the distance that the signal resolution portion judges from A pattern is selected in the multiple pattern.

5. image processing system according to claim 1, wherein,

Described image forming apparatus possesses：

Operating portion, is configured to obtain the selection information of the pattern from user；

It is described in the case where starting the predetermined action by operating the operating portion Pattern selector judges whether to obtain the selection information from user,

In the case where having obtained the selection information, no matter the parsing knot of the characteristic sounds Really, the pattern selector selects the pattern of user's selection to make For for making the pattern of the operating member action.

6. image processing system according to claim 5, wherein,

Described image forming apparatus also has：Storage part,

The storage part preserve setting environmental information, pattern table, set environment table, With time-bands table.

7. image processing system according to claim 6, wherein,

It is described dynamic in the case where the pattern selector does not obtain the selection information Operation mode selector judges that setting sets whether environment is to specify to set environment,

The setting sets environment to be the setting environment for being recorded in the setting environmental information,

The specified setting environment is to be assigned setting for pattern in the setting environment table Put environment,

In the case where the setting sets environment to be any of described specified setting environment, The pattern selector is selected for making the pattern of the operating member action.

8. image processing system according to claim 7, wherein,

In the case where the setting sets environment not to be any of described specified setting environment, The pattern selector judges whether current time is that at the appointed time band is interior,

It is at the current time in the specified time-bands in the case of any time, it is described Pattern selector is selected for making the pattern of the operating member action.

9. image processing system according to claim 8, wherein,

It is not institute in the specified time-bands in the case of any time at the current time Sound obtaining section is stated to start to obtain sound.

10. image processing system according to claim 1, wherein,

The characteristic sounds are noise.