JPH0425862A - Copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To immediately perform necessary processing by transmitting the effect of abnormality to an operator by a communication means in the case that the abnormality occurs in a copying machine when the operator does not exist near the copying machine. CONSTITUTION:When the absence of paper, the depletion of toner, paper jamming or mechanical fault occurs in the copying machine, a CPU 210 detects the abnormality. In such a case, when an operator detection device 500 judges that the operator does not exist in the specified distance from the copying machine, the CPU 210 outputs an abnormality signal showing the mechanical fault to a voice output device 600. Then, a specified electric wave is transmitted from a communication device which is connected to the device 600 and received by a receiver which is provided near the operator's own seat, so that the operator immediately goes back to the copying machine to perform the necessary processing.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a copying machine that performs predetermined control based on a determination as to whether an operator is present near the copying machine. [Prior Art] Copying machines equipped with human body detection means have been known for a long time.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-235855 discloses a system in which a human body detection sensor detects an operator and warns him if he forgets to write a document or forget to take out transfer paper. On the other hand, copying machines have become more sophisticated, with features such as large-volume paper feeding, automatic paper selection, and automatic document feeding.
It is possible to perform large-scale continuous copying, automatic selection of transfer paper size according to the original size, and automatic feeding of originals. Therefore, if the mode is set at the beginning of the machine, the copying operation will be performed automatically, so the operator does not need to be constantly in front of the machine. Therefore, after the operator selects the mode and starts the copying machine, he or she can perform other tasks until the copying is completed. [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, if a paper end, toner end, paper jam, or mechanical failure occurs in the copying machine while the operator is not near the copying machine, the copying machine will stop working until the operator returns to the copying machine. There is also a risk that the copying machine will remain stopped and left unattended, making it impossible to use the copying machine efficiently. This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned technical background, and its purpose is to remove the abnormal condition that has occurred in the copying machine to a remote location when it is detected that there is no operator near the copying machine. The object of the present invention is to provide a copying machine that can transmit information to an operator located at the site. [Means for Solving the Problems] The above object is to provide a human body detection means for detecting the presence of an operator near a device, an abnormality detection means for detecting an abnormality in the device and outputting an abnormal signal, and a human body detection means for detecting an abnormality in the device and outputting an abnormal signal. This is achieved by providing a communication means for transmitting the information to an operator located at a distance from the device, and a control means for transmitting the information through the communication means when the abnormality detection means outputs an abnormality signal when the human body detection means does not detect a human body. be done. [Operation] With this configuration, when the abnormality detection means detects a vapor end, toner end, paper jam, or mechanical failure in the copying machine, and the human body detection means determines that the operator is not near the machine, communication is stopped. means for electrically transmitting the abnormal signal to a remote operator. Upon receiving this information, the operator can perform predetermined recovery processing. [Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Structure of the copying machine and its positional relationship with the operator] Figure 1 is an explanatory side view showing the relative positional relationship (distance) between the copying machine and the operator, and Figure 2 is the relative positional relationship (distance) between the copying machine and the operator. It is an explanatory diagram seen from a plane showing positional relationships (distances). In the figure, a document pressure plate 2 for pressing the document on a contact glass is provided on the top surface of a copying machine 1, and an operation display section 3 and a detection section 4 of an operator detection device are provided on the front side F of the top surface. . The operator 5 is set to operate the copying machine 1 from the front side F of the copying machine 1, and the detection unit 4 detects the presence of the operator 5 and the relative location range with respect to the copying machine 1. It has become. The detection section 4 of this operator detection device is generally known to be of an optical (for example, infrared) type or an ultrasonic type, and an operation display section 3 is provided to indicate which type is used. 1 and 2, for example, when the infrared beam 6 is emitted by the detection unit 4, the presence of the operator 5 is detected by detecting the reflection of the infrared beam 6, and in the case of ultrasonic waves, the outer edge Vertical between 7.8 and outer edge 9,1
In these areas, it is possible to measure the distance of the operator 5 to the front surface F of the copying machine 1, and if there is a reflective object within a predetermined distance within this range, It is determined that operator 5 exists. When using the infrared beam 6, the beam is set to be emitted at the chest area of the average operator 5 because of its strong directivity. Normally, when operating the copying machine, the width is equal to the width of the arm at the chest position, so even if the position of the operator 5 is slightly different, there is no need to worry about the operator falling out of the detection area of the detection device. That's because there isn't. The detection position of the operator 5 is detected as wide as possible using a detection area force beam, and infrared rays (infrared rays) that do not spread like ultrasonic waves are used.
This is of great significance in the case of optical) systems, especially when operator detection is to be performed with a single detection device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the copying machine according to the embodiment as seen from the front side F. A contact glass 12 is fixedly installed on the top surface of the copying machine, and a document pressure plate 2 for pressing the document placed on the contact glass 12 is placed on the top surface. It is rotatably attached to the rear side of the The document pressure plate 2 can also be replaced with an automatic document feeder. An operator card 13 is attached to the left side of the panel section where the operation section 3 is arranged, and it explains simple operation methods and abnormal displays, and a front cover 11 is attached to the front F of the copying machine 1 so that it can be opened and closed. There is. A main switch 15 is disposed on the left side of the housing of the copying machine 1, and inside the housing are a light source, a mirror, and a mirror (not shown).
A known electronic system consisting of an optical system consisting of a lens, etc., a photoreceptor, a charging charger arranged along its outer periphery, a Jl unit, a transfer charger, a separation charger, a cleaning unit, a fixing unit provided on the downstream side in the transport direction, etc. The image forming/fixing system of the photocopying machine, and the paper feed tray 17 that feeds transfer paper from either the paper feed cassette 16 or the manual feed table installed on the right side of the housing in the figure, and the paper output tray 17 installed on the left side of the housing. It houses each part of the transport system, including the transport route for transporting up to FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the operating section 3 of FIG. 3. As shown in the figure, a display panel 18 for displaying various types of information is provided at the center of the operation section 3, and above the display panel 18, a detection section 4 of an operator detection device and a guidance display section 14 are provided. It is being Further, below the display panel 18, an automatic density key 192. temperature adjustment key 19b,
Automatic paper selection key 20a, paper selection key 20b, same size key 21a, enlargement key 21. b and a reduction key 21c are provided, respectively. Furthermore, on the right side of the display panel 18, a numeric keypad 22 is provided.
, an enter key 23, a start key 24, a guidance key 25, etc., and a key group and display group 28 mainly related to copy execution, which have various displays such as a guidance key display 26, a timer display 27, etc. has been done. On the other hand, on the left side of the display panel 18 in the figure, there is a page continuous copying key 2.
9. A key group and display group 34 mainly related to the copy mode are provided, including various keys such as a zoom magnification key 30, and various displays such as a centering display 31, a dimension magnification change display 32, and a sort display 33. There is. FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of the display panel 8 of FIG. 4. One half of the display panel 18 serves as a paper display section 35, and the other half serves as an operation display section 41. The paper display section 35 is provided with a magnification display 36, a paper specification variable magnification display 37, an automatic paper selection display 38, a paper selection display 39, a paper size display 40, and the like. Further, the operation display section 41 is provided with a toner replenishment display 42, a standby display 43, a copy ready display 44, an automatic density display 45, and the like.

[Copy machine control circuit]

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control device for a copying machine 1 according to an embodiment having various functions such as an operator detection device, a voice output device, and a timer. In the figure, a main host 200 as a control entity includes a microprocessor 210, an R
An OM 220, a RAM 230, etc. are installed, and an operator detection device 500, a voice output device 600, a display board 310, a drive board 320, and a lighting hood 325 are connected to the main boat 200. The audio output device 600 includes a modulator 701 and a transmitter 7.
A communication device 700 consisting of 02 is also connected. A communication receiving device 800 that receives radio waves emitted from this communication device 700 is placed at a location away from the copying machine (for example, at the operator's own seat). This communication receiving device 800 includes an antenna 801, a demodulator 802, an amplifier 80
3 and a speaker 804. Further, various loads such as drivers 370 and 380, a signal processing circuit 390, a paper feeding unit 360, and a duplex unit 80 are connected to the main board 200. Further, various AC loads 400 are connected to the driver 370, various DC loads 41.0 are connected to the driver 380, and the signal processing circuit 390
Various sensors 420 are connected to. Operator detection device 500 includes a signal processing section 510, a transmitter 520, and a receiver 530, and includes an audio output device 600.
are a speech synthesis controller 610 and a speech synthesizer 620. R
Each of them includes an OM 630 and an output section 640. The operator detection device 500 is configured to detect whether an operator is present within a predetermined distance from the device. Further, the audio output device 600 is configured to receive an abnormality signal from the microprocessor 210 when a vapor end, toner end, paper jam or mechanical failure occurs in the copying machine. Then, when the operator detection device 500 determines that there is no operator in the vicinity of the device, when the abnormal signal is input to the audio output device 600, the audio output from the audio output device 600 is input to the communication means 700. It has become. The display board 310 is connected to the display section 100 including the guidance display device 14 and the key and human power section 101, and the drive board 320 is connected to the motor MIM2. M3 is connected. The lamp 31 is connected to the lighting board 325 via a lamp control board 330, and the heater HT1. ．． HT2 is connected. The operator detection device 500 is the detection unit 4 of the copying machine 1.
The oscillator 520 emits distance measuring light (infrared rays) or ultrasonic waves in the direction in which the operator 5 is operating, and the receiver 530 receives the reflection from the reflecting object to determine the distance to the reflecting object. There are two types: optical type and ultrasonic type. Then, if the measurement results measured by these methods are within a preset range and continue to exist for a preset time m, the presence signal of the operator 5 is determined.

[Detection principle of operator position]

Since the principles for measuring distance are different between light and ultrasound, we will first explain the principles of those that use light and those that use ultrasound. Detection by light> An optical system is installed on the operation (display) part # or document table of the copying machine 1, or in the vicinity thereof, to convert the output of the infrared light emitting diode and the light emitting diode into a narrow beam, so that the emitted light can be detected by the copying machine 1.
The machine is installed so that it faces the direction in which the operator 5 stands when operating the machine. A one-dimensional position sensor (Po
A site 5 sensitive device (PSD) is set so that its longitudinal direction is in the direction of the distance from the beam emission position. Using the principle of triangulation, the distance to the object is determined from the data on the position where the PSD receives the reflected light. Due to the operational characteristics of the copier 1, the operator 5
may be operated in such a way as to come into contact with or come close to it. In this method, if the operator 5 is extremely close, the light receiving section or the light projecting section may be blocked by the operator 5, or the reflected light may exceed the light receiving range based on the length limit of the PSD. There are cases where reflected light cannot be received. In order to prepare for the case where Operator 5 gets too close to the PSD and the position signal cannot be obtained from the PSD, please adjust the distance from Operator 5! ! As the measurement is continued, the distance to the operator 5 gradually becomes closer, and when the reflected light can no longer be received, it is determined that the operator 5 is present. Another countermeasure under such conditions is to
When the operator 5 is not present, the detection gain is set so that the reflected light from the wall or ceiling behind can be detected, and when the reflected light cannot be received, it is determined that the operator 5 is present. Alternatively, when there is no moving object such as the operator 5 or a person passing by, detect and store the distance to a reflective object, such as a rear wall or ceiling, and detect objects farther away than the stored distance. When this happens, it is determined that operator 5 is present. This is because the operator 5 is extremely close and cannot receive the reflected light, because the detection result is the same as if the object was far enough away and the reflected light could not be received. The determination is based on the fact that this cannot occur unless the conditions under which the copying machine 1 is installed are changed. In these methods, it is not necessary to continuously detect the approach of the operator 5. Detection using ultrasonic waves> An ultrasonic speaker and microphone are installed on the operation section (display) section of the copying machine 1 or on the document table, or in the vicinity thereof.
It is installed so that its directivity faces the direction in which the operator 5 stands when operating the copying machine 1. The time it takes for the ultrasonic waves emitted from the speaker to hit the detection target, reflect, and return to the microphone is measured, and the distance is determined from the speed at which the sound waves propagate through the air. Since the emitted ultrasonic waves have a spread, they are not all reflected from the same distance, and the time it takes for them to return varies depending on the distance to the position where the ultrasonic waves are reflected. Therefore, the signals received by the microphone include signals with various delay times. The distance of the object to be detected is determined based on the delay time of the signal that returns earliest among these signals, and if the distance is within a predetermined range, it is taken as the presence signal of the operator 5. When the speaker and microphone are installed far apart, if the operator 5 approaches the copying machine 1 extremely, one or both of them will be blocked by the operator 5 and will not be able to receive the reflection. In this case as well, the presence of the operator 5 is determined in the same manner as in the detection method using light. First, an optical operator detection device 500 using an LED that emits infrared rays and a photodetector (PDS) that detects a position using the reflected light will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the characteristics of the PSD used in the embodiment. The PSD is an element having an output electrode 4a4b and a common electrode 4C, and a light receiving surface 4d is provided on the front surface. Currents as shown in the figure flow through the output electrodes 4a, 4b depending on the position of the light-receiving surface 4d in the longitudinal direction. In other words, when the spotlight 4e hits the center, the current 1. and the current 1□ generated in the output electrode 4b are equal, and when it shifts to the right, it becomes 1<I2, and when it shifts to the left, it becomes 12<TI. The rate of increase/decrease in 1+ and rz is proportional to the deviation from the center of the spotlight 4e. Therefore, the position of the spot light 4e and I z
/I+ is a constant value and is unrelated to the strength of the spotlight 4e. That is, by calculating the current ratio, the position of the spotlight 4e can be determined. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a distance measurement method using PSD. In the figure, the detection unit 4 of the operator detection device 500 is provided with a light emitting lens 4f and a light receiving lens 4h.
PDS4A is arranged behind each of h. With this arrangement and using PSD4A, spot light 4e
The distance to the position hit by the emitted infrared beam can be determined by using the triangular method. Light projection L E D 4. The infrared light of g is made into a narrow beam by the projection lens 4f, and is reflected toward the position where the operator 5, who is the object of detection, is standing. The spot light 4e reflected by the detection target is made to form a real image on the light receiving surface 4d of the PSD 4A by the light receiving lens 4h. The deviation d from the center of the spot light 4e is inversely proportional to the distance I- to the detection target, and the base line length S,
The distance f between the light receiving lens 4h and the PSD 4A has the following relationship: f/L=d/S. As shown in Fig. 7, the output current I, 1 of PSD4A is
2 has the following relationship. T+ =c/2-d=c/2-f S/Lfz =c/
2-d=c/2+f S/L From now on Iz/I+ = (c L/2” f S)
/ (cL/2-fS) = l + cfS/L, and Hz /ll-1) is proportional to I/L, and c, f
, S have values unique to the detection device, so ■2/1. You can ask for mustard. This method requires short distance PSD 4. Although the length of A needs to be large, the accuracy is high and is suitable for detecting the presence of the operator 5 of the copying machine 1. In this embodiment, the presence of the operator 5 is determined to be determined when the distance measurement result is smaller than a predetermined value within or outside 50 cm. Further, in order to distinguish the person from a person who is simply passing in front of the copying machine 1, it may be determined that the operator 5 is present when the operator is within a predetermined distance for a predetermined period of time. If the operator 5 gets too close to the copying machine 1 and exceeds the light receiving range of the PSD 4A, or covers the light emitting part or the light receiving part, and position data cannot be obtained, the operator It is determined that 5 exists. However, as mentioned above, simply determining that the operator 5 is present when no position data is available may lead to an incorrect judgment in the event that the detection device malfunctions. It is also possible to avoid such a problem by using data before the data becomes unobtainable and setting the condition of the determination as being that position data is no longer obtainable as a result of the operator 5 approaching. Alternatively, distance data of ceilings, walls, etc. obtained when the operator 5 is not present may be stored, and when a distance longer than this is detected, it may be determined that the operator 5 is present. Detection unit 4 of the operator detection device 500 in FIGS. 1 and 2
The installation position is set under the normal installation conditions of the copying machine 1, with consideration given to the fact that data based on reflection from the ceiling can be obtained as distance data from the background of the operator 5. Since the copying machine 1 is installed in places with various lighting conditions,
It is necessary to distinguish between these ambient lights and distance measurement lights. Therefore, in this embodiment, the emitted infrared rays are 80
A wavelength between 0 and 950 nm is selected, and the PSD
Insert a visible light cut filter in front of the light receiving surface 4d of 4A,
The LED 4g is driven in pulses and only the variation thereof is taken out to measure the distance.The LED 4g is driven only at a predetermined interval, and the detection current to the PSD 4 is calculated only when the LED 4g is being driven, and the distance data is recorded. I'm trying to get it. In this way, the operator detection device 5
There is also the effect that the detection unit 4 of 00 is no longer visible and the operator 5 does not feel uncomfortable. If it is invisible, you can prevent it from responding differently from the design intention, such as not consciously trying not to be detected. On the other hand, the ultrasonic operator detection device 500 uses ultrasonic waves instead of infrared rays, a speaker instead of an LED, a microphone instead of a PSD, and propagation of ultrasonic waves in the air instead of distance measurement by triangulation. It takes advantage of speed. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of an operator detection device 500 using ultrasonic waves according to an embodiment, and shows the detection unit 4 of the operator detection device 500, which includes a speaker 4E, an ultrasonic oscillator 4B, a microphone 4F, and a receiver 4D. . code 9 and 1
0, and the area between 9' and 10' indicates the directivity of the speaker 4E and microphone 4F. In reality, compared to the distance between the speaker 4E and the microphone 4F, the detection unit 4
Since the distance between the operator 5 and the operator 5 is much larger, it is shown as a total detection area in FIGS. 1 and 2. With this configuration, the ultrasonic waves emitted from the speaker 4E are reflected, received by the microphone 4F, the time from emission to incidence is measured, the distance from the detection unit 4 to the operator 5 is calculated, and the time from emission to incidence is measured. d, and the propagation speed of the ultrasonic wave in the air is L = V d / 2, and since ■ is a value of about 340 m/s, the distance can be determined from the measured time d. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a method of measuring time d. An ultrasonic signal with a constant period is applied to the speaker 4E each time a measurement is performed, and ultrasonic waves as shown in the figure are emitted. The emitted ultrasonic waves hit an object and are reflected, and the reflected waves are received by the microphone 4F. Ultrasonic waves reflect back from various objects within the solid angle shown as directivity, so the propagation paths are different, and the received signals have different times from emission to reception, transport, and amplitude. It is a composite of the signals. From this signal, the data of the signal reflected from the closest point is used as distance measurement data. Therefore, the received signal is amplified, its amplitude is limited by a predetermined limiter, and then detected to obtain the detected signal shown in the figure, and the time to its leading edge is defined as d. Then, from time d, the above equation is calculated to find the distance to the operator. The response when the operator 5 is too close to measure the distance is the same as in the case of the infrared method. Next, the operation of determining the presence/absence and presence range of the operator 5 based on the distance data between the operator 5 and the copying machine 1 obtained from the operator detection device 500 will be described. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the range in which the operator 5 exists with respect to the copying machine 1. In the figure, the distance a is the distance a when the detection unit 4 of the operator detection device 500 enters into the copying machine 1. The distance is calculated by subtracting the difference. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the location range of the operator 5 for which distances a, b, c, and d have been further set, and is related to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 20. Therefore, from the copying machine 1, the operator 5
FIG. 13 shows a flowchart for detecting whether or not . In this process, first, in 5TEP 1-1, it is determined whether the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is within a predetermined value a, and if it is determined that it is within the predetermined value a, it is determined that the operator 5 is present. The process proceeds to 5TEP12, and if it is determined that the value is greater than the predetermined value a, the process proceeds to 5TEPI-3. 5TEPl-2 determines that operator 5 exists,
In order to apply the information to various controls, the operator presence flag is set. In 5TEPI-3, it is determined that the operator 5 does not exist, so the operator presence flag is reset. As mentioned above, the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13 is the most basic one, and
Based on the distance data obtained from 0, it is determined whether the operator 5 is present in front of the copying machine 1 or not. FIG. 14 is a flowchart for determining that the operator 5 exists when the operator 5 continues to exist within a predetermined distance for a predetermined period of time. In this process, first in 5TEP2-1 it is determined whether the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is within a predetermined value a, and if it is within the predetermined value a, then the process proceeds to 5TEP2-2 for a time check. If the value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value a, the operator 5 does not exist, so the process proceeds to 5TEP2-7. At 5TEP2-2, the operator 5 checks whether the "time-up flag" is set to 1, which indicates that the time within the predetermined value a has continued for more than a predetermined time. If so, there is no need to check the predetermined time, so proceed to 5TEP2-5. “
If the time amplifier flag is 0, the check that it has continued for the specified time has not yet been completed, so the next 5T
Proceed to EP2-3. In 5TEPI-3, the timer counter (time UP CNT), which is a counter for determining whether the operator 5 has been present at a distance within a predetermined value a for more than a predetermined time, is incremented by 1, and 5TEP2 -4, it is determined whether the contents of the counter have reached 100 or more. If this subroutine is checked every 5ms, approximately 5
00m5 becomes the predetermined time. This value can be freely set depending on the operating characteristics of the operator detection means 500 and the operator 5. In 5TEP2-4, if (Time UP CNT)≧100, it has been continued for a predetermined time, so it is determined that operator 5 is present, and 5TEP2 is executed for the processing.
-Go to 5. If (time UP CNT)<100, the predetermined period of time has not continued, and the processing of this subroutine ends. 5TEP2-5 sets a "time-up flag" to 1, which indicates that the operator 5 has been within a distance of a predetermined value a for a predetermined time or more. Next, in 5TEP2-6, it is determined that the operator 5 is present. Then, in order to apply that information to various controls, the operator presence flag is set to 1. If the above 5TEP2-1 determines that the predetermined value a or more is greater than the predetermined value a, the operator 5 does not exist within the predetermined distance (a) in 5TEP2-7 as described above, so "the time-up flag is reset to 0, and the time-up flag is reset to 0. The contents of the up counter are reset to 0, and the operator presence flag is also reset to 0. FIG. 15 is a flowchart for determining that the operator 5 continues to be present when the distance data suddenly disappears after the presence of the operator 5 is detected. In the following explanation, distances a, b, c, and d shown in FIG. 12G will be used. The meaning and size relationship of each are shown in the figure. In this process, first, 5TEP3-1 determines whether the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is within a predetermined value a, and if it is determined that it is within the predetermined value a, it is assumed that the operator 5 is present, and 5TEP3-1 Proceed to -2. 5TE if the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is greater than or equal to the predetermined value a, or if there is no distance data (undetectable)
Proceed to the process of P38. In 5TEP3-2, since the detection distance is within the predetermined value a, the within a flag is set to 1. This flag is used to determine where the operator 5 is located within the detection range, and to check the moving direction of the operator 5 in combination with other flags. At 5TEP3-3, the "operator presence flag" indicating that the operator 5 is present is set to 1. At 5TEP3-4, it is checked whether the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is within a predetermined value.If the distance data is within a predetermined value. If it is within the range, set the "within b flag to 1" in 5TEP35. If it is above the specified value, 5T
In EP3-11, "The within-b flag is reset to O. The within-b flag is also used for the same purpose as the within-a flag." At 5TEP3-6, it is checked whether the distance data from the operator detection device 50 (1) is within a predetermined value C. If it is within the predetermined value C, then at 5TEP3-7, C is checked.
Set the within flag to 1. 5 if it is above the predetermined value C
At TEP3-12, reset the within C flag to O. The within-C flag is also used for the same purpose as the within-a flag. At 5TEP3-8, the "within a flag is reset to O." Next, at 5TEP3-9, a check is made to see if the "within C flag is 1 or O." This is a process that makes it possible to determine that the operator 5 is present even if the detection distance becomes greater than a predetermined value a or the distance data is lost when the operator 5 gets too close to the operator detection device 500. It is. In other words, even if the detected distance is greater than the predetermined value a or there is no longer any distance data, if the within C flag is set to 1, the operator 5 approaches the copying machine technician, and then the operator Operator 5 indicates that the distance is not more than C.
It is possible to determine that the object has come too close to the copying machine 1 and has entered the undetectable range. If the detection distance is not within the predetermined value a and the "C within C flag is not set, it is determined that the operator 5 really does not exist, and the operator presence flag is reset to O at 5TEP 3-10. is an explanatory diagram showing the location range of the operator 58 with respect to the copying machine 1, and of course, when the detection unit 4 is inserted into the copying machine 1, the distance is subtracted by that distance. 5 is a flowchart showing another processing procedure for determining the presence of operator 5, in which the detection gain is adjusted so that distance data can be obtained even when there is no detected object, and when the distance cannot be detected, it is determined that operator 5 is present. The procedure for the first step is also shown.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing another processing procedure, in which distance data when there is no detected object is stored, and when a detection result that the object is farther than the distance data is obtained, the operator 5 determines that it exists. It shows. 1st
In the explanation of FIGS. 7 and 18, n, a, d shown in FIG.
use the distance of The meaning and size relationship of each are shown in the figure. First, at 5TEP4-1 in FIG. 17, it is checked whether the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is within a predetermined value a. If it is within the predetermined value a, it is determined that the presence of the operator 5 has been detected and the process proceeds to STEP 4-3. Predetermined value a
If this is the case, proceed to the next processing step, 5TEPI-2. In step 5TEP4-2, a check is made to see if distance data from the operator detection device 500 exists. If the distance data exists, it is determined that the operator 5 does not exist within a distance of the predetermined value a, and the process proceeds to 5TEP4-4 to reset the operator presence flag to O.If the distance data does not exist, that is, the distance If the operator 5 cannot be detected, it is determined that the operator 5 is present because the operator 5 is too close to the detection device 500, and the process advances to 5TEP 43 to set the "operator presence flag to 1." Further, in FIG. 18, first, in 5TEP5-1, it is checked whether the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is within a predetermined value a. If it is within the predetermined value a, it is determined that the presence of the operator 5 has been detected, and the process proceeds to 5TEP5-3. If it is above the predetermined value a, the next check 5TEP5-
Proceed to 2. 5TEP5-2 checks whether the distance data from the operator detection device 500 is within or above the data n measured and stored in advance in the absence of the operator 5. If the distance data is within n or equal to n, operator 5 determines that it does not exist and sends 5TEP 5
Proceed to -4 and reset the operator presence flag to O. If the distance data is n or more, it is assumed that the operator 5 is too close to the detection device 500 and normal distance data cannot be obtained, and it is determined that the operator is present. 5T
Proceeding to EP5-3, the operator presence flag is set to 1. [Transmission Control] The process of determining the relative positional relationship between the operator 5 and the copying machine 1 as described above and performing transmission control will be described. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating the transmission control operation of the embodiment when a paper end occurs.
In step 6-1, it is determined whether a paper end has occurred. FIG. 20 is a flowchart of the paper end determination operation in the copying machine, in which it is determined in 5TEP7-1 whether the manual feed display is ON or not, and if this determination is No, the process proceeds to 5TEP7-2 to select the sketch paper. A determination is made as to whether the flag is 1 or not. If the determination at 5TEP7-2 is YES, the process proceeds to 5TEP7-3, where it is determined whether or not there is a sketch paper cassette. If the judgment of 5TEP7-3 is No, 5TEP7-5
Then, the paper end is displayed. Also, if the determination of 5TEP7-3 is YES, 5TEP7-3
Proceeding to P7-4, it is determined whether the lower cassette paper is at the end, and if this determination is YES, 5TEP7-
Proceeding to step 5, a paper end display is performed. If the judgment of 5TEP7-2 above is No, 5TEP
Proceeding to 7-6, it is determined whether or not there is an upper collar paper cassette, and if this determination is No, the process advances to 5TEP7-5, where the paper end is displayed. When the determination at 5TEP7-6 is YES and when the determination at 5TEP71 is YES, the process advances to 5TEP7-7 and it is determined whether or not the upper cassette paper end is reached. If the determination at 5TEP7-7 is YES, the process advances to 5TEP7-5 and a paper end display is performed. Then, if the judgment of 5TEP7-4 is NO and STE
If the determination of P 7-7 is NO, 5TEP7-8
The paper end display will turn OFF. Here, returning to the flowchart of FIG. 19, if the determination of 5TEP6-1 is YES in the above processing, 5T
Proceeding to EP6-2, a paper end display is performed on the operation section. Next, the process proceeds to 5TEP6-3, where it is determined whether an "operator detection flag" indicating that an operator is present near the device is set to 1. If the determination in 5TEP6-3 is NO, the operator is not near the device, so the process proceeds to 5TEP6-4, where an error message is input from the microprocessor 210 to the audio output device 600 to notify the operator of the occurrence of paper end. Based on the signal, an audio signal saying "Copying is being interrupted at paper end. Please replenish paper" is input to communication device 700. The input audio signal is sent to the modulator 70
1 and transmitted as radio waves from the transmitter 702. This radio wave is received by a receiving unit 801 of a communication receiving device 800 placed, for example, at the operator's seat, demodulated by a demodulator 802, and sent to an amplifier 803 and a speaker 804.
is converted into a sound wave by Then, a message is sent to the operator at his/her seat stating, "Copying is being interrupted at paper end. Please replenish paper." If the judgment of 5TEP6-1 above is NO, and 5T
If the determination in EP 6-3 is YES and the operator is near the device, the process proceeds to 5TEP 6-5, where the paper end display on the operation unit is turned off, and the communication device 700 does not provide paper end guidance. FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating the transmission control operation of the embodiment when a paper jam occurs. First, 5
At TEP 8-1, it is determined whether or not a paper jam has occurred. If the determination is YES, the process proceeds to 5 TEP 8-2, where a paper jam is displayed on the operating section. The determination of paper jam occurrence in this case is commonly performed in copying machines, so it will not be explained again. Next, the process proceeds to 5TEP8-3, where it is determined whether an "operator detection flag" indicating that an operator is present near the device is set to 1. This 5TEP
If the determination in step 8-3 is No and it is determined that the operator is not near the device, the process proceeds to 5TEP 8-4 and input is input from the microprocessor 210 to the audio output device 600 in order to notify the operator of the occurrence of a paper jam. Based on the abnormal signal, a voice signal saying "The machine has stopped due to a jam. Please remove the jammed paper" is input to the communication device 700. The input audio signal is modulated by the modulator 701 and sent to the transmitter 7.
It is transmitted as a radio wave from 02. This radio wave is received by a receiving unit 801 of a communication receiving device 800 placed, for example, at the operator's seat, demodulated by a modulator 802, and sent to an amplifier 803 and a speaker 804.
is converted into a sound wave by A message is then transmitted to the operator at his/her seat stating, "The machine has stopped due to a jam. Please remove the jammed paper." If the judgment of 5TEP8-1 above is No, and if 5T
If the determination at EP8-3 is YES and the operator is near the device, the process advances to 5TEP8-5, where the paper jam display on the operation unit is turned off, and the communication means 700 does not provide paper jam guidance. FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating the transmission control operation of the embodiment when toner end occurs.
-1, it is determined whether or not toner end has occurred. Since the method for determining toner end differs depending on each copying machine, it will not be explained here. If the determination of 5TEP9-1 is YES, 5TEP9-
Proceeding to step 2, toner end is displayed on the operation unit. Next, the process proceeds to 5TEP9-3, where it is determined whether an "operator detection flag" indicating that an operator is near the device is set to 1. This 5TEP9-
If the determination in step 3 is NO and it is determined that the operator is not near the device, based on the abnormality signal input from the microprocessor 210 to the audio output device 600, 1. A voice signal saying "Copying is being interrupted at toner end. Please replenish toner." is manually input to the communication device 700. The input audio signal is modulated by a modulator 701 and transmitted as radio waves from a transmitter 702. This radio wave is received by the receiving unit 801 of the communication receiving device 800, and similarly a message ``Copying is interrupted at toner end. Please replenish toner.'' is transmitted to the operator. If the judgment of 5TEP9-1 mentioned above is No, and 5T
If the determination in EP9-3 is YES and the operator is near the apparatus, the process advances to 5TEP9-5, where the toner end display on the operation unit is turned off, and paper jam guidance by the communication means 700 is not performed. FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating the transmission control operation of the embodiment when the copying machine is out of order.
A determination is made as to whether a failure has occurred. Since the determination of this failure differs for each copying machine, we will not discuss its details here. The copying machine failure here refers to a failure that requires a serviceman call. If the judgment of 5TEPIO-1 is YES, 5TEPI
Proceeding to O-2, the operation unit call service is displayed. Next, proceed to 5TEPIO-3, and the "operator detection flag" indicating that an operator is near the device is set to 1.
is set. This 5TE
If the determination of PIO-3 is NO and it is determined that the operator is not near the device, based on the abnormality signal input from the microprocessor 210 to the audio output device 600,
In order to notify the operator of the occurrence of a failure, a voice signal saying "Mechanical abnormality. Please call a serviceman." is input to the communication device 700. The input audio signal is modulated by a modulator 701 and transmitted as radio waves from a transmitter 702. This radio wave is received by the receiving section 801 of the communication receiving device 800, and the operator similarly receives the message "Machine abnormality." Please call a service person. ” message is transmitted. When the judgment of 5TEPIO-1 mentioned above is No, and when 5
If the determination at TEPIO-3 is YES and the operator is near the device, the process advances to 5TEPIO-5, where the call service display on the operation unit is turned off, and the communication means 700 does not provide guidance regarding machine failure. In this way, according to the embodiment, the operator can set the mode on the copying machine and operate the copying machine, and then, even if he or she is away from the copying machine and is doing other work at his or her desk, the operator can use the copying machine to print the paper. When a toner end, toner end, paper jam, or mechanical failure occurs, the speaker 804 of the communication receiving device 800 notifies the user of the occurrence of the abnormality. For this reason,
The operator can return to the copying machine and perform the necessary countermeasures, the copying machine will not be left unattended, and the copying machine will be able to operate efficiently. Furthermore, when the operator is near the copying machine, unnecessary messages are not transmitted, resulting in labor-saving and labor-saving control. In addition, in the embodiment, a case has been described in which a message is transmitted by voice synthesized from the communication receiving means, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Text data can also be transmitted to be displayed. Further, in the embodiment, the case where the information is transmitted wirelessly has been described, but it is also possible to use a telephone line, for example. Furthermore, in the embodiment, when a paper end occurs, the notification is sent to that effect.However, taking into consideration the operator's travel time to the copying machine, the operator is notified of the paper end based on the number of sheets set and the number of remaining sheets. It is also possible to give advance notice. The same thing can be said about toner end transmission. [Effects of the Invention] As described above in detail, according to the present invention, if an abnormality occurs in the apparatus when the operator is not near the apparatus, the occurrence of the abnormality is transmitted to the operator at a remote location by the communication means. Therefore, the operator can immediately return to the apparatus and take necessary measures, and the copying machine is not left in a stopped state for a long period of time, and copying operations can be performed efficiently. Furthermore, when the operator is near the device, energy-saving control is performed without transmitting unnecessary messages.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

All the figures are for explaining the present invention in detail, and FIG. 1 is a side view showing the state in which the copying machine is used, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the copying machine, and FIG. 4 5 is a front enlarged view of the display panel in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the III control device of the copier, and FIG. 7 is a characteristic of the light receiving element. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for measuring distance M using a light receiving element, FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for measuring distance using ultrasonic waves, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for measuring distance M using an ultrasonic wave. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operator's location range with respect to the copying machine, FIG. 12 is another explanatory diagram showing the operator's location range with respect to the copying machine, and FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operator's location range with respect to the copying machine. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for determining whether or not the operator exists within a predetermined distance for a predetermined period of time; FIG. A flowchart showing a processing procedure for determining that an operator continues to be present when distance data suddenly disappears after detecting the presence, FIG. 16 is another explanatory diagram showing the range of the operator's presence with respect to the copying machine, 17 and 18 are flowcharts showing the processing procedure for detecting whether or not an operator exists within a predetermined distance range, respectively, and FIG. 19 is a flowchart explaining the transmission control operation of the embodiment when a paper end occurs. , FIG. 20 is a flowchart of the paper end determination operation of the embodiment, FIG. 21 is a flowchart explaining the transmission control operation of the embodiment when a paper jam occurs, and FIG. 22 is a flowchart of the operation when a toner end occurs. FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating the transmission control operation of the example when the copying machine breaks down. 1... Copying machine, 3... Operation (display) section, 4... Detection section, 4d... Light receiving surface, 4
e: Spot light, 4f: Emitter lens, 4h: Receiving lens, 4g: L
ED, 4A...PSD (light receiving element), 4B.
...Ultrasonic oscillator, 4D...Receiver, 4
E...Speaker, 4F...Microphone, 5...Operator, 6...Infrared beam, 7, 8, 9.10... Outer edge, 18
... Display panel, 60 ... Original supply device, 200 ... Main board, 210 ...
... Microprocessor, 500 ... Operator detection device, 20 ... Transmitter, 0 ... Receiver, 0 ... Communication device, OO ... ...Communication receiving device. Figure Otsu 8 ---Tato's bitterness 2 Figure 3 Figure 7 Spot Yu's monk A [8'A Figure 9 4! :I 4υ Figure Figure Figure 13 Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 18 Figure 79 Figure 20! ! ! 0 Yuan Tsu 21st! ! g! Figure 22 Figure 23 Q=D Procedural amendment (method) Indication of the case Patent application No. 2-130221, Name of the invention Copy machine Amendment person Relationship with the case Patent applicant Su4 Co., Ltd. Agent address 105 The amendment will be made in accordance with the amended drawing attached with Figure 4 of the drawing of the Kasuya Building, 1-6-13 Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A human body detection means for detecting the presence of an operator in the vicinity of the equipment, an abnormality detection means for detecting an abnormality in the equipment and outputting an abnormality signal, and a communication means for transmitting the abnormality signal to an operator located away from the equipment. and a control means for causing the communication means to perform transmission when the abnormality detection means outputs an abnormality signal when the human body detection means does not detect a human body.