ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20140092414A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Tezuka, Rie, Naruse, Kentaro
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00395 Arrangements for reducing operator input input arrangements for job or mode instructions or parameters H04N1/00962; intelligent menu interfaces H04N1/00437
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00896 using a low-power mode, e.g. standby
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00928 Initialisation or control of normal start-up or shut-down, i.e. non failure or error related
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an operating section, a sensor section, an oscillating mechanism, and a control section. The operating section receives an operation command from an operator. The sensor section includes a pyroelectric infrared sensor configured to detect the presence of an object based on a change in infrared rays. The oscillating mechanism is configured to cause the sensor section to perform an oscillating movement. The control section is configured to control the oscillating mechanism to start the oscillating movement upon satisfaction of a condition that the operator as the object operates the operating section within a predetermined period of time after the object has been detected by the sensor section.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

an operating section operable by an operator;

a sensor section including a pyroelectric infrared sensor configured to detect the presence of an object based on a change in infrared rays;

an oscillating mechanism configured to cause the sensor section to perform an oscillating movement in a predetermined direction; and

a control section configured to control the oscillating mechanism to start the oscillating movement upon satisfaction of a condition that the operator as the object operates the operating section within a predetermined period of time after the object has been detected by the sensor section.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the oscillating mechanism is configured to cause the sensor section to perform the oscillating movement in a horizontal direction which is the predetermined direction.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the object becomes undetected by the sensor section after the control section has controlled the oscillating mechanism to start the oscillating movement, the control section controls the oscillating mechanism to stop the oscillating movement.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control section is capable of selectively setting the electronic apparatus to a normal operation mode for bringing the electronic apparatus into a normally operable state or a sleep mode for bringing the electronic apparatus into a power-saving state, sets the electronic apparatus to the normal operation mode upon detection of the object by the sensor section, and sets the electronic apparatus to the sleep mode if the condition is not satisfied.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control section is capable of selectively setting the electronic apparatus to a normal operation mode for bringing the electronic apparatus into a normally operable state or a sleep mode for bringing the electronic apparatus into a power-saving state, sets the electronic apparatus to the normal operation mode upon detection of the object by the sensor section, and sets the electronic apparatus to the sleep mode if the condition is not satisfied.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control section is capable of selectively setting the electronic apparatus to a normal operation mode for bringing the electronic apparatus into a normal operation or a sleep mode for bringing the electronic apparatus into a power-saving state, sets the electronic apparatus to the normal operation mode if the condition is satisfied, and sets the electronic apparatus to the sleep mode if the condition is not satisfied.

7. An image forming apparatus serving as the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming section configured to form an image on a recording medium; and

a fixing section configured to fix the image on the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming section.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the fixing section comprises:

a heat roller and a pressure roller which are configured to fix the image on the recording medium; and

a heater configured to heat the heat roller, and

the control section activates the heater upon detection of the object by the sensor section and deactivates the heater if the operating section is unoperated by the operator for the predetermined period of time after the object has been detected by the sensor section.