Image forming apparatus

• US 7,940,429 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Koki, Shirakata, Jiro, Hosoi, Shinichiro, Takematsu, Koji, Wakahara, Shinichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu; Benny Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabah; Haris
• Application Number:
  US11/248,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/474, 358/498, 399/49, 399/170, 399/351
• US Class Current: 358/300
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus comprising: an operating part which operates the image forming apparatus; an optional first speaker which outputs information guiding operation of the operating part; and a second speaker which outputs sound information that is different from operation guidance information; wherein when the first speaker and the second speaker disposed such that a surface of the first speaker is directed to a front surface of the image forming apparatus that is opposed to the operating part, and a surface of the second speaker is directed to a side surface of the image forming apparatus that is different from the first speaker.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus which forms images on a recording medium comprising:

an operating part which operates the image forming apparatus, wherein the operating part is disposed at a front portion of the image forming apparatus;

a first speaker attaching portion disposed on an opposite side face of the image forming apparatus from which the image forming apparatus discharges the recording medium and configured to attach a first speaker that outputs operation guidance information, the first speaker attaching portion further configured such that a sound-generating surface of the first speaker is directed towards the front portion of the image forming apparatus and is adapted to project from an outer surface of the image forming apparatus;

a first speaker attached to the first speaker attaching portion; and

a second speaker, disposed inside of the image forming apparatus and along the opposite side face from which the image forming apparatus discharges the recording medium, which outputs facsimile receiving sound that is different from the operation guidance information, the second speaker having a sound-generating portion adapted to project sound from inside of the image forming apparatus,

wherein the second speaker is capable of generating facsimile receiving sound at the same time that the first speaker generates the operation guidance information, and

wherein in a vertical direction, the height of the sound-generating portion of the second speaker is fixed at the same height of the sound-generation surface of the first speaker and in a front-back direction the sound-generation portion of the second speaker, which is facing in a perpendicular direction of the front-back direction, is positioned forward of the sound-generating surface of the first speaker, which is facing in a front direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the vertical direction, the height of the operating part is fixed at the same height of the sound-generating portion of the second speaker and the sound-generating surface of the first speaker.