# US 10,771,642 B2 · Control panel and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,642 B2 - Document ID: US10771642B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/257,234 - Filed: 2019-01-25 - Published: 2019-10-03 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-30 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Tasuku Kohara - Inventors: Tasuku Kohara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771642B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/00496: {Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means} - G03G 15/5016: {User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console} - G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display} - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - H04N 1/00411: {the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen} - G06F 3/0414: {using force sensing means to determine a position} - G06F 3/044: by capacitive means - G06F 2203/04108: Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An image formation apparatus includes: a control panel to receive an input of an operator; a main device to execute an operation instruction corresponding to the input; and a tilt changing section to change a tilt of the control panel relative to the main device. The control panel includes a touch panel having a touch surface to be touched, a control panel housing covering the touch panel, a proximity sensor to sense an object in the proximity of the control panel, and circuitry that: determines a presence or an absence of an operation of the tilt changing section by the operator based on a result of the sensing by the proximity sensor; outputs an operation instruction to the main device based on a touch input on the touch surface; and refrains from outputting the operation instruction based on a determination that the tilt is changed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image formation apparatus comprising: a control panel configured to receive an input of an operator; a main device configured to execute an operation instruction corresponding to the input; and a tilt changing section configured to change a tilt of the control panel relative to the main device in response to a movement of the control panel by the operator holding at least a part of the control panel, wherein the control panel includes a touch panel having a touch surface that is to be touched for the input, a control panel housing covering the touch panel except for at least a part of the touch surface, a proximity sensor configured to sense an object in the proximity of the control panel, and circuitry, and wherein the circuitry determines a presence or an absence of an operation of the tilt changing section by the operator based on a result of the sensing of the object by the proximity sensor, outputs an operation instruction to the main device based on a touch input that is the input given by a touch on the touch surface, and refrains from outputting the operation instruction based on a determination that the tilt is changed, and wherein the control panel further includes a display section configured to display, for the operator, a display content that has been output from the circuitry, wherein, after the sensing of the object in the proximity by the proximity sensor, before determination as to whether the tilt is changed, the circuitry reduces a size of an input region in which the touch input is to be received, and wherein the circuitry outputs the operation instruction such that a size of a region in which the display content is to be displayed is reduced. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control panel housing has a first surface on a plane that is substantially the same as the touch surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is provided on any of a surface of the control panel on which the touch surface is provided, a surface of the control panel facing away from the touch surface, and a side surface of the control panel on which the touch surface is not provided. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control panel further includes a display section configured to display, for the operator, a display content that has been output from the circuitry, and wherein, when the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed, the display section outputs, as the display content, invalidity of an operation on the control panel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a touch is sensed in a surrounding region that is a surrounding part in an input region in which the touch input is to be received, the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt sensor configured to sense the tilt of the control panel relative to the main device, wherein, when the proximity sensor has sensed the object in the proximity and then the tilt sensor has sensed a change in the tilt, the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image formation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the tilt changing section is located between the main device and the control panel, the tilt changing section including: a shaft section configured to extend in parallel to the touch surface of the control panel and to rotate along with the control panel, functioning as a rotation axis of the control panel; and a protrusion, in the shaft section, configured to rotate along with the rotation of the shaft section, wherein the tilt sensor does not move along with the control panel and detect a position of the protrusion as the tilt. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image formation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed, the circuitry outputs the operation instruction for emergency stop to the main device and refrains from outputting other operation instructions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image formation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when a predetermined condition is satisfied in a state where the operation instruction is not output, the circuitry starts to output the operation instruction again. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image formation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined condition is a predetermined time elapsed from when the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image formation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined condition is an absence of the sensing of the object in the proximity by the proximity sensor. ### Claim 12 An image formation apparatus comprising: a control panel configured to receive an input of an operator; a main device configured to execute an operation instruction corresponding to the input; and a tilt changing section configured to change a tilt of the control panel relative to the main device in response to a movement of the control panel by the operator holding at least a part of the control panel, wherein the control panel includes a touch panel having a touch surface that is to be touched for the input, a control panel housing covering the touch panel except for at least a part of the touch surface, a proximity sensor configured to sense an object in the proximity of the control panel, and circuitry, and wherein the circuitry determines a presence or an absence of an operation of the tilt changing section by the operator based on a result of the sensing of the object by the proximity sensor, outputs an operation instruction to the main device based on a touch input that is the input given by a touch on the touch surface, and refrains from outputting the operation instruction based on a determination that the tilt is changed, and wherein, when the proximity sensor has sensed the object in the proximity, and a touch duration for the touch input is longer than a predetermined duration, the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image formation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control panel housing has a first surface on a plane that is substantially the same as the touch surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The image formation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the proximity sensor is provided on any of a surface of the control panel on which the touch surface is provided, a surface of the control panel facing away from the touch surface, and a side surface of the control panel on which the touch surface is not provided. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The image formation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control panel further includes a display section configured to display, for the operator, a display content that has been output from the circuitry, and wherein, when the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed, the display section outputs, as the display content, invalidity of an operation on the control panel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The image formation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when a touch is sensed in a surrounding region that is a surrounding part in an input region in which the touch input is to be received, the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The image formation apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a tilt sensor configured to sense the tilt of the control panel relative to the main device, wherein, when the proximity sensor has sensed the object in the proximity and then the tilt sensor has sensed a change in the tilt, the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The image formation apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the tilt changing section is located between the main device and the control panel, the tilt changing section including: a shaft section configured to extend in parallel to the touch surface of the control panel and to rotate along with the control panel, functioning as a rotation axis of the control panel; and a protrusion, in the shaft section, configured to rotate along with the rotation of the shaft section, wherein the tilt sensor does not move along with the control panel and detect a position of the protrusion as the tilt. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The image formation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when the circuitry determines that the tilt is changed, the circuitry outputs the operation instruction for emergency stop to the main device and refrains from outputting other operation instructions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The image formation apparatus according to claim 19, wherein, when a predetermined condition is satisfied in a state where the operation instruction is not output, the circuitry starts to output the operation instruction again.