JP2000081958A - Peripheral equipment control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To exactly prevent unauthorized installation of exclusive software for control by providing a host device with a protect information setting part to release protect information of a peripheral equipment when the software for control of the peripheral equipment is installed. SOLUTION: The software 10 for control to control the peripheral equipment 3 is installed on the host device 1. The software 10 for control is constituted by a program which is exclusively developed to control the peripheral equipment 3. Protect setting software 4 is a program with a function to rewrite the contents of the protect information which is stored in the protect information setting part 6 and to disable use of the peripheral equipment 3. In addition, protect releasing software 5 is a program with a function to rewrite the contents of the protect information which is stored in the protect information setting part 6 and to enable the use of the peripheral equipment 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a peripheral device capable of preventing unauthorized installation of control software on a peripheral device such as a printer or a scanner when the peripheral device is controlled by a host device such as a personal computer. Related to control system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, there are many systems in which a printer, a scanner, and the like are connected to a network and are shared by a plurality of personal computers also behind the network. However, there is a system in which some printers and scanners connected to a network can be controlled only by a specific personal computer. In such a system, a printer that can be freely used by all personal computers is distinguished from a printer that can be used only by a specific user. The use of dedicated machines ensures the management of consumables and provides an environment for those who perform high-priority tasks.

In this case, dedicated software (printer driver) for controlling a corresponding printer is installed in a personal computer. In other words, other higher-level devices in which the printer driver is not installed cannot control the corresponding printer.
Also, in order to prohibit unauthorized persons from using the printer, a guard such as entering a password when operating a host device that can control the printer is also provided. The same applies to not only printers but also various peripheral devices such as scanners and storage devices controlled by higher-level devices such as personal computers and word processors.

[0004]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems to be solved. In order to operate such special peripheral devices, control software such as a printer driver must be installed in the host device. However, if this control software is illegally copied and installed in another higher-level device, the other higher-level device can control the corresponding peripheral device. In this case, the use of the peripheral device cannot be restricted. In general, peripheral devices such as a printer are controlled by a versatile operating system (O / O).
It is preferable in terms of cost to employ a mechanism that can be controlled by standard control software incorporated in S). However, if the control system is standardized, its peripheral devices can be controlled without dedicated control software, so that unauthorized use cannot be reliably prevented. Therefore, it is desired to develop a system that can accurately prevent unauthorized installation of dedicated control software and that can be controlled only by dedicated control software even if a standard mechanism is adopted.

[0005]

The present invention employs the following structure to solve the above problems. <Configuration 1> In a device in which a higher-level device and a peripheral device are connected to each other via an interface and the operation of the peripheral device is controlled by the higher-level device, control of the operation of the higher-level device by the higher-level device is prohibited for the peripheral device. A protection information setting unit for setting protection information to be provided, and the higher-level device is provided with a protection release unit for releasing the protection information of the peripheral device when software for controlling the peripheral device is installed. Peripheral device control system characterized by:

<Structure 2> In the peripheral device control system described in Structure 1, the host device is provided with a protection setting means for setting protection information of the peripheral device at a predetermined timing. Equipment control system.

<Structure 3> In the peripheral device control system described in Structure 1, the peripheral device is provided with an identification information holding section for holding identification information for identifying the peripheral device, and the host device is provided with Identification information acquisition means for acquiring and holding the identification information of the peripheral device; identification information held by the identification information acquisition means when releasing the protection information of the peripheral device; and identification information holding unit for the peripheral device. And a protection canceling means for canceling the protection only when the two coincide with each other and comparing the identification information with each other.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below using specific examples. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a peripheral device control system according to a first embodiment. The upper device 1 shown in the figure is configured by a personal computer or the like. In addition, peripheral device 3
Is composed of various office equipment such as a printer, a scanner, and an external storage device. The interface 2 includes a Centronics interface for connecting the host device 1 and the peripheral device 3 and the like. Here, for example, a Bi-Centro cable or the like is used as the interface 2 in order to exchange information bidirectionally between the host device 1 and the peripheral device 3 for control. This interface may be configured by, for example, a LAN (local area network) or another network.

[0009] Control software 10 for controlling the peripheral device 3 is installed in the host device 1. If the peripheral device 3 is a printer, it corresponds to a printer driver. In addition, the protection setting software 4, the protection release software 5, and the like are installed. Further, the peripheral device 3 is provided with a protect information setting unit 6 for holding protect information as described later.

By setting such protection information, the peripheral device 3 can take two states, a protection release state and a protection setting state, as shown in the lower right of FIG.
Solid arrows indicate the direction of state transition. The protection information setting unit 6 is configured by a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory. This is because it is necessary to hold this protection information even when the peripheral device 3 is not turned on.

The control software 10 is constituted by a program that has been conventionally developed exclusively for controlling the peripheral device 3. The protection setting software 4 is a program having a function of rewriting the contents of the protection information stored in the protection information setting unit 6 so that the peripheral device 3 cannot be used. The protection release software 5 is a program having a function of rewriting the contents of the protection information stored in the protection information setting unit 6 so that the peripheral device 3 can be used.

The peripheral device 3 refers to the protection information setting section 6 and, if the protection information is, for example, "1", does not accept the control of the host device. On the other hand, if the protection information is, for example, “0”, it is configured to operate according to the control of the higher-level device.

FIG. 2 shows a system operation sequence chart of the first embodiment. Time elapses from the top to the bottom of the figure. The contents described on the left side of the host device 1
The state of is shown. The content shown on the right side of the peripheral device 3 indicates the state of the peripheral device 3. The content shown at the center indicates the state of the interface.

First, in step P1, the host device 1
Starts. Next, in Step P2, the host device 1
The protection setting software or protection release software starts. For example, when installing control software for a peripheral device in a host device, only the protection release software is activated.

On the other hand, the power of the peripheral device 3 is turned on before the host device 1 controls the peripheral device 3, and the peripheral device 3 is made usable (step K1). Then, the protection information stored in the protection information setting unit 6 shown in FIG. 1 is set to be changeable by an operation such as a key operation (step K2). This state is transmitted from the peripheral device 3 to the host device 1 through the interface 2. The contents are notified by an LCD (liquid crystal) display, a buzzer sound or the like (step F1). In this way, for example, the protection of the program information is informed to the operator of the higher-level device that the program information is in a protected state and is waiting for rewriting.

When the peripheral device 3 is ready, the host device 1 transfers protection information for rewriting in step P3. Before installing the control program, the protection information of the peripheral device 3 is
Cannot be used. So, here,
The protection release software operates to rewrite the protection information and make the peripheral device 3 usable.
In Step P4, the process proceeds to a state of waiting for transfer of the protection information. This protection information is transferred from the host device 1 to the peripheral device 3 through the interface (step F2).

When the transfer of the protection information is completed, the peripheral device 3 informs the operator of the protection information by LCD display or buzzer sound (step K3). Then, the protection information stored in the protection information setting unit 6 is changed to the transferred contents (step K4). As a result, for example, the protection information is released, and the
Can be used.

In the host device 1, in step P5,
It is determined that the transfer of the protection information has been normally completed, and the operation of the protection setting software or the protection release software ends. The protection setting software operates when the peripheral device 3 is in a usable state and the state is switched so as to prohibit the use state. Hereinafter, a specific use method will be described with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a method of using the system according to the first embodiment. First, (a) shows a usage method when the protection information of the peripheral device 3 is in an unusable state when the peripheral device is shipped from the factory, for example. As a result, a state is created in which the peripheral device 3 cannot be used unless dedicated control software is installed in the host device.

Here, the host device and the peripheral device are connected,
Assume that the control software has been installed as shown in FIG. At this time, as described with reference to FIG. 2, the protection information is rewritten and the protection is released. This allows the peripheral device to be used thereafter. In this way, if the protection information can be rewritten from a state where the peripheral device cannot be used to a state where the peripheral device can be used when the control software is installed, the conditions are set so that the protection of the peripheral device is released thereafter. Keep it. Therefore, if, for example, the protection information of the peripheral device already indicates that the dedicated device can be used when the control software is installed, the installation is not performed normally.

As a result, for example, when the illegally copied control software is installed in the host device, the installation of the control software fails. That is, unless the protection information is changed to a state where the peripheral device cannot be used by the uninstallation, installation of new control software is prevented, and installation of unauthorized control software can be prevented.

For example, a counter for counting the number of installations of the control software together with the protection information is provided in the protection information holding unit of the peripheral device.
If the count value exceeds a certain value or more, control is performed so that installation of control software is prohibited. In this way, if a number of installations are performed using copies of the control software,
Its installation can be effectively prohibited.

FIG. 2B shows a configuration in which the protection is released only when the host device uses a peripheral device by using the protection release software and the protection setting software. That is, as shown in the figure, when the host device and the peripheral device are connected and the control software is installed, the protection information is set to a state where it cannot be used first. Then, when the use of the peripheral device is started, the protection release software operates, and the use of the peripheral device becomes possible.

Then, when the use of the peripheral device by the higher-level device is completed, the protection setting software operates to rewrite the protection information and disable the subsequent use. That is, in this use method, the protection information is released only while the higher-level device is using the peripheral device, and the peripheral device can be used. Therefore, it becomes impossible to use the peripheral device with software other than legitimate control software.

<Effect of Specific Example 1> As described above, illegal installation of the peripheral device control software can be effectively prevented. In addition, there is an effect that parts other than the protection information holding unit of the peripheral device can be generalized so that they can be controlled by a standard control program.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a peripheral device control system according to a second embodiment. In the upper device 1 of this figure, an installer 7 is added to the upper device of the first example. The installer 7 may be stored in an internal memory of the host device 1 or a floppy disk (not shown) for installing the control software 10.
Or a CD-ROM or the like. The installer 7 incorporates identification information acquisition software 8 described later.

In addition to the protect information setting section 6 for storing the protect information, the peripheral device 3 can distinguish the peripheral device 3 from other peripheral devices, such as the product number of the peripheral device 3. An identification information holding unit 9 for holding possible identification information is provided. This is also constituted by a nonvolatile memory or the like.

FIG. 5 shows a system operation sequence chart of the second embodiment. The description method of this figure is exactly the same as that of FIG. First, the host device 1 is activated by turning on a switch in step P1. The peripheral device 3 performs an operation such as a key operation (step K1) to make the protection information changeable (step K1).
2). This content is transmitted from the peripheral device 3 to the host device 1 via the interface (step F1).

The host device 1 starts the protection release software (step P2). Here, the host device 1
Sends a request to transfer the identification information to the peripheral device 3 (step P3). The peripheral device 3 refers to the identification information holding unit 9 already described, and transfers the contents to the host device 1 via the interface (step K3, step F2). In the host device 1, in steps P4 and P5, the identification information is determined.

For example, when the control software is first installed in the host device 1, the identification information is not registered in the identification information acquisition software 8 yet.
Therefore, in this case, the identification information is registered by the identification information acquisition software 8 of the installer 7 in, for example, a floppy disk for installing the control program.

On the other hand, if the identification information has already been registered, in step P5, the received identification information and
The control program is compared with identification information registered in an installation floppy disk. Then, the protection information is transferred only when both match.
That is, it is possible to set and release the protection information described in the first embodiment.

Accordingly, if the identification information does not match in step P6, the process ends with an error. If the identification information matches, the process waits for transfer of the protection information in step P7. When the protection information is transferred to the peripheral device 3 through the interface in step F3, the peripheral device 3 displays the protection information transfer end result (step K4).

Thereafter, as in the first embodiment, the corresponding protection information is set in the protection information setting section of the peripheral device 3 (step K5). The host device 1 determines that the transfer of the protection information has been normally completed, and ends the operation of the protection release software (step P8).

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the software installation operation after the identification information is registered in the control software installation floppy disk or the like by the above method. First, in step S1, the installer is started. Next, in step S2,
It is determined whether the identification information has already been registered. If registered, in step S3, it is compared with the identification information of the peripheral device, and in step 4, it is determined whether or not they match. If they match, the installation is executed in step S5, and if they do not match, the installation is stopped in step S6.

If the identification information has not been registered, the process proceeds to step S7, where the identification information of the peripheral device is obtained and registered. Then, in step S8, the control program is installed. The installer 7 shown in FIG. 4 performs the above operation.

That is, when the control software is first installed, the identification information is obtained from the peripheral device,
Write this to the installation floppy disk.
Thus, the identification information is registered. Then, when the same floppy disk is used to install the control program in the host device again, the installation is enabled only when the identification information matches. Therefore, the control software cannot be installed for controlling a peripheral device having completely different identification information. That is,
The control software cannot be illegally used for controlling a plurality of peripheral devices. Of course, legitimate installations can be repeated over and over.

In the above example, the identification information is registered on a floppy disk or the like on which the control program is installed. However, for example, the identification information can be registered in the protection information release software of the host device. In this way, the protection information release software
Protect information other than the peripheral device having the corresponding identification information cannot be operated.

<Effect of Specific Example 2> As described above, if the identification information is registered in the host device or in the floppy disk for installing the protection release software, the valid user can transfer the peripheral device control program to the host device. Can be installed at any time. On the other hand, there is an effect that other peripheral devices cannot be illegally used by using the control program. Further, there is an effect that it becomes impossible to illegally copy a peripheral device control program and use it for controlling other peripheral devices.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a peripheral device control system according to a specific example 1.

FIG. 2 is a system operation sequence chart of a specific example 1.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a method of using a system according to a specific example 1.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a peripheral device control system according to a specific example 2.

FIG. 5 is a system operation sequence chart of a specific example 2.

FIG. 6 is a software installation operation flowchart.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Upper device 2 Interface 3 Peripheral device 4 Protect setting software 5 Protect release software 6 Protect information setting part 10 Device control software

Claims (3)

[Claims] A host device and a peripheral device are connected to each other via an interface, and the operation of the peripheral device is controlled by the host device. The peripheral device is controlled by the host device. A protection information setting unit for setting protection information to be prohibited is provided, and the higher-level device is provided with protection release means for releasing the protection information of the peripheral device when software for controlling the peripheral device is installed. A peripheral device control system characterized in that: 2. The peripheral device control system according to claim 1, wherein the higher-level device is provided with protection setting means for setting protection information of the peripheral device at a predetermined timing. Control system. 3. The peripheral device control system according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is provided with an identification information holding unit for holding identification information for identifying the peripheral device, and the host device is provided with the identification information holding unit in advance. Identification information acquisition means for acquiring and holding the identification information of the peripheral device; and when canceling the protection information of the peripheral device, the identification information held by the identification information acquisition means and the identification information holding unit of the peripheral device. A peripheral device control system, comprising: a protection canceling means for comparing the held identification information and canceling the protection only when both match.