JP2006027140A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device which can change the combination of equipment and a memory card using a specific means, although information on the combination cannot be easily changed. <P>SOLUTION: This imaging device comprises the following means: a connector means 108 which enables a storage medium 113 in which intrinsic ID (identification) data are recorded to be attachable/detachable and a control means 101 which manages the ID data of the available storage medium 113 by objects and decides the available storage medium 113, and offers an operation to suspend a normal action in case the storage medium 113 judged as unavailable is mounted and makes the content of management information changeable in case the storage medium 113 is judged as available and is for a specific object. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, an intelligent copying machine, and a facsimile machine, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus in which a storage medium such as a memory card can be mounted.

Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as laser printers, intelligent copying machines, and facsimile machines, system programs and emulation programs are stored and used in a storage medium such as FROM. As such a prior art, there exists patent document 1, for example.
However, in the future, as general-purpose memory cards such as SD memory cards and compact flash (registered trademark) cards are reduced in price and capacity, these storage media are changed from FROM to general-purpose memory cards to reduce costs. It is expected that a device that performs the above will appear. However, since a general-purpose memory card and a general-purpose memory card I / F can be easily removed or copied, illegal copying of the program becomes a problem.
Therefore, it is expected that a device for assigning individual IDs to the device and the memory card and providing a means for managing the combination of the device and the memory card so that only a specific memory card can be used in a certain device is expected. On the other hand, since the memory card is a writable storage medium, it can store model-specific data and accumulated image data, and can be used as an alternative to the conventional NVRAM, HDD, etc. in addition to the above-mentioned FROM alternative. It is expected that.
In anticipation of this, the following techniques have been proposed.
(1) The software is copyright protected by holding information in the memory card and in the multifunction device so that it does not operate normally unless it is a specific combination.
(2) A multi-function device that allows only a specific memory card to be used. By using the concept of a master card, SE support in the market, inspection at the factory, and debugging at the time of design can be easily performed.
(3) It has a function of identifying the SD card for service use and user use. The SD card for user use cannot protect the contents unless the user ID is input, and protects privacy.
JP 2003-058486 A

In the above technology, if the device breaks after deciding the combination of the device and the memory card, it was used before to prepare an alternative device and have the customer use the alternative device Some means for changing the management information of the combination of the usable device and the memory card is required so that the memory card can be used in the alternative device. However, if the means for changing the management information of this combination can be easily performed, there is a problem that an illegal copy program can be easily used.
The present invention is for solving such a problem, and it is not possible to easily change the combination information of the device and the memory card, but it is possible to change the combination by a specific means. To provide an image forming apparatus that can use an SD card that has been used so far, even in an alternative machine when the apparatus fails, for example, when the apparatus, that is, an illegally copied card is not used easily. Objective.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a connector means to which a storage medium can be attached / detached, a management information storage means for storing management information of the storage medium, and the storage attached to the connector means. Control means for discriminating the type of medium and providing an operation for enabling the contents of the management information storage means to be changed when it is determined that a usable storage medium for a specific purpose is mounted. And
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, when the password managed in the management information storage unit matches the input password, the control unit performs the management. The present invention is characterized in that an operation for changing the contents of the information storage means is provided.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, change enable / disable information indicating whether the change of the management information storage means is valid or invalid is stored in the storage medium, and the control means includes: When it is determined that the management information storage means cannot be changed based on the change enable / disable information, control is performed so as not to provide an operation for changing the information content of the storage medium, and a password is continuously stored in the storage medium. Stores the password consecutive mismatch count information indicating the number of mismatches, resets the continuous mismatch information when a normal password is input, and stores the memory when the password consecutive mismatch information determines that a continuous mismatch does not exceed a certain number of times. Control is performed to rewrite the changeability information stored in the medium to be invalid.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention determines, for example, a connector unit that allows a storage medium in which unique ID data is recorded to be detachable, ID data of a usable storage medium, and a usable storage medium. When a storage medium that has been determined to be unusable is loaded, the normal operation is not performed, and only when it is determined that the storage medium has a specific purpose that can be used, the operation that allows the contents of the management information to be changed By providing the control means to be provided, the SD card that has been used so far can be used, for example, in an alternative machine when the device fails without using an illegally copied card.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus will be described by taking a multifunction peripheral having a copy function and a printer function as an example. An SD card is used as the memory card.
The image forming apparatus includes a CPU 101, an ASIC 102 for controlling various I / Fs, an SDRAM 103 as a main memory, a flash ROM 104 that stores a program for operating immediately after power-on, a first DIMM connector 105, and a second DIMM connector. 106, an operation unit I / F 107 as a connector for operation unit connection, an SD card I / F 108 as an SD card connector (socket), a MAC LSI, PHY, a pulse transformer for LAN connection, and a network I / F 109 that means all connectors , Flash ROMs 110 and 111, an operation unit 112, an SD card 113, and an NVRAM (management information storage unit) 114 as a nonvolatile memory.
In the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above, the flash ROM 110 stores an activation program and a copy function system program. The NVRAM 114 stores model-specific information related to the copy function and the system.
The printer function in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is an option, and an SD card containing a system program for the printer function is prepared. The printer function is effective only when the SD card 113 is inserted. It is supposed to become. For this reason, the SD card 113 can store model-specific information related to the printer function and image information to be printed.
In addition, the SD card 113 can determine whether the SD card type is “user”, “maintenance”, or unregistered, depending on the stored ID. An SD card identification management area is prepared.
Only when it is determined that the type of the SD card 113 is “for maintenance”, an operation for rewriting information in the SD card identification area is provided. At this time, in the operation for rewriting the information in the SD card identification area, there is a process for prompting the input of a password. If the correct password is not input, the information cannot be rewritten.
Then, the number of times the password is entered incorrectly is stored in the SD card 113, and when this number becomes 5 or more, for example, the SD card 113 provides an operation for rewriting the information in the SD card identification area. Do not do.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. However, the processing for disabling the SD card that is not registered in the SD card identification area or the processing for not operating the printer function when the SD card is not installed is not particularly described, and thus will not be described (example) As a method for judging validity at the time of power-on).
First, the operator waits for an information rewrite request in the SD card identification area (S201). When this request is made, it is first determined whether or not the SD card 113 is attached (S202). If it is not attached, “SD card is not attached” is displayed on the operation unit 112 (S203), and the process ends.
If it is determined in step S202 that the SD card 113 is attached, the purpose type of the SD card 113 attached is checked from the information area of the SD card identification area, and whether the purpose type is “maintenance” or not. (S204).
If the purpose type is not “for maintenance”, “change is not permitted” is displayed on the operation unit 112 (S206), and the process ends. If it is determined that the installed SD card is “for maintenance”, it is determined whether or not the number of consecutive password failures is, for example, 5 or more (S205).
If the number of consecutive password failures is, for example, 5 or more, “change is not permitted” is displayed on the operation unit 112 (S206), and the changeable information stored in the SD card 113 is changed from enabled to disabled. Rewrite and exit. If the number of consecutive password failures is 4 or less, a password input screen is provided (S207).
Thereafter, the validity of the input password is determined (S208). If it is determined that the password is incorrect, the number of consecutive password failures is incremented (S209), and the process returns to S205.
If it is determined that the input password is correct, an information rewriting operation for the SD card identification area is provided (S210), and the combination of the device and the SD card 113 can be changed.
Here, the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment is equipped with a flash memory, but it may be configured such that the activation program is stored in the SD card 113 without any flash memory. In the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, the SD card identification area is placed in the NVRAM 114 of the apparatus, but may be placed in the flash memory of the apparatus or in the SD card.

According to the present embodiment, the purpose of the memory card is also managed on the usable SD card (memory card), for example, “for user” and “for maintenance”. When a “user” memory card is installed, the information on the memory card that can be used by the device cannot be changed. When a “maintenance” memory card is installed, the memory card that can be used by the device Therefore, it is possible to change the combination information of the device and the memory card, but it is possible to change the combination by a specific means. be able to. That is, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that can use an SD card that has been used so far, for example, in an alternative machine when the apparatus fails without using an illegally copied card.
In addition, even when the above "maintenance" memory card is installed, if the password is requested and the correct password is not entered, the combination information of the device and memory card cannot be changed. For example, even when a maintenance memory card is stolen or duplicated, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which the combination cannot be easily changed.
Also, in the memory card, change permission information indicating whether or not to allow modification of the combination information of the device and the memory card is provided. If the information is not, the purpose of the memory card is “for maintenance”. Even if there is, the combination information is not changed, and the number of consecutive password input mistakes is managed at the time of password input. If the number exceeds a certain value, the change permission information in the memory card is displayed. Since rewriting is not performed, an image forming apparatus with a higher security level can be provided.

1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus having functions of a printer and a copier according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

  101 CPU (control means), 102 ASIC, 103 SDRAM, 104 flash ROM, 105 106 DIMM connector, 107 operation unit I / F, 108 SD card I / F (connector means), 109 network I / F, 110 111 flash ROM , 112 operation unit, 113 SD card (storage medium), 114 NVRAM

Claims (3)

  Connector means for attaching / detaching a storage medium, management information storage means for storing management information of the storage medium, and a specific purpose storage medium that can be used by determining the type of the storage medium attached to the connector means An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that provides an operation for changing the contents of the management information storage unit when it is determined that the management information storage unit is mounted. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The control means provides an operation that allows the contents of the management information storage means to be changed when the password managed in the management information storage means matches the input password that has been input. Image forming apparatus. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein change enable / disable information indicating whether the change of the management information storage unit is valid or invalid is stored in the storage medium.
When the control means determines that the change of the management information storage means is impossible based on the change enable / disable information, the control means controls not to provide an operation for changing the information content of the storage medium, and the storage Password continuous mismatch number information indicating the number of consecutive password mismatches is stored on the medium, and when a normal password is input, the continuous mismatch information is reset, and it is determined that there is a certain number of consecutive mismatches based on the password continuous mismatch information. In such a case, the image forming apparatus controls to rewrite the changeability information stored in the storage medium to be invalid.

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