JP2007027862A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus that is properly managed by a management apparatus on the occurrence of an earthquake, so as to prevent the leakage of internal information and the occurrence of an unanticipated situation. <P>SOLUTION: Since the image forming apparatus includes: a vibration detection means for detecting vibration; a control means for controlling the apparatus at detection of abnormal vibration; and a removable external storage means for storing internal information stored inside the apparatus, the image forming apparatus can save the internal information to the removable external storage means at the detection of the abnormal vibration, so as to surely store the internal information so that the internal information can be restored to the original image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus at another place can capture the internal information. Further, external leakage of the internal information can be prevented by deleting the internal information inside the apparatus after the internal information is saved and by protecting the internal information by an authentication means or the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, a copying machine, a printer, and a multi-function machine having a plurality of functions for charging for image forming output.

  An image forming apparatus that forms a latent image using image information read and generated by an image reading apparatus or image information obtained from the outside, transfers the image to a transfer paper, and fixes the image by an abnormal vibration such as an earthquake. In an emergency, the user or administrator may evacuate and leave the image forming apparatus usable. In such a case, it is possible to easily access important information stored in the image forming apparatus when a suspicious person enters or obtain important information.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus has been proposed in which a means for detecting vibration is provided in an image forming apparatus as a disaster countermeasure due to an earthquake, and a power source and the like are controlled based on a result detected by the detecting means (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, for example, during the copying operation, the printing is performed until all the printing on the document is completed, and control for terminating the earthquake countermeasure sequence after waiting for the earthquake to stop or control for shutting off the power is performed. ing.
JP 2000-1989A

  However, the above-described earthquake countermeasures in the conventional image forming apparatus are aimed at proper image formation output and reduction of malfunctions, and no countermeasures against leakage of internal information are taken. Therefore, even if the power is cut off by detecting an earthquake vibration, the intruder can easily access the internal information if the power is turned on.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the above circumstances, and when an abnormal vibration such as an earthquake is detected, internal information held in the apparatus is saved in an external storage means to restrict access to the internal information, etc. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that enables the above.

  That is, among the image forming apparatuses according to the present invention, the invention described in claim 1 is a vibration detection unit that detects vibration, a control unit that controls the apparatus when abnormal vibration is detected by the vibration detection unit, and is held inside the apparatus. And removable external storage means for storing the internal information to be stored.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, vibration is detected by the vibration detecting means, and the apparatus is controlled by the control means based on the detection result. The apparatus is provided with removable external storage means, and internal information held in the apparatus can be stored in the external storage means when abnormal vibration is detected. The external storage means can be removed and the stored internal information can be carried.

The internal information in the present invention is exemplified by important information such as a personal use history provided in the apparatus, but the content of the information is not particularly limited in the present invention, and can be determined as appropriate. The content may differ depending on the device.
Further, the vibration detection means may be any means as long as it can detect vibration, and can be constituted by, for example, a known one, and the present invention is not limited to a specific one. The vibration detection means may be configured to detect only abnormal vibration such as occurrence of an earthquake, or may be one that discriminates abnormal vibration by a vibration discrimination means described later. The vibration detecting means is preferably capable of detecting the magnitude of vibration in detecting vibration.
The abnormal vibration is not a normal vibration such as a mechanical vibration but a vibration other than the normal time generated by an earthquake or the like. Therefore, vibration includes normal vibration such as mechanical vibration and abnormal vibration caused by an earthquake or the like.
The control means for controlling the apparatus based on the detection result by the vibration detection means can be constituted by, for example, a CPU and a program for operating the CPU. The control means may be specially prepared for control during abnormal vibration, or may be included in control means for controlling the entire apparatus including normal time.

  Further, the external storage means is made up of other than the main storage device provided in the image forming apparatus, and is removable. As the external storage means, a USB memory is preferably exemplified, and in addition, a magnetic storage device such as a memory card and an FD is exemplified. The external storage means includes a storage medium in which an image forming apparatus is removable as a whole, such as a USB memory, and an external storage mechanism is provided in the image forming apparatus, such as a memory card or FD. May be removable.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: vibration detecting means for detecting vibration; and control means for controlling the apparatus when abnormal vibration is detected by the vibration detecting means. Control is performed during abnormal vibration in which internal information held in the apparatus is stored in a removable external storage means.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, internal information inside the apparatus is stored in the external storage means when abnormal vibration is detected.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the control unit transfers important information among internal information held in the apparatus to the external storage unit. Means are provided.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, important information of the internal information is transferred to the external storage means by the important information transfer means. It should be noted that what content of the internal information corresponds to important information can be selected as appropriate, and the content may differ depending on the image forming apparatus, and the relevant important information items can be changed. You may do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the control means detects the internal information when the vibration detected by the vibration detection means is equal to or higher than a predetermined vibration level. Is controlled in the abnormal vibration to be stored in the external storage means.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the internal information can be saved when the degree of damage is considered to be large with reference to the vibration level at which the degree of damage is assumed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the control unit performs authentication during abnormal vibration control in which internal information is stored in the external storage unit. It is characterized by calculating | requiring.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, authentication is required when storing the internal information in the external storage means, thereby preventing information leakage to outsiders and ensuring the safety of the information. The authentication can be performed by matching the input password with the set password, but the authentication method is not particularly limited as the present invention.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the vibration detection unit is configured to detect a mechanical vibration in a normal operation and an abnormality when an abnormality occurs based on a vibration detection result. An abnormal vibration discriminating means for discriminating vibration is provided.

  According to invention of Claim 6, abnormal vibrations, such as an earthquake, can be discriminate | determined from the result detected by the vibration detection means. This avoids malfunction due to mechanical vibration in normal operation. Note that the above determination can be performed using the frequency or waveform of the detected vibration. At this time, reference data for the above determination may be prepared in advance, and it may be determined whether the vibration is normal vibration or abnormal vibration by comparing with the reference data.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a vibration level determination unit that determines a vibration level from a vibration detection result by the vibration detection unit. And

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the vibration level can be determined by the vibration level determination means from the vibration detection result, and the control content during abnormal vibration can be determined according to the vibration level.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus according to the seventh aspect, wherein the vibration storage means stores the vibration information detected by the vibration detection means and the vibration level determined by the vibration level determination means. It is characterized by providing.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the vibration information and the vibration level can be stored in the vibration storage means, and can be appropriately read out and used for control during abnormal vibration.

  An image forming apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the control means stores the internal information in the external storage means by control during abnormal vibration. It is characterized by erasing internal information held inside.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, after the internal information is saved in the external storage means, the internal information inside the apparatus is erased to ensure that the internal information leaks to outsiders through the image forming apparatus. To prevent.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the control means stores the internal information in the external storage means by the abnormal vibration control, and then The internal information is transmitted to another external device connected to the device.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, after the internal information is saved in the external storage means, the internal information in the apparatus is transferred to the external apparatus, so that the internal information can be reliably held.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus according to the tenth aspect, wherein the other external device is a server that manages the image forming apparatus.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, when abnormal vibration is detected, the internal information is reliably held by the server that manages the image forming apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the control unit stores internal information in the external storage unit by control during abnormal vibration, It is characterized by protecting the internal information held in

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, after the internal information is saved in the external storage means, the internal information inside the device is protected, thereby preventing leakage to the outside without erasing the internal information. it can.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the twelfth aspect, the internal information is protected by making it readable only when authentication is performed by an authentication means.

  According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, leakage of internal information can be prevented by authentication using a password or the like.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, wherein the internal information can be read out only when authentication is performed by the authentication means. It is memorized in.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the information from leaking through the external storage means in which the internal information is saved.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, the internal information stored in the external storage means is restored only when the authentication means authenticates. It becomes possible.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent, by authentication, internal information saved in the external storage means from being taken into an external image forming apparatus without authorization.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to the fourteenth or fifteenth aspect, wherein the authentication unit is provided in an external storage unit.

  According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the information from leaking to the outside through the external storage means that has removed the internal information while being saved.

  According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to sixteenth aspects, wherein the control means performs control during abnormal vibration based on a vibration level of vibration. .

  According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, when the control means performs the control during abnormal vibration, the control content is changed depending on the vibration level of the vibration, so that accurate control according to the magnitude of the vibration becomes possible. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently avoid abnormal output by treating the low vibration level as having a low possibility of abnormal output and treating the high vibration level as having a high probability of abnormal output.

  According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to the seventeenth aspect, further comprising vibration level setting means for changing a vibration level which is a reference for the abnormal vibration control.

  According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the control level can be adjusted by changing the vibration level which is the reference for the control during abnormal vibration by the vibration level setting means.

  According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to eighteenth aspects, the control unit stores internal information in the apparatus in the external storage unit, and then powers the apparatus. It is characterized by blocking.

  According to the nineteenth aspect of the invention, after the internal information is saved in the external storage means, or after other abnormal vibration control is performed as necessary, the information is easily obtained by shutting off the power supply. Leakage to outsiders can be prevented, and occurrence of unforeseen situations due to continued operation after occurrence of abnormal vibration can be prevented.

  According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to twentieth aspects, wherein the control unit selects a control content to be performed after storing the internal information in the external storage unit. An image forming apparatus comprising a selection unit.

  According to the twentieth aspect, the operator can select the control content to be performed after the internal information is saved, and appropriate processing can be performed according to the situation.

  According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to twentieth aspects, abnormal vibration occurs when vibration is detected and abnormal control is performed by the control means. Or / and an abnormal vibration display means for displaying the contents of control during abnormal vibration is provided.

  According to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention, it is possible for the operator or the like to easily grasp the situation by displaying that the image forming apparatus receives abnormal vibration and the internal information is being saved. . The above contents may be notified to the server or the like together with the display on the display means or separately from the display.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the vibration detecting means for detecting the vibration, the control means for controlling the apparatus when the vibration detecting means detects the abnormal vibration, and the internal information held inside the apparatus. And removable external storage means for storing the internal information, so that when the abnormal vibration is detected, the internal information provided in the apparatus can be saved in the removable external storage means, and the internal information is securely retained. Thereafter, the internal information can be restored to the original image forming apparatus or the internal information can be taken into another image forming apparatus after the earthquake ends. Further, after the internal information is saved in the external storage means, it is possible to prevent the internal information from leaking outside by erasing the internal information inside the apparatus or protecting it by an authentication means or the like. Further, in the external storage means in which the internal information is saved, it is possible to prevent leakage of internal information through the external storage means by restricting reading and return processing of the internal information stored by the authentication means.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. Hereinafter, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The image forming apparatus 1 includes a CPU 10 that controls the entire apparatus, and the CPU 10 and a program that operates the CPU 10 constitute a control unit of the present invention. The CPU 10 is connected to an AC power source 2 as a driving power source and an auxiliary power source 3 composed of a battery or the like via a power source control unit 4. The auxiliary power supply 3 is capable of supplying voltage during normal times and supplies voltage to the image forming apparatus 1 when the AC power supply 2 is shut off as a backup power supply due to a disaster or the like. The power supply control unit 4 controls the voltage and the like so that the CPU 10 can be driven by either the AC power supply 2 or the auxiliary power supply 3.

The CPU 10 is connected to an internal storage unit 5 constituted by an HDD or the like, and can store various data. The internal storage unit 5 can store part or all of the internal information.
Further, the CPU 10 is connected to a flash ROM 6 for storing / reading a program for operating the CPU 10 and setting parameters for operating the image forming apparatus, and a nonvolatile memory capable of storing / reading data related to control during abnormal vibration. A RAM 7 is connected. Data related to abnormal vibration control includes data relating the vibration level and vibration magnitude, data related to abnormal vibration control content corresponding to the vibration level, and data consisting of vibration information and vibration level at the time of vibration detection. Can be mentioned. Therefore, the nonvolatile RAM 7 functions as vibration storage means. The nonvolatile RAM 7 can also be used as means for storing part or all of the internal information.

In addition, a RAM 8 is connected to the CPU 10, and the RAM 8 is used as a work area and a temporary storage memory for data when the program operates.
Further, the CPU 10 is detachably connected to an external storage means 9 composed of a USB memory or the like so that data can be read and written.
Further, a display / operation control unit 11 is controllably connected to the CPU 10, and a display / operation unit 12 is connected to the display / operation control unit 11. The display / operation unit 12 is controlled by the CPU 10 via the display / operation control unit 11, and an operator performs a predetermined operation on the image forming apparatus 1 and displays information. The display and the operation may be performed independently, or the operation may be performed on the display screen like an LCD touch panel. The display / operation unit 12 can display the screen and various information as described above. Therefore, it can also function as the abnormal vibration display means of the present invention.

  Further, the image reading unit 13 of the present invention is connected to the CPU 10. The image reading unit 13 includes a light source that illuminates a document, an optical system that deflects light reflected from the document, a CCD that generates image information by receiving reflected light, and the like. It is also possible to provide an automatic document feeder that can be fed and read.

  The CPU 10 is further connected to the image forming unit 14 of the present invention in a controllable manner, and is controlled by the CPU 10. The image forming unit 14 generates a latent image on a rotating drum by an LD or the like based on image information, develops the latent image with toner, and transfers the image directly or indirectly onto transfer paper to form an image. To do. The image transferred onto the transfer paper is heated and fixed to produce an image formation output. The CPU 10 is connected to a paper feed unit 15 having a paper feed tray and the like so as to be controllable, and supplies desired transfer paper to the image forming unit 14.

  Further, the CPU 10 is connected to a vibration detection unit 16 which is a part of the vibration detection means so as to be controllable. The vibration detection unit 16 detects vibration applied to the image forming apparatus 1, and the detection result is output to the CPU 10. The CPU 10 receives the detection result and refers to the reference data stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 and compares it with the detection result to determine whether the vibration detected is normal mechanical vibration or abnormal vibration such as an earthquake. Is determined. Therefore, the CPU 10 and a program for operating the CPU 10 constitute a vibration detection unit together with the vibration detection unit 16 and function as an abnormal vibration determination unit. Further, the CPU 10 refers to the vibration level data stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 from the detection result, and determines the vibration level of the vibration of the detection result. Therefore, the CPU 10 and a program for operating the CPU 10 function as vibration level determination means. The detected vibration information and the vibration level determined above are stored in a readable manner in the nonvolatile RAM 7 which is also a vibration storage means.

Further, the CPU 10 controls the display / operation unit 12 to change the setting relationship between the vibration level stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 and the control content at the time of abnormal vibration. That is, the setting relationship can be changed by an operator operating the display / operation unit 15, and the change result is reflected by rewriting data in the nonvolatile RAM 7 under the control of the CPU 10. Therefore, the CPU 10 and the program for operating the CPU 10 and the display / operation unit 12 constitute vibration level changing means.
Further, the CPU 10 controls the display / operation unit 12 so that the control content to be performed after the internal information is stored in the external storage means can be selected by operation. Therefore, the CPU 10 and the program for operating the CPU 10 and the display / operation unit 12 constitute a control selection means.

An access control unit 17 is connected to the CPU 10 in a controllable manner, and controls access to internal information and the like. An authentication control unit 18 is further connected to the CPU 10 so as to be controllable. The authentication control unit 18 makes it possible to set and register a password in advance. When authentication is required, the authentication control unit 18 requests input of a password, and compares the input password with the registered password. Configured for authentication. Password setting registration and input can be performed using the display / operation unit 12 described above. The access control unit 17 is notified of the authentication result of the authentication control unit 18. The access control unit 17 determines whether to permit access to internal information or the like based on the authentication result. That is, access is permitted when authentication is performed, and access is denied when authentication is not performed.
Note that the authentication control unit 17 and the access control unit 18 described above can also be configured by a part of the apparatus control unit of the present invention.

  Further, the external storage means 9 described above may be provided in advance with the same access control unit 9a and authentication control unit 9b as described above, and with the access control unit 17 and authentication control as necessary. The unit 18 can be copied to the external storage unit 9 to provide an access control unit 9a and an authentication control unit 9b.

The image forming apparatus 1 is further provided with an external access unit 19 to enable data communication with the external apparatus. The configuration of the external access unit 19 is determined by communication means with an external device. For example, when the communication means is a network, the external access unit can be configured by a network interface.
In this embodiment, an external server storage unit 20, a service center 21, a network administrator 22, and the like are connected to the external access unit 19 so as to communicate with each other. In the present invention, the type and number of external devices connected to the image forming apparatus 1 are not limited, and may not be connected to the external device or may not be connected.

Next, a control operation when abnormal vibration is detected in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the control means comprising the CPU 10 and a program for operating the CPU 10 first waits for vibration detection by the vibration detection unit 11 (step S1), and when it is confirmed that vibration has been detected, vibration is detected. Detection processing is performed. The details will be described based on the subroutine shown in FIG. In this process, it is determined whether the machine vibration is a normal operation or is caused by an earthquake or the like (step SS1). As a result of the determination, if it is determined that the vibration is mechanical, vibration detection is continued.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in the vibration detection that it is an abnormality diagnosis, vibration detection information is generated, and it is determined whether or not the vibration level is equal to or higher than a set lower limit value (step SS2). The set value can be stored in advance in the nonvolatile RAM 7 as an initial setting, and the stored content can be read by the control means and compared with the measurement result to make the above determination. As a result of the determination, if the vibration level of the measurement result does not reach the lower limit value, the vibration detection is continued. On the other hand, if the measurement result is equal to or greater than the lower limit value, vibration level determination is performed by comparing the vibration level due to the current abnormal vibration with the vibration level due to the previous abnormal vibration (step SS3). In this determination, the vibration detection information already stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 is read and compared with the vibration level detected this time (step SS4). In the comparison, if the stored one has a higher vibration level, the necessary control is already performed, and this time there is no need, so the vibration detection is continued. On the other hand, when the vibration level this time is larger than the stored one, the vibration detection information including the vibration level is stored in the nonvolatile memory 7 and is stored for comparison in the same manner as described above when the vibration is subsequently generated. The information is referred to (step SS5). Next, the process shifts to a main routine stop process as control during abnormal vibration (step S2).

Details of the stop process will be described based on a subroutine shown in FIG.
In the stop process, first, the operation is confirmed (step ST1). The operation confirmation is grasped by the control means, and processing is performed based on the determination. For example, it is assumed that the operation status is any one of an image forming unit 14, an image reading unit 13, an image reading unit 13, and an adjustment operation for maintaining quality. The adjustment operation is appropriately performed for adjustment relating to image reading, adjustment relating to image formation, and the like, and an adjustment value is set.

  If the operation status is during image formation, the vibration level is first determined (step ST10). The vibration level is stored in the aforementioned nonvolatile RAM 7 and is read out. In the nonvolatile RAM 7, a vibration level is set as a threshold for performing control for stopping the specific operation of the image forming apparatus 1, and the detected vibration level is compared with the set value. If the detected vibration level does not reach the set vibration level, it is determined that the image stop process is unnecessary, and the control operation at the time of detecting abnormal vibration is terminated (step ST11). On the other hand, if the detected vibration level is equal to or higher than the set value, it is determined that an image locking stop process is necessary, and an image formation stop process is performed (step ST12), and feeding of new transfer paper from the paper feed unit 15 is also stopped. To do. After the image forming process is stopped, the process proceeds to step S3 of the main routine.

  When it is confirmed that the image is being read in the operation status confirmation (step ST1) in the stop process, the set vibration level of the stop process stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 is compared with the vibration level of the detection result (step ST20). . If the vibration level of the detection result has not reached the set value, the reading stop process is deemed unnecessary and the stop process is ended, and the abnormal vibration control is ended (step ST21). On the other hand, when the vibration level of the detection result has reached the set value for stopping reading, the reading operation is stopped (step ST22). Next, a selection is made as to whether or not to discard the image that was being read when the vibration occurred (step ST23). In this selection process, for example, an operation button for selecting whether or not to discard the image is provided on the display / operation unit 12, and this can be determined by the operator selecting it. If the image discard is not selected here, the printing operation is performed without discarding the image (step T25). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S3 of the main routine. On the other hand, when the image discard is selected, after the image discard process (step ST24) is performed, the process proceeds to step S3 of the main routine.

  Next, when it is confirmed that the adjustment operation is being performed in the operation status confirmation in the stop process (step ST1), the set vibration level of the stop process stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 is compared with the vibration level of the detection result (step ST30). . If the vibration level of the detection result has not reached the set value, it is determined that the stop process is unnecessary, the stop process is ended (step ST31), and the abnormal vibration control is ended. On the other hand, when the vibration level of the detection result has reached the set value for operation stop, the adjustment operation is stopped (step ST32), and the adjustment value obtained by the adjustment operation so far is discarded (step ST33). This is because further adjustment may be required due to abnormal vibration, and it is desirable to discard the previous adjustment value in order to maintain output quality. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S3 of the main routine.

  In step S3 of the main routine, processing for saving important information stored in the image forming apparatus 1, that is, internal information, in the external storage unit 9 is performed. Note that the internal information may be stored in any of the internal storage unit 5, the nonvolatile RAM 7, or the flash ROM 6, or may save important information from a plurality of these. The important information is transferred to the external storage means 9 by the control means constituted by the CPU 10 and a program for operating it. Therefore, the CPU 10 and the program for operating it function as important information transfer means of the present invention.

Details of the saving process will be described based on a subroutine shown in FIG.
First, a saving means is selected (step SB1). In this selection, as shown in FIG. 7, the display / operation unit 12 is provided with a display field 120 for requesting selection of control contents after saving, and an important information deletion button 121 for selecting the control contents, a server save button 122, an authentication A protection button 123 is provided. Each control is performed by pressing each button. Details of each control content are shown in FIG.

  First, when the important information deletion button 121 is pressed (step SB10), the important information in the image forming apparatus 1 is read from the internal storage unit 5 or the nonvolatile RAM 7 by the important information transfer unit, and transferred to and stored in the external storage unit 9. Thus, important information is saved (step SB11). In saving important information, the access control unit 17a and the authentication control unit 9b are copied to the external storage unit 9 by copying the access control unit 17 and the authentication control unit 18 originally provided in the external storage unit 9 or the image forming apparatus 1. It is desirable to limit the reading and return processing of the important information. At this time, the authentication control unit 9b operates to request input of a password, and the password information is stored in the external storage unit 9. Next, the important information in the image forming apparatus 1 is deleted (step SB12). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S4 of the main routine.

  On the other hand, when the server save button 122 is pressed (step SB20), the important information in the image forming apparatus 1 is transferred and stored in the external storage means 9 in the same manner as described above, and the important information is saved (step SB21). ). Next, the important information in the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the external server storage unit 20 via the external access unit 19 and communication means such as a network (step SB22). The saving to the external device may be performed for the service center 21 or the network administrator 22 in addition to the server. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S4 of the main routine.

  When the authentication protection button 123 is pressed (step SB30), the important information in the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the external storage means 9 and the important information is saved (step SB31). Next, password protection processing is performed without deleting the important information in the image forming apparatus 1. That is, the authentication control unit 18 controls the display / operation unit 12 via the display / operation control unit 11 and, as shown in FIG. 8, a display field 124 for requesting the operator to set a password for important information is provided. Further, a password input field 125 is provided to request password input. When a predetermined password is set in the password input field 125, the information is stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 or the like, and the access control unit 17 is notified that the password has been set for the important information. As a result, if any person tries to access important information thereafter, the access control unit 17 operates, the access is restricted, and then the authentication control unit 18 operates. The authentication control unit 18 prompts for password input, collates it with the set password, and notifies the access control unit 17 of coincidence / non-coincidence information by collation. The access control unit 17 permits access by important information when the collation results match, and prohibits access by the important information when the collation results do not match. After each saving process as described above, the process proceeds to step S4 in the main routine.

  In step S4, the fact that important information has been saved is stored in the nonvolatile RAM 7 or the like, and a display field 126 for displaying the control contents during abnormal vibration is provided on the display / operation unit 12 as shown in FIG. That the important information is saved and that the external storage means that saved the important information is removable. This prevents forgetting to take out the external storage means.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the image forming apparatus 1 is in a state where the power can be shut off (step S5). Here, if an operation such as an operation by an operator or an input of data from the outside is performed, it is inappropriate to shut off the power supply. Therefore, wait until these operations and operations are completed, When it becomes possible, the power is shut off (step S6). This prevents an outsider from easily extracting important information from the operating image forming apparatus or operating without authorization.

Then, when the important information is returned to the original image forming apparatus after the earthquake ends, or when the important information is taken into the evacuation destination apparatus, the important information is returned. Details of the return processing will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, it is determined whether or not the external storage means 9 such as an external memory is connected in the device for restoring important information (step R1). Here, when it is detected on the device side that restores the important information that the external storage means 9 is connected, it is determined whether or not the information has been saved from the device (step R2). Here, when the saving is not made, it is determined that the image forming apparatus is not the corresponding image forming apparatus, and the restoration process is terminated. Note that this determination is omitted when information is taken into another device at the evacuation destination. On the other hand, when the saving process is performed, it is selected whether or not the important information restoration process is performed (step R3). For this selection, as shown in FIG. 11A, a display field 127 for requesting selection is provided on the display / operation unit 12, and a YES button 128 and a No button 129 for selecting are provided. When the No button 129 is pressed here, the return process is terminated assuming that the operator does not desire the return process. On the other hand, when the YES button 128 is pressed, the process proceeds to authentication processing. That is, the external storage means 9 is provided with an access control unit 9a and an authentication control unit 9b. When a request for reading information processing is made, the access control unit 9a operates and authentication by the authentication control unit 9b is required. That is, as shown in FIG. 11B, a display field 130 for requesting a password is provided, and a password input field 131 is further provided. Here, when a password is input by the operator in the password input field 131, the authentication control unit 9b provided in the external storage unit 9 compares the password stored in the external storage unit 9 with the input password, and displays the verification result. The access control unit 9a is notified. When the collation result does not match, the access control unit 9a provides the display / operation unit 12 with a display field 132 in which the authentication has failed as shown in FIG. 11C, and ends the return process without allowing the return process. . On the other hand, when the collation results match and authentication is performed, reading is performed as shown in FIG. 11 (d), and a display field 133 indicating this is provided in the display / operation unit 12. After that, the important information read from the external storage unit 9 is stored in the image forming apparatus 1 that performs the restoration process (step R4). As a result, it is possible to perform saving and restoration processing without causing leakage of important information.
As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to the content of the said embodiment, In the range of this invention, it can change suitably.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Similarly, it is a flowchart which shows the control content at the time of abnormal vibration at the time of vibration detection. Similarly, it is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of vibration detection. Similarly, it is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a stop process among control at the time of abnormal vibration. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a procedure of important information saving processing in control during abnormal vibration. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a selected procedure of important information saving processing. Similarly, it is a figure which shows the screen of the display / operation part which selects the saving process of important information. Similarly, it is a figure which shows the screen of the display / operation part in the protection process at the time of performing the important information saving process. Similarly, it is a figure which shows the screen of a display / operation part at the time of saving processing of important information as control at the time of abnormal vibration. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing the procedure of the return processing of the save information. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a return selection processing procedure including authentication in the return processing of the saving information.

Explanation of symbols

1 Image forming device 5 Internal storage 6 Flash ROM
7 Nonvolatile RAM
9 External storage means 9a Access control unit 9b Authentication control unit 10 CPU
12 Display / Operation Unit 13 Image Reading Unit 14 Image Forming Unit 16 Vibration Detection Unit 17 Access Control Unit 18 Authentication Control Unit

Claims (21)

  The apparatus includes: a vibration detection unit that detects vibration; a control unit that controls the apparatus when abnormal vibration is detected by the vibration detection unit; and a removable external storage unit that stores internal information held in the apparatus. Image forming apparatus.   A vibration detecting means for detecting vibration, and a control means for controlling the apparatus when abnormal vibration is detected by the vibration detecting means, the control means being capable of removing internal information held in the apparatus when detecting abnormal vibration. An image forming apparatus that performs control during abnormal vibration stored in a storage unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes an important information transfer unit that transfers important information among internal information held in the apparatus to the external storage unit.   The control means performs abnormal vibration control in which internal information is stored in the external storage means when the vibration detected by the vibration detection means is above a predetermined vibration level. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above.   5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit obtains authentication at the time of abnormal vibration control in which internal information is stored in the external storage unit.   The said vibration detection means is provided with the abnormal vibration discrimination means which discriminate | determines the mechanical vibration in normal operation, and the abnormal vibration at the time of abnormality generation based on a vibration detection result. Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a vibration level determination unit that determines a vibration level from a vibration detection result by the vibration detection unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a vibration storage unit that stores vibration information detected by the vibration detection unit and a vibration level determined by the vibration level determination unit.   The image according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control means deletes the internal information held in the apparatus after the internal information is stored in the external storage means by the abnormal vibration control. Forming equipment.   The control means stores the internal information in the external storage means by control during abnormal vibration, and then transmits the internal information to another external apparatus connected to the apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the other external apparatus is a server that manages the image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit protects the internal information held inside after storing the internal information in the external storage unit by control during abnormal vibration. apparatus.   13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the internal information is protected by making it readable only when authentication by an authentication unit is performed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal information is stored in an external storage unit so as to be readable only when authentication by the authentication unit is performed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal information stored in the external storage unit can be restored only when authentication by the authentication unit is performed.   16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the authentication unit is provided in an external storage unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs abnormal vibration control based on a vibration level of vibration.   18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising: a vibration level setting unit that changes a vibration level that is a reference for the abnormal vibration control.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stores internal information in the apparatus in the external storage unit, and then shuts off the power of the apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control selection unit that selects a control content to be performed after the control unit stores internal information in the external storage unit.   2. An abnormal vibration display means for displaying occurrence of abnormal vibration and / or contents of control during abnormal vibration when vibration is detected and control during abnormal vibration is performed by the control means. 21. The image forming apparatus according to any one of?

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