JP2008236366A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which is not used by a user who has left an authentication key having authentication information and has not authorization. <P>SOLUTION: It is displayed on a display that the authentication key having the authentication information is inserted into a key inserting portion (S11). Then, it is confirmed whether the authentication key has been inserted or not (S12). When the authentication key has been inserted, the display is displayed to conduct setting at reading a manuscript (S13) and a content of the setting is confirmed (S14). When the content of the setting is confirmed (YES at S14), it is displayed that the authentication key is taken out of the key inserting portion (S15). When it is confirmed that the key has been taken out (YES at S16), printing by a printer is started (S17). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that permits image formation when an authentication key having authentication information is attached.

  Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus that permits image formation only when an authentication key containing authentication information is attached to the apparatus main body.

On the other hand, an image processing apparatus that reads and prints a file stored in a medium is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-324431 (Patent Document 1). According to the publication, in order to read and print a file stored on a medium, a notice is given to prompt the user to remove the medium from the device after the file is read from the medium and until the printing process by the printer is completed. ing.
JP 2005-324431 A (summary)

  In an image processing apparatus that reads and prints a file stored on a medium, a notification is made to prompt the user to remove the medium from the apparatus after the file is read from the medium and before the printing process by the printer is completed. However, there is no description that this medium may be used as a key having authentication information permitting use of the image forming apparatus.

  On the other hand, in an image forming apparatus that allows image formation only when a conventional key containing authentication information is attached to the apparatus main body, the user forgets to remove the key containing authentication information after forming the image. Therefore, there is a problem that a user who does not have other authority uses the key to form an image.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-described problems, and the image forming apparatus that permits image formation only when the authentication key containing the authentication information is attached to the apparatus main body has the authentication information. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which an authentication key is left behind and cannot be used by an unauthorized user.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the authentication key determining means for determining whether or not an authentication key having predetermined authentication information is connected, and the authentication key determining means determine that the authentication key is connected. A job setting unit that allows the setting of the job, and a job execution unit that executes the set job after the job is set by the job setting unit, and the authentication key determining unit removes the authentication key. Control means for controlling the job execution means to execute the job after the determination is made.

  Preferably, warning means for warning to remove the authentication key after setting the job by the job setting means is included.

  More preferably, it further includes display means, and the warning means displays a warning text on the display means.

  Note that the authentication key preferably has only authentication information.

  Further, it includes password input means for inputting a password, and the control means permits the job setting means to set a job when a password is input to the password input means.

  According to the present invention, when it is determined that an authentication key having predetermined authentication information is connected, the setting of the job is permitted, and the set job is executed after the authentication key is removed. Therefore, the job cannot be executed unless the authentication key is removed.

  As a result, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which the authentication key is left behind and is not used by an unauthorized user.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of a digital multifunction peripheral 10 that functions as an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a digital multifunction device 10 includes a control unit 11 that controls the entire digital multifunction device 10, a DRAM 12, a FAX communication unit 13, and a network IF (interface) unit 14 for connecting to a network 40. A printing unit 15 that operates as a printing unit, an HD (hard disk) 16 that stores data, an image reading unit 17, an operation unit 18, and a document feeding device 19 that automatically conveys a document to the image reading unit 17. Including. Note that the digital multi-function peripheral 10 cannot execute jobs such as printing, FAX transmission, and image reading unless an authentication key having predetermined authentication information is inserted. Accordingly, the digital multi-function peripheral 10 is provided with a key insertion unit 51 for inserting the authentication key. The authentication key preferably stores only authentication information such as department information and group information.

  The document feeder 19 has a document placement table on which a plurality of documents can be placed. The image reading unit 17 includes a CCD (not shown) as an example of a photoelectric conversion element, and can read image data of a document.

  The operation unit 18 includes an input unit 21 and a display unit 20 as shown in FIG. A cancel key 212 for completely canceling the processing being executed, an interrupt key 213 for instructing execution / cancellation of an interrupt, a numeric keypad 214 for instructing a FAX destination number, the number of copies, and the like. A setting key 215 for setting information is included.

  The display unit 20 is composed of a liquid crystal panel, and can display information from the digital multi-function peripheral 10 to the user. This liquid crystal panel is a touch panel, and also functions as a part of the input unit 21 for selecting each function of “FAX”, “printer”, and “copy”.

  The control unit 11 compresses and writes the data given from the image reading unit 17 and the data given from the FAX communication unit 13 or the network IF unit 14 to the DRAM 12, reads the data written to the DRAM 12, decompresses and decodes and outputs the data. . The control unit 11 also performs control for communication by the FAX communication unit 13, control for communication by the network IF unit 14, control for printing by the printing unit 15, and image reading by the image reading unit 17. Control for inputting data from the input unit 21 of the operation unit 18 and control for displaying data on the display unit 20 of the operation unit 18 are performed.

  A plurality of personal computers 41 to 43 that can access the network interface unit 14 of the digital multi-function peripheral 10 are connected to the network 40.

  In FIG. 1, thick arrows indicate the flow of image data, and thin arrows indicate the flow of control signals or control data.

  Next, operations performed by the control unit 11 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 11. Referring to FIG. 3, first, an authentication key having authentication information is displayed on display unit 20 so as to be inserted into key insertion unit 51 (step S11; hereinafter, “step” is omitted). Next, it is confirmed whether an authentication key has been inserted (S12). If the authentication key has been inserted, it is displayed on the display unit 20 so as to perform the setting at the time of reading the document (S13), and the setting content is confirmed (S14). If the setting contents can be confirmed (YES in S14), a warning message is displayed on the display unit 20 so as to remove the authentication key from the key insertion part 51 (S15). 15 starts printing (S17).

  As described above, the control unit 11 functions as an authentication key determination unit, a job setting unit, a job execution unit, and a control unit.

  As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to set the operation of the digital multifunction peripheral 10 only when an authentication key having predetermined authentication information is inserted, and authentication is performed after confirming the setting of this operation. Since a specific job such as printing is executed after prompting the user to remove the key and confirming that the key has been removed, the user never forgets to remove the authentication key having authentication information. As a result, an image forming apparatus such as a digital multifunction peripheral is illegally used by an unauthorized user in an image forming apparatus that permits image formation only when an authentication key containing authentication information is attached to the apparatus main body. There is no.

  In S15, when the authentication key is displayed so as to be removed from the key insertion unit 51, a warning may be given with a buzzer or voice.

  In the above embodiment, the operation of the digital multi-function peripheral 10 has been described with respect to a job for reading and printing a document. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and scanning of a document in an image reading unit or a fax using a fax communication unit is described. The same applies to jobs such as communication.

  In the above embodiment, the specific form of the authentication key to which the authentication information is input is not described. However, the authentication key may be a stick like a USB memory or an IC card. Also good. Moreover, this may be a contact type or a non-contact type.

  Furthermore, the user may be allowed to input a password via the operation unit (password input means), and the job setting may be permitted only when the password is input.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to the thing of embodiment shown in figure. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

1 is a block diagram showing a digital multi-function peripheral to which the present invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the operation part of a digital multifunctional device. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the digital multifunction peripheral.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital multifunction device, 11 Control part, 12 DRAM, 13 FAX communication part, 14 Network IF (interface) part, 15 Printing part, 16 HD (hard disk), 17 Image reading part, 18 Operation part, 19 Document feeder, 20 Display part, 51 key insertion part.

Claims (5)

Authentication key determination means for determining whether or not an authentication key having predetermined authentication information is connected;
Job setting means for allowing setting of a job when the authentication key determining means determines that the authentication key is connected;
Job setting means for executing the set job after setting the job by the job setting means,
An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to control the job execution unit to execute a job after the authentication key determination unit determines that the authentication key has been removed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a warning unit that issues a warning to remove the authentication key after the job setting unit sets a job. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a display unit, wherein the warning unit displays a warning text on the display unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the authentication key includes only the authentication information. In addition, it includes password input means for entering the password,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit permits the job setting unit to set a job when a password is input to the password input unit.

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