JP2009212677A - Image forming apparatus, image forming method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, a program, and a recording medium which can effectively use hardware resources. <P>SOLUTION: Provision for the image forming apparatus, the image forming method, the program, and the recording medium which can effectively use the hardware resources can be realized, since they detect the failure position of storage, limit functions based on the detected result, and do not immediately replace to another storage, even if the trouble occurs in the storage. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, a program, and a recording medium.

  When a failure occurs in an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) as storage, the entire MFP (Multi Function Printer) cannot be used, and functions cannot be continued depending on the failure status. If the HDD fails, it cannot be initialized. The MFP cannot be used (downtime) until the serviceman completes the HDD replacement.

For this reason, RAID devices, backup devices, and journaling file systems can be cited as countermeasures.
<RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive (or Independent) Disks, Raid)>
This is a technology that operates as a single virtual HDD by combining multiple hard disks (Hard Disc Drive: “HDD”). A typical implementation of a disk array, which is mainly used to improve reliability. Data can be retained even if one of the multiple HDDs (2 in the case of RAID6) fails. There are the following three types of RAID (1) to (3).

(1) RAID 1: Redundant (mirroring): At least 2 HDDs are required
(2) RAID 5: Parity distributed recording in block units: At least 3 HDDs are required
(3) RAID 6: Block unit / multiple parity distributed recording: At least 4 HDDs are required. Here, HDD failure means that sector cannot be read or written, and sector can be read but data is inconsistent. This is the time when a condition occurs that does not work.

  However, these technologies are not expected to improve reliability in the event of a power failure, lightning strike, or accidental turn-off by the user. When writing data, all HDDs are accessed simultaneously.

  That is, the RAID performs a backup operation for maintaining the system after detection by means for detecting a failure (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

<Backup device>
The backup device is a device provided with an HDD or the like, and stores data in preparation for when a normally used HDD fails. A data failure that occurs in a normally used HDD is restored using data from a backup device (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 to 6).

<Journaling file system>
This is a file storage device for storing files and management information thereof, and a volatile memory for temporarily storing data to be written, and a nonvolatile main memory for storing data to be written read from the volatile memory When updating the management information stored in the first storage means, the non-volatile second storage means, and the first storage means, the management information after the update is updated from the management information before the update. And a control unit that writes restructuring information for reconstruction into the second storage unit, and executes an update after the writing is completed.

This device is managed so that files on the disk medium can be easily accessed. The file system stores the management information (metadata) of each file on the disk medium together with the contents (main body data) of the file. The metadata includes, for example, table information indicating the storage position of the main data of each file on the disk medium (see, for example, Patent Document 7).
JP 2006-252451 A Japanese Patent No. 3790756 JP-A-9-198290 JP 2007-142963 A JP 2007-207139 A JP-A-9-62586 JP 2005-115857 A

  However, in the above-described conventional technology, a plurality of HDDs are necessary, and the cost is increased accordingly, the performance is lowered, and power is always consumed. Further, in the above-described conventional technology, when one of the HDDs fails, the HDD is not used or replaced even though there is a normal sector, and hardware resources are wasted accordingly.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, a program, and a recording medium that can effectively use hardware resources.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is based on a storage for storing data of the image forming apparatus, a failure detection unit for detecting a failure location of the storage, and a result detected by the failure detection unit. And a function limiting means for limiting the function.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the operation according to claim 1, wherein the display indicates that a failure that may be recovered due to the format of the storage has occurred, and the indication of the necessity of formatting the partition including the address of the failure. The function limiting means performs formatting after an operation indicating that the formatting is required is performed on the operation panel.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, when the failure detection unit detects a failure of the storage, the function restriction unit formats a partition including the failure address.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, when the failure detection unit detects a failure in the storage that can be recovered by the format of the storage, the operation panel displays the format of the partition including the corresponding failure portion. It is characterized by having a switching means for switching whether or not to output a necessity confirmation message.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the function restriction means that a failure that cannot be recovered by formatting the storage occurs if a failure occurs at the same number of times a specified number of times even after formatting. Is displayed on the display means, and thereafter, the storage is not formatted.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the case where it is determined in claim 2 or 5 that an operation indicating that the format is required is not performed on the operation panel and that the storage failure is not repaired by the format. The function restricting means controls not to use the failure location of the storage, and displays a restriction item indicating that the function using the failure location of the storage is unusable or performance degradation is displayed on the operation panel. Features.

  The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that, in claim 6, the function that does not use the area related to the failure location can be continuously used.

  The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that, in claim 6, the failure location is a post-drawing image temporary storage area for a printer, and the restriction item is output performance.

  A ninth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect, the failure location is a log storage area including an access log and an operation log, and the unusable function is log storage and transmission of the storage log.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect, the failure location is a user customization additional function program storage area, and the unusable function is an additional function by a user customization additional function program.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the seventh, ninth, or tenth aspect, the buttons on the operation panel for calling the unusable functions are displayed with a hue, lightness, or saturation different from normal, and the functions cannot be selected. Features.

  A twelfth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the eleventh aspect, when a button on the operation panel for calling a function that cannot be used is pressed, a sound different from normal is emitted and the function cannot be performed.

  A thirteenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that in the sixth aspect, when the storage is replaced, all the function off registers are set to one logic level.

  The invention described in claim 14 is characterized in that a failure location of a storage for storing data of the image forming apparatus is detected, and the function is limited based on the detected result.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the fourteenth aspect, it is displayed that a failure that can be recovered by the format of the storage has occurred, the necessity of formatting the partition including the address of the failure, and the operation panel. An image forming method, wherein the formatting is performed after the operation indicating that the formatting is required.

  A sixteenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the fourteenth aspect, when the storage failure is detected, the partition including the address of the failure is formatted.

  The invention according to claim 17 is based on a procedure in which the storage stores the data of the image forming apparatus, a procedure in which the failure detection unit detects the failure location of the storage, and a result in which the function restriction unit detects the failure detection unit. And a procedure for restricting the function.

  According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the seventeenth aspect, an operation for displaying an indication that a failure that can be recovered due to the format of the storage has occurred and an indication of the necessity of formatting the partition including the address of the failure. And a function limiting unit that executes a procedure for formatting after an operation indicating that the formatting is required is performed on the operation panel.

  A nineteenth aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the seventeenth aspect, when the failure detection unit detects a failure of the storage, the function limiting unit causes a procedure for formatting a partition including the address of the failure. To do.

  The invention according to claim 20 is a recording medium on which the program according to any one of claims 17 to 19 is recorded.

  Here, this application detects a failure and limits the functions that cannot be operated due to the failure, thereby preventing damage caused by the user's use of the function and continuing the functions that are safe to use on the contrary. By making it possible to use it, it aims to improve user convenience and reduce the load on service.

  According to the present invention, the failure location of the storage is detected, and the function is limited based on the detected result. Therefore, when a failure occurs in the storage, it is not replaced with another storage immediately. It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, a program, and a recording medium that can be used in the present invention.

(Embodiment 1)
One embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a storage (nonvolatile mass storage means: HDD) for storing data of the image forming apparatus, a failure detection means for detecting a failure location of the storage, and a failure detection means. And a function restricting means for restricting the function based on the result of the detection.
Here, it is assumed that the failure detection means and the function restriction means are configured by software.

The inventor shall allow some inconvenience at the time of failure,
(a) I want to continue to use functions that are not broken. I want to initialize (format) and restore by user operation.
(b) Although it is a failure, it can often be recovered by formatting.
(c) Spare HDD and alternative storage in the equipment are expensive.
(d) I do not want to reduce the access speed. From this point of view, the present invention has been achieved.

  According to the above configuration, the failure location of the storage is detected, and the function is limited based on the detected result. Therefore, when a failure occurs in the storage, it is not immediately replaced with another storage. Can be used.

That is, according to this embodiment,
(1) The user can recover from a failure that can be reformatted.
(2) There is no need to call a service person.
(3) Even if it is not corrected by the format, it can be used except for the failure part.
(4) There is no performance degradation or downtime due to backup / restore in the device.
(5) No performance degradation or downtime due to the journaling file system.
(6) Cost can be reduced.
(7) Power consumption is much lower than installing multiple HDDs.
The effect is obtained.

(Embodiment 2)
In another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, an indication that a failure that can be recovered by formatting the HDD has occurred, and a partition including the failure address is formatted. Whether or not it is good is displayed on the operation panel, and after confirming the user's intention, formatting is performed.
In other words, the image forming apparatus has an operation panel for displaying a display indicating that a failure that can be recovered due to the storage format has occurred, and a display indicating whether or not the partition format including the failure address is necessary. The restricting means is characterized in that formatting is performed after an operation indicating that formatting is required on the operation panel.

The inventor
(a) I don't know if the HDD is broken.
(b) For users who use it in the following ways (b-1) and (b-2), it is difficult for the data in the partition to be erased without being formatted without permission.
(b-1) Accumulate documents.
(b-2) Transfer the scanned document to a preset PC, e-mail address, and FAX number.
From this point of view, the present invention has been achieved.

With the above configuration,
(1) You can see that the HDD is broken.
(2) Data that can be accessed as data in the partition can be backed up to another device.
The effect is obtained.

(Embodiment 3)
In addition to the above configuration, another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that when a failure is detected in the storage, a partition including the failure address is formatted without the user's consent.
That is, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that, when the failure detection unit detects a failure of the storage, the function restriction unit formats a partition including the failure address.

The inventor
(a) For users who are using the following methods (a-1) and (a-2), it is troublesome for the user to ask whether or not the format is possible each time a failure occurs.
(a-1) Do not store documents.
(a-2) Do not transfer the scanned document to a preset PC, e-mail address, or fax number.
In view of the above, the present invention has been achieved.

With the above configuration,
(1) Since the failure can be repaired automatically, it becomes maintenance-free.
(2) Even if the operation unit is not operated, it can always be used.
The effect is obtained.

(Embodiment 4)
In another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when a failure that can be restored is detected in the HDD by formatting the HDD, the partition including the failure portion is formatted on the operation panel. It is possible to switch whether or not to output a confirmation message of whether or not it is good.

In other words, when the failure detection unit detects a failure that may be recovered due to the storage format in the storage, the image forming apparatus outputs a confirmation message as to whether the partition including the failed part needs to be formatted or not on the operation panel. It has a switching means for switching whether or not.
Here, the switching means is assumed to be configured by software.

The inventor
(a) Depending on the usage, there are cases where it is better to output a message as to whether or not to format the corresponding part at the time of HDD failure detection, and there is a case where it is better not to output. There is.
(b) Usage when it is better not to display a message (it does not matter if it is formatted and the data is erased).
(b-1) Do not store documents.
(b-2) Do not transfer the scanned document to a preset PC, e-mail address, or FAX number.
(c) How to use when it is better to display the message (It will be a problem if the data is deleted after being formatted).
(c-1) Accumulate documents.
(c-2) Transfer the scanned document to a preset PC, e-mail address, and FAX number.
From this point of view, the present invention has been achieved.

  With the above configuration, settings that match the user's usage can be made freely.

(Embodiment 5)
In another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned configuration, if a failure occurs at the same number of times even after formatting, an indication that a failure that cannot be recovered by formatting the HDD has occurred. After that, the HDD is not formatted.
That is, in the present image forming apparatus, the function restricting unit causes the display unit to display that a failure that cannot be recovered by the storage format has occurred when a failure occurs at the same number of times the specified number of times even after formatting. Thereafter, the storage is not formatted.

The inventor
(a) If multiple failures occur in the same location on the HDD, it is difficult to restore the failure depending on the format. Each time it is used, “Recoverable failure has occurred. Is it OK to format?” Is displayed.
(b) A waste of time and power occurs due to formatting even if the failure is not corrected.
From this point of view, the present invention has been achieved.

With the above configuration,
(1) It can be seen that an unrecoverable failure has occurred due to formatting.
(2) There is no need to continue formatting even though it cannot be recovered, and time and power are not wasted.
The effect is obtained.

(Embodiment 6)
In addition to the above configuration, another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is configured to identify a failure location of the HDD when the formatting is not performed due to the user's intention or when the failure is determined not to be repaired by the formatting. Control is performed so that it is not used, and restrictions such as the function that uses the HDD failure location being unavailable or performance degradation are displayed on the operation panel.
That is, when the operation that requires formatting is not performed on the operation panel, or when it is determined that the storage failure is not repaired by the formatting, the image forming apparatus displays the function restriction unit. Control is performed so that the failure location is not used, and the function of using the failure location of the storage is displayed on the operation panel to display a restriction item indicating that the failure is not possible or performance is degraded.

  The present inventor has arrived at the present invention from the viewpoint that (a) without changing the display, it is impossible to know which function can be used and which function cannot be used.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to know which functions can be used and which functions cannot be used.

(Embodiment 7)
In another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, a failure location is a copy document or document BOX document storage area, and an unusable function is a copy document storage or a document BOX document storage or storage. It is characterized by printing of a copied document or printing of an accumulated Document BOX document.
Here, the document BOX is a storage area for temporarily storing data in order to determine whether or not to copy.
Further, in addition to the above configuration, the failure location may be the scanner document storage area, and the function that cannot be used may be the storage of the scanner document or the transmission of the stored scanner document.
Further, in addition to the above configuration, the function that cannot be used when the failure location is in the FAX document storage area may be the storage of the FAX document or the transmission of the stored FAX document.
Further, in addition to the above configuration, a function that cannot be used because the failure location is a mail address storage area may be document mail transmission.
In addition to the above configuration, the failure location is the account information (FTP (File Transfer Protocol) when logging in), password, samba (registered trademark: UNIX (registered trademark) Windows (registered trademark) (Trademark) The folder authentication access destination and password using the software for realizing the file sharing function of the network) and the function that cannot be used in the storage area may be FTP transmission of the document and transfer to the designated folder.
Further, in addition to the above configuration, the function that cannot be used in the telephone number storage area of the FAX transmission destination may be FAX transmission.
Further, in addition to the above configuration, the function that cannot be used when the failure location is the copy image temporary storage area may be output (sort) of a plurality of copies.
In addition to the above-described configuration, the function that cannot be used in the temporary image storage area after drawing of the printer may be output (sorting) of a plurality of printers.
That is, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that it can continue to be used for a function that does not use a region related to a failure location.

  The present inventor has arrived at the present invention from the viewpoint that (a) when a HDD fails, even a function that does not use the failed part cannot be used.

With the above configuration,
(1) If the failure location of the HDD is a copy document or document BOX document storage area, functions that do not use that area can continue to be used even if there is a failure in the HDD.
(2) When the failure location of the HDD is the scanner document storage area, functions that do not use that area can continue to be used even if there is a failure in the HDD.
(3) If the failure location of the HDD is a FAX document storage area, functions that do not use that area can continue to be used even if there is a failure in the HDD.
(4) If the failure location of the HDD is the account information storage area, functions that do not use that area can continue to be used even if there is a failure in the HDD.
(5) If the failure location of the HDD is the telephone number storage area of the fax destination, functions that do not use that area can continue to be used even if there is a failure in the HDD.
(6) When the failure location of the HDD is a copy image temporary storage area, functions other than the copy multiple copy output (sort) that do not use the area can continue to be used even if there is a failure in the HDD.
(7) When the HDD failure location is the image temporary storage area after printer drawing, functions other than printer multiple output (sort) that do not use that area can be used continuously even if the HDD is faulty.

(Embodiment 8)
Another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the failed part is a post-drawing image temporary storage area for a printer, and the restriction item is output performance.
Here, the output performance includes a printing speed, a document storage speed, a document storage capacity, a document reading speed, and the like.
In other words, this image forming apparatus is characterized in that the failure part is a post-drawing image temporary storage area for a printer, and the restriction item is output performance.

  The present inventor has arrived at the present invention from the viewpoint that if the HDD fails, the printer function cannot be used.

  With the above configuration, when the failure location of the HDD is the image temporary storage area after rendering the printer, the printer function can continue to be used while the output performance is degraded even if the HDD has a failure.

(Embodiment 9)
In another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, a failure location is a log storage area such as an access log or an operation log, and functions that cannot be used are log storage and transmission of the storage log. It is characterized by that.
That is, this image forming apparatus is characterized in that the failure location is a log storage area including an access log and an operation log, and the function that cannot be used is log storage and transmission of the storage log.

  The present inventor has arrived at the present invention from the viewpoint that when a HDD fails, even a function that does not use the failed part cannot be used.

  With the above configuration, when the failure location of the HDD is the access log or operation log storage area, functions other than the storage of the log and the transmission of the storage log can be used continuously even if there is a failure in the HDD. .

(Embodiment 10)
Another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that, in addition to the above configuration, the failure location is a user customization additional function program area, and the unusable function is a user customization addition function.

  The present inventor has arrived at the present invention from the viewpoint that when a HDD fails, even a function that does not use the failed part cannot be used.

  With the above configuration, when the failure location of the HDD is the user customization additional function program storage area, it can be used continuously even if there is a failure in the HDD other than the additional functions of the user customization addition function program that do not use that area.

(Embodiment 11)
In another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, the buttons on the operation panel for calling the unusable functions are displayed lighter than usual to indicate that the functions cannot be selected. Features.
In other words, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that buttons on the operation panel for calling unusable functions are displayed with a hue, lightness, or saturation different from normal, and the functions cannot be selected.

  The present inventor has arrived at the present invention from the viewpoint of not knowing which function cannot be used due to a failure of the HDD.

  With the above configuration, for example, when a button on the display unit is displayed in a thin color, it is possible to know at a glance which function cannot be used.

(Embodiment 12)
In another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, when a button on the operation panel for calling each unusable function is pressed, an unusual sound is generated and the function is selected. It is characterized by indicating that it cannot.
That is, this image forming apparatus is characterized in that when a button on an operation panel for calling an unusable function is pressed, a sound different from the normal sound is generated and the function cannot be performed.

  The present inventor has arrived at the present invention from the viewpoint of not knowing which function cannot be used due to a failure of the HDD.

  With the above configuration, it can be confirmed by sound that the function cannot be used when the button is pressed.

(Embodiment 13)
Another embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that all the function off registers are set to one logic level when the storage is replaced.

  With the above configuration, processing after storage replacement is not necessary.

<Method, program and storage medium>
One embodiment of the image forming method according to the present invention is characterized in that a failure part of a storage for storing data of the image forming apparatus is detected, and the function is limited based on the detected result.

  According to the above configuration, the failure location of the storage is detected, and the function is limited based on the detected result. Therefore, when a failure occurs in the storage, it is not immediately replaced with another storage. Can be used.

  In another embodiment of the image forming method according to the present invention, in addition to the above configuration, it is displayed whether or not a failure that can be recovered by the storage format has occurred, and whether or not the format of the partition including the failure address is necessary. Is displayed, and formatting is performed after an operation indicating that formatting is required is performed on the operation panel.

  In addition to the above configuration, another embodiment of the image forming method according to the present invention is characterized in that when a storage failure is detected, a partition including the failure address is formatted.

  The image apparatus of the present invention is realized by a program that causes a computer to execute processing. Examples of the computer include general-purpose computers such as personal computers and workstations, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  One embodiment of the program according to the present invention includes a procedure in which a storage stores data of an image forming apparatus, a procedure in which a failure detection unit detects a failure location of the storage, and a function restriction unit that is detected by the failure detection unit. And a procedure for restricting the function based on the result.

  In addition to the above-described configuration, another embodiment of the program according to the present invention indicates whether a failure that may be recovered due to the storage format has occurred, and the necessity of formatting the partition including the failure address. The function restricting means executes a procedure for formatting after the operation indicating that the formatting is required is performed on the operation panel.

  In addition to the above configuration, in another embodiment of the program according to the present invention, when the failure detection unit detects a storage failure, the function restriction unit executes a procedure for formatting the partition including the failure address. It is characterized by that.

Thus, the image forming apparatus of the present invention can be realized anywhere as long as there is a computer environment capable of executing the program.
Such a program may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium.
Here, examples of the recording medium include a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (CD Recordable), and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Semiconductor memories such as HDD (Hard Disc Drive), flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), and FeRAM (ferroelectric memory).

  The above-described embodiment shows an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. is there.

Next, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
The controller (1) includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit: 6), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit: IC for specific application: 7), NVRAM (non-volataile random access memory: 11), and ROM ( Read-only memory: 10), RAM (09) and SATA (serial AT attachment: a kind of standard that standardizes the interface connecting a personal computer and hard disk) HOST controller (08), and controls the whole.
The CPU (06) controls the whole.

The ASIC (7) has a network interface for performing communication using an interface with the operation unit (2), an external PC (personal computer), and a network (16).
The NVRAM (11) stores various settings in a nonvolatile manner, and the ROM (10) stores the program of the CPU (6). RAM (09) is used for general purposes. It also stores image data for scanners and plotters.
The SATA HOST controller (8) is connected to the HDD (17) and performs READ / WRITE access to the HDD (17). It also detects a failure that occurred during access.

  The HDD (17) as a storage is divided into many areas (partitions), and each area has a role. The controller (1) and the plotter (or printer) (3) are connected via the plotter data processing and the engine control unit (12). The controller (1) and the scanner (4) are connected via the scanner data processing unit (13).

  The operation unit (2) includes a display unit (14), a mechanical push button (5), and a buzzer (15) that can emit sound of at least two types of frequencies (for example, a beep sound and a boo sound). Composed. The display unit (14) is also provided with a touch panel input, which is input by the operator pressing it with a finger.

The plotter (3) receives data from the plotter data processing and engine control unit (12) and performs printing.
The scanner (4) scans the paper and passes the scan data to the scanner data processing unit (13). The plotter data processing and engine control unit (12) performs image processing of data to be sent to the plotter (3), performs motor control in the MFP, sensor data detection, paper transport timing control, and the like. The scanner data processing unit (13) performs image processing of data coming from the scanner (04).

FIG. 2 is an example of an address map of an HDD as a storage used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the address map is divided into 10 areas. Each area is a separate partition, and formatting can be performed for each partition.
In the example shown in FIG. 2, LBA (logical block addressing) is divided as follows.
An area with an LBA from 0 to 9999 is defined as a copy document and document BOX document storage area (A201). An area from LBA 10000 to 19999 is set as a scanner document storage area (A202). An area where the LBA is 20000 to 29999 is defined as a FAX document storage area (A203). An area with an LBA from 30000 to 39999 is defined as a mail address storage area (A204). An area with LBA from 40000 to 49999 is defined as an account information storage area (A205). An area from LBA 50000 to 59999 is defined as a telephone number storage area (A206). An area from LBA 60000 to 69999 is defined as a temporary copy image storage area (A207). An area from LBA 70000 to 79999 is defined as a printer image temporary storage area (A208). An area where the LBA is 80000 to 89999 is defined as a log storage area (A209). An area from LBA 90000 to 99999 is defined as a user customization additional function program storage area (A210).

  Here, LBA is a system in which serial numbers are assigned to all sectors in the hard disk, and sectors are designated by the serial numbers. LBA = 0 is the outermost circumference of the HDD, and the address increases by 1 in increments of 1 sector = 512 bytes toward the inner circumference, and addresses are allocated to the innermost circumference.

Next, a method for exchanging commands / status in SATA will be described.
FIG. 3A shows an example of the SATA command / status format used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B shows an example of the FIS type list.
Serial ATA exchanges information such as commands and status in the form of FIS (Frame Information Structure). FIS is composed of multiple Dwords (32-bit data), and the first 8 bits represent FIS type, and there are 8 types as shown. There are two types of conventional ATA register access. FIS TYPE CODE = 27 (H) corresponds to the WRITE access of the register, and FIS TYPE CODE = 34 (H) corresponds to the READ access of the register.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an ATA command address map used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
In combination of CS0, CS1, A0-2, READ / WRITE, as shown in the figure, Data, Error, Features, Sector Count, Sector Number, Cylinder Low, Cylinder High, Device / Head, Status, Command, Alternate Status, Map the Device Control registers.

FIG. 5 is an example of a correspondence table of SATA and ATA register names used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
In FIG. 5, the conversion from the ATA register name to the SATA register name can be handled.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a FIS structure of SATA register WRITE access used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, it is composed of five Dwords. FIS TYPE CODE = 27 (H) is fixed. For example, the DMA WRITE access is Command = C8 (H), and the DMA READ access is Command = CA (H).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the FIS structure of the SATA register READ access used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, it consists of five Dwords. FIS TYPE CODE = 34 (H) is fixed. The second byte of Dword = 0 is the Status register, which shows the execution result of the DMA command.
That is, by checking the first bit of the Status register (bit in the area indicated by halftone dots), the execution result of the DMA command is known (when it is 1 logic level (“1”), it is an error and 0 logic level (“ When 0 ”), it is known to be normal). In other words, whether or not an error has occurred can be seen by looking at the most significant bit of the status of the FIS type 34 (H).

FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a flowchart of HDD READ / WRITE access and failure detection used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
First, the retry counter is set to 0 (step S1), and the maximum number of retries is set (step S2).
Next, a READ or WRITE DMA command is issued from the SATA HOST controller (108) to the HDD (17) (step S3).
The command is executed and the execution result is transferred from the HDD (17) to the SATA HOST controller (8) (step S4).
The execution result includes status information indicating whether the DMA command was executed correctly. It is determined whether or not there is an error in the status (step S5).
If there is no error in the status (step S5 / No), the process ends normally.
If there is an error in the status (step S5 / Yes), it is next determined whether or not the number of retries is less than or equal to the maximum retry value (step S6), and if the number of retries is less than or equal to the maximum number of retries (step S6 / Yes). ) After setting the retry counter to +1 (step S7), the process returns to the execution of the DMA command. If the number of retries exceeds the set value (step S6 / No), it is determined as a failure and the failure process is continued.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a follow chart of failure processing of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG.
First, it is determined which region the LBA that has detected the failure is. The determination is made with reference to the address map shown in FIG. 2 (step S11).
Next, when it is possible to determine which area, the function using that area is disabled (step S12).

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
First, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is determined which region the LBA in which a failure is detected (step S21).
Next, the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2) displays "XX area has failed. If initialization is performed, the failure may be corrected. Do you want to initialize?" (Step S22).
Similarly, “Yes” or “No” is displayed, and input is awaited (step S23).
When the input of “Yes” is detected (step S23 / Yes), the partition including the failed part is formatted (step S24).
When “No” is input (step S23 / No), the function using the area is disabled (step S25) as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.
In the same manner as in the first embodiment, it is determined which region the LBA in which a failure has been detected (step S31).
Next, the formatting of the partition including the failure location is executed (step S32).
Disable the function that uses the area. Note that the operation of waiting for display and input is not performed (step S33).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
As in the first embodiment, it is determined which region the LBA in which a failure is detected (step S41), and whether to display on the display unit (4) of the operation unit (2) as in the second embodiment is switched. .
A nonvolatile register is provided in the NVRAM (11). That is, it is determined whether or not the set value is “1” (step S42).
If the set value is “1” (step S42 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S43, and if the set value is “0”, the process proceeds to step S46.
In other words, if the set value is “1” (step S42 / Yes), “xx area has failed in the display section (14) of the operation section (2). If initialization is performed, the failure may be corrected. Is displayed, is initialization done? "Is displayed (step S43).
Similarly, “Yes” or “No” is displayed, and input is awaited (step S44).
When the input of “Yes” is detected (step S44 / Yes), formatting of the partition including the failed part is executed (step S46).
When “No” is input (step S44 / No), the function using the area is disabled (step S45) as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.
The difference from FIGS. 8 to 12 is five points of steps S51, S52, S61, S63, and S64.
The NVRAM (11) is provided with a nonvolatile format counter register and a maximum format number setting register. A format counter register is provided for each partition.

When HDD access starts, the format counter register is set to “1” (step S51).
Further, the maximum value, “5” in this example, is set in the maximum format number setting register (step S52).
The retry counter is set to “0” (step S53).
The maximum number of retries is set (step S54).
A READ command or a WRITE command is issued (HOST → HDD: Step S55).
The execution result is transferred (interrupt and status: step S56).

Next, the presence / absence of an error is determined (step S57). If there is no error (step S57 / No), the process ends. If there is an error (step S57 / Yes), the process proceeds to step S58.
It is determined whether the number of retries is less than or equal to the maximum retry value (step S58). If the number of retries is less than or equal to the maximum retry value (step S59 / Yes), the retry counter is incremented by 1 and the process returns to step S55. Is not less than or equal to the maximum retry value (step S59 / No), it is determined to which region the LBA that has detected the failure is located (step S60).

When the error is detected, the format counter register value (format count) of the partition is compared with the value of the maximum format number setting register (maximum format numerical value) (step S61).
If the value of the format counter register is equal to or smaller than the value of the maximum format number setting register (step S61 / Yes), the partition including the failed part is formatted (step S62), the format count is set to +1 (step S63), The process returns to step S53.

If the value of the format counter register is greater than or equal to the value of the maximum format number setting register (step S61 / No), the display section (14) of the operation section (2) has a “xx area failure. Is displayed yy (5 in this case, but the failure has not been fixed) ”is displayed (step S64).
“Yes” or “No” is displayed and input is waited (step S65).
If the input of “Yes” is detected (step S65 / Yes), the format of the partition including the failed part is executed (step S62).
When “No” is input (step S65 / No), the function using the area is disabled (step S66) as in the first embodiment.
When formatting is performed, the format counter register of the partition is incremented by 1 (step S63).

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.
In the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, steps S71 to S86 are the same as steps S51 to S66 in the flowchart shown in FIG.
When a failure occurs and the function of using the failed part of the HDD is disabled (Step S86), the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2) indicates that the zz function cannot be used or is currently in the zz function. “The performance is degraded.” Is displayed (step S87).

Next, a method for turning on / off a specific function is shown.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of an HDD area used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, a function using the area, and a bit assignment of the function ON / OFF register.
FIG. 15 shows the functions corresponding to the ten areas of the address map shown in FIG. In addition, a nonvolatile “function ON / OFF register” is provided in the NVRAM (11). Indicates whether each function indicated by b15 to b06 has a width of 16 bits and is ON or OFF. “1” indicates that the function is ON (usable), and “0” indicates OFF (unusable). To turn the function OFF, change the bit of the corresponding function in the function ON / OFF register to “0”.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a flowchart for detecting a new HDD used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
When the MFP power is turned on, the HDD serial number is checked (step S91), and if it is the same as the HDD serial number stored in the NVRAM (11), the process is terminated (step S91 / Yes) and stored. If it is different from the serial number of the HDD being set (step S91 / No), all function ON / OFF registers are set to “1” (step S92), and the process ends.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flowchart of a function activation check used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG.
When trying to activate a function, first, it is checked whether or not the function ON / OFF register of the corresponding function is “1” (step S101). If the function ON / OFF register of the corresponding function is “1” (step S101) / Yes) emits a high sound (for example, a beep) (step S102) and is activated. When the function ON / OFF register of the corresponding function is “0” (step S101 / No), a low sound (for example, , (Boo sound) (step S103), the process is terminated without starting.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the copy document and document BOX document storage area (A201), an error will occur even if the specified retry is performed, and if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, set bit 15 of the function ON / OFF register. Rewrite to “0”.
Next, the function of “accumulation of copy documents, accumulation of document box documents, printing of accumulated copy documents and printing of accumulated document box documents” cannot be used on the display section (14) of the operation section (2). Is displayed on the operation unit.
From the touch panel input on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2), try to activate the "accumulate copy documents, accumulate document BOX documents, print accumulated copy documents, and print accumulated document BOX documents" function. In this case, first, it is checked whether or not bit 15 of the function ON / OFF register is “1”. If it is “1”, it starts, and if it is “0”, it ends without starting.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the scanner document storage area (202) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and bit 14 of the function ON / OFF register is set to “0” if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times. rewrite.
Next, a display indicating that the “accumulation of scanner document and transmission of stored scanner document” function cannot be used is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). If you try to activate the “Store Scanner Documents or Send Stored Scanner Documents” function from the touch panel input on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2), first set bit 14 of the function ON / OFF register to “1”. It is checked whether or not it exists. If it is “1”, it starts, and if it is “0”, it does not start and ends.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the FAX document storage area (A203) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and bit 13 of the function ON / OFF register is set to “0” if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times. rewrite.
Next, a display indicating that the “accumulation of FAX document or transmission of accumulated FAX document” function cannot be used is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). If you try to activate the “Accumulate Fax Documents or Send Accumulated Fax Documents” function from the touch panel input on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2), first set bit 13 of the function ON / OFF register to “1”. Whether or not there is a check is made. If it is “1” N, it starts, and if it is “0”, it ends without starting.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the mail address storage area (A204) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, set bit 12 of the function ON / OFF register to “ Rewrite to 0 ”.
Next, an indication that the “document mail transmission” function is not available is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). When trying to activate the “Mail Send Document” function from the touch panel input on the display (14) of the operation unit (2), first check whether bit 12 of the function ON / OFF register is “1”. If it is “1”, it starts, and if it is “0”, it does not start and ends.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the account information storage area (A205) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and bit 11 of the function ON / OFF register is set to “0” when the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times rewrite.
Next, an indication that the “FTP transmission of document, transfer to designated folder” function is not available is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). If you try to activate the "FTP transmission of document, transfer to specified folder" function from the touch panel input on the display section (14) of the operation section (2), first check if bit 11 of the function ON / OFF register is "1" If it is “1”, it starts, and if it is “0”, it does not start and ends.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the phone number storage area (A206) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, bit 10 of the function ON / OFF register is set to “0” rewrite.
Next, a display indicating that the “FAX transmission” function cannot be used is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). When trying to activate the "FAX transmission" function from the touch panel input on the display section (14) of the operation section (2), first check whether bit 10 of the function ON / OFF register is "1" If "", it starts, and if it is "0", it does not start and ends.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the copy image temporary storage area (A207) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, set bit 09 of the function ON / OFF register to “0”. Rewrite to
Next, a display indicating that the “multi-copy output (sort)” function cannot be used is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). If you want to start the “Copy multiple copies (sort)” function from the touch panel input of the display section (14) of the operation section (2), first check whether bit 09 of the function ON / OFF register is “1”. If it is “1”, it starts, and if it is “0”, it does not start and ends.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the printer image temporary storage area (A208) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, set bit 08 of the function ON / OFF register to “0”. Rewrite to
Next, a display indicating that the “printer multiple output (sort)” function cannot be used is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). If you try to activate the “Printer multiple part output (sort)” function from the touch panel input of the display part (14) of the operation part (2), first check if bit 08 of the function ON / OFF register is “1”. If it is “1”, it starts, and if it is “0”, it does not start and ends.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the printer image temporary storage area (A208) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, set bit 08 of the function ON / OFF register to “0”. Rewrite to
Next, “Printer output function is degraded” is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). When a printout instruction is received from the PC via the touch panel input on the display section (14) of the operation section (2) via the network, check whether bit 08 of the function ON / OFF register is “1”. When “1”, the print operation is performed using the HDD, and when “0”, the print operation is performed without using the HDD (using only the main memory).

A specific description will be given with reference to flowcharts in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the log storage area (A209) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, bit 07 of the function ON / OFF register is rewritten to “0” .
Next, a display indicating that the “accumulate log and transmit accumulated log” function cannot be used is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). If you try to activate the “Accumulate log and send accumulated log” function from the touch panel input on the display part (14) of the operation part (2), first check if bit 07 of the function ON / OFF register is “1”. If it is “1”, it starts, and if it is “0”, it does not start and ends.

A specific description will be given with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.
If a failure occurs in the user customized additional function program storage area (A210) and an error occurs even if the specified retry is performed, and if the format of the same area exceeds the specified number of times, set bit 06 of the function ON / OFF register. Rewrite to “0”.
Next, a display indicating that “additional function by user customization additional function program” cannot be used is displayed on the operation unit on the display unit (14) of the operation unit (2). If you try to activate “additional function by user customization additional function program” from the touch panel input of the display part (14) of the operation part (2), first check whether bit 06 of the function ON / OFF register is “1”. Check to start if “1”, end if not “0”.

FIG. 18 is an example of an operation screen of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
When the function cannot be used like the document accumulation button shown in FIG. 18, the button color is displayed lightly. For example, the monochrome is changed to gray, and the color is changed to a light color (the hue, brightness, and saturation may be changed).

FIG. 19 is another example of the operation screen of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
In this case, where the operation screen shows the folder transmission screen of the scanner screen, the characters in the tabs and dotted lines, the frame, and the fill color are displayed lightly.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart for controlling the buzzer (15) of the operation unit (2).
If the value of the function ON / OFF register of the corresponding function is checked when the function is activated, the controller instructs the buzzer (15) to emit a high-frequency sound with a short frequency. The sound is audibly “beep”. When “0”, the controller instructs the buzzer (15) to emit a long low frequency sound. The sound is audible “boo”. The pitch, length, and number of sounds are irrelevant.

Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 20 is an example of a configuration diagram when the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is a printer.
The image processing circuit (116) includes a HDD (17) as a storage, a controller (1), and the like.
On the outer periphery of the photosensitive member (201) that is rotatably supported and rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 20, a static elimination device L, a cleaning device (202), a charging device (203), and a developing device (205) Is arranged.

Between the charging device (203) and the developing device (205) on the outer peripheral portion of the photoconductor (201), a space for allowing light information emitted from the exposure device (204) to enter is secured.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 20, there are four photoreceptors (201) (201a, 201b, 201c, 201d), but only the color of the color material (toner) handled by the developing device (205) is different. The above-described component configurations for image formation provided in the same are the same.

  The photoconductor (201) is formed by providing an organic semiconductor layer, which is a photoconductive substance, on the surface of an aluminum cylinder having a diameter of about 30 mm to 100 mm, and a part of the photoconductor (201) is an intermediate transfer belt (first visible image carrying means). ) (210).

  The intermediate transfer belt (210) is supported by rotating rollers 211, 212, 213, and 214, and is stretched so as to be movable in the direction of the arrow in FIG. On the back side (inside the loop) of the intermediate transfer belt (210), a roller (212) as a first transfer means is provided in the vicinity of the photoconductor (201), and a visible image on the photoconductor (201) is displayed. Transfer to the intermediate transfer belt (210).

  Outside the belt loop of the intermediate transfer belt (210), downstream of the position where the visible image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt (210) to the recording medium or back surface intermediate transfer belt (second visible image carrying means) (200). An intermediate transfer belt cleaning device (250) is provided. The brush of the cleaning device (250) wipes off unnecessary toner remaining on the surface of the belt after another visible image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt (210).

FIG. 20 shows a state in which the brush roller is separated from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt for back surface (200). The brush roller is provided so as to be swingable about a fulcrum (250A), and has a structure capable of contacting and separating from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt for back surface (200).
Before transferring the toner image transferred from the intermediate transfer belt (210) to the recording medium P, i.e., when the back surface intermediate transfer belt (100) is carrying the toner image, it is in a separated state. When the transfer is performed and cleaning is necessary, the brush roller is swung in the counterclockwise direction in FIG.
The removed unnecessary toner is collected in the toner storage portion (250B).

  The exposure device (204) is based on a known laser method, and irradiates light information corresponding to full color image formation on the surface of the uniformly charged photoreceptor (201) as a latent image. As this exposure apparatus (204), an exposure apparatus comprising an LED array and an imaging means may be used.

  As described above, the above-described photoconductor (201), cleaning device (202), charging device (203), exposure device (204), developing device (205), static elimination device L, and first transfer device. The means (212) functions as an image forming means for generating a visible image (image with toner) transferred to the intermediate transfer belt (210).

The intermediate transfer belt (210) is a belt based on a resin film or rubber having a base thickness of 50 μm to 600 μm, and has a resistance value that enables transfer of toner from the photoreceptor (211).
On the right side of FIG. 20 with respect to the intermediate transfer belt (210), a belt-like back surface intermediate transfer belt (second visible image carrying means) (200) is disposed. This back surface intermediate transfer belt (200) is supported by rotating rollers (216, 217, 218, 219) and stretched so as to be movable in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 20, and on the back side (inside the loop), Second transfer means (220) is provided. On the outside of the belt loop of the back surface intermediate transfer belt (200), the back surface intermediate transfer belt cleaning device (250), the charger CH, and the like are disposed.

  The above-described second transfer means (219), rollers (218, 219), and roller (214) that supports the intermediate transfer belt (210), the intermediate transfer belt (210) and the back surface intermediate transfer belt (200). ) To form a predetermined transfer nip.

  The intermediate transfer belt for back surface (200) is a belt having a base of resin film or rubber having a base thickness of 50 μm to 600 μm, and has a resistance value capable of transferring toner from the intermediate transfer belt (210).

The recording medium (paper) P is stored in a paper feeding device (paper cassette) (226-1, 226-2) in the lower part of the figure, and the uppermost paper is fed one by one by the paper feeding roller (227). It is conveyed to the registration roller pair (228) through a plurality of guides (229).
Further downstream of the recording medium P being conveyed, a fixing heating means (230), a paper discharge guide pair (231), a paper discharge roller pair (232), and a paper discharge stack section (240) are disposed.

  A storage unit TS that can store replenishment toner is provided above the intermediate transfer belt (210) and below the paper discharge stack unit (240) in FIG. There are four colors of toner, magenta, cyan, yellow, and black, which are in the form of a cartridge TC. From the cartridge TC, the corresponding color developing device is appropriately supplied by a powder pump or the like.

  The frame (251), which is a part of the apparatus main body, has a structure that can be rotated and opened around the opening / closing support shaft (251A). For this reason, the user can open the recording medium conveyance path by opening the frame (251), thereby facilitating the processing of the recording medium P (paper) when a jam occurs.

  Further, the image reading device shown in the upper part of the apparatus main body that performs image formation on the recording medium P described above is connected via the support portion (266), and the image data read by the image reading device is the device described above. When the main body prints on the recording medium P, the copying operation can be performed.

  The image reading device irradiates a contact glass (101) on which a document (105) is mounted, a sheet-through reading window (102), a reference white plate (103) for white level adjustment and shading correction data generation, and a document (105). A first carriage (109) on which a light source (107) and a first mirror (108) are mounted, a second mirror (110), a second carriage (112) on which a third mirror (111) is mounted, and detecting a carriage position Images equipped with a home position sensor (HPS) (117), a CCD image sensor (CCD) (114), a lens unit (113) for reduction image formation, and a CCD (114) as a photoelectric conversion element The scanner includes a reading circuit (115), an image processing circuit (116), a first carriage (109), a scanner driving motor for driving the second carriage (112), and a document sensor.

An operation / display unit (display means and input means) is provided on the outer periphery of the image reading apparatus. This operation / display unit includes various buttons such as a touch panel and numeric keys for notifying the user of various types of operation information by display and receiving operation inputs.
The user performs various operations such as one-side / double-side switching of a copy, start of a copy operation, setting of the number of copies, and switching between a copy function and a printer function by using the operation / input unit.

Next, an operation when performing double-sided printing with the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.
First, an image is formed by the image forming means.
By the operation of the exposure device (204), light from an LD (Laser Diode) light source (not shown) passes through an optical component (not shown) and is uniformly charged by the charging device (203). First, it reaches the photoconductor (201a) and forms a latent image corresponding to writing information (information corresponding to color).

The latent image on the photoconductor (201a) a is developed by the developing device (205), and a visible image is formed and held on the surface of the photoconductor (201a). This toner image is transferred by the first transfer means (212) onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt (210) that moves in synchronization with the photoreceptor (201a).
The remaining toner on the surface of the photosensitive member (201a) is cleaned by the cleaning device (202), and the charge is removed by the charge removing device L to prepare for the next image forming cycle.

  The intermediate transfer belt (210) carries the toner image transferred on the surface and moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. By the same operation as that of the above-described photoconductor (201a), a latent image corresponding to another color is written on the photoconductor (201b), and developed with the toner of the corresponding color to form a visible image. This visible image is superimposed on the previous color visible image that has already been transferred to the intermediate transfer belt (210), and finally the four color visible images formed by the photoreceptors (201a to 201d) are superimposed.

At this time, the intermediate transfer belt for back surface (200) is moved in the direction of the arrow in synchronization, and the visible image transferred to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt (210) is applied to the back surface by the action of the second transfer means (220). It is transferred onto the surface of the intermediate transfer belt (200).
As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured so that a visible image is formed on the four photoconductors (201) in a so-called tandem format while the intermediate transfer belt (210) and the back surface intermediate transfer belt (200). ) Is transported and image formation proceeds, the time required for the process of forming a visible image on the photoconductor (201) and transferring it to the intermediate transfer belt (210) and back surface intermediate transfer belt (200). Can be shortened.

When the intermediate transfer belt (210) is conveyed and moved to a predetermined position, the toner image to be transferred to the other surface (front surface) of the recording medium P is formed again by the image forming means G in the above-described process and supplied. Paper is started.
When the paper feed roller (227) rotates counterclockwise, the uppermost recording medium P in the paper feed device (paper feed cassette) (226-1, 226-2) is pulled out, and the registration roller pair (228) It is conveyed to.

The surface of the intermediate transfer belt (210) passes through one side (front surface) of the recording medium P conveyed between the intermediate transfer belt (210) and the back surface intermediate transfer belt (200) through the registration roller pair (228). The toner image is transferred by the second transfer means (220).
Further, the recording medium P is conveyed upward in FIG. 20, and the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt for back surface (200) is transferred to the other surface (back surface) of the recording medium P by the charger CH. At the time of transfer, the recording medium P is transported at a timing so that the position of the image is normal.

In this embodiment, the polarity of the toner imaged on the photoreceptor (201) is negative. By applying a positive charge to the first transfer means (212), the visible image (toner) formed on the photoreceptor (201) is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt (210). Further, by applying a positive charge to the second transfer means (219), the toner imaged on the intermediate transfer belt (210) is transferred to the back surface intermediate transfer belt (200).
As described above, after the toner on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt (210) is transferred to one surface (front surface) of the recording medium P, the surface of the intermediate transfer belt (200) for the back surface is given by applying a positive polarity charge from the charger CH. The negative polarity toner is sucked and transferred to the other surface (back surface) of the recording medium P.

  The recording medium P on which the toner images are transferred on both sides by the above-described operation is sent to the fixing means (230), and the toner images on both sides on the recording medium P are melted and fixed at one time, and then passed through the guide pair (231). The paper is discharged to the paper discharge stack section (240) at the top of the main body frame by the paper discharge roller pair (232).

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 2 is an example of an address map of an HDD as a storage used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. (A) is an example of a SATA command / status format used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and (b) is an example of a FIS type list. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an ATA command address map used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. 2 is an example of a correspondence table of SATA and ATA register names used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an FIS structure of SATA register WRITE access used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a FIS structure of SATA register READ access used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flowchart of HDD READ / WRITE access and failure detection used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a follow chart of failure processing of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of another flowchart of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an HDD area used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, a function using the area, and a bit assignment of a function ON / OFF register. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a flow chart for detecting a new HDD used in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flowchart of a function activation check used in the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. 2 is an example of an operation screen of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. 6 is another example of the operation screen of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an example of a configuration diagram when the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is a printer.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Controller 2 Operation part 3 Plotter 4 Scanner 5 Button 6 CPU
7 ASIC
8 SATA HOST controller 9 RAM
10 ROM
11 NVRAM
12 Data Processing and Engine Control Unit 13 Scanner Data Processing Unit 14 Display Unit 15 Buzzer 16 Network 17 HDD (Storage)

Claims (20)

Storage for storing data of the image forming apparatus;
A failure detection means for detecting a failure location of the storage;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a function limiting unit that limits a function based on a result detected by the failure detection unit.   2. The function limiter according to claim 1, further comprising an operation panel for displaying a display indicating that a failure that can be recovered by the storage format has occurred, and a display indicating whether or not a partition format including a failure address is necessary, The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the formatting is performed after an operation indicating that the formatting is required is performed on the operation panel.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the failure detection unit detects a failure of the storage, the function restriction unit formats a partition including the address of the failure.   2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the failure detection unit detects a failure that may be recovered due to the format of the storage in the storage, a confirmation message as to whether or not the format of the partition including the corresponding failure part is necessary is output to the operation panel. An image forming apparatus comprising switching means for switching whether or not.   4. The function restricting means according to claim 2, wherein if a failure occurs at the same location a specified number of times even after formatting, the function restricting means causes the display means to display that a failure that cannot be recovered by formatting the storage has occurred. Thereafter, the storage is not formatted.   6. The function restriction unit according to claim 2, wherein when the operation indicating that the formatting is required is not performed on the operation panel and when it is determined that the storage failure is not repaired by the formatting, The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the storage failure location is controlled so as not to be used, and the function of using the storage failure location is displayed on the operation panel as a restriction item indicating that the storage location is unusable or performance degradation.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a function that does not use an area related to the failure location can be continuously used.   7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the failure portion is a post-drawing image temporary storage area for a printer, and the restriction item is output performance.   7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the failure location is a log storage area including an access log and an operation log, and the unusable function is log storage and storage log transmission.   7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the failure location is a user customization additional function program storage area, and the unusable function is an additional function by a user customization additional function program.   11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, 9 or 10, wherein a button on an operation panel for calling an unusable function is displayed with a hue, brightness, or saturation different from normal, and the function cannot be selected.   12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when a button on an operation panel for calling an unusable function is pressed, a sound different from normal is emitted and the function cannot be performed.   7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the storage is replaced, all the function off registers are set to one logic level.   What is claimed is: 1. An image forming method, comprising: detecting a failure location of a storage for storing data of an image forming apparatus; and limiting a function based on the detected result.   15. The display according to claim 14, wherein a failure that can be recovered due to the format of the storage is displayed, the necessity of formatting a partition including the failure address is displayed, and the format is required on the operation panel. An image forming method characterized in that formatting is performed after the above operation is performed.   15. The image forming method according to claim 14, wherein when a failure of the storage is detected, a partition including the failure address is formatted. A procedure for the storage to store data of the image forming apparatus;
A procedure for the failure detection means to detect a failure location of the storage;
A computer-readable program, wherein the function restricting means causes a function restricting function to be executed based on a result detected by the failure detecting means.   18. The function limiter according to claim 17, further comprising an operation panel for displaying a display indicating that a failure that may be recovered due to the format of the storage has occurred, and a display indicating whether or not a partition format including a failure address is necessary, A computer-readable program characterized by causing a procedure for formatting to be executed after an operation indicating that the formatting is required is performed on the operation panel.   18. The program according to claim 17, wherein when the failure detection unit detects a failure of the storage, the function restriction unit causes a procedure for formatting a partition including the address of the failure.   A recording medium on which the program according to any one of claims 17 to 19 is recorded.

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