JP2019180063A - Image forming apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve efficiency in setting work for a plurality of image forming apparatuses and reduce the possibility that unintended information is acquired.SOLUTION: When determining that a USB memory is connected, an image forming apparatus determines whether an input file for setting acquisition IFG is stored in the USB memory (S12). When the input file for setting acquisition IFG is stored, the image forming apparatus analyzes designation information stored in the input file for setting acquisition IFG (S16: analysis processing). The image forming apparatus subsequently creates information for writing in which a designated setting item designated in the designation information analyzed in the analysis processing and designated setting information corresponding to the designated setting item in setting information stored in a setting information DB (S17: information for writing creation processing). In another connection determination processing performed after connection determination processing on a USB memory that stores the designation information analyzed in the analysis processing, when determining that the USB memory is connected, the image forming apparatus stores the created information for writing in the USB memory (S19: information for writing output processing).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of setting based on information stored in a removable memory, and a program for setting the image forming apparatus.

  In Patent Document 1, when a removable memory in which a setting file for setting an image forming apparatus (for example, display language of display, number of seconds for sleep transition) is connected, the setting file is read and included in the setting file. An image forming apparatus is disclosed in which settings are made based on information relating to the settings to be made.

  In Patent Document 2, an instruction information file (instruction file) including an instruction (instruction information) for reading device information including setting information to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory is created in advance by a personal computer or the like and stored in the USB memory. It is disclosed. When the USB memory is connected to the image forming apparatus, a file including information corresponding to the item indicated by the instruction information file among the plurality of items of the apparatus information of the image forming apparatus is stored in the USB memory.

JP 2007-274460 A JP 2007-276362 A

  The user stores the setting information of the image forming apparatus that has been set using the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 in a removable memory, and further uses the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 to store the removable memory in another memory. By connecting to the image forming apparatus, the setting of the other image forming apparatus can be easily performed based on the setting information of the image forming apparatus that has been set. However, when setting the plurality of image forming apparatuses by using the setting information of the set image forming apparatuses by hand, a plurality of setting information of the set image forming apparatuses are stored. It is necessary to prepare a removable memory. For this purpose, it is necessary to perform a complicated operation of storing instruction files in a plurality of removable memories in advance. Also, when this storage operation is left to the worker, the instruction file is rewritten unintentionally by the worker, and the unintended item among the plurality of items of the setting information stored in the image forming apparatus that has undergone the setting operation. There is a possibility that even corresponding information is acquired.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and a program that make setting work for a plurality of image forming apparatuses efficient and less likely to acquire unintended information.

  The present invention is an image forming apparatus, and includes an internal memory that stores setting information corresponding to a plurality of setting items related to the image forming apparatus, an interface connected to the removable memory, and a control unit. The control unit determines whether or not a removable memory is connected to the interface, and when determining that the removable memory is connected in the connection determination process, the control unit adds the removable memory to the connected removable memory. When designation information designating at least one of a plurality of setting items is stored, an analysis process for analyzing the designation information, a designation setting item designated by the designation information analyzed in the analysis process, , Combined with designated setting information corresponding to the designated setting item among the setting information stored in the internal memory The interface for the write information creation process for creating the embedded information and another connection judgment process performed after the connection judgment process for the removable memory storing the designation information to be analyzed in the analysis process A write information output process for storing the write information created in the write information creation process in the removable memory connected to the interface when it is determined that a removable memory is connected to Execute.

  The present invention can also be applied to a program for an image forming apparatus.

  In the present invention, after the removable memory storing the designation information is connected to the image forming apparatus for which the setting work has been completed, another removable memory is connected to the image forming apparatus for which the setting work has been completed to store the writing information. be able to. That is, the write information can be stored in a removable memory in which the designation information is not stored simply by connecting to an image forming apparatus that has been set. Therefore, a plurality of removable memories for storing the writing information can be easily created, so that the setting operation for the plurality of image forming apparatuses can be performed efficiently. Also, since it is not necessary to leave the operator to store the designation information in a plurality of removable memories in advance, the designation information is not changed unexpectedly, and unintended information is acquired from the image forming apparatus that has been set. The risk of being reduced.

1 is a block diagram of a system including a multifunction peripheral according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure for copying acquired setting information to another multifunction peripheral. (A) shows an example of a setting acquisition input file, and (b) shows an example of a setting change input file. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the setting acquisition process performed by the control part of FIG. 1 is a screen displayed on the touch panel shown in FIG. 1, (a) is a password input screen, (b) is a failure notification screen, (c) is a removal permission notification screen, and (d) is a release instruction input screen. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the setting change process performed with the control part of FIG. The completion notification screen displayed on the touch panel shown in FIG. 1 is shown. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the setting acquisition process performed by the control part of the multifunctional device concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, a multifunction machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a multi-function peripheral (MFP) that is an electronic device having a printing function and a scanner function. As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-function device 1A of the present embodiment is configured to exchange data with a PC 2 or another multi-function device 1B via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory 3. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that none of the multifunction peripherals 1A and 1B is connected to the communication network.

(Configuration of MFP 1A)
Since the configurations of the MFPs 1A and 1B are the same, the configuration of the MFP 1A will be described here. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 1 </ b> A includes a control unit 10 that includes a CPU 11, a volatile storage device 12, and a nonvolatile storage device 13. A touch panel 14, operation buttons 15, a printer unit 16, a scanner unit 17, and a USB interface (USB I / F) 18 are electrically connected to the control unit 10.

  The touch panel 14 is a user interface having an input function and a display function. The printer unit 16 is a device that prints an image on a sheet by a predetermined method (for example, a laser method or an ink jet method). The scanner unit 17 optically reads an object such as a document using a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD or CMOS, and generates scan data. The USB I / F 18 is a USB standard interface and can be connected to a USB memory 3 as a removable memory. The CPU 11 can access the USB memory 3 via the USB I / F 18. Note that the MFP 1A of the present embodiment has a direct print function, displays a thumbnail image related to an image file stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 on the touch panel 14, and is selected by the user. A digital image corresponding to the thumbnail image can be printed.

  The volatile storage device 12 is a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like, and provides a buffer area for temporarily storing various intermediate data generated when the CPU 11 performs processing. The nonvolatile storage device 13 is a hard disk drive, a flash memory, or the like, and stores a computer program 13a, a setting information DB 13b, an authentication password 13c, and device identification information 13d. The volatile storage device 12 and the nonvolatile storage device 13 are internal memories of the multifunction machine 1A.

  The computer program 13a is stored in advance in the non-volatile storage device 13 when the multifunction machine 1A is manufactured. The computer program 13a may be provided in a form recorded on a CD-ROM, for example. The CPU 11 executes control of the multifunction peripheral 1A by executing the computer program 13a.

  The setting information DB 13b stores a plurality of setting information corresponding to a plurality of setting items related to the multifunction machine 1A. The plurality of setting items include, for example, a setting item related to the printer unit 16, a setting item related to the scanner unit 17, a setting item related to the touch panel 14, and a setting item related to the power supply of the multifunction peripheral 1A. Specific examples of the setting items will be described later. As will be described in detail later, the control unit 10 of the multifunction peripheral 1A changes the setting information stored in the setting information DB 13b (hereinafter referred to as “setting changing process”) and the setting information DB 13b. It is possible to execute setting-related processing including processing for acquiring the stored setting information and outputting the created writing information to the outside (hereinafter referred to as “setting acquisition processing”).

  The authentication password 13c is a password necessary for shifting to the export mode in which the writing information created by the setting acquisition process can be output to the outside (the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18). That is, as will be described later, when the input password input by the user matches the authentication password 13c stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13, the control unit 10 shifts to the export mode. The device identification information 13d is a serial ID that is set uniquely for the multifunction device 1A.

(Configuration of PC2)
The PC 2 includes a control unit 20 including a CPU 21, a volatile storage device 22, and a nonvolatile storage device 23. The control unit 20 is electrically connected to a USB interface (USB I / F) 24, a network interface (network I / F) 25, a display unit 26 such as a liquid crystal display, and an operation unit 27 such as a mouse and a keyboard. The USB I / F 24 is a USB standard interface and can be connected to a USB memory 3 as a removable memory. The CPU 21 can access the USB memory 3 via the USB I / F 24. The network I / F 25 is connected to other external devices such as a server via the network. Therefore, the PC 2 can transmit and receive data to and from an external device via the network.

  The volatile storage device 22 is a RAM or the like, and provides a buffer area for the CPU 21. The nonvolatile storage device 23 is a hard disk drive or the like, and stores a computer program 23a. The computer program 23a is provided by the manufacturer of the multifunction peripheral 1A, for example, in a form downloaded from a server or stored in a DVD-ROM or the like. The CPU 21 functions as an application that creates the setting acquisition input file IFG used when the above-described setting acquisition processing is executed by the control unit 10 of the multifunction peripheral 1A by executing the computer program 23a.

  The file name of the setting acquisition input file IFG is, for example, “read.json”. The first character string “read” in the file name of the setting acquisition input file IFG is a character string indicating that the setting acquisition input file IFG is used for the setting acquisition processing. “.Json” is an extension indicating that information included in the setting acquisition input file IFG is described using a data description language called JSON (abbreviation of Java Script Object Notation (JavaScript is a registered trademark)). It is.

(Copy setting information between MFPs)
As described above, the control unit 10 of the multifunction peripheral 1A can execute the setting related processes including the setting change process and the setting acquisition process. The other multifunction device 1B has the same function. Therefore, for example, when the MFP 1A has been set, the MFP 1A executes setting acquisition processing to acquire setting information, and the MFP 1B performs setting change processing using the setting information acquired from the MFP 1A. It can be executed to change the setting information. That is, the setting information of the MFP 1A that has been set can be copied to the MFP 1B. Here, the procedure of a process for copying the setting information of the multifunction device 1A to the multifunction device 1B will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the PC 2 is used to create a setting acquisition input file IFG to be used when the MFP 1A executes setting acquisition processing, and the generated setting acquisition input file IFG is stored in the USB memory 3 (S1). Here, an example of the setting acquisition input file IFG will be described with reference to FIG.

  Information included in the setting acquisition input file IFG is described using JSON. The information included in the setting acquisition input file IFG is designation information for designating a setting item for acquiring the setting information among a plurality of setting items corresponding to the plurality of setting information stored in the setting information DB 13b. That is, the information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG includes the name of the setting item.

  In the example of FIG. 3A, the designation information includes “main body display language”, “sleep transition seconds”, “paper type”, and “paper size” as the setting item names. The “main body display language” is a setting item that defines a language used on a user interface (UI) screen displayed on the touch panel 14. “Sleep transition seconds” is a setting item that defines the number of seconds that the power state of the multifunction peripheral 1A is maintained in a normal standby state. In the standby state, when the specified number of seconds elapses without an operation instruction being input, the multifunction peripheral 1A is shifted from the standby state to the sleep state. “Paper type” and “paper size” are both setting items that specify the paper used when the printer unit 16 forms an image. “Paper type” specifies the type of paper, and “paper size” Define the paper size.

  The information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG does not include setting information. For example, in the example of FIG. 3A, the name of a setting item such as “main body display language” and a pair that is paired with a colon “:” are blank or zero. As a modification, setting information may be stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG. In this case, the setting information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG is not used in a setting acquisition process (FIG. 4) described later.

  The setting acquisition input file IFG shown in FIG. 3A is created by using an input file creation function realized by the CPU 21 executing the computer program 23a in the PC 2, for example. For example, when the specification information for specifying the setting item corresponding to the setting information to be acquired and the instruction for creating the setting acquisition input file IFG are input to the PC 2, the input file creation function causes the setting acquisition input file IFG to Create The setting acquisition input file IFG may be created using a general text editing program.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the USB memory 3 in which the setting acquisition input file IFG is stored is connected to the USB I / F 18 of the copy source multifunction machine 1A (S2). Thereby, a setting acquisition process described later is started by the control unit 10 of the multifunction machine 1A. Next, the USB memory 3 storing the setting acquisition input file IFG is removed from the USB I / F 18 of the copy source multifunction device 1A, and another USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 of the copy source multifunction device 1A. As a result, a setting information file including setting information to be copied to the copy destination multifunction peripheral 1B is stored in the USB memory 3 (S3). At this time, the setting information file stored in the USB memory 3 functions as a setting change input file IFS used when the setting change process is executed by the control unit 10 of the copy destination multifunction peripheral 1B.

  The file name of the setting change input file IFS stored in the USB memory 3 in S3 is, for example, “write.json”. That is, the first character string “write” (corresponding to “predetermined character string” of the present invention) of the file name of the setting change input file IFS is the setting change input file IFS used for the setting change process. This is a character string indicating this. “.Json” is an extension indicating that information included in the setting change input file IFS (hereinafter referred to as “write information”) is described using JSON.

  Here, an example of the setting change input file IFS will be described with reference to FIG. The writing information included in the setting change input file IFS is described using JSON. The write information includes a combination (pair) of the name of the setting item and the setting information corresponding to the setting item indicated by the name. In the example of FIG. 3B, “main body display language”, “sleep transition seconds”, “paper type”, and “paper size” are names of setting items. “English” is setting information corresponding to “main unit display language”, “30” is setting information corresponding to “sleep transition seconds”, and “normal” is setting information corresponding to “paper type”. “A4” is setting information corresponding to “paper size”. "Main body display language" and "English", "Sleep transition seconds" and "30", "Paper type" and "Normal", and "Paper size" and " “A4” is an example of a pair of the setting item name and the setting information described above.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the USB memory 3 in which the setting change input file IFS is stored is connected to the USB I / F 18 of the copy destination multifunction peripheral 1B. As a result, a setting change process, which will be described later, is executed by the control unit 10 of the copy destination multifunction peripheral 1B. As a result, the specific setting information included in the setting information DB 13b of the copy destination MFP 1B is changed to the setting information included in the setting change input file IFS (S4).

(Setting acquisition process)
Next, an example of the procedure of the setting acquisition process executed by the control unit 10 of the multifunction machine 1A will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, it is determined whether or not it is detected that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 (S11: connection determination process). The determination in S11 is repeated until it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected. If it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected (S11: YES), it is determined whether the setting acquisition input file IFG is stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 (S12). Specifically, it is determined whether or not any file stored in the USB memory 3 includes a character string “read” indicating that the file name is the setting acquisition input file IFG. To do. If it is determined that the setting acquisition input file IFG is not stored (S12: NO), the setting acquisition process is terminated.

  When it is determined in the process at S12 that the setting acquisition input file IFG is stored (S12: YES), a password input screen 90 as shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not a password input by the user on the input screen 90 has been accepted (S13). As shown in FIG. 5A, the password input screen 90 displays an input key 90a for inputting a password. The determination at S13 is repeated until it is determined that a password has been accepted. If it is determined that the password has been accepted (S13: YES), it is determined whether the input password input by the user matches the authentication password 13c stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13 (S14). ).

  If it is determined that the input password input by the user does not match the authentication password 13c (S14: NO), a failure notification screen 91 as shown in FIG. 5B is displayed on the touch panel 14 and the password is incorrect. Therefore, the user is notified that the export mode cannot be entered (S24), and the setting acquisition process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the input password input by the user matches the authentication password 13c (S14: YES), the writing information created in the writing information creation processing described later is connected to the USB I / F 18. The process shifts to an export mode that can be output to the USB memory 3 (S15).

  Subsequently, the designation information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 is stored in the volatile storage device 12, and the designation information is analyzed (S16: Designated information storage processing / analysis processing). When the storage of the designated information in the volatile storage device 12 is completed, a removal permission notification screen 92 as shown in FIG. 5C is displayed on the touch panel 14 and the USB memory 3 to the USB I / F 18 is displayed. The user is informed that the connection can be released and the USB memory 3 can be removed. After that, the writing information that combines the designated setting item designated by the designated information analyzed in the analysis process of S16 and the designated setting information corresponding to the designated setting item among the setting information stored in the setting information DB 13b. It is created and stored in the volatile storage device 12 (S17: writing information creation process / writing information storage process). Note that the writing information includes a serial ID that is the device identification information 13 d stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13.

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not it is detected that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 (S18: connection determination process). That is, whether the USB memory 3 in which the designation information stored in the volatile storage device 12 in S16 was stored was removed from the USB I / F 18 after the processing in S16, and the USB memory 3 was connected to the USB I / F 18 again. Judge whether or not. The determination in S18 is repeated until it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18.

  If it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 (S18: YES), the setting information file including the writing information created in S17 and stored in the volatile storage device 12 is stored. The data is stored in the USB memory 3 (S19). At this time, the file name of the setting information file stored in the USB memory 3 is, for example, “write.json”. That is, since the character string “write” is included, the setting information file stored in the USB memory 3 functions as a setting change input file IFS used for setting change processing. As a modified example, the file name of the setting information file stored in the USB memory 3 in S19 may not include the character string “write”. In addition, a setting information file including writing information may be created at the time of S17.

  Further, it is determined whether or not the storage process to the USB memory 3 is completed (S20). The determination in S20 is repeated until it is determined that the storage process in the USB memory 3 has been completed. If it is determined that the storage process to the USB memory 3 has been completed (S20: YES), a release instruction input screen 94 as shown in FIG. 5D is displayed on the touch panel 14, and the release instruction input screen 94 is displayed. In step S21, it is determined whether an export mode cancel instruction input by the user has been received. As shown in FIG. 5D, on the release instruction input screen 94, the input button 93a for inputting the export mode release instruction and the connection of the USB memory 3 to the USB I / F 18 are released, and the USB memory 3 Is displayed and a message 93b indicating that it can be removed.

  If it is determined that the release instruction has not been received (S21: NO), the process returns to the above-described S18 to determine again whether the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18. That is, as long as no release instruction is accepted, the writing information can be stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 one after another. On the other hand, if it is determined that the release instruction has been received (S21: YES), the designation information stored in S16 and the writing information stored in S17 are deleted from the volatile storage device 12 (S22). Thereafter, the export mode is released (S23: mode release process), and the setting acquisition process is terminated.

(Setting change processing)
Next, an example of the procedure of the setting change process executed by the control unit 10 of the multifunction machine 1A will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, it is determined whether or not it is detected that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 (S31). The determination in S31 is repeated until it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected. If it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected (S31: YES), it is determined whether the setting change input file IFS is stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 (S32: writing). Information confirmation processing). Specifically, the file name of the file stored in the USB memory 3 is acquired (file name acquisition process), and the acquired file name includes the character string “write” indicating that it is the setting change input file IFS. It is determined whether or not. When it is determined that the setting change input file IFS is not stored (S32: NO), the setting change process is terminated.

  If it is determined in the processing at S32 that the setting change input file IFS is stored (S32: YES), the serial ID included in the writing information stored in the setting change input file IFS is Then, it is determined whether or not the serial ID that is the device identification information 13d stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13 is different (S33: device identification processing). As a modification, the device identification process of S33 may not be performed. When it is determined that the serial ID included in the writing information matches the serial ID stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13 (S33: NO), the setting change process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the serial ID included in the writing information is different from the serial ID stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13 (S33: YES), a plurality of settings stored in the setting information DB 13b are stored. Of the items, the corresponding setting information corresponding to the specified setting item included in the writing information is changed based on the specified setting information included in the writing information (S34: change processing).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the corresponding setting information corresponding to all the designated setting items included in the writing information among the plurality of setting items stored in the setting information DB 13b has been changed (S35). The determination in S35 is repeated until it is determined that the change has been completed. If it is determined that the change has been completed (S35: YES), a completion notification screen 95 as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the touch panel 14 to notify the user that the setting change process has been completed (S36).

As described above, in the MFP 1A of the above-described embodiment, when it is determined in the connection determination process that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18, the setting acquisition input file IFG is stored in the connected USB memory 3. It is determined whether or not it has been performed (S12). If the setting acquisition input file IFG is stored in the USB memory 3, the designation information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG is analyzed (S16: analysis processing). Thereafter, writing information is created by combining the specified setting item specified by the specified information analyzed in the analysis process and the specified setting information corresponding to the specified setting item among the setting information stored in the setting information DB 13b ( S17: Write information creation process). Furthermore, when it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 in another connection determination process performed after the connection determination process of the USB memory 3 in which the designation information to be analyzed in the analysis process is stored, The writing information created in the information creating process is stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 (S19: writing information output process).
Therefore, after the USB memory 3 storing the designation information is connected to the multifunction device 1A that has been set, the other USB memory 3 is connected to the multifunction device 1A that has been set to store the writing information. Can do. That is, the write information can be stored in the USB memory 3 in which the designation information is not stored simply by connecting to the MFP 1A that has been set. Therefore, a plurality of USB memories 3 for storing the writing information can be easily created, so that the setting work for the plurality of multifunction devices 1B can be performed efficiently. In addition, since it is not necessary to leave the operator to store the specified information in the plurality of USB memories 3 in advance, the specified information is not changed unexpectedly, and unintended information is acquired from the already set multifunction device 1A. The risk of being reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the write information created by the write information creation process is stored in the volatile storage device 12. In the write information output process, the USB memory 3 that has been determined that the setting information file including the write information stored in the volatile storage device 12 is connected to the USB I / F 18 in another connection determination process. To remember. Therefore, writing information can be created and stored in the volatile storage device 12 regardless of whether or not the USB memory 3 is determined to be connected to the USB I / F 18 in another connection determination process. The time from when the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 until the storage of the writing information in the USB memory 3 is completed can be shortened.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when it is determined that the setting acquisition input file IFG is stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 (S12: YES), the setting acquisition input file IFG is stored. The designated information is stored in the volatile storage device 12 (S16: designated information storage process). In the writing information creation process, the designated setting item designated by the designated information stored in the volatile storage device 12 and the designated setting information corresponding to the designated setting item among the setting information stored in the setting information DB 13b. Write information is created by combining. Therefore, after the designation information is stored in the volatile storage device 12 in the designation information storage process, the connection of the USB memory 3 to the USB I / F 18 is released even before the writing information creation process is executed. be able to.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is determined whether or not the input password input by the user on the password input screen 90 displayed on the touch panel 14 matches the authentication password 13c stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13 ( (S14: Authentication process), only when they match, the process shifts to an export mode in which the write information can be output to the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 (S15: mode setting process). Therefore, by storing the write information in the USB memory 3 only when authentication with the input password is performed, unintentional leakage of information can be prevented.

  In the above-described embodiment, when an instruction to cancel the export mode is received from the user on the cancellation instruction input screen 94 displayed on the touch panel 14 (S21: YES), the writing stored in the volatile storage device 12 The usage information and the designation information are deleted (S22: mode release process). Therefore, when the export mode ends, the writing information and the designation information stored in the volatile storage device 12 can be deleted.

  In the above-described embodiment, after shifting to the export mode in S15, the designation information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 in S16 is volatilized. Stored in the sex storage device 12. Therefore, it is possible to avoid that the designated information is inadvertently stored in the volatile storage device 12 when not in the export mode.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, it is determined whether or not the setting change input file IFS is stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 (S32: writing information confirmation process). When the setting change input file IFS is stored, the corresponding setting information corresponding to the designated setting item included in the writing information among the plurality of setting items stored in the setting information DB 13b is written. It changes based on the designated setting information included in the information for inclusion (S34: change process). Therefore, when the setting change input file IFS is stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18, the change process is performed based on the writing information stored in the setting change input file IFS. be able to.

  In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the serial ID included in the writing information stored in the setting change input file IFS is the serial ID that is the device identification information 13d stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13 (S33: Device identification processing), and when it is determined that the serial ID included in the writing information is different from the serial ID stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13, the change processing is performed. Execute. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the setting change from being performed on the multifunction peripheral 1A that has exported the settings.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, in the setting change process, the file name of the file stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 is acquired (file name acquisition process), and the character string “write” is added to the file name. "Is included, it is determined that the setting change input file IFS includes the writing information. In the setting acquisition process, when the setting information file including the writing information is stored in the USB memory 3, the file including the character string “write” in the file name is output. Therefore, it can be determined whether the file name is the setting change input file IFS including the writing information, based on whether or not the character string “write” is included in the file name.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a multifunction machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The MFP according to the present embodiment is different from the MFP 1A of the first embodiment in the procedure for setting acquisition processing. The setting acquisition process in the MFP of the present embodiment is mainly different from the first embodiment in the authentication process procedure when shifting to the export mode. In other words, when the setting acquisition process is performed in the MFP 1A of the first embodiment, the input password input by the user on the password input screen 90 displayed on the touch panel 14 is stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13. A case has been described in which it is determined whether or not the authentication password 13c matches, and when both match, the mode is shifted to the export mode. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a password is stored in addition to the designation information in the setting acquisition input file IFG used when performing the setting acquisition process. Then, it is determined whether or not the acquisition password acquired from the setting acquisition input file IFG matches the authentication password 13c stored in the non-volatile storage device 13. If both match, the process proceeds to the export mode.

  In the first embodiment, the case where the multifunction peripheral 1A has the direct print function has been described. A multi-function peripheral having a direct print function has a relatively large screen touch panel 14 because it needs to display a plurality of thumbnail images and to select an image to be printed from the plurality of thumbnail images. . It is assumed that the multifunction peripheral of this embodiment does not have a direct print function. Therefore, the display unit of the multifunction peripheral of the present embodiment is a display that is relatively small and has only a display function. The other device configuration of the MFP according to this embodiment is the same as that of the MFP 1A according to the first embodiment, and thus the description of the configuration is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the setting process is performed in the control unit of the multifunction machine of the second embodiment, first, the same processes as the processes of S11 and S12 shown in FIG. 4 are performed (S41). Then, the designation information and password stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 are stored in the volatile storage device 12, and the designation information and password are analyzed. (S43: Designated information storage process / analysis process). Note that when the storage of the specified information in the volatile storage device 12 is completed, a message notifying the user that the USB memory 3 can be disconnected and the USB memory 3 can be removed from the USB I / F 18. Appears on the display. As a modification, the notification that the USB memory 3 can be removed may be notified by sound from a speaker or by lighting a lamp. Next, it is determined whether or not the acquisition password acquired from the setting acquisition input file IFG matches the authentication password 13c stored in the nonvolatile storage device 13 (S44).

  If it is determined that the acquired password does not match the authentication password 13c (S44: NO), a message indicating that the password cannot be transferred to the export mode due to an incorrect password is displayed on the display (S45). As a modification, the notification that the mode cannot be shifted to the export mode may be notified by sounding from a speaker or by turning on a lamp. Further, the designation information stored in the volatile storage device 12 is deleted (S46: deletion process), and the setting acquisition process is terminated. As a modified example, the deletion process of S46 may not be performed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the acquired password matches the authentication password 13c (S44: YES), the process proceeds to the export mode (S47).

  Subsequently, the writing information in which the designated setting item designated by the designated information analyzed in the analysis process of S43 and the designated setting information corresponding to the designated setting item among the setting information stored in the setting information DB 13b are combined. Is created and stored in the volatile storage device 12 (S48: writing information creating process / writing information storing process). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not it is detected again that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18 (S49: connection determination process).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the USB memory 3 is connected to the SBI / F 18 (S49: YES), it is determined whether or not release information for releasing the export mode is stored in the connected USB memory 3. Judgment is made (S50). If it is determined that the release information is stored (S50: YES), the designation information and the writing information are deleted from the volatile storage device 12 (S53), and the export mode is released (S54: mode release). processing). Thereafter, the setting acquisition process ends. In the present embodiment, the release information is instruction information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG. That is, after the USB memory 3 determined to be connected to the USB I / F 18 in S11 and further determined to store the setting acquisition input file IFG in S12 is once removed from the USB I / F 18 and then again. When the same USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18, the export mode is canceled. As a modification, the release information may be information different from the instruction information.

  If it is determined in S50 that the release information is not stored (S50: NO), the setting information file including the writing information created in S48 and stored in the volatile storage device 12 is stored in the USB memory. 3 (S51). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the storage process to the USB memory 3 is completed (S52). The determination in S52 is repeated until it is determined that the storage process in the USB memory 3 is completed. If it is determined that the storage process to the USB memory 3 has been completed (S52: YES), the process returns to S49.

  As described above, according to the above-described second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a plurality of USB memories 3 for storing write information can be easily created. Can be performed efficiently. In addition, since it is not necessary to leave the operator to store the specified information in the plurality of USB memories 3 in advance, the specified information is not changed unexpectedly, and unintended information is acquired from the already set multifunction device 1A. The risk of being reduced.

  In the second embodiment described above, the writing information is output to the USB memory 3 only when the password stored in the USB memory 3 is authenticated, thereby preventing unintentional information leakage. it can.

  Furthermore, in the above-described second embodiment, the password required for the authentication process when shifting to the export mode is stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG, and the password is input on the touch panel 14 as in the first embodiment. There is no need to do. Also, the release information for releasing the export mode is stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the SBI / F 18, and there is no need to input a release instruction on the touch panel 14 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the present invention can also be applied to a multi-function machine that does not have a direct print function and is a display having a relatively small display unit and only a display function.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described based on drawing, it should be thought that a specific structure is not limited to these embodiment. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the write information created in the write information creation process is stored in the volatile storage device 12, and in the write information output process, the volatile storage device 12 stores the write information. Although the case where the setting information file including the stored writing information is stored in the USB memory 3 determined to be connected to the USB I / F 18 in another connection determination process has been described, the writing information is stored in a volatile memory. It need not be stored in the device 12. That is, after the designated information storage process and the analysis process are performed in S16 of FIG. 4, the connection information determination process of S18 is performed without performing the writing information creation process and the writing information storage process of S17. When it is determined in the connection determination process of S18 that the USB memory 3 is connected to the USB I / F 18, the writing information creation process is executed, and the created writing information is stored in the USB memory 3. Also good.

  In the first embodiment described above, the designation information stored in the setting acquisition input file IFG stored in the USB memory 3 connected to the USB I / F 18 is stored in the volatile storage device 12. As described above, the designation information may not be stored in the volatile storage device 12.

  Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the writing information output process can be executed only in the export mode has been described, but such a limitation is imposed on the execution of the writing information output process. May not be provided.

  In addition, in the first and second embodiments described above, the case has been described in which the designation information and the writing information are deleted from the volatile storage device 12 after the export mode is canceled. The usage information may not be deleted.

  In the first embodiment described above, the designated information storage process of S16 may be executed before the display of the password input screen 90 in S13. In this case, if it is determined in S14 that the input password input by the user does not match the authentication password 13c, the specified information stored in the volatile storage device 12 in the specified information storage process is deleted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the multifunction peripherals 1A and 1B has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a single scanner or printer. Further, instead of the USB memory 3 of the above-described embodiment, a memory card such as an SD card or smart media, an optical disk such as a DVD-ROM, or a magnetic disk may be used.

1A, 1B MFP (image forming device)
10 Control unit 12 Volatile storage device (internal memory)
13 Nonvolatile storage device (internal memory)
14 Touch panel (reception part, user information display part)
18 USB I / F (interface)

Claims (16)

An image forming apparatus,
An internal memory for storing setting information corresponding to a plurality of setting items related to the image forming apparatus;
An interface connected to the removable memory;
And a control unit,
The controller is
A connection determination process for determining whether a removable memory is connected to the interface;
When it is determined in the connection determination process that the removable memory is connected, when the specification information specifying at least one of the plurality of setting items is stored in the connected removable memory, An analysis process for analyzing the specified information;
Write information is created by combining the designated setting item designated by the designated information analyzed in the analysis processing and the designated setting information corresponding to the designated setting item among the setting information stored in the internal memory. Writing information creation process;
When it is determined that the removable memory is connected to the interface in another connection determination process performed after the connection determination process related to the removable memory in which the designation information to be analyzed in the analysis process is stored. A write information output process for storing the write information created in the embedded information creation process in the removable memory connected to the interface;
An image forming apparatus capable of executing the above. The controller is
It is possible to further execute a writing information storage process for storing the writing information created in the writing information creation process in the internal memory,
In the write information output process, the write information stored in the internal memory in the write information storage process is stored in a removable memory determined to be connected to the interface in the separate connection determination process. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is
When it is determined that the removable memory is connected in the connection determination process, the specification information specifying at least one of the plurality of setting items is stored in the connected removable memory. It is possible to further execute a designation information storage process for storing designation information in the internal memory,
In the writing information creating process, the designated setting item designated by the designation information stored in the internal memory in the designated information storage process and the designated setting item among the setting information stored in the internal memory. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein writing information is created by combining the corresponding designation setting information. The controller is
When it is determined in the connection determination process that the removable memory is connected, when the specification information specifying at least one of the plurality of setting items is stored in the connected removable memory, It is possible to further execute a specified information storage process for storing specified information in the internal memory,
When it is determined in the separate connection determination process that a removable memory is connected to the interface, it is possible to execute the writing information creation process using the designation information stored in the internal memory. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. A reception unit for receiving input from the user;
The internal memory further stores an authentication password,
The controller is
An authentication process for determining whether or not the input password received by the reception unit matches the authentication password;
Only when it is determined in the authentication process that the input password matches the authentication password, a mode setting process for setting the export mode in which the write information output process can be executed is further executed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. The controller is
When the reception unit receives an instruction to cancel the export mode, the write information and the designation information stored in the internal memory are deleted, and a mode cancellation process for canceling the export mode is further executed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit executes the authentication process and the mode setting process, and executes the designation information storage process after entering the export mode. A user information display unit for displaying information to the user;
The controller is
After executing the specified information storage process, further executing an input request process for causing the user information display unit to display a display content for requesting the user to input a password,
When it is determined in the authentication process that the input password and the authentication password do not match, a deletion process for deleting the write information and the designation information stored in the internal memory is further executed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 or 6. The internal memory further stores an authentication password,
The controller is
An authentication process for determining whether a password that matches the authentication password is stored in the removable memory;
Only when it is determined in the authentication process that a password that matches the authentication password is stored in the removable memory, a mode setting process for setting the export mode in which the write information output process can be executed is further executed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. The controller is
When it is determined that the removable memory is connected in the separate connection determination process, release information for canceling the export mode is stored in the connected removable memory before the writing information output process is executed. Cancellation determination processing for determining whether or not it is stored;
A mode canceling process for deleting the writing information and the designation information stored in the internal memory and canceling the export mode when it is determined in the cancel determining process that the canceling information is stored; The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: A reception unit for receiving input from the user;
The controller is
When the accepting unit accepts an instruction to cancel the export mode, the writing information stored in the internal memory is deleted, and a mode canceling process for canceling the export mode is further executed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the release information is the instruction information. The controller is
A writing information confirmation process for confirming that the writing information is stored in the removable memory connected to the interface;
The designation included in the writing information among the plurality of setting items stored in the internal memory when the writing information confirmation process confirms that the writing information is stored. The change processing for changing the corresponding setting information corresponding to the setting item based on the designated setting information included in the writing information is further executed. The image forming apparatus described. The internal memory further stores unique information regarding the image forming apparatus,
The controller is
In the writing information creation process, the writing information including the unique information is created,
When it is confirmed in the writing information confirmation process that the writing information is stored, the unique information included in the writing information is the unique information stored in the internal memory Further execute device identification processing to determine whether or not they match,
The change process is executed when it is determined in the device identification process that the unique information included in the writing information does not match the unique information stored in the internal memory. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13. The controller is
Further executing a file name acquisition process for acquiring a file name of a file stored in the removable memory connected to the interface;
In the writing information confirmation process, it is determined that the writing information is stored when a predetermined character string is included in the file name acquired in the file name acquisition process;
15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein in the writing information output process, a file including the predetermined character string in a file name is output as the writing information. A program used in an image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus includes an internal memory that stores setting information corresponding to a plurality of setting items related to the image forming apparatus, an interface connected to the removable memory, and a control unit.
In the control unit,
A connection determination process for determining whether a removable memory is connected to the interface;
When it is determined that the removable memory is connected in the connection determination process, the specification information specifying at least one of the plurality of setting items is stored in the connected removable memory. An analysis process for analyzing the specified information;
Write information is created by combining the designated setting item designated by the designated information analyzed in the analysis processing and the designated setting information corresponding to the designated setting item among the setting information stored in the internal memory. Writing information creation process;
When it is determined that the removable memory is connected to the interface in another connection determination process performed after the connection determination process related to the removable memory in which the designation information to be analyzed in the analysis process is stored. A write information output process for storing the write information created in the embedded information creation process in the removable memory connected to the interface;
A program that makes the program executable.

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