JPH0512137A - Information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply and correctly judge the service life of an IC card and to resolve various problems associated with the replacement of a battery or the replacement of the card, in an information processor to which the IC card is loaded. CONSTITUTION:A service life deciding means 30 decides the service life of an IC card 3 and outputs a message corresponding to the decision result to a message display means 40. When it is judged that the service life of the IC card is short by the service life deciding means 30, a transfer control means 20 transfers the storage information of the IC card 3 to a memory 10. When an IC card whose battery has replaced or a new IC card is loaded, the means 20 transfers the storage information of the memory 10 to the IC card 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a facsimile machine, a word processor or a personal computer, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus equipped with a removable storage medium such as an IC card. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various types of information processing apparatuses such as facsimile machines and word processors have become more sophisticated and multifunctional. For example, in a facsimile machine, a facsimile machine having an image memory for accumulating image information (hereinafter referred to as a memory) F
(Abbreviated as AX) has appeared. Such a memory FA
In X, the received image information is temporarily stored in the image memory without being printed out, and then printed out at a desired time. On the other hand, even if the image information to be transmitted is read by the scanner, it is not immediately transmitted, but is temporarily stored in the image memory and then transmitted at a desired time. Therefore, the communication time can be shortened and the call charge can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

However, the image memory of the memory FAX is a fixed memory built in the apparatus, and the image information in the memory cannot be taken out without printing out. Therefore, the image information in the image memory cannot be edited or saved by a terminal device such as a personal computer, which is inconvenient.

In order to solve such a problem, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-190073, a memory mounting section for writing data to a portable memory mounted in a removable state is provided, and this memory mounting section is provided. A facsimile apparatus has been proposed in which image information is written in a portable memory when the portable memory is attached.

On the other hand, word processors and personal computers are becoming smaller and lighter, and the so-called laptop type, which is easy to carry, is becoming the mainstream. In this type of device, an IC card has come to be used as an external storage device from the conventional floppy disk.

In the above-mentioned IC card, a volatile memory such as SRAM or DRAM or an EE is used as a storage element thereof.
Non-volatile memory such as PROM and flash memory is used.

[0007]

An IC card using a volatile memory requires a backup power source for holding stored information, and normally a button type battery is used. Further, in a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory, a backup power supply is not necessary, but the guaranteed rewrite count is about 5000 to 10000 times. Therefore, the IC card using the volatile memory requires periodic battery replacement, and the IC card using the non-volatile memory requires periodic replacement of the IC card itself.

However, since it is difficult to accurately determine the battery capacity and the number of times of rewriting, there is a problem that the battery is usually replaced relatively early and the waste is large.
Further, if the judgment is wrong, there is a problem that data destruction or data loss occurs during use.

Further, since the stored contents are lost not only when the IC card itself is replaced but also when the battery is replaced, the stored information must be printed out or stored in another device in advance. I had to do it.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to make it possible to easily and accurately determine the life of a storage medium in an information processing apparatus in which a storage medium that can be inserted and removed is mounted. The purpose is to make it possible to easily copy stored information to a new IC card and solve various problems associated with battery replacement or card replacement.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the present invention, in an information processing apparatus in which an insertable / removable portable storage medium is mounted, a means for determining the life span of the storage medium, Storage means for temporarily storing information transferred from the storage medium; and information stored in the storage medium determined to have a short life, transferred to the storage means, and a storage medium having a long life is mounted again. And a transfer control means for retransferring the transferred information to the storage medium.

[0012]

According to the above structure, when a storage medium having a short life is mounted, the stored information is transferred and temporarily stored. Here, when the battery for backing up stored information is replaced or the storage medium itself is replaced and the storage medium whose life has been extended is again attached to the information processing device, the temporarily stored information is re-stored. It is transferred and stored in the attached storage medium.

[0013]

1 is a block diagram showing the basic structure of the present invention, in which only the structure necessary for explaining the present invention is shown.

In FIG. 1, the main unit 1 is a memory 1
0, transfer control means 20, life determining means 30, message display means 40, operating means 50, IC card I / F (interface) 60 and information processing function section 70,
The respective means are interconnected by a bus 2. The storage information of the IC card 3 is taken into the main body device 1 via the IC card I / F 60.

The information processing function unit 70 is a main unit that realizes a planned operation of the apparatus, and executes a transmission / reception of image information and a recording / reproducing operation in the case of a facsimile machine, and creates document information in the case of a word processor. , Proofread and print. The IC card I / F 60 is an interface for electrically connecting the IC card 3 and the main body device 1. The life determination unit 30 determines the life of the IC card 3 and outputs a message according to the determination result to the message display unit 40.

The term "life of the IC card 3" means the life of the backup battery if the memory element is a volatile memory such as SRAM or DRAM.
If the memory is a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM or a flash memory, it indicates the life of the element itself, which is determined by the number of rewrites.

The transfer control means 20 outputs a read signal to the IC card 3 and a write signal to the memory 10 when the operator who has referred to the message instructs the transfer from the operation means 50. To do. As a result, the stored information of the IC card 3 is transferred to the memory 10 and stored therein. Further, when an IC card whose battery has been replaced or a new IC card is inserted and a transfer instruction is output again, a write signal is output to the IC card 3 and a read signal is output to the memory 10. .. As a result,
Information stored in the memory 10 is transferred to the IC card 3 and stored again.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the life of the IC card 3 is shortened, the stored information of the IC card 3 is transferred to the fixed memory inside the apparatus and temporarily stored, and then a new IC card is mounted. Then, the temporarily stored storage information is transferred again to the IC card.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the life determining means 30 in the case where the memory element of the IC card 3 is volatile, and the same symbols as those used above represent the same or equivalent portions. ..

In the figure, the voltage VBA of the backup battery 32 built in the IC card 3 is
It is input to one input terminal of 302. The alarm voltage Vth output from the alarm voltage generator 303 is input to the other input terminal of the comparator 301, and the lower limit voltage VNG output from the lower limit voltage generator 304 is input to the other input terminal of the comparator 302. Is entered.

The warning voltage Vth is a maximum voltage that guarantees the normal operation of the IC card 3, but may not guarantee the normal operation within a few days, and the lower limit voltage VNG is I
This is the maximum voltage at which normal operation of the C card 3 is no longer guaranteed. Therefore, if the battery voltage VBA is higher than the warning voltage Vth, normal operation of the IC card 3 is guaranteed for the time being, and the battery voltage VBA is lower than the warning voltage Vth and the lower limit voltage Vth.
If it is higher than NG, normal operation is guaranteed, but normal operation may not be guaranteed within a few days. If the battery voltage VBA is lower than the lower limit voltage VNG, normal operation of the IC card 3 is guaranteed. Not done.

The message output means 305 outputs a scheduled message according to the comparison result by the comparators 301 and 302.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the above configuration.

In step S60, it is determined whether or not the IC card 3 is attached. If the IC card 3 is attached, in step S61, the life determining means 30 detects the battery voltage VBA of the IC card 3.

In step S62, the comparator 301 compares the battery voltage VBA with the alarm voltage Vth, the battery voltage VBA is higher than the alarm voltage Vth, and normal operation of the IC card 3 is guaranteed for the time being. If so, the process proceeds to step S74, and if it is low, the process proceeds to step S63. Step S63
Then, the comparator 302 further compares the battery voltage VBA with the lower limit voltage VNG, the battery voltage VBA is higher than the lower limit voltage VNG, and normal operation of the IC card 3 is guaranteed, but normal operation is guaranteed within a few days. If there is a possibility that it will not be possible, the process proceeds to step S67.

In step S67, the message output circuit 305 outputs a message indicating that the IC card 3 is at the limit of use, which is displayed on the message display means 40.

In step S68, it is determined whether or not the operator has instructed the data transfer from the operation means 50. When the transfer instruction is issued, in step S69, the transfer control means 20 stores the stored information of the IC card 3 in the memory 10. Are transferred to and stored in. If the replacement battery to be described later is not prepared, the operator does not instruct the transfer, and the process proceeds to step S74.

In step S70, a message prompting battery replacement is displayed, and in step S71, it is determined whether the battery 32 of the IC card 3 has been replaced and mounted again in the main body device 1. When the battery replacement of the IC card 3 is completed, the stored information stored in the memory 10 is stored in the memory 10 by the transfer control means 20 in step S72.
It is transferred to the C card 3 and stored.

In step S73, the stored information stored in the memory 10 is erased. In step S74,
A message that the acceptance of the IC card is completed is displayed on the message display means 40, and a series of IC card acceptance processing ends.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S63 that the battery voltage VBA is lower than the lower limit voltage VNG and normal operation of the IC card 3 is no longer guaranteed, the process proceeds to step S64. In such a situation, although the message indicating that the usage limit is reached is displayed in step S67, the transfer may not be instructed in subsequent step S68 (that is, the battery is not replaced), Alternatively, it may occur when the IC card is used for a long time in another device and the battery voltage VBA drops during that time.

In step S64, the message output circuit 305 outputs a message indicating that the IC card 3 is unusable, which is displayed on the message display means 40. Further, in step S65, as described above,
A message prompting you to replace the battery appears. In step S66, it is determined whether or not the battery of the IC card 3 has been replaced and mounted in the main body device 1 again. If the battery of the IC card 3 has been replaced, the process proceeds to step S74.

According to this embodiment, by detecting the battery voltage of the IC card, it is possible to accurately and surely detect the length of the life of the IC card. When the battery is exhausted, the stored information of the IC card is temporarily stored in the main unit,
After that, when the IC card whose battery has been replaced is mounted again, the stored information is stored again in the IC card, so that the stored information will not be lost by the battery replacement.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining another operation of the above-mentioned configuration, and the same processing as that described above is given the same processing number.

In this embodiment, in step S63,
When it is determined that the battery voltage VBA is between the warning voltage Vth and the lower limit voltage VNG, a message indicating that the usage limit has been reached is output in step S67, and then the automatic transfer is performed regardless of the transfer instruction from the operator. It is characterized in that the information stored in the IC card is transferred to the memory 10. The effect similar to the above is achieved also by this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the life judging means 30 in the case of judging the life of the IC card 3 based on the number of times of rewriting, and the same symbols as the above represent the same or equivalent portions. ing.

In the figure, the storage area 3 of the IC card 3
A part of 3 is provided with a rewrite number counter 33a for storing the number of rewrites, and the value of the rewrite number counter 33a is updated every time the stored information of the IC card is rewritten.

The number of rewrites N is input to one of the input terminals of the comparators 401 and 402. The warning number Nth output from the warning number generator 403 is input to the other input terminal of the comparator 401, and the other input terminal of the comparator 402 is
The upper limit number NNG output from the upper limit number generator 404 is input.

The warning number Nth is the minimum number of rewritings in which the normal operation of the IC card 3 is guaranteed but the normal operation may not be guaranteed after a limited number of rewriting operations. Is the minimum number of times that the normal operation of the IC card 3 is no longer guaranteed. Therefore, if the number N of rewrites is less than the number Nth of alerts, normal operation of the IC card 3 is guaranteed, and if the number N of rewrites is more than the number Nth of alerts and less than the upper limit number NNG, normal operation is guaranteed. After that, there is a possibility that the normal operation cannot be guaranteed by the limited number of rewriting operations, and if the rewriting number N is larger than the upper limit number NNG, the normal operation of the IC card 3 cannot be guaranteed.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the above configuration.

In step S80, it is determined whether or not the IC card 3 is installed. If the IC card 3 is installed, in step S81, the rewriting frequency N stored in the rewriting frequency counter 33a is read by the life determining means 30. Be done.

In step S82, the comparator 401 compares the number of rewrites N with the number of warnings Nth to determine the number of rewrites N.
If is smaller than the warning number Nth, the process proceeds to step S86, and if it is greater than, the process proceeds to step S83.

In step S83, the comparator 402 is further added.
Compares the rewriting number N with the upper limit number NNG, and if the rewriting number N is less than the upper limit number NNG, step S84.
Go to. In step S84, the message output circuit 40
5, a message indicating that the IC card 3 is at the limit of use is output and displayed on the message display means 40.

On the other hand, if the number of rewrites N is larger than the upper limit number NNG, the message output circuit 405 is output in step S85.
A message indicating that the IC card 3 is unusable is output and displayed on the message display means 40. In this way, the situation in which the number of rewrites N becomes larger than the upper limit number of times NNG continues to be the case where the IC card is not replaced even though the message indicating the limit of use is displayed, or the IC This may occur when the card is used for a long time in another device and the number of times of rewriting increases during that time.

After each message is displayed,
When the same processing as described above is executed, the new IC card is reattached, and the transfer of the stored information ends, step S8
At 6, a message indicating that the IC card acceptance is completed is displayed, and a series of IC card acceptance processing ends.

According to this embodiment, the life of the IC card is determined based on the number of times of rewriting of the IC card. Therefore, even in the case of a flash memory in which the memory element itself has a life, the life of the flash memory is short or long. Can be accurately detected.

When the life judged from the number of times of rewriting becomes short, the stored information of the IC card is temporarily stored in the main body device, and when a new IC card is mounted thereafter, the stored information is stored again in the IC card. Since this is done, the stored information will not be lost by the card exchange.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the life judging means 30 in the case of judging the life of the IC card 3 based on the number of usage days, and the same symbols as the above represent the same or equivalent parts. ing.

In the figure, the storage area 3 of the IC card 3
Part of 3 has an area 33b storing the use start date D thereof.
Is provided. The use start date D is the life determining means 30.
Of the current day Dre output from the date generator 507 is input to the other input terminal of the subtractor 506. The subtractor 506 subtracts the use start date D from the date Dre of the current day and outputs the number of days elapsed ΔD from the use start date.

The number of elapsed days ΔD is input to one input terminal of each of the comparators 501 and 502. The other input terminal of the comparator 501 receives the warning days Dth output from the warning days generator 503, and the other input terminal of the comparator 502 outputs the upper limit days DNG output from the upper days generator 504.
Is entered.

The warning days Dth guarantees the normal operation of the IC card 3, but is the minimum number of days during which the normal operation may not be guaranteed within a few days, and the upper limit days DNG is I
This is the minimum number of days after which the normal operation of the C card 3 cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, if the number of elapsed days ΔD is less than the number of alert days Dth, the normal operation of the IC card 3 is guaranteed, and if the number of elapsed days ΔD is more than the number of alert days Dth and less than the upper limit number of days DNG, normal operation is guaranteed. Normal operation may not be guaranteed within a few days, and if the number of elapsed days ΔD is larger than the upper limit number of days DNG, normal operation of the IC card 3 cannot be guaranteed.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the above configuration.

In step S90, it is determined whether or not the IC card 3 is attached. If the IC card 3 is attached, in step S91, the use start date D is read by the life determining means 30.

In step S92, the subtractor 506 calculates the number of elapsed days ΔD, which is the difference between the use start date D and the current date Dre. In step S93, the comparator 501
The elapsed days ΔD and the warning days Dth are compared with each other. If the elapsed days ΔD are less than the warning days Dth, step S
97, and if there are many, it will progress to step S94.

In step S94, the comparator 502 is further added.
The elapsed days ΔD and the upper limit number of days DNG are compared with each other. If the elapsed number of days ΔD is larger than the upper limit number of days DNG, step S96.
Go to. In step S96, the message output circuit 50
5, a message indicating that the IC card 3 is unusable is output and displayed on the message display means 40.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S94 that the elapsed days ΔD are between the warning days Dth and the upper limit days DNG, the message output circuit 505 determines that the IC card 3 has reached the usage limit in step S95. A message to that effect is output and displayed on the message display means 40.

After each message is displayed,
When the same processing as described above is executed, the new IC card is reattached, and the transfer of the stored information is completed, step S9
At 7, a message indicating that the IC card acceptance is completed is displayed, and the series of IC card acceptance processing ends.

According to this embodiment, the life of the IC card is determined based on the number of days of use of the IC card, so that the life of the IC card can be detected in the memory requiring the backup power supply.

When the life determined by the number of days used is shortened, the stored information of the IC card is temporarily stored in the main body device, and when a new IC card is mounted thereafter, the stored information is stored again in the IC card. Since this is done, the stored information will not be lost by the card exchange.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention, the IC
Since the battery voltage of the card, the number of times of rewriting, or the number of days of use is detected and the life of the IC card is determined based on the detected voltage, the life of the IC card can be automatically and easily and surely detected. Further, when the life is shortened, the stored information of the IC card is temporarily stored in the main body device, and thereafter, when the IC card in which the battery is replaced or a new IC card is mounted, the stored information is stored in the IC card again. Therefore, the stored information will not be erased by the card exchange.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining a life determination method.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram for explaining another life determination method.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram for explaining still another life determination method.

5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another operation of FIG.

7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of FIG.

8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Main unit, 2 ... Bus, 3 ... IC card, 10 ... Memory, 20 ... Transfer control means, 30 ... Life determination means, 40 ...
Message display means, 50 ... Operating means, 60 ... IC card I / F, 70 ... Information processing function section

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Toshiaki Konoe 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki-shi, Saitama Prefecture Fuji Zerox Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Works (72) Inventor Masahiro Mochizuki 3-7-1, Iwatsuki, Saitama Prefecture No. Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. An information processing apparatus in which an insertable / removable portable storage medium is mounted, and a life determining means for determining the life of the storage medium, and information transferred from the storage medium temporarily. Information that is stored in a storage medium that has been determined to be short by the storage means and the life determination means that are temporarily stored, is transferred to the storage means, and when the storage medium with a long life is reattached, the transferred information is transferred. An information processing apparatus comprising: a transfer control unit that retransfers data to the storage medium.