JP2010206255A - Image forming apparatus and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus for improving security to activation. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is connected to another image forming apparatus via a network. The image forming apparatus includes a control section. When use-permission information of an additional feature is input, the control section determines whether another image forming apparatus, which holds the same use-permission information as the input use-permission information, exists based on recorded data obtained by recording the use-permission information being held by another image forming apparatus, and invalidates the additional feature when another image forming apparatus is present. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

 The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system.

 Conventionally, when a predetermined operation is performed on an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, or a multifunction peripheral (MFP), an additional function (for example, an Internet / facsimile function or a security function) is enabled. Technology (activation) is known. Since such an additional function can generally be realized by software, it can be stored in advance in the storage unit of the image forming apparatus in the form of software, or can be downloaded via a network. In other words, enabling the additional function refers to enabling software for realizing the additional function.

  As an example of activation, there is a technology for enabling an additional function by mounting an activation USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory storing use permission information of the additional function in the image forming apparatus. In this technique, the activation USB memory that has been used once is made unusable by other image forming apparatuses, thereby preventing unauthorized use of additional functions. As another example of activation, there is a technique for enabling an additional function by issuing a license key (use permission information) from a provider of the additional function and inputting the license key to the image forming apparatus.

JP 2000-207119 A

  The technology for enabling the additional function by inputting the license key described above may be easily used illegally depending on the distribution form of the license key, and may be illegally activated by another image forming apparatus. .

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming system capable of improving security against activation.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, as a first solving means related to an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus connected to another image forming apparatus via a network, the use permission information of an additional function Is inputted, based on the recording data recording the use permission information held in another image forming apparatus, another image holding the same use permission information as the input use permission information A control unit is provided for determining whether or not the forming apparatus is present, and for invalidating the additional function.

Further, as a second solving means relating to the image forming apparatus, in the first solving means, the control unit is holding from another image forming apparatus via the network every time a predetermined acquisition timing arrives. The use permission information is acquired and the recording data is created.
Further, as a third solving means related to the image forming apparatus, in the first or second solving means, when the use permission information of the additional function is input, the control unit receives the input use permission information. Is transmitted to another image forming apparatus via the network, and the recording data is created based on the use permission information received from the other image forming apparatus via the network.
Furthermore, the present invention employs a configuration in which an image forming apparatus having any one of the first to third solutions is connected via a network as a solution for the image forming system.

 According to the present invention, when a license key for an additional function is input to an image forming apparatus, the input use permission information is input based on the recording data in which the use permission information held by another image forming apparatus is recorded. It is determined whether or not there is another image forming apparatus that holds the same use permission information as in the case where it exists (that is, the input license key is likely to have been used illegally). By disabling the function, it is possible to improve the security for activation.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus M1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a 1st sequence chart showing operation | movement of an image forming system. It is a 2nd sequence chart showing operation | movement of an image forming system.

    Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the image forming system according to this embodiment, a plurality (n) of image forming apparatuses M1 to Mn are connected to each other via a network NW such as a LAN (Local Area Network). It becomes the composition. A terminal device PC such as a personal computer is connected to the network NW. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 1 illustrates a case where only one terminal device PC is connected to the network NW, but, of course, a plurality of terminal devices may be connected.

 Since the internal configurations of the image forming apparatuses M1 to Mn are all the same, the image forming apparatus M1 will be described below as a representative. The image forming apparatus M1 is, for example, a multifunction peripheral (MFP) in which functions of a copying machine, a printer, and the like are integrated into a single unit. The document reading apparatus 1 for reading a document and the document reading apparatus 1 read the document. Based on image data of a document or a print instruction received from a terminal device PC via a network NW and image data for printing (that is, a job), the MFP main body 2 forms an image on a sheet (recording medium). ing.

 The document reading apparatus 1 includes a scanner unit 10 and an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 20. The scanner unit 10 reads a document set on the platen glass 11 or a document automatically fed by the ADF 20, and includes a platen glass 11, a white reference plate 12, a full rate carriage 13, a half rate carriage 14, A condenser lens 15 and a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) sensor 16 are provided.

 The platen glass 11 is a glass plate for setting originals to be read one by one. The white reference plate 12 is a white plate for acquiring white reference data for shading correction. The full-rate carriage 13 is provided below the platen glass 11 so as to be reciprocally movable in the left-right direction (scanning direction) along the platen glass 11 by a carriage transport mechanism (not shown), and emits illumination light obliquely upward. And a mirror 13b that reflects reflected light of illumination light toward a half-rate carriage 14 described later.

 Similar to the full-rate carriage 13, the half-rate carriage 14 is provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the left-right direction along the platen glass 11 by a carriage transport mechanism (not shown). And a mirror 14b that reflects incident light from the mirror 14a toward a condenser lens 15 to be described later. The carriage transport mechanism controls the ratio of the movement amount of the full rate carriage 13 and the movement amount of the half rate carriage 14 to 1: 0.5. Thereby, the optical path length of the illumination light until reaching the condenser lens 15 is controlled to be constant.

 When reading an original set on the platen glass 11, the original is scanned by moving the full rate carriage 13 and the half rate carriage 14 in the scanning direction. However, when the original is automatically fed by the ADF 20 described later, The full-rate carriage 13 and the half-rate carriage 14 are waited at a predetermined document reading position, and the document is scanned by moving (conveying) the document side.

 The condensing lens 15 condenses incident light from the mirror 14 b of the half-rate carriage 14 and forms an image on the light receiving surface of the CCD sensor 16. The CCD sensor 16 operates in synchronization with a timing signal supplied from a CCD drive unit (not shown), and photoelectrically converts light received by the light receiving surface, thereby generating an analog voltage signal corresponding to the read image of the document. Generate and output to AFE (analog front end: not shown). The AFE amplifies the analog voltage signal with a predetermined gain setting value, and then digitally converts it to generate image data of the read original. The image data is generated by the control unit 60 of the MFP main body 2. Is stored in the flash memory 63 (see FIG. 2).

 The ADF 20 automatically and sequentially feeds a plurality of documents set on the document placing tray 22 one by one, and includes a platen cover 21, a document placing tray 22, a pickup roller 23, a registration roller 24, and a platen roller 25. And a paper discharge roller 26 and the like. The platen cover 21 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the upper surface of the scanner unit 10. The platen cover 21 serves as a document pressing cover when a document is set on the platen glass 11 for reading, a pickup roller 23, a registration roller. 24, a platen roller 25, a paper discharge roller 26, and other members used for an automatic paper feed mechanism. FIG. 1 shows a state where the platen cover 21 is closed.

 The document placing tray 22 is a tray for setting a document to be read. The pickup roller 23 is a roller for picking up the documents set on the document placing tray 22 one by one and carrying them out to the registration rollers 24. The registration roller 24 is a roller for conveying the document to the platen roller 25 at a predetermined timing. The platen roller 25 is a roller for conveying the document to the paper discharge roller 26 via a predetermined document reading position. The paper discharge roller 26 is a roller for discharging the original after reading to the outside. The rotation operations of these rollers are controlled by the control unit 60 of the MFP main body 2.

   The MFP main body 2 forms a toner image by an electrophotographic method based on the image data of the document read by the document reading device 1 or the image data for printing received from the terminal device PC via the network NW. A toner image forming unit 3 for transferring the image onto the paper, a fixing unit 4 for fixing the toner image transferred onto the paper by the toner image forming unit 3, and the paper via the toner image forming unit 3 and the fixing unit 4 A paper transport mechanism 5 for transporting the paper to the printer, and paper cassettes 6, 7, and 8 for setting various sizes of paper. Further, the MFP main body 2 is provided with a manual feed tray 9 that is openable and closable on the front side, so that the paper set on the manual feed tray 9 can be conveyed by the paper conveyance mechanism 5.

   The toner image forming unit 3 includes an intermediate transfer belt 31 and toner image forming units F (FY, FM, FC, respectively) corresponding to yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK). FB), a driving roller 32, a tension roller 33, a secondary transfer roller 34, and a cleaner 35. The intermediate transfer belt 31 is an intermediate transfer body for primary transfer of the toner images of the respective colors formed by the toner image forming units F (FY, FM, FC, FB), and is applied to the driving roller 32 and the tension roller 33. It is stretched and is configured to rotate clockwise in FIG.

   Each of the toner image forming units F (FY, FM, FC, FB) includes a photosensitive drum Fa, a charging unit Fb, an exposure unit Fc, a developing unit Fd, and a primary transfer roller Fe. A cleaning device and a static eliminator. The photosensitive drum Fa is set in a cylindrical shape, and an electrostatic latent image and a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image are formed on a peripheral surface thereof. The charging unit Fb is disposed so as to face the photosensitive drum Fa and charges the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum Fa. The exposure unit Fc forms an electrostatic latent image by scanning laser light on the peripheral surface of the charged photosensitive drum Fa based on image data. The developing unit Fd forms (develops) a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum Fa by attaching toner to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum Fa.

 The primary transfer roller Fe is disposed opposite to the photosensitive drum Fa with the intermediate transfer belt 31 interposed therebetween, and primarily transfers the toner image developed on the photosensitive drum Fa to the intermediate transfer belt 31. The secondary transfer roller 34 is disposed so as to face the driving roller 32 with the intermediate transfer belt 31 interposed therebetween, and the intermediate transfer belt 31 is fed to a sheet conveyed from any of the sheet cassettes 6, 7, 8 by the sheet conveying mechanism 5. The toner image transferred on the surface is secondarily transferred. The cleaner 35 includes a cleaning roller, a cleaning blade, and the like, and removes residual toner from the intermediate transfer belt 31.

 The fixing unit 4 fixes a toner image secondarily transferred onto a sheet, and includes a heating roller 41 that fixes the toner by applying pressure and heating. The paper transport mechanism 5 includes pick-up rollers 51, 52, and 53 for carrying out the paper one by one from the paper cassettes 6, 7, and 8, and the picked-up paper in the toner image forming unit 3 (drive roller 32 and secondary transfer roller). 34), and paper discharge rollers 57 for discharging the fixed paper to the outside. The paper cassettes 6, 7, and 8 are attached to the MFP main body 2 so as to be drawable, and accommodate various sizes of paper.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus M1 described above. In FIG. 2, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 60 denotes a control unit, reference numeral 61 denotes a ROM (Read Only Memory), reference numeral 62 denotes a RAM (Random Access Memory), reference numeral 63 denotes a flash memory, reference numeral 64 denotes an operation display unit, and reference numeral 65 denotes a communication I / F. It is.

  The control unit 60 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 61, image data stored in the flash memory 63, operation signals input from the operation display unit 64, communication I / O In response to a print instruction and print image data (job) received from the terminal device PC via F65, each functional unit of the image forming apparatus M1 (document reading device 1, toner image forming unit 3, fixing unit 4, paper conveyance) The image forming operation (toner image forming operation, toner image transfer operation to paper, toner image fixing operation) is controlled by integrated control of the mechanism 5 and the like.

  Although details will be described later, the control unit 60 holds the information in another image forming apparatus when use permission information (for example, a license key) of an additional function (for example, an Internet / facsimile function or a security function) is input. Based on the license record data in which the license key is recorded, it is determined whether or not there is another image forming apparatus that holds the same license key as the input license key. It has a function to disable the function (to make it unusable).

  In addition, every time a predetermined license key acquisition timing arrives, the control unit 60 acquires a license key held from another image forming apparatus via the network NW and updates the license record data. The license recording data is stored in the flash memory 63. Further, when a license key for an additional function is input, the control unit 60 transmits the input license key to another image forming apparatus via the network NW, while another image is transmitted via the network NW. It has a function of updating the license record data based on the license key received from the forming apparatus.

 The ROM 61 is a read-only nonvolatile memory that stores a control program used by the control unit 60 and other setting data. The ROM 61 stores software for realizing additional functions in advance. The RAM 62 is a volatile working memory used as a temporary storage destination of data when the control unit 60 executes a control program and performs various operations. The flash memory 63 is a rewritable memory that stores image data of a document read by the image reading device 1, image data for printing transmitted from the terminal device PC, and the above-described license recording data under the control of the control unit 60. This is a non-volatile memory.

  The operation display unit 64 is configured by, for example, a touch panel, displays a screen for notifying the user of various operation keys and various information under the control of the control unit 60, and operates various operation keys displayed on the touch panel. Input information is output to the control unit 60 as an operation signal. The communication I / F 65 is an interface for communicating with the image forming apparatuses M2 to Mn and the terminal apparatus PC, and is connected to the image forming apparatuses M2 to Mn and the terminal apparatus PC via the network NW.

  Next, the operation of the image forming system of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to the sequence charts of FIGS. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the description will be made assuming that four image forming apparatuses M1 to M4 are connected via the network NW.

  FIG. 3 is a sequence chart showing a license record data creation / update operation in the image forming apparatus M1 among the four image forming apparatuses M1 to M4. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 determines whether or not the license key acquisition timing has come (step S1). If “No”, the process of step S1 is repeated. Thus, the arrival of the license key acquisition timing is monitored. If “Yes”, the license key held by each of the other image forming apparatuses M2, M3, and M4 via the communication I / F 65 is stored. Is requested to be transmitted (step S2).

  Here, the license key acquisition timing may be either a regular timing or an irregular timing. For example, the power-on timing of the image forming apparatus M1 or the elapse timing of a certain time during power-on (for example, 5 hours elapses). Every time) can be the license key acquisition timing.

 When the image forming apparatus M2 receives a license key transmission request from the image forming apparatus M1, the image forming apparatus M2 transmits the license key held in the image forming apparatus M1 to the image forming apparatus M1 via the network NW (step S3). Further, upon receiving a license key transmission request from the image forming apparatus M1, the image forming apparatus M3 transmits the license key held in the image forming apparatus M1 to the image forming apparatus M1 via the network NW (step S4). Similarly, upon receiving a license key transmission request from the image forming apparatus M1, the image forming apparatus M4 transmits the license key held by the image forming apparatus M1 to the image forming apparatus M1 via the network NW (step S5). . If the image forming apparatuses M2, M3, and M4 do not hold the license key, the image forming apparatuses M2, M3, and M4 notify the image forming apparatus M1 to that effect.

When the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 acquires license keys from the other image forming apparatuses M2, M3, and M4 via the communication I / F 65, the control unit 60 updates the license recording data based on the acquired license keys. Store in the flash memory 63 (step S6).
By performing the operations in steps S1 to S6 as described above every time the license key acquisition timing arrives, the license recording data stored in the flash memory 63 of the image forming apparatus M1 is stored in another image forming apparatus. The license key currently held in M2, M3 and M4 is updated to the latest data recorded. The same applies to the other image forming apparatuses M2, M3, and M4.

  Although not shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 not only updates the license record data spontaneously when the license key acquisition timing arrives as described above, but also the communication I / F 65. When license keys are transmitted from the other image forming apparatuses M2, M3, and M4 via, the license record data is updated based on the transmitted license keys.

  FIG. 4 is a sequence chart showing an operation when a license key for an additional function is input to the image forming apparatus M1. As shown in FIG. 4, when a license key for an additional function is input to the image forming apparatus M1 by operating the operation display unit 64 (step S10), the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 causes the communication I / F 65 to be input. Then, the input license key is transmitted to the other image forming apparatuses M2, M3, and M4 (step S11).

  When receiving the license key from the image forming apparatus M1, the image forming apparatus M2 updates the license recording data based on the received license key (step S12). Further, when receiving the license key from the image forming apparatus M1, the image forming apparatus M3 updates the license recording data based on the received license key (step S13). Similarly, when receiving the license key from the image forming apparatus M1, the image forming apparatus M4 updates the license record data based on the received license key (step S14).

  On the other hand, the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 reads the license record data from the flash memory 63 (step S15), and holds the same license key as the input license key based on the read license record data. It is determined whether another image forming apparatus is present (step S16). In this step S16, if “No”, that is, if there is no other image forming apparatus holding the same license key as the input license key, it is estimated that the input license key has not been used illegally. Therefore, the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 validates the additional function set in the own apparatus (step S17). That is, the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 makes the software stored in the ROM 61 for realizing the additional function usable.

  On the other hand, in step S16, if there is another image forming apparatus that holds “Yes”, that is, the same license key as the input license key, the input license key has been used illegally. Since the possibility is high, the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 invalidates the additional function set in the self apparatus (step S18). That is, the control unit 60 of the image forming apparatus M1 disables software for realizing the additional function stored in the ROM 61.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a license key for an additional function is input to a certain image forming apparatus, the input is performed based on the license recording data in which the license key held by another image forming apparatus is recorded. It is determined whether or not there is another image forming apparatus that holds the same license key as the entered license key, and if it exists (when the input license key is likely to be used illegally) By disabling the additional function of its own device, it becomes possible to improve the security for activation.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, The following modifications can be considered.
(1) In the above embodiment, every time a license key acquisition timing arrives, a method of voluntarily acquiring a license key held from another image forming apparatus via the network NW and updating the license record data; The case of combining the method of updating the license record data based on the license key transmitted from another image forming apparatus via the network NW has been exemplified. However, either one of the methods may be used alone. good

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the MFP is exemplified as the image forming apparatuses M1 to Mn. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applicable to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, or a facsimile. Can do. In the above-described embodiment, the tandem type image forming apparatuses M1 to Mn are exemplified. However, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to other types of image forming apparatuses.

  M1 to Mn Image forming apparatus, 1 Document reading apparatus, 2 MFP body, 10 Scanner section, 20 ADF (Auto Document Feeder), 3 Toner image forming section, 4 Fixing section, 5 Paper transport mechanism 6, 7, 8 ... paper feed cassette, 60 ... control unit, 61 ... ROM (Read Only Memory), 62 ... RAM (Random Access Memory), 63 ... image data memory, 64 ... operation display unit, 65 ... communication I / F, PC ... terminal device, NW ... network

Claims (4)

An image forming apparatus connected to another image forming apparatus via a network,
When the usage permission information for the additional function is input, the same usage permission information as the input usage permission information is stored based on the recording data that records the usage permission information held by another image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that determines whether or not another image forming apparatus is present and, if present, invalidates the additional function.  The control unit acquires the use permission information being held from another image forming apparatus via the network and creates the recording data every time a predetermined acquisition timing arrives. The image forming apparatus described.   When the use permission information for the additional function is input, the control unit transmits the input use permission information to another image forming apparatus via the network, while the other image forming device via the network. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording data is created based on use permission information received from the apparatus.   An image forming system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses according to claim 1 are connected via a network.

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