Data backup device, data backup system, and data backup program

Abstract

The data backup device comprising a receiver unit receiving from an image forming apparatus via a network, backup data and sender information indicating the location of the image forming apparatus on the network; a memory unit storing the backup data and the sender information that are received; an operating state acquiring unit acquiring based on the sender information, the operating state of the image forming apparatus whether or not it is ready to receive the backup data; a judgment unit judging based on the acquired operating state, whether or not the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data; and a transmitting unit sending back the backup data to the image forming apparatus based on the sender information when the judgment unit judges that the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of example, and not limitation, in the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming system in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of a multifunctional machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an external view of an operation panel;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit of a multifunctional machine;

FIG. 5 includes tables for image data management with its content;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a backup data management table with its content;

FIG. 7 is a view showing the memory map of a flash memory;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a mail address table with its content;

FIG. 9 is a view showing a network address table with its content;

FIG. 10 is a view showing a digits table with its content;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the procedure of sending backup data, such as registered data, from a multifunctional machine to another multifunctional machine;

FIG. 12 is view showing an image data specification table with its content;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the procedure for a back up multifunctional machine to receive backup data from an originating multifunctional machine;

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of the procedure for a back up multifunctional machine to send back backup data to an originating multifunctional machine;

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing another example of the procedure for a backup multifunctional machine to sent back backup data to an originating multifunctional machine; and

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing the procedure for an originating multifunctional machine to receive backup data from a backup multifunctional machine.

Claims

1. A data backup device, comprising: a receiver unit receiving from an image forming apparatus via a network backup data and sender information indicating the location of the image forming apparatus on the network;a memory unit storing the backup data and the sender information that are received;an operating state acquiring unit acquiring based on the sender information, the operating state of the image forming apparatus, whether or not it is ready to receive the backup data;a judgment unit judging based on the acquired operating state, whether or not the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data; anda transmitting unit sending back based on the sender information, the backup data to the image forming apparatus if the judgment unit judges that the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data.

2. The data backup device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an eraser unit erasing the backup data stored in the memory unit after the transmitting unit sends back the backup data.

3. The data backup device as recited in claim 1, wherein the operating state acquiring unit acquires the operating state of the image forming apparatus at a predetermined interval.

4. The data backup device as recited in claim 3, wherein the time interval becomes shorter as time advances.

5. The data backup device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a control unit, which controls the operational mode so as not to fall into the sleep mode, in which the power supply to the memory unit is disconnected, when the backup data is stored in the memory unit.

6. The data backup device as recited in claim 1, comprising an image forming apparatus.

7. A data backup system including an image forming apparatus and a data backup device backuping the data in the image forming apparatus, and those are interconnected via a network, the data backup device, comprising: a receiver unit receiving from the image forming apparatus via the network, backup data and sender information indicating the location of the image forming apparatus on the network;a memory unit storing the backup data and the sender information that are received;an operating state acquiring unit acquiring based on the sender information, the operating state of the image forming apparatus whether or not it is ready to receive the backup data;a judgment unit judging based on the acquired operating state, whether or not the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data; anda transmitting unit sending back the backup data based on the sender information, to the image forming apparatus if the judgment unit judges that the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data, andthe image forming apparatus, comprising: a transmitting unit transmitting the backup data and the sender information to a data backup device;a receiver unit receiving the backup data transmitted from the data backup device; anda data restoration unit restoring data from the received backup data.

8. The data backup system as recited in claim 7, wherein the image forming apparatus transmits the backup data to the data backup device when software update is attempted to perform.

9. A data backup program stored on a computer readable medium to make a computer executes processing comprising the steps of: receiving from an image forming apparatus via a network, backup data and sender information indicating the location of the image forming apparatus on the network;storing in a memory unit, the backup data and the sender information that are received;acquiring based on the sender information, the operating state of the image forming apparatus to examine whether or not the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data;judging based on the acquired operating state, whether or not the image forming apparatus is ready to receive the backup data; andsending back the backup data based on the sender information, to the image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus is judged to be ready to receive the backup data in the prior step.

10. The data backup program as recited in claim 9, wherein the processing further comprising a step of erasing the backup data stored in the memory unit, after the backup data is sent back.

11. The data backup program as recited in claim 9, wherein the operating state of the image forming apparatus is acquired repeatedly at a predetermined interval in the operating state acquiring step.

12. The data backup program as recited in claim 11, wherein the time interval becomes shorter as time advances.

13. The data backup program as recited in claim 9, wherein the processing further comprising a step of controlling the operational mode of the image forming apparatus so as not to fall into the sleep mode, in which the power supply to the memory unit is disconnected, when the backup data is stored in the memory unit.