Patent Application
20070285703
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Hereinafter, each embodiment of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Next, the card 5 read by the card reader 4 will be described. A personal card 5a, a maintenance mode starting card 5b and a print file deleting card 5c will be described as examples of the card 5 to be read.
The CPU 11 executes a control program stored in the ROM 12 and the storage unit 14, thereby controlling the whole MFP 1. The ROM 12 stores the control program to be executed by the CPU 11 and fixed data. The RAM 13 has a work area or the like required when the CPU 11 executes the control program stored in the ROM 12.
The storage unit 14 is, for example, a hard disk drive, The storage unit 14 has a control program storing unit 14a, a print file saving unit 14b, a storing unit 14c for storing a personal identification code table T1, a storing unit 14d for storing a specific function table T2, and the like.
The storing unit 14a stores a control program such as a control program for performing specific function execution processing, which will be described later. The print file saving unit 14b saves a print file to which a personal identification code and a print enabling code transmitted from each terminal device 3a, 3b, . . . , 3n have been attached.
The personal identification table T1 stored in the storing unit 14c is a table showing the correspondence between personal identification code and individual,
The specific function table T2 stored in the storing unit 14d is a table showing the correspondence between identification code and specific function.
The image processing unit 15 performs processing such as compression and decompression of image data. The control panel 16 has an operating unit 17 and a display unit 18. The operating unit 17 transmits an instruction received from a user, to the CPU 11. The display unit 18 displays information necessary for the user, under the control of the CPU 11.
The network interface 19 is connected with the network 2 and performs data communication such as receiving a print file from each terminal device 3a, 3b, . . . , 3n connected to the network 2. The scanner 20 reads an image from a manuscript set on a manuscript table, not shown, or a manuscript sent thereto by an automatic paper feeder, not shown, and generates image data. The printer 21 forms an image onto a paper on the basis of a print waiting file or the like received via the network 2.
The clock unit 22 generates date and time information. The date and time information generated by the clock unit 22 is acquired by the CPU 11, when necessary. The I/O 23 is connected with the card reader 4. The I/O 23 transmits the recognition of a card by the card reader 4 and a code that is read from the card in a non-contact manner, to the CPU 11.
Next, the specific function execution processing will be described.
The CPU 11 judges whether the card reader 4 recognized the card 5 or not (ST101). If it is judged that the card reader 4 recognized the card 5 (YES at ST101), the CPU 11 acquires a code read from the card 5 by the card reader 4 (ST102).
The CPU 11 judges whether the acquired code is a code stored in the specific function table T2 or not (ST103). If it is judged that the code is a code stored in the specific function table T2, that is, an identification code (YES at ST103), the CPU 11 executes processing that corresponds to a specific function corresponding to the identification code (ST104). For example, if the identification code is a maintenance mode starting instruction code, the maintenance mode is started. For example, if the identification code is a print waiting file deleting code, a print waiting file stored in the print file storing unit 14b is deleted.
Meanwhile, if it is judged that the code is not a code stored in the specific function table T2 (NO at ST103), the CPU 11 judges whether the code is a personal identification code or not (ST105). If it is judged that the code is a personal identification code (YES at ST105), the CPU 11 executes printing of a print file to which the personal identification code has been attached, of print files saved in the print file saving unit 14b (ST106). If it is judged that the code is not a personal identification code (NO at ST105), the CPU 11 ends the processing.
According to this embodiment, for example, when the manager of the MFP 1 wants to start the MFP 1 in the maintenance mode, the manager can simply hold the maintenance mode starting card 5a over the card reader 4, thereby starting the MFP 1 in the maintenance mode. Therefore, when starting the MFP 1 in the maintenance mode, the manager need not carry out any special operation and it is very convenient for the manager. Also, in the case where many print files are still stored in the print file storing unit 14b without being printed, the user can simply hold the print waiting file deleting card 5c over the card reader 4, thereby deleting all the print files. Thus, the time and labor for deleting the print files can be reduced.
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The same parts as in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same numerals and will not be described further in detail. In this second embodiment, a specific function card and a personal identification card are combined to cause the MFP 1 to execute predetermined processing, In this second embodiment, along with the above-described personal identification table T1, a specific function table T3 shown in
The specific function execution processing will be described next.
If the CPU 11 judges that the code is the code stored in the specific function table T3, that is, an identification code (YES at ST203), the CPU 11 saves the code into the RAM 13. This code is stored into a code saving unit (not shown) within the RAM 13. Then, the processing ends.
On the other hand, if the CPU 11 judges that the code is not the code stored in the specific function table T3 (NO at ST203), the CPU 11 then judges whether the code is a personal identification code or not (ST205). If it is judged that the code is a personal identification code (YES at ST205), the CPU 11 judges whether the code has been saved in the code saving unit of the RAM 13 or not (ST206),
If it is judged that the code has been saved in the code saving unit of the RAM 13 (YES at ST206), processing corresponding to the saved code is executed to a print file specified by the personal identification code (ST207). That is, only a print file containing the acquired personal identification code is deleted, of the print files stored in the specific print file storing unit 14b.
If it is judged that the code has not been saved in the code saving unit of the RAM 13 (NO at ST206), the print file containing the acquired personal identification code is printed, of the print files stored in the specific print file storing unit 14b (ST208).
The CPU 11 ends the processing if it judges that the code is not a personal identification code (NO at ST205), or if it the processing corresponding to the specific function is executed (ST207), or if the print processing is executed (ST208).
Next, the handling of the code saved in the code saving unit of the RAM 13 will be described.
The CPU 11 judges whether the code has been saved in the code saving unit of the RAM 13 or not (ST301). If it is judged that the code has been saved in the code saving unit (YES at ST301), the CPU 11 judges whether or not a predetermined time, for example, three seconds, has passed since the code was saved to the code saving unit (ST302). If it is judged that the predetermined time has not passed (NO at ST302), the processing returns to step ST301.
On the other hand, if it is judged that the predetermined time has passed (YES at ST303), the code saved in the code saving unit of the RAM 13 is deleted (ST303). Then, the processing ends.
According to this embodiment, when the user wants to delete a print file stored in the MFP 1, the user can simply perform an operation of holding the user's own personal identification card 5a over the card reader 4 within a predetermined time after holding the print waiting file deleting card 5c over the card reader 4, thereby deleting only the print file sent by the user, of the print files stored in the MFP 1.
Moreover, a print file will not be deleted immediately even if the print waiting file deleting card 5c is recognized by the card reader 4. Unless the personal identification card 5a is recognized after the card 5c is recognized, the print file corresponding to the personal identification card 5a will not be deleted. Therefore, unexpected deletion of the print file can be prevented.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
