Patent Application
20130135680
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-261468 filed on Nov. 30, 2011, and the contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference.
The present application relates to an image forming device that can read image data from a portable external storage device such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory and print the image, and also to a method for displaying image information that specifies the image.
A thumbnail is an example of image information specifying an image, and some of image forming devices such as all-in-one devices have a function of displaying a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured. A configuration in which a low-resolution thumbnail is displayed with respect to the image designated by a user has been suggested as an example of such image forming device. A configuration in which a thumbnail showing part of an image is displayed with respect to the image designated by a user has been suggested as another example of such image forming device.
A storage device such as a USB memory is an external storage device that can be carried by the user (portable external storage device). Therefore, it is possible to store data image in the portable external storage device, connect an unspecified image forming device to the portable external storage device, read the image data, and print the image. Under an environment in which an unspecified person can view a thumbnail (photo shop or the like), the user sometimes wishes that a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured be displayed on the display unit of the image forming device. Meanwhile, under an environment in which an unspecified person cannot view a thumbnail (e.g., at home), it is more convenient for the user that a thumbnail (usual thumbnail) in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured be displayed on the display unit of the image forming device.
Where the settings for displaying a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured (security settings) are made, the security settings can be canceled by operating the operation unit of the image forming device. Since the operability of the operation unit of the image forming device is not as good as that of a personal computer, the cancelation of security settings is sometimes troublesome.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an image forming device and a method for displaying image information that can improve convenience for the user in the case where settings for displaying in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured are made with respect to image information specifying an image formed on the basis of image data stored in a portable external storage device.
An image forming device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an image forming device in which image data stored in a portable external storage device can be read and an image formed on the basis of the image data can be printed on a paper sheet, the image forming device including a connection unit, a read unit, a determination unit, a display unit, and a display control unit. The connection unit is connectable to the portable external storage device. The read unit reads the image data from the portable external storage device connected to the connection unit. The determination unit determines whether or not the image forming device is a pre-designated image forming device by using specifying information when security setting including the specifying information that specifies the pre-designated image forming device has been made in the image data read by the read unit. The display control unit causes the display unit to display image information specifying the image formed on the basis of the image data in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured when the image forming device is not determined by the determination unit to be the pre-designated image forming device, and causes the display unit to display the image information in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured when the image forming device is determined by the determination unit to be the pre-designated image forming device.
A method for displaying image information according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for displaying image information specifying an image on a display unit of an image forming device in which image data stored in a portable external storage device can be read and an image formed on the basis of the image data can be printed on a paper sheet, the method including: a read step, a determination step, and a display control step. In the read step, the image data is read from the portable external storage device. In the determination step, it is determined whether or not the image forming device is a pre-designated image forming device by using specifying information when security setting including the specifying information that specifies the pre-designated image forming device has been made in the image data read in the read step. In the display control step, the display unit is caused to display image information specifying the image formed on the basis of the image data in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured when the image forming device is not determined in the determination step to be the pre-designated image forming device, and the display unit is caused to display the image information in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured when the image forming device is determined in the determination step to be the pre-designated image forming device.
An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail hereinbelow with reference to the appended drawings.
The document feed unit 300 functions as an automatic document feeder and can continuously feed a plurality of documents placed on a document placement unit 301 to the document reading unit 200.
The document reading unit 200 has a carriage 201 carrying an exposure lamp and the like, a document table 203 constituted by a transparent member such as glass, a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor (not shown in the figure), and a document reading slit 205. When the document placed on the document table 203 is read, the document is read by the CCD sensor, while the carriage 201 is being moved in the longitudinal direction of the document table 203. By contrast, when the document fed from the document feed unit 300 is read, the carriage 201 is moved to the position opposite the document reading slit 205, and the document fed from the document feed unit 300 is read by the CCD sensor through the document read slit 205. The CCD sensor outputs the read-out document as image data.
The device main body 100 is provided with a sheet storage unit 101, an image forming unit 103, and a fixing unit 105. The sheet storage unit 101 is disposed in the lowermost section of the device main body 100 and includes a sheet tray 107 capable of storing a stack of sheets. The uppermost sheet in the sheet stack stored in the sheet tray 107 is sent to the sheet conveying path 111 by the driver of a pick-up roller 109.
The sheet is conveyed to the image forming unit 103 through the sheet conveying path 111.
The image forming unit 103 forms a toner image on the conveyed sheet. The image forming unit 103 is provided with a photosensitive drum 113, an exposure unit 115, a development unit 117, and a transfer unit 119. The exposure unit 115 generates light modulated according to image data (image data outputted from the document read unit 200, image data sent from a personal computer, image data of facsimile reception, and the like), and irradiates the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 113 that has been uniformly charged. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 113. In this state, a toner is supplied from the development unit 117 to the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 113, thereby forming a toner image corresponding to the image data on the circumferential surface. This toner image is transferred from the above-described sheet storage unit 101 to the sheet by the transfer unit 119.
The sheet with a toner image transferred thereto is sent to the fixing unit 105. In the fixing unit 105, heat and pressure are applied to the toner image and sheet, and the toner image is fixed to the sheet. The sheet is then discharged to a stack tray 121 or a discharge tray 123.
The operation unit 400 has an operation key unit 401 and a display unit 403. The display unit 403 has a touch panel function and displays a screen including soft keys. The user makes settings necessary for executing the function of a copier or the like by operating the soft keys, while looking at the screen.
The operation key unit 401 is provided with operation keys constituted by hard keys. More specifically, the operation key unit is provided with a start key 405, ten keys 407, a stop key 409, a reset key 411, and a function switching key 413 for switching the functions of the copier, printer, scanner, and facsimile machine.
The start key 405 starts the operation of the copier, facsimile transmission, and the like. The ten keys 407 serve to input the numbers such as the number of copies and the facsimile number. The stop key 409 can interrupt the copying operation. The reset key 411 returns the set contents to the initial setting state.
The function switching key 413 is provided with a copy key and a transmission key and serves to switch between the copy function and transmission function. Where the copy key is operated, an initial screen of copying is displayed on the display unit 403. Where the transmission key is operated, the initial screens of facsimile transmission and mail transmission are displayed on the display unit 403.
The communication unit 600 is provided with a facsimile communication unit 601 and a network I/F unit 603. The facsimile communication unit 601 is provided with a network control unit (NCU) that controls the connection of a telephone line to a destination facsimile machine and a modem circuit that performs modulation and demodulation of signals for facsimile communication. The facsimile communication unit 601 is connected to a telephone line 605.
The network I/F unit 603 is connected to a local area network (LAN) 607. The network I/F unit 603 is a communication interface circuit for executing communication with a terminal device such as a personal computer connected to the LAN 607.
The USB connector 700 functions as a connection unit that can be connected to a USB memory 701. The USB connector 700 is mounted on the case of the device main unit 100. The USB connector 700 is an example of a connection unit that can be connected to a portable external memory device. Examples of the portable external memory device, other than the USB memory, include a compact disk (CD), a SD memory, and an external HDD.
The HDD 800 is an example of an image data storage unit and installed in the image forming device 1. The HDD 800 is used for saving image data outputted from the document reading unit 200, image data transmitted from the personal computer via the communication unit 700, image data that have been facsimile received via the communication unit 700, and the like. Part of the storage area of the HDD 800 is used as a document box 801. The abovementioned image data can be stored in the document box 801.
The control unit 500 is provided with a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and an image memory. The CPU executes the control necessary for operating the image forming device 1 with respect to the abovementioned constituent elements of the image forming device 1, such as the device main body 100. The ROM stores the software necessary for controlling the operation of the image forming device 1. The RAM is used for temporary storing the data generated when the software is executed and for storing application software. The image memory temporarily stores image data (image data outputted from the document reading unit 200, image data sent from the personal computer, image data received by the facsimile machine, and the like).
The control unit 500 is provided with a specifying information storage unit 501, a read unit 503, a determination unit 505, a display control unit 507, an acceptance unit 509, a security setting unit 511, and a storage processing unit 513 as functional blocks.
The specifying information storage unit 501 stores in advance a plurality of specifying information that have been allocated to a plurality of image forming devices that serve as candidates of the pre-designated image forming device. The read unit 503 reads image data from the USB memory 701 connected to the USB connector 700. The determination unit 505 determines whether or not the image forming device 1 is the pre-designated image forming device when security settings including specifying information specifying the pre-designated image forming device have been made in the image data read by the read unit 503.
The display control unit 507 displays on the display unit 403 a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured when the image forming device 1 is not determined by the determination unit 505 to be the pre-designated image forming device. Further, the display control unit 507 displays on the display unit 403 a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured when the image forming device 1 is determined by the determination unit 505 to be the pre-designated image forming device. Furthermore, the display control unit 507 displays on the display unit 403 a plurality of specifying information that has been stored in the specifying information storage unit 501 when the image data stored in the HDD 800 is stored in the USB memory 701 while the security settings are made in the image data.
The acceptance unit 509 accepts, in response to the operation unit 400 being operated, the input of specifying information when the image data stored in the HDD 800 is stored in the USB memory 701 while the security settings are made in the image data. Further, the acceptance unit 509 accepts, in response to the operation unit 400 being operated, an input that selects specifying information of one or two or more types from among a plurality of specifying information displayed on the display unit 403. In addition, the acceptance unit 509 accepts, in response to the operation unit 400 being operated, an image printing command specified by image information displayed on the display unit 403.
The security setting unit 511 makes securing settings including specifying information accepted by the acceptance unit 509 with respect to the image data stored in the HDD 800. The storage unit 513 causes the USB memory 701 to store the image data for which the security settings have been made in the security setting unit 511.
The security settings as referred to herein as settings that cause the display of a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured.
The pre-designated image forming device is an image forming device in which the security settings are automatically canceled and the thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured is displayed on the display unit 403 even when the security settings have been made in the image data stored in the USB memory 701.
A thumbnail is an example of image information. The image information as referred to herein is information specifying an image that is formed on the basis of image data. A character image showing bibliographic matters such as a file name, an update date, and data size of image data also corresponds to image information.
The specifying information as referred to herein is information specifying the pre-designed image forming device. In the present embodiment, Internet protocol (IP) addresses allocated to a plurality of image forming devices including the image forming device 1 are taken as the specifying information.
The thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured is described below. Thus, the thumbnail is processed such that by looking at the thumbnail a person performing the operation of storing image data of the image in the USB memory 701 can understand the type of image, whereas another person cannot understand it. For example, this is a thumbnail that shows only part of the image or a thumbnail in which the resolution is decreased to a degree such that another person cannot understand the image contents.
By contrast, the thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured is a thumbnail processed such that by looking at the thumbnail a person performing the operation of storing image data of the image in the USB memory 701 and another person can understand the type of image. Thus, an image (the usual thumbnail) reduced in size with a resolution such that the other person can understand the image contents corresponds to such a thumbnail.
Security settings have not been made for image data of image A, image E, and image F. Therefore, with respect to image A, image E, and image F, a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the images is not ensured is displayed, without inquiring whether or not the image forming device 1 is a pre-designated image forming device.
By contrast, security settings have been made for image data of image B, image C, image D, and image G. In the image data of image B and image G, the specifying information is an IP address of the first image forming device and the IP address of the second image forming device. Therefore, where the image forming device 1 is the first image forming device or the second image forming device, thumbnails displayed with respect to image B and image G are those in a state in which security of the images is not ensured. By contrast, where the image forming device 1 is an image forming device other than the first image forming device or the second image forming device, thumbnails displayed with respect to image B and image G are those in a state in which security of those images is ensured.
In image data of image C and image D, the specifying information is the IP address of the second image forming device. Therefore, where the image forming device 1 is the second image forming device, thumbnails displayed with respect to image C and image D are those in a state in which security of the contents of the images is not ensured. Meanwhile, where the image forming device 1 other than the second image forming device, thumbnails displayed with respect to image C and image D are those in a state in which security of the contents of the images is ensured.
When the image forming device 1 is the first image forming device (example of the pre-designated image forming device), the security settings are not canceled with respect to image C and image D, and thumbnails in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured are displayed with respect to those images. Meanwhile, the security settings are canceled with respect to image B and image G, and thumbnails in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured are displayed with respect to those images.
The processing of displaying a thumbnail of the image formed on the basis of the image data stored in the USB memory 701 will be explained below.
A job of reading the image data from the USB memory 701 and printing the image is selected in response to the operation unit 400 being operated in a state in which the USB memory 701 is connected to the USB connector 700 (step S1). As a result, the read unit 503 reads all of the image data stored in the USB memory 701.
The determination unit 505 determines the number of image data read from the USB memory 701 and sets n=1 (step S2). The n=1 setting designates the image data read in the first cycle. The determination unit 505 determines whether or not security settings have been made in the image data read in the first cycle (step S3).
When the determination unit 505 does not determine that security settings have been made in the image data read in the first cycle (step S3: No), the display control unit 507 uses the image data read in the first cycle to generate a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured (step S4).
The determination unit 505 determines whether the image data read in the first cycle is the last read data (step S5). Where the determination unit 505 does not determine that the image data read in the first cycle is the last read data (step S5: No), the determination unit 505 sets N+1 to n (step S6), and the processing advances to step S3. Therefore, the processing of step S3 and subsequent steps is also performed with respect to the image data read in the second and subsequent cycles.
Meanwhile, where the determination unit 505 determines that security settings have been made in the image data read in the first cycle (step S3: Yes), the determination unit 505 determines whether or not specifying information is included in the security settings (step S7).
Where the determination unit 505 does not determine that specifying information is included in the security settings (step S7: No), the display control unit 507 generates a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured with respect to the image data read in the first cycle (step S8). The processing then advances to step S5.
Where the determination unit 505 determines that specifying information is included in the security settings with respect to the image data read in the first cycle (step S7: Yes), the determination unit 505 determines whether or not the image forming device 1 is the pre-designated image forming device by using this specifying information (step S9). More specifically, it is determined whether or not the IP address, which is the specifying information, is the IP address allocated to the image forming device 1.
Where the determination unit 505 does not determine that the image forming device 1 is the pre-designated image forming device (step S9: No), the display control unit 507 generates a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured with respect to the image data read in the first cycle (step S10). This processing is similar to that of step S8. The processing then advances to step S5.
Where the determination unit 505 determines that the image forming device 1 is the pre-designated image forming device (step S9: Yes), the display control unit 507 generates a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured by using the image data read in the first cycle (step S11). This processing is similar to that of step S4. The processing then advances to step S5.
Where the determination unit 505 determines that the image data read in the n-th cycle is the last read image data (step S5: Yes), the display control unit 507 displays on the display unit 403 the thumbnails generated in step S4, step S8, step S10, and step S11.
The processing of storing the image data in the USB memory 701 by using the image forming device 1 will be explained below.
A plurality of image data is stored in the HDD 800 (
The control unit 500 determines whether or not security settings have been selected in response to the operation unit 400 being operated (step S22). Where the control unit 500 does not determine that security setting have been selected (step S22: No), the storage processing unit 513 causes the USB memory 701 to store the image data selected in step S21 (step S23). In this case, a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured is displayed on the display unit 403 when a job of reading the image data from the USB memory 701 and printing the image is performed using the image forming device 1 or another image forming device.
When the control unit 500 determines that security settings have been selected (step S22: Yes), the display control unit 507 reads specifying information stored in the specifying information storage unit 501 and causes the display unit 403 to display this information (step S24). The specifying information as referred to herein is, for example, the IP address of the image forming device 1, the IP address of the first image forming device shown in
The acceptance unit 509 determines whether or not one or two or more specifying information, from among a plurality of specifying information displayed on the display unit 403, have been inputted by operating the operation unit 400 (step S25).
Where the acceptance unit 509 does not determine that the specifying information has been inputted (step S25: No), the security setting unit 511 makes security settings including no specifying information with respect to the image data selected in step S21 (step S26). The storage processing unit 513 performs the processing of causing the USB memory 701 to store the image data (step S27). In this case, a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured is displayed on the display unit 403 when a job of reading the image data from the USB memory 701 and printing the image is performed using the image forming device 1 or another image forming device.
Where the acceptance unit 509 determines that the specifying information has been inputted (step S25: Yes), the security setting unit 511 makes security settings including the specifying information with respect to the image data selected in step S21 (step S28). The storage processing unit 513 performs the processing of causing the USB memory 701 to store the image data (step S29). In this case, the thumbnails differ according to the image forming device when a job of reading the image data from the USB memory 701 and printing the image is performed using the image forming device 1 or another image forming device. Thus, in the case of an image forming device specified by the specifying information (that is, the pre-designated image forming device), a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured is displayed on the display unit 403. By contrast, where an image forming device is not specified by the specifying information (that is, not the pre-designated image forming device), a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured is displayed on the display unit 403.
The main effects of the present embodiment are explained below. In the present embodiment, security settings including specifying information that specifies the pre-designated image forming device can be made in the image data stored in the USB memory 701. Whether or not the image forming device 1 connected to the USB memory 701 is the pre-designated image forming device is determined using this specifying information. Where the image forming device 1 is not determined to be the pre-designated image forming device, a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured is displayed on the display unit 403 of the image forming device 1. Meanwhile, where the image forming device 1 is determined to be the pre-designated image forming device, a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured is displayed on the display unit 403 of the image forming device 1.
Therefore, with the present embodiment, whether or not to cancel automatically the security settings (that is, settings causing the display of a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured), can be selected by the user in advance according to the image forming device. Therefore, in the image forming device pre-designated by the user, the operation of canceling the security settings by operating the operation unit of the image forming device can be made unnecessary. Therefore, the convenience for the user can be increased in the case where security settings have been made with respect to the thumbnail (image information) of the image formed on the basis of image data stored in the portable external storage device such as a USB memory.
Further, with the present embodiment, as explained in steps S21 to S29 shown in
Furthermore, with the present embodiment, as explained in step S24 shown in
Further, in the present embodiment, with respect to a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is not ensured, the image specified by the thumbnail is allowed to be printed. However, with respect to a thumbnail in a state in which security of the contents of the image is ensured, printing of the image specified by the thumbnail is prohibited, thereby ensuring security of the image.
Thus, the image forming unit 103 shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-261468 | Nov 2011 | JP | national |
