Abstract:
An image forming device having an adjusting mode for making settings related to image formation, using a setting unit that sets whether change to the adjusting mode is inhibited, as well as a change unit that inhibits the change to the adjusting mode when it is set to do so by the setting unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an image forming device having an adjusting mode for making settings related to image formation and its control method, and more particularly to an image forming device, which enhances the user security in an adjusting mode to perform a maintenance operation by a customer engineer or the like, and its control method. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Conventionally, image forming devices such as copy machines and multifunctional devices are configured to switch from an ordinary mode to an adjusting mode when a prescribed key operation is made by a customer engineer or the like. In the adjusting mode, it becomes possible to access data related to the security such as not only settings related to image formation but also data about the security of a password of a machine administrator, an encryption key and the like. 
   It is know to provide a technology capable of efficiently finding an item of checking or changing various types of image forming settings in order to perform the setting operation easily and properly by a customer engineer or the like in an adjusting mode. 
   For the maintenance of settings related to the image formation of the image forming device which is used in a customer office or the like, the customer engineer activates the device in an adjusting mode and performs a prescribed operation. 
   Therefore, all the customer data stored in a nonvolatile memory or the like of the image forming device and information related to the security of an encryption key for encryption of the data were clearly known by the customer engineer, and it was not desirable in view of security. 
   Then, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides an image forming device which enhances the security of a user in an adjusting mode, when the customer engineer or the like performs a maintenance operation, and its control method. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An aspect of the present invention provides an image forming device having an adjusting mode for making settings related to image formation, comprising: a setting unit which sets whether change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not; and a change inhibit unit which inhibits the change to the adjusting mode when it is set by the setting unit that the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited. 
   A further aspect of the present invention provides an image forming device having an adjusting mode for making settings related to image formation, comprising: a data registration unit which registers data desired to be inhibited from being accessed in the adjusting mode; a data access setting unit which sets whether the access to the data registered by the data registration unit is inhibited or not; and a data access inhibit unit which inhibits the access to the data registered by the data registration unit when it is set by the data access setting unit that the access to the data registered by the data registration unit is inhibited. 
   A still further aspect of the present invention provides a control method of an image forming device having an adjusting mode capable of making settings related to image formation, comprising: setting by a setting unit whether the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not by a change inhibit unit, and inhibiting the change to the adjusting mode when it is set by the setting unit that the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a view showing a system structure of a multifunctional device  1  to which the image forming device according to the present invention is applied; 
       FIG. 2  is a functional block view showing a part of the functional structure of a main CPU  22  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an example of the screen displayed on a display operation section  10  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is an example of the screen displayed on the display operation section  10  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating an operation of control processing of the multifunctional device  1  shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating an operation of adjusting mode change setting processing shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart illustrating an operation of access limitation processing shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  show an example of the screen displayed on the display operation section  10  shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating an operation of control processing of the multifunctional device  1  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Embodiments of an image forming device and its control method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is a view showing a system structure of a multifunctional device  1  to which the image forming device according to the present invention is applied. The present invention can be applied to even a single device, a system comprised of plural devices or a system which executes processing with connection made through a network such as LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network) or the like if the functions of the present invention can be performed. 
   In  FIG. 1 , the multifunctional device  1  is generally comprised of the display operation section  10  which is a user interface such as an operation panel, a controller section  20  which performs centralized control of the multifunctional device  1  and an engine section  30  which performs image input/output processing according to an instruction from the controller section  20 . 
   The display operation section  10  is an operation panel provided on the device body as described above, and more specifically a user interface which is provided with an input device such as a touch panel and operation buttons, and a display device such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like. 
   The controller section  20  is comprised of a panel I/F (Interface)  21  which executes the transfer of data with the above-described display operation section  10 , a main CPU (Central Processing Unit)  22  which controls and manages the operation of each section according to a program deployed in a system memory  23  or the like to be described later, the system memory  23  which is a work area for executing the program, a communication section  24  which is an interface device for communicating with another device through a telephone line or a network, an image memory  25  which temporarily stores an image, an input section I/F (Interface)  26  which executes the transfer of data such as an input image with an image input section  31  to be described later, an output section I/F (Interface)  27  which executes the transfer of data such as an output image with an image output section  32  to be described later, and a storage section  28  which holds and manages a variety of data. 
   The above-described storage section  28  is a storage device such as a flash ROM (Read Only Memory) or an HD (Hard Disk) which temporarily stores data about the job which was executed by the multifunctional device  1 . Data which is temporarily stored in the storage section  28  includes confidential document data. 
   The engine section  30  is comprised of the image input section  31  such as a scanner device for reading image data which is formed on a sheet or the like and the image output section  32  such as a printer or the like for forming image data on a sheet or the lie. In this structure, the control processing according to the present invention is mainly executed by the main CPU  22 . 
   The system configuration view of the multifunctional device  1  according to the present invention was described above. It is not shown in the figure, but the multifunctional device  1  is also provided with a power control section for controlling the supply of electricity to each component of the multifunctional device  1  as required. 
     FIG. 2  is a functional block view showing a part of the functional structure of the main CPU  22  shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, only the components relevant to the present invention will be described. It is to be understood that the same reference numerals are allotted to the same elements as those shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   In  FIG. 2 , the main CPU  22  works as functional sections including an adjusting mode change inhibit section  101 , a change inhibit setting section  102 , an authentication section  103 , an access inhibit data registration section  104 , a data access inhibit section  105  and an access inhibit setting section  106  as various processing functional sections. 
   The adjusting mode change inhibit section  101  is a processing section which inhibits a customer engineer or the like from freely changing to an adjusting mode. Specifically, where the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited by the adjusting mode change inhibit section  101 , and the change to the adjusting mode cannot be made at all. It means that the adjusting mode itself is eliminated. 
   The change inhibit setting section  102  is a processing section for setting whether the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not by the above-described adjusting mode change inhibit section  101 . The setting processing to determine whether the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not by the change inhibit setting section  102  can be conducted if a result of authentication by the authentication section  103  to be described later is normal. 
   The access inhibit data registration section  104  is a processing section which registers data for inhibiting the access after the change to the adjusting mode. Specifically, the data selected according to a user&#39;s instruction through the input device of the display operation section  10  is determined as access inhibit data in cooperation with the data access inhibit section  105  to be described later. In addition, data change and data deletion can also be made. 
   the access inhibit data registration section  104  automatically registers information about the security of an encryption key or the like used to encrypt the data in the storage section  28  into the access inhibit data. For example, where the multifunctional device  1  is provided with an optional device (such as software for encryption of data in the storage section  28 ) for security, security information (encryption key or the like) about the optional device is automatically registered in the access inhibit data. 
   The data access inhibit section  105  is a processing section which inhibits the access to data by a customer engineer or the like such that the data to be stored in the storage section  28  cannot be referenced or changed its settings freely in the adjusting mode. Specifically, the access to the data registered by the above-described access inhibit data registration section  104  is inhibited. The storage section  28  stores data on the jobs done by a user in the past and data including security information about the encryption key for encryption of the job data and inhibits the customer engineer or the like from accessing data which is required to be highly confidential. 
   The data access inhibit setting to be made by the data access inhibit section  105  includes broadly two methods, one for completely inhibiting the access to the storage section  28  and the other for inhibiting the access to particular data among the data to be stored in the storage section  28 . 
   The access inhibit setting section  106  is a processing section which sets whether the access to data is inhibited by the above-described data access inhibit section  105 . The setting processing to determine whether the access to data is inhibited by the access inhibit setting section  106  is executed when the result of authentication by the authentication section  103  to be described later is normal. 
   The authentication section  103  is a processing section which requires a password at the time of an adjusting mode change inhibit setting or a data access inhibit setting and judges whether the input password is correct or not. Specifically, where the setting processing is performed by the above-described change inhibit setting section  102  or the access inhibit setting section  106 , input of a password is required, and the input password is compared with the password previously stored in the storage section  28 . If they match, the processing by the change inhibit setting section  102  or the access inhibit setting section  106  is permitted. 
   The password previously stored in the storage section  28  is automatically registered in the access inhibit data by the access inhibit data registration section  104  such that access is inhibited in the adjusting mode. 
   Then, the screens displayed on the display operation section  10  shown in  FIG. 1  will be described with reference to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . Here, the screens to be displayed when the adjusting mode change inhibit setting or the data access inhibit setting is performed will be described. 
     FIG. 3  shows examples of a machine administrator (adjusting mode setting) screen and a password input screen. This password input screen is a screen which is displayed when an adjusting mode change setting button  203  or an access restriction button  204  is pushed on the machine administrator (adjusting mode setting) screen. 
   First, the machine administrator (adjusting mode setting) screen is a screen which is displayed when the multifunctional device  1  is changed to the machine administrator mode by a prescribed operation made by the machine administrator. This screen is provided with a mode termination button  201  which is pushed to terminate a job in the machine administrator mode, an ordinary setting button  202  which is pushed to execute general setting processing in the machine administrator mode, the adjusting mode change setting button  203  which is pushed to set whether the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not, and the access restriction button  204  which is pushed to set data for inhibiting the access in the adjusting mode. 
   Then, the password input screen is a screen which is displayed when the adjusting mode change setting button  203  or the access restriction button  204  is pushed on the machine administrator (adjusting mode setting) screen as described above. This screen is provided with a close button  205  which is pushed to cancel the password input processing and an OK button  206  which is pushed after the input of a password. 
   The password required on this password input screen may be different from the one which is input to change to the machine administrator mode. In such a case, even if the password to be input here was not remembered, the change to the machine administrator mode can be made, so that it is merely a matter that a data setting, by which the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not or the access in the adjusting mode is inhibited, cannot be made. 
     FIG. 4  shows examples of a machine administrator (access restriction selection) screen and a machine administrator (access restriction data selection) screen. 
   First, the machine administrator (access restriction selection) screen is a screen which is displayed when the access restriction button  204  is pushed on the machine administrator (adjusting mode setting) screen described with reference to  FIG. 3  and the password is normally authenticated on the password input screen. 
   The machine administrator (access restriction selection) screen is provided with a button  208  which is pushed when the access to data is not limited in the adjusting mode, a button  209  which is pushed when the access to data is limited in the adjusting mode, and a decision button  207  which is pushed when either the above-described button  208  or  209  is selected. 
   Subsequently, the machine administrator (access restriction data selection) screen is a screen which is displayed when the button  209  is selected on the above-described machine administrator (access restriction selection) screen and the decision button  207  is pushed. 
   The machine administrator (access restriction data selection) screen is provided with a button  211  which is pushed when the access to job data is limited in the adjusting mode, a button  212  which is pushed when the access to job data is not limited in the adjusting mode, a button  213  which is pushed when the access to encryption data is limited in the adjusting mode, a button  214  which is pushed when the access to encryption data is not limited in the adjusting mode, and a decision button  210  which is pushed after either of the above-described button  211  or  212  and the button  213  or  214  are selected. 
   As described above, according to the embodiment, it can be set such that particular data (here, job data or encryption data) is selected among the data stored in the storage section  28 , and the selected data can be made not accessed in the adjusting mode. Therefore, only data required, when the customer engineer or the like executes a job, is allowed to be accessed in the adjusting mode, and the access to data, which is required to be confidential, is inhibited. Thus, the security of the user can be enhanced without disturbing the job executed by the customer engineer or the like. 
   It was described above that the particular data was job data or encryption data. But, it is not exclusive, and it may be in a file unit, a directory unit or a drive unit. 
     FIG. 5  to  FIG. 7  are flow charts illustrating the operation of control processing by the multifunctional device  1  shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, the operation by the multifunctional device  1  to perform an adjusting mode change inhibit setting or a data access inhibit setting will be described. 
   In  FIG. 5 , this control processing is started when the machine administrator executes a prescribed operation and the multifunctional device  1  is changed to a machine administrator mode (step S 101 ). 
   When this control processing is started, the multifunctional device  1  displays the machine administrator (adjusting mode setting) screen described with reference to  FIG. 3  on the display operation section  10  and waits for input of a user instruction (step S 102 ). In other words, it is in a standby state until any of the ordinary setting button  202 , the adjusting mode change setting button  203  and the access restriction button  204  is pushed by the user on the machine administrator (adjusting mode setting) screen. 
   Here, if the ordinary setting button  202  is pushed (the normal setting button is pushed in step S 102 ), general setting processing is performed in the machine administrator mode (step S 103 ), the machine administrator mode is terminated (step S 106 ), and this control processing is terminated. 
   If the adjusting mode change setting button  203  is pushed (the adjusting mode change setting button is pushed in step S 102 ), the adjusting mode change setting processing is performed (step S 104 ) to be described in detail later, the machine administrator mode is terminated (step S 106 ), and this control processing is terminated. 
   If the access restriction button  204  is pushed (the access restriction button is pushed in step S 102 ), the access limitation processing is performed (step S 105 ) to be described in detail later, the machine administrator mode is terminated (step S 106 ), and this control processing is terminated. 
   Here, the operation of the adjusting mode change setting processing in the above-described step S 104  will be described with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
   In  FIG. 6 , when this adjusting mode change setting processing is started, the multifunctional device  1  displays the password input screen, which was described with reference to  FIG. 3 , on the display operation section  10  and waits for input of a user instruction (step S 201 ). In other words, the multifunctional device  1  waits until the user inputs a password on the password input screen. 
   Here, when the password is input, the input password is compared with the password previously stored in the storage section  28  to judge if they match (step S 202 ). 
   If the input password is wrong (NO in step S 202 ), it is indicated on the display operation section  10  that the password is wrong (step S 203 ), and the multifunctional device  1  waits again the input of a password, but if the input password is correct (YES in step S 202 ), it is selected whether the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not (step S 204 ). 
   If the user desires to inhibit the adjusting mode change by this selection processing (YES in step S 204 ), it is set to inhibit the change to the adjusting mode (step S 205 ) and the adjusting mode change setting processing is terminated. But, if the user does not desire to inhibit the adjusting mode change (NO in step S 204 ), it is set to allow the change to the adjusting mode (step S 206 ), and the adjusting mode change setting processing is terminated. 
   Subsequently, the operation of access limitation processing in the above described step S 105  will be described with reference to  FIG. 7 . 
   In  FIG. 7 , when the access limitation processing is started, the multifunctional device  1  displays the password input screen, which was described with reference to  FIG. 3 , on the display operation section  10  and waits for input of a user instruction (step S 301 ). In other words, it waits until the user inputs a password on the password input screen. 
   Here, when the password is input, the input password is compared with the password previously stored in the storage section  28  to judge if they match (step S 302 ). 
   If the input password is wrong (NO in step S 302 ), it is indicated on the display operation section  10  that the password is wrong (step S 303 ), and the multifunctional device  1  waits again the input of a password, but if the input password is correct (YES in step S 302 ), it is selected whether access inhibit data is set or not (step S 304 ). In other words, the machine administrator (access restriction selection) screen described with reference to  FIG. 4  is displayed, and input of a user instruction is waited for. 
   If the user does not desire the access restriction in the adjusting mode by this selection processing (NO in step S 304 ), the access limitation processing is terminated. But, if the user desires to set data to which access is restricted (YES in step S 304 ), access inhibit data is selected on the machine administrator (access restriction data selection) screen which was described with reference to  FIG. 4  (step S 305 ), the decision button  210  is pushed to set the selected data to the access inhibit (step S 306 ), and this access limitation processing is terminated. 
   Then, the screen to be displayed on the display operation section  10  shown in  FIG. 1  will be described with reference to  FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B . Here, the screen to be displayed when the customer engineer or the like makes a job in the adjusting mode will be described. 
     FIG. 8A  and  FIG. 8B  show examples of the adjusting mode work screen, and adjusting mode work screens ( FIG. 8A ) and ( FIG. 8B ) to which access is previously restricted will be described. Specifically,  FIG. 8A  is a screen which is displayed when access restriction has been made such that the customer engineer or the like cannot access the storage section  28  at all, and  FIG. 8B  is a screen which is displayed when the access by the customer engineer or the like to the storage section  28  or the like is allowed but accessible data is limited. 
   The adjusting mode work screen is a screen to be displayed when the machine administrator performs a prescribed operation, and the multifunctional device  1  is changed to the adjusting mode. 
   First,  FIG. 8A  shows an adjusting mode work (work item selection) screen, which has a mode termination button  215  which is pushed to terminate the job in the adjusting mode, an image quality adjusting button  216  which is pushed to adjust the image quality, a memory R/W button  217  which is pushed to perform reading/writing of data to be stored in the storage section  28  or the like, and a memory clear button  218  which is pushed to initialize data to be stored in the storage section  28  or the like. But, the memory R/W button  217  is controlled to an inactive state such that it cannot be pushed. In other words, the access is previously restricted by the machine administrator or the like such that the customer engineer or the like cannot access the storage section  28  or the like at all. 
   Meanwhile,  FIG. 8B  shows the same screen as the adjusting mode work (work item selection) screen described with reference to  FIG. 8A  and an adjusting mode work (memory R/W) screen to be displayed when the memory R/W button  217  is pushed on the same screen. 
     FIG. 8A  shows that the memory R/W button  217  is made inactive, such that the access to the storage section  28  cannot be made at all, but  FIG. 8B  shows that the memory access R/W button  217  is made active such that the access to the storage section  28  or the like by the customer engineer or the like is permitted, but access to data is restricted on the adjusting mode work (memory R/W) screen. 
     FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating the operation of control processing by the multifunctional device  1  shown in  FIG. 1 . Here, the operation of the multifunctional device  1  when the customer engineer or the like performs a maintenance operation in the adjusting mode will be described. 
   In  FIG. 9 , this control processing is started when the machine administrator performs a prescribed operation to change the multifunctional device  1  to the machine administrator mode (step S 401 ). 
   When the control processing is started, a special key is input by the machine administrator (step S 402 ). Thus, the processing to change the multifunctional device  1  to the adjusting mode is performed. It may be configured to change to the adjusting mode by inputting a password or to change to the adjusting mode by inputting a special key. 
   When the special key is input by the machine administrator, the multifunctional device  1  judges whether the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not (step S 403 ). Specifically, it is judged whether the change inhibit setting by the adjusting mode change inhibit section  101  is made by the change inhibit setting section  102 . 
   Here, if the adjusting mode change inhibit is set (NO in step S 403 ), it is displayed on the screen of the display operation section  10  that the change to the adjusting mode cannot be made (step S 404 ), and this control processing is terminated, but if the adjusting mode change inhibit is not set (YES in step S 403 ), the multifunctional device  1  is changed to the adjusting mode (step S 405 ). 
   When changed to the adjusting mode, the customer engineer or the like tries to access the data to be stored in the storage section  28  in order to perform the maintenance operation (step S 406 ). 
   At the time of the data access processing by the customer engineer or the like, the multifunctional device  1  judges whether the stored data is access inhibit data or not (step S 407 ). Specifically, it is judged whether the access inhibit setting by the data access inhibit section  105  has been made by the access inhibit setting section  106 . 
   Here, if data to which the customer engineer or the like desires to access is access inhibit data (YES in step S 407 ), it is displayed on the screen that the access to that data is not permitted (step S 408 ), then this control processing is terminated. But, if the access inhibit is not set (NO in step S 407 ), the customer engineer or the like performs a prescribed processing by the multifunctional device  1  (step S 409 ), and this control processing is terminated. 
   As described above, it can be set whether the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited or not. Therefore, if the change to the adjusting mode is inhibited by the above setting, the change to the adjusting mode cannot be made freely by the customer engineer or the like. Thus, the security, which was conventionally broken by accessing to the customer data in the adjusting mode, can be secured. 
   It can also be configured such that data to which access is desired to be inhibited is selected among the data stored in the storage section  28  and the selected data can be set, so that the access to it cannot be made in the adjusting mode. Therefore, only data required in order for conduction of a job by the customer engineer or the like can be made accessible in the adjusting mode, and data required to be confidential is set not to be accessed. Thus, the job to be performed by the customer engineer or the like is not disturbed, and the security of the user can be enhanced. 
   It was described in the above-embodiment that the image forming device according to the present invention was applied to the multifunctional device  1 . It may be configured that the control method of the image forming device is performed by the control program installed in the multifunctional device  1 . 
   The image forming device according to the present invention is not limited to the multifunctional device but can also be applied to general image forming devices such as printers, facsimiles, copy machines and the like. 
   In addition, the present invention is not limited to the examples described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a customer engineer mode applying the present invention may be disposed newly. 
   The image forming device and its control method of the present invention can be applied to general image forming devices having an adjusting mode and particularly used effectively in offices and the like having an image forming device which is often subjected to a maintenance work by the customer engineer or the like. 
   The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-278108 filed on Sep. 24, 2004 including specification, claims, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.