Patent Abstract:
An image forming apparatus capable of restricting use of a hard disc drive and a method of restricting the use of the hard disc drive of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes an interface unit to detect whether a hard disc drive is installed, and a control unit to execute an authentication procedure for the installed hard disc drive and to control whether data stored into the installed hard disc drive is printable by the image forming apparatus based on a result of the authentication procedure. Thus, even if the hard disc drive is maliciously taken, the use of the hard disc drive is not allowed if information about specifications of the hard disc drive does not match with stored information about reference specifications during the authentication procedure. Accordingly, the data stored in the hard disc drive are protected from any malicious purpose, thereby providing users with enhanced security and convenience.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 (a) of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-82976, filed on Oct. 18, 2004, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus and a method of restricting use of a hard disc drive of the image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus capable of printing data that is stored in an attachable/detachable hard disc drive onto a sheet of paper and a method of restricting use of the hard disc drive of the image forming apparatus. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional image forming apparatus is a device for printing data that is stored in a recoding medium onto a sheet of paper using a developer such as a toner. Typical examples of the conventional image forming apparatus include printers, fax machines, and multifunction peripherals (MFPs), which perform several functions, such as printing, faxing, etc., in a single device. 
     The recording medium from which the conventional image forming apparatus reads the printing data is a hard disc drive. The hard disc drive is a portable recording medium that is connectable to the conventional image forming apparatus. The hard disc drive has a high storage capacity and is attachable and detachable to/from the conventional image forming apparatus. The printing data is created in a host device and is transmitted from the host device to be stored in the hard disc drive. 
     Recently, as digital cameras and cellular phones with cameras have been widely commercialized, large amounts of image data and personal data from the digital cameras and the cellular phones that is to be printed or faxed are stored in the hard disc drive. The personal data may include sensitive information that is not supposed to be open to the public. Additionally, highly confidential data that is to be printed or faxed can also be stored in the hard disc drive. 
     When the hard disc drive is attached to the conventional image forming apparatus, the image data and other various data stored in the hard disc drive (i.e., the personal data or the highly confidential data) are printed out in response to a printing instruction input by a user. Therefore, when the hard disc drive is maliciously taken, the personal data and the highly confidential data related to be printed or faxed that are stored in the hard disc drive may be undesirably exposed to the public or other unintended viewers. 
     In particular, in the conventional image forming apparatus provided with the attachable and detachable hard disc drive, there is no problem in using the maliciously taken hard disc drive. That is, the hard disc drive can be used in another conventional image forming apparatus without difficulty. In the conventional image forming apparatus, some security measures (e.g., security numbers, ID codes, pin numbers) are taken to protect specific confidential or personal data stored in the hard disc drive. However, the confidential data or personal data that are not protected by the security measures may be accessible without difficulty by anyone. 
     Therefore, if the hard disc drive is stolen or lost, anyone can have access to the personal data or the confidential data stored in the hard disc drive without difficulty. Accordingly, there is a risk of exposing the confidential data or the personal data that is not protected by the security measures to the public or the other unintended viewers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present general inventive concept provides an image forming apparatus capable of restricting use of a hard disc drive by comparing information about specifications of the hard disc drive when the hard disc drive is attached to the image forming apparatus with information about reference specifications, and then authenticating the use of the hard disc drive when these two pieces of information match each other. The present general inventive concept also provides a method of restricting the use of the hard disc drive of the image forming apparatus. 
     Additional aspects of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing an image forming apparatus, including an interface unit to detect whether a hard disc drive is installed, and a control unit to execute an authentication procedure with respect to the installed hard disc drive and to control whether data stored in the installed hard disc drive is printable by the image forming apparatus based on a result of the authentication procedure. 
     The control unit may authenticate the installed hard disc drive if information about specifications of the installed hard disc drive is identical to stored information about reference specifications, and may control the data stored in the installed hard disc drive to be printed out upon authentication thereof. 
     The image forming apparatus may further include a display unit, which is controlled by the control unit, to display a message to indicate that authentication of the installed hard disc drive cannot be performed if the information about the specifications of the installed hard disc drive is not identical to the stored information about the reference specifications. 
     The control unit may control the data stored in the installed hard disc drive not to be accessible if the information about the specifications of the installed hard disc drive is not identical to the stored information about the reference specifications. 
     The information about the specifications of the installed hard disc drive may comprise one or more of a serial number, a volume number, and a storage capacity of the hard disc drive. 
     The control unit can compare the storage capacity of the installed hard disc drive with a stored reference storage capacity if the serial number and the volume number of the installed hard disc drive are identical to a stored reference serial number and a stored reference volume number, respectively. 
     The storage capacity of the hard disc drive may be recorded in between each use of the hard disc drive and may comprise one of an overall capacity of the hard disc drive, a used capacity of the hard disc drive, and a remaining capacity of the hard disc drive. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming apparatus, comprising an interface to receive one or more attachable memory units having identification information and data; and an authentication unit to receive the identification information from a memory unit that is currently attached to the interface, to determine whether the currently attached memory unit is registered in the image forming apparatus according to the received identification information, and to generate a signal to the currently attached memory unit not to send the data when the currently attached memory unit is not registered in the image forming apparatus. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing hard disc drive usable with an image forming apparatus, the hard disc drive comprising a storage unit to store identification information and data, to output the identification information to the image forming apparatus, to receive a first communication from the image forming apparatus when the hard disc drive is registered in the image forming apparatus to output the data to the image forming apparatus, and to receive no communication or a second communication from the image forming apparatus not to output the data when the hard disc drive is not registered in the image forming apparatus. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a method of restricting use of a hard disc drive of an image forming apparatus, the method including: detecting whether a hard disc drive is installed, performing an authentication procedure to determine whether to authenticate the hard disc drive when the hard disc drive is installed, and controlling data stored in the hard disc drive to be printable by the image forming apparatus when the hard disc drive is authenticated. 
     During the authentication procedure, the hard disc drive may be authenticated if information about specifications of the hard disc drive is identical to stored information about reference specifications. 
     The method may further include displaying a message to indicate that the hard disc drive cannot be authenticated if the information about the specifications of the hard disc drive is not identical to the stored information about the reference specifications. 
     If the information about the specifications of the hard disc drive is not identical to the stored information about the reference specifications, the image forming apparatus may be controlled to deny access to the data stored in the hard disc drive. 
     The information about the specifications of the hard disc drive may comprise one or more of a serial number, a volume number, and a storage capacity of the hard disc drive. 
     The authentication procedure may include comparing a serial number of the hard disc drive and a volume number of the hard disc drive with a stored reference serial number and a stored reference volume number, respectively, and comparing a storage capacity of the hard disc drive with a stored reference storage capacity if the serial number and the volume number of the hard disc drive are identical to the stored reference serial number and the stored reference volume number, respectively. 
     The storage capacity of the hard disc drive may be recorded in between each use of the hard disc drive and may comprise one of an overall capacity of the hard disc drive, a used capacity of the hard disc drive, and a remaining capacity of the hard disc drive. 
     The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a method of an image forming apparatus, the method comprising receiving one or more attachable memory units having identification information and data at an interface, receiving identification information from the one or more attachable memory units that are currently attached to the interface, authenticating the currently attached memory units by determining whether the currently attached memory units are registered in the image forming apparatus according to the received identification information, and generating a signal to the currently attached memory units not to output the data when the currently attached memory units are not registered in the image forming apparatus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above aspects of the present general inventive concept will be more apparent by describing the various embodiments of the present general inventive concept with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method of restricting use of a hard disc drive of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept while referring to the figures. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     The image forming apparatus includes a hard disc drive  110 , an interface unit  120 , a storage unit  130 , a display unit  140 , a printing unit  150 , and a control unit  160 . 
     The hard disc drive  110  is a recording medium that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus to store data. 
     The interface unit  120  provides an interface to exchange data between the hard disc drive  110  and the control unit  160  and detects whether the hard disc drive  110  is attached to the image forming apparatus. 
     The storage unit  130  is a recording medium installed within the image forming apparatus. For example, the storage unit  130  may be implemented in a flash read-only-memory (ROM). In the storage unit  130 , information about specifications of the hard disc drive  110  is stored. The information about the specifications of the hard disc drive  110  may include a serial number, a volume number, a storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110 , etc. The storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110  may be recorded (i.e., stored) in the storage unit  130  in between each use of the hard disc drive  110 . In particular, the storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110  that is stored in the storage unit  130  includes information about an overall storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110 , a used capacity of the hard disc drive  110 , and a remaining capacity of the hard disc drive  110 . When the hard disc drive  110  is attached to the image forming apparatus through the interface unit  120 , the information (i.e., the information about the specifications) may be transmitted from the hard disc drive  110  to the image forming apparatus according to a communication (e.g., a permission communication) between the hard disc drive  110  and the image forming apparatus. When the control unit  160  determines whether the information and a reference information value match, the hard disc drive  110  may receive the permission communication from the control unit  160  and transmit data stored therein to the control unit  160  through the interface unit  120  according to the permission communication. The hard disc drive  110  may prohibit transmitting the data while transmitting the information. Additionally, the hard disc drive  110  may prohibit transmission of the data stored therein when the permission communication is not received from the control unit  160  or when the control unit transmits a prohibition communication indicating that the information does not match the reference information value. 
     The display unit  140  indicates whether the hard disc drive  110  is attached to the image forming apparatus when the interface unit  120  receives a connection signal from the hard disc drive  110 . Additionally, the display unit  140  displays various states of the hard disc drive  110 . That is, the display unit  140  displays a message indicating whether the hard disc drive  110  is a hard disc drive that is registered in the image forming apparatus. Additionally, the display unit  140  displays messages about an authentication and a status of the authentication. 
     The printing unit  150  prints out data stored in the hard disc drive  110  on a sheet of paper or other print medium. 
     When the interface unit  120  detects the installation of the hard disc drive  110 , the control unit  160  controls the display unit  140  to display a message that the hard disc drive  110  is installed. Additionally, the control unit  160  proceeds with an authentication procedure to determine whether the installed hard disc drive  110  is registered in the image forming apparatus. During the authentication procedure, the control unit  160  compares the information about the specifications of the installed hard disc drive  110  with information about specifications stored in the storage unit  130 . 
     More particularly, the control unit  160  receives the serial number and the volume number of the installed hard disc drive  110  through the interface unit  120 . The control unit  160  then compares the transmitted serial number and the volume number with the serial number and the volume number stored in the storage unit  130 , respectively. If either of these two serial numbers (i.e., the transmitted serial number and the stored serial number) or the two volume numbers (i.e., the transmitted volume number and the stored volume number) are not identical to each other, the control unit  160  may execute this comparison procedure up to three times. Then, the control unit  160  controls the display unit  140  to display the comparison result. 
     Additionally, if both the two serial numbers and the two volume numbers are identical to each other, the control unit  160  receives the storage capacity of the installed hard disc drive  110  through the interface unit  120 . The control unit  160  then compares the transmitted storage capacity of the installed hard disc drive  110  with the storage capacity stored in the storage unit  130 . If these two capacity values (i.e., the transmitted capacity value and the stored capacity value) do not match, the control unit  160  may execute the comparison operation up to three times. If these two capacity values match, then the control unit  160  determines that the installed hard disc drive  110  is a hard disc drive that is registered in the image forming apparatus. The control unit  160  may determine whether these two capacity values match by determining whether the transmitted capacity value is within a predetermined range of the stored capacity value. Additionally, the storage unit  130  of the image forming apparatus may include a registration table having a plurality of serial numbers, a plurality of volume numbers, and a plurality of capacity values of hard disc drives that are registered in the image forming apparatus such that more than one hard disc drive may be registered in and authenticated by the image forming apparatus. 
     The control unit  160  controls the display unit  140  to display a result of the authentication procedure. If the installed hard disc drive  110  is not authenticated, the control unit  160  controls the display unit  140  to display a message that indicates that the installed hard disc drive  110  cannot be authenticated. If the installed hard disc drive  110  is authenticated based on the determination that the installed hard disc drive  110  is one of the hard disc drives that is registered in the image forming apparatus, the control unit  160  retrieves data stored in the hard disc drive  110  and controls the printing unit  150  to print the retrieved data onto a sheet of paper or other printing medium. However, if the installed hard disc drive  110  is not authenticated based on the determination that the installed hard disc drive  110  is not one of the hard disc drives that is registered, access to the hard disc drive  110  is denied. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the control unit  160  from retrieving and printing out the data stored into the hard disc drive  110 . 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method of restricting use of a hard disc drive of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept. The method of  FIG. 2  may be performed by the image forming apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when power is turned on, the control unit  160  initiates the image forming apparatus at operation S 200 . The control unit  160  resets an initial operation environment of the image forming apparatus. 
     Once the initialization is completed, the control unit  160  controls the interface unit  120  to detect whether the hard disc drive  110  is installed at operation S 210 . If the hard disc drive  110  is connected with the interface unit  120 , the control unit  160  receives a connection signal through the interface unit  120 . 
     At operation S 220 , if the interface unit  120  determines that the hard disc drive  110  is installed, the control unit  160  compares a serial number and a volume number of the installed hard disc drive  110  with a serial number and a volume number stored in the storage unit  130 . The control unit  160  may compare the serial number and the volume number of the installed hard disc drive  110  with a plurality of serial numbers and volume numbers stored in the storage unit  130  when more than one hard disc drive is registered in the image forming apparatus. The serial number and the volume number of the installed hard disc drive  110  are transmitted from the hard disc drive  110  through the interface unit  120 . The serial number and the volume number stored in the storage unit  130  may be information input from a user. 
     At operation S 230 , the control unit  160  determines whether the serial number and the volume number of the installed hard disc drive  110  are identical to (i.e., match) the serial number and volume number in the storage unit  130 . 
     If the serial number and the volume number of the installed hard disc drive  110  are identical to the stored serial number and volume number, at operation S 240 , the control unit  160  compares the storage capacity of the installed hard disc drive  110  and a storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110  that is previously stored in the storage unit  130 . The storage capacity of the installed hard disc drive  110  is transmitted from the hard disc drive  110  through the interface unit  120 . The compared storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110  can be one of an overall capacity of the hard disc drive  110 , a used capacity of the hard disc drive  110 , and a remaining capacity of the hard disc drive  110 . 
     At operation S 250 , the control unit  160  determines whether the storage capacity of the installed hard disc drive  110  is identical to the storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110  stored in the storage unit  130 . If these two storage capacity values are the same, the control unit  160  determines that the installed hard disc drive  110  is one of the hard disc drives registered in the image forming apparatus. The control unit  160  then controls the hard disc drive  110  to print out data stored in the hard disc drive  110  on a sheet of paper or other printing medium at operation S 260 . In some cases the control unit  160  may determine whether the storage capacity of the installed hard disc drive  110  matches the storage capacity stored in the storage unit  130  by determining whether the storage capacity of the hard disc drive  110  is within a range of the storage capacity stored in the storage unit  130 . 
     The present general inventive concept may be embodied in a computer by running a program from a computer-readable medium, including but not limited to storage media such as magnetic storage media (ROMs, RAMs, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, etc.), and optically readable media (CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.). The present general inventive concept may be embodied as a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code to cause a number of computer systems connected via a network to effect distributed processing. 
     Although the embodiments of the present general inventive concept describe that the image forming apparatus restricts the use of the hard disc drive by requiring authentication of the hard disc drive before data stored in the hard disc drive is made accessible, the hard disc drive may also restrict access of the data stored therein by requiring a permission communication to be received from the image forming apparatus. For example, the image forming apparatus according to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept may transmit a permission communication to the hard disc drive when the image forming apparatus performs a registration check and determines that the hard disc drive is registered therein. Thus, when the hard disc drive is installed in a different conventional image forming apparatus that does not include a registration check (i.e., the authentication procedure), the conventional image forming apparatus may be incapable of sending the permission communication to the hard disc drive. As a result, the hard disc drive according the present embodiment restricts access to the data stored therein. This prevents the hard disc drive from being taken and used in the conventional image forming apparatus that does not include the authentication procedure. 
     According to various embodiments of the present general inventive concept, even if a hard disc is taken or lost, it is impossible to use the hard disc drive if information about specifications of an installed hard disc drive and stored information about reference specifications of the hard disc drive do not match each other. Thus, restricted use of the hard disc drive further provides users with enhanced convenience and security by safely protecting data including confidential personal data stored in the hard disc drive. 
     Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6