Patent ID: 6970763

Claim:
A method of operating a circuit board manufacturing apparatus including a computer for controlling the apparatus and having a job mode in which a general operator who is given an authority relating to the operation of the apparatus is allowed to manipulate the computer and a supervising/adjusting mode in which the general operator is not authorized to manipulate the computer, but a specified user is authorized to manipulate the computer, the method comprising: automatically logging off the computer immediately if the manufacturing operation for circuit boards according to a prior instruction has been terminated when a predetermined time period exists with the computer being not manipulated in the supervising/adjusting mode, and automatically logging off the computer after the termination of the manufacturing operation if the manufacturing operation has been continued when the predetermined time period expires with the computer being not manipulated in the supervising/adjusting mode, whereby the general operator is prevented from manipulating the computer in the supervising/adjusting mode; wherein the circuit board manufacturing apparatus includes a display device having a function to operate as a part of an input/output device and wherein the automatic logoff is effective only on a display screen displayed on the display device in the supervising/adjusting mode, but is not effective in other modes.