JPH03182771A - copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a copy management device in a copying machine.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a copy management apparatus, in order to enable the copying apparatus to make copies, a card on which department management information is recorded is inserted. This type of card includes a perforated pattern card that optically reads the department code, a magnetic card that reads a magnetic pattern, and the like.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above conventional example, the department information card plays the role of a key to enable the copying machine, so it must remain inserted at all times during copying. there were. However, when making large-capacity copies, ordinary operators
Because it would take a long time, I wanted to leave the copying machine unattended, and I also did not want to leave the department card inserted after the copying process was completed, which would lead to unauthorized use by a careless user, so I removed the department card after the copying process started. I want to pull it out and leave the place.

Also, due to the nature of perforated pattern cards and magnetic cards, information can only be read when they are inserted, so if the power is turned off in the JAM processing ring of the copying machine, the card must be read each time. Must be reinserted.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a connection means for removably connecting a copy permission means, and a connection means for connecting a copy permission means detachably to the connection means, and a connection means for connecting a copy permission means to the connection means when specified copying is completed. and control means for prohibiting copying even if the copying permission means is not connected to the connecting means if the copying operation is interrupted before the designated copying is completed. This allows for the resumption of operations.

[First example] Examples of the present invention are shown below.

FIG. 1 shows a circuit block diagram.

The copy management device 4 is connected to the copying device 5 through a power supply line and various signal lines. Note that the copying operation of the copying device 5 will be omitted here. The copy management device 4 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 11 that performs various controls, a part of a perforated card reader that reads department information from a perforated card, a part of a magnetic card reader that reads department information from a magnetic card, and a control program. Backup R that stores the stored program ROM (read-only memory), various department data, and read department information.
It is composed of an AM (random access memory) 3 and an operation/display section for performing various display/operation inputs. To explain the various signals, the ENABLE signal is a signal that turns ON when the department card is correctly inserted on the copy management device 4 side and the total number of sheets for that department has not reached the upper limit. If the signal is ON, the copying device 5 side is ready for copying.C0UN
The T (count) signal is a pulse number 43 sent to the copy management device 4 every time a copy sheet is ejected from the copying device 5. The 5TATUS (status) signal indicates the status of the copying device 5 (standby, copying, JAN processing, etc.)
) is sent to the copy management device 4.

FIG. 2 shows the backup RAM data structure within the copy management device 4. Data for each department from department 1 to department N is written in the backup RAM, and a total number of sheets counter and upper limit number of sheets data are stored in each section. Further, the department information storage area stores department information read from the department card.

FIG. 3 shows a time chart for each seed No. 3 between the copying device 5 and the copy management device 4.

(1) is a 5TATUS signal indicating whether or not the copying device 5 is copying.

(2) is the power supply supplied to the copy management device 4;
This occurs when the door cover of the copying device 5 is opened while the MIA is being installed.

(3) is a C0UNT pulse, which is a pulse signal sent to the copy management device 4 each time the copying device 5 discharges a copy sheet, and the copy management device 4 counts this pulse to add up the total number of sheets in each department.

(4) is an ENABLE signal, and when this signal is on, the copying device 5 can perform a copying operation.

In this case, two ways of generating the ENABLE signal will be explained.

(1) When the department card is removed during the copy job.

When the power supply of the copy management device 4 (FIG. 3 (2)) is ON/OFF,
If the copying machine 5 is not in copy JOB (operation), the CPU will switch to ENA when a new department card is inserted.
Turn on the BLE signal.

At this time, assume that the department card is removed during the copy job. After this, a JAM occurs in the copying device 5,
The power is turned off during JAM processing.

After JAM processing, when the power is turned on, CPU1 has 5TA
Since the TUS signal indicates that copying is in progress, the department information stored in the backup RAM 3 is loaded and the C0UNT pulses output as the copy job continues are counted.

When the copying machine finishes the copy job, 5TATUS signal changes to non-copying.

In this case, since the department card is not inserted in the copy tube/embedding device, turn off the ENABLE signal at this point.
Next, when a new department card is inserted, the ENABLE signal is turned on.

(2) When the department card is not removed during the copy job.

In (1), the ENABLE signal is turned off when the 5TATUS signal becomes non-copying, but if the department card has not been removed, the operator still wants to continue copying, so the department card must be removed. Judgment, ENA
Keep the BLE signal on and prepare for the start of the next copy job.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of this embodiment.

CP 0.1 of the copy management device 4 is 5 TATUS sent from the CPU 2 of the copy device 5 when the power is turned on.
The copy job is checked and it is determined whether or not a copy job is in progress (step Sl). If the copy job is not in progress, it waits for the department card to be inserted (step S2), and when the department card is inserted, the department information read from the department card is backed up and stored in the RAM 3 (step S3).
). Also, in step S1, if a copy job is in progress,
Department information is loaded from the backup RAM 3 (step S4).

Furthermore, the CPU of the copy management device 4 turns on the ENABLE signal to put the copying device 5 into a copying enabled state (step S5).

Next, the CPU of the copying management device 4 is the CPU of the copying device 5.
Check whether the 5TATUS signal sent from 2 is being copied (step S6), and if not,
When the department card is removed (step S7), it is checked whether the department number has been reset using the reset key on the operation section (step S8). If either of the two is performed, the department information stored in the backup RAM 3 is reset (step 515), ENAB
LE i No. 3 is turned off (step 316).

Also, check whether the total number of cards for the department corresponding to the inserted department card does not exceed the upper limit (step S9). If it exceeds the upper limit, the department information stored on the backup RAM will also be checked. Step Sl 5), and the ENABLE signal is turned off (Step 516).

In step S6, when the CPU 2 of the copying device 5 starts the copying operation and the 5TATUS signal indicates that copying is in progress, the CPU 1 of the copying management device 4 starts the copying operation.
U2 detects the C0UNT pulse sent each time a copy sheet is ejected (step 510), and increases the total number of sheets of the set department number by 1 each time (step 511).

However, before the copy job ends (step 51)
2) When the total number of sheets reaches the upper limit (step 513), the CPU 1 resets the department information (step 515), and turns off the ENABLE button (step 5).
16) Set the copying device 5 to a copy-prohibited state.

CPUI checks 5TATUS signal and copies JO
When the end of B is detected (step 512), it is first checked whether the department card is still inserted (step 5).
14) If it remains inserted, it is determined that the previous operator's department card remains intact, the department information is held as is, and the process waits for the start of the next copy job (steps S6 to S9).

If the department card is not inserted in step S14, the CPU determines that the operator who performed the previous copy job has taken the department card, and resets the department information (step 515).
The signal is turned off (step 516), and the copying device 5 is placed in a copy inhibited state, waiting for the next new department card to be inserted.

That is, in this embodiment, the contents of the department card are registered in the backup RAM 3. Then, C of the copying device 5
The PU 2 backs up the total number of copies and the upper limit number of copies of the copy job in the backup RAM 3 when a jam occurs before the copying of the set number of copies is completed. The backup RAM 3 is backed up by a battery 6, and holds department information even when the power of the copying device 5 is turned off during a jam.

[Second example FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the invention.

In the same figure, the copy management device 4 includes a CPo 1 card reader/writer section, a program RO
It consists of a backup RAM 3, an operation display section, etc.

In addition to normal copying operation control, the copying device side 51 stores the number of copies made during a series of copy sequences, and after copying is completed, it stores the department code in which the copy was made and the number of copies executed for that department code. The CPU 21 outputs the information to the copy management device side.

Further, in FIG. 5, a DETECT (detection) signal is a signal that informs the copying apparatus main body 51 that the copying management apparatus 4 side has detected the department card.

C0DE (code) is a signal from which the copy management device 4 side outputs the read department code to the copying device main body 51.
DATA is a signal from which the copying device 51 outputs the department code and the number of copies.

Both the copying device 51 side and the copying management device 4 side have backup RAM (non-volatile memory), but the RAM on the copying device 31 side is mainly used to store backup data at the time of factory shipment and to avoid troubles when jams occur. The number of copies for Nobuko's department cannot be stored, and an area for storing the number of copies for at most 1.2 departments is reserved. The backup RAM 31 on the side of the copy management device 4 stores effective department data, the number of sheets to be copied for each department, the maximum number of sheets, etc., and is used for management.

With this configuration, the number of copies is managed as follows.

First, when the management device 4 reads the code/data of the department card, this data is stored in the backup RAM in the management device 4.
Store in 3. Further, the cumulative card number data and upper limit data of this division court are read out from the backup RAM 3, and it is checked whether the cards are valid or not.

If the card is determined to be valid, the copy management device 4 sends a card detection signal and a department code to the copying device 51.

If the card is invalid, data indicating that the card is invalid is sent, and the copying machine 51 remains inoperable.

The CPU 21 of the copying machine 51 makes the copying machine ready for copying when the valid department code from the management device 4 is input manually.
In addition, the code is manually stored in the backup RAM 31.

During a series of copies, the CPU 21 of the copying device 51 manually adds the number of copies into the backup FtAM 31 at any time.
After the copy is completed, it is sent to the copy management device 4 as a DATA (;Is number).

Furthermore, when the transmission of the copy data is completed, the copy control unit CPU 21 checks whether or not the card detection is manually performed in the DETECT signal.
The copy enabled state is maintained, and if there is no detection signal, the copy disabled state is maintained.

In addition, when the department code and number of copies to be executed are entered manually from the copying device 51, the CPU of the copy management device 4 adds the transmitted number of copies to the number of copies data for that department code and creates a new backup. Store in RAM3.

[Effect of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, if the copy permission means is not connected when the designated copy is completed, copying is prohibited, and when a large number of copies are designated, This makes it possible to remove the copy permission means before the end of copying without worrying about unauthorized use of the copying device, and furthermore, when the copying operation is interrupted before the designated copy is completed, the copy permission means is connected. By permitting the resumption of copying even when the user is not authorized to do so, it is possible to resume copying without taking the trouble of connecting a copy permission means.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram of the backup RAM data structure in the copy management device, FIG. 3 is a signal time diagram between the copy device and the copy management device, and FIG. is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram of the second embodiment. 1 is a CPU of a copy management device, 2 is a CPU of a copying device, and 3 is a backup memory.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Connecting means for detachably connecting the copying permission means; and control means for prohibiting copying if the copying permission means is not connected to the connection means when specified copying is completed. and the control means permits resumption of copying even if the copying permission means is not connected to the connecting means if the copying operation is interrupted before the specified copying is completed. Characteristic copying device.