Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To ensure the security of data such as documents at a higher level than before when a plurality of users share the data.SOLUTION: A control unit 10 of an image forming apparatus 1, when a selection instruction to select a virtual box of a certain user is received, causes a display unit 15 to display an image that artificially makes documents permitted to be shared by the user look as if it is stored in the virtual box, and when a document selection instruction to select any one of the documents is received, reads out a document indicated by the document selection instruction from a user box of another user who is an owner of the document.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] It is generally known that image processing devices such as printers and multifunction devices are provided with a storage area called a box for storing files in a large-capacity storage device, and documents are stored in this box and printed. Here, maintaining the security of the document to be printed is important. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a communication system, an image processing device, an image processing method, and an image processing system that can improve the safety of protected images. Patent Document 2 also describes that when a job to be executed in an image processing device is processed in another device, the job is sent from the image processing device to the other device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US83149582B2 [Patent Document 2] US2007041042A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 manage data via an external network, and thus have problems with security management. For example, the technology described in Patent Document 1 transmits protected images via an external network and transmits authentication information to an authentication server, so security is insufficient. In addition, the technology described in Patent Document 2, for example, when one user (user A) sends a document from his / her personal computer to another user (user B)'s personal computer to be printed, sends the data of the document via email or the like, so the data of the document remains in the computer (storage area) of the other user (user B), which is problematic from the viewpoint of security.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to ensure a higher level of security for data, such as documents, when the data is shared among a plurality of users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes a display unit, a storage unit having user boxes for a plurality of users as storage areas in which documents owned by the users are stored, an operation unit that receives a sharing instruction from a user who is an owner of the user box to make a document owned by the user stored in the user box into a shared document that other users are permitted to share, and a control unit that, when the sharing instruction is received by the operation unit, stores sharing information for the shared document indicating the user who is the owner of the document and the other users who are permitted to share the document in the storage unit, and the control unit controls the display unit to display, for each of the plurality of users, an image indicating a virtual box for displaying information indicating a document that is permitted to be shared. and further, when a selection instruction to select a virtual box of the user by a user operation is received on the operation unit, the control unit causes the display unit to display an image that makes it appear as if a document permitted to be shared by the user is stored in the virtual box based on the sharing information stored in the memory unit, and when a document selection instruction to select one of the documents indicated by the information is received from the user on the operation unit while information indicating the documents permitted to be shared is displayed on the display unit together with the virtual box, the control unit reads out the document indicated by the document selection instruction from the user box of another user who is the owner of the document. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, when data such as a document is shared among a plurality of users, the security of the data can be ensured at a higher level than ever before. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing the structure of the image forming apparatus. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a document management process performed by an image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a document information table that stores information about the owner and co-owners of each document. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing a process for setting sharing for a document. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a process for setting sharing for a document in a user box. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 13] 11 is a flowchart showing a process flow when a user uses a document that has been allowed to be shared with that user. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed on a display unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front cross-sectional view showing the structure of an image forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is a multifunction device equipped with multiple functions such as a copy function, a transmission function, a printing function, and a facsimile function.

[0010] Please refer to Fig. 1. The housing of the image forming apparatus 1 contains a plurality of devices for realizing various functions of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image reading unit 11, an image forming unit 12, a fixing unit 13, a paper feed unit 14, and a conveying unit 17. A display unit 15 and an operation unit 16 are provided on the front side of the housing of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0011] The image reading unit 11 is an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) including an original transport unit 6 that transports an original placed on an original table, and a scanner that optically reads an original transported by the original transport unit 6 or an original placed on a platen glass 7. The image reading unit 11 reads the original by illuminating the original with a light irradiation unit and receiving the reflected light with a CCD (Charge-Couple device) sensor, thereby generating image data indicating the original image. In other words, the image reading unit 11 obtains the original image by reading the original.

[0012] The image forming unit 12 includes a photoconductor drum, a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, and a transfer device. The image forming unit 12 forms an image composed of a toner image on the recording paper P conveyed along the conveying path T by the conveying unit 17 based on the image data generated by the image reading unit 11 or the image data received via the communication unit 22.

[0013] The fixing unit 13 heats and pressurizes the recording paper P on which the toner image has been formed by the image forming unit 12, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording paper P. The recording paper P on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing unit 13 is discharged to the discharge tray 8.

[0014] The paper feed unit 14 includes a manual feed tray and multiple paper feed cassettes. The paper feed unit 14 uses a pickup roller to pull out recording paper P stored in one of the multiple paper feed cassettes or recording paper placed on the manual feed tray one sheet at a time and feeds the paper to the transport path T.

[0015] The display unit 15 is a display device configured with a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display, etc. The display unit 15 displays various screens for each job that can be executed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the control of the control unit 10. The display unit 15 is an example of a display unit in the claims.

[0016] The operation unit 16 includes a start key 16A for inputting an instruction to start the execution of each job, and a touch panel 16C arranged over the display unit 15. The operation unit 16 is an example of an input unit in the claims.

[0017] The transport unit 17 includes a transport roller pair 17A, a discharge roller pair 17B, etc., and a transport motor connected to the transport roller pair 17A and the discharge roller pair 17B, etc. The control unit 10 drives the transport motor to rotate the transport roller pair 17A and the discharge roller pair 17B, etc., thereby transporting the recording paper P fed by the paper feed unit 14 along the transport path T toward the image forming unit 12 and the discharge tray 8.

[0018] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 100. The control unit 100 includes a processor, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), etc. The processor is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0019] The control unit 100 functions as the control unit 10 by the processor executing a control program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 18. The control unit 10 may be configured by a logic circuit, regardless of the operation based on the control program.

[0020] The control unit 10 is responsible for the overall control of the image forming apparatus 1. More specifically, the control unit 10 controls the operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 and the communication with an external device such as a PC (Personal Computer) connected via a network.

[0021] The control unit 100 is electrically connected to the document transport unit 6, the image reading unit 11, the image forming unit 12, the fixing unit 13, the paper feeding unit 14, the display unit 15, the operation unit 16, the transport unit 17, the memory unit 18, the image processing unit 19, the image memory 20, the facsimile communication unit 21, and the communication unit 22, etc.

[0022] The storage unit 18 is a large-capacity storage device consisting of an HDD or the like for storing various data such as image data generated by the image reading unit 11. The storage unit 18 stores various control programs for implementing general operations of the image forming apparatus 1. In the storage area within the storage unit 18, user boxes are provided for multiple users as storage areas for storing documents owned by the users. The control unit 10 also operates according to the above-mentioned control programs. Note that a document refers to data to be printed or transmitted, such as a file or image data.

[0023] The image processing unit 19 performs image processing as necessary on the image data generated by the image reading unit 11. The image memory 20 includes an area for temporarily storing the image data generated by the image reading unit 11. The facsimile communication unit 21 connects to a public line and transmits and receives image data via the public line.

[0024] The communication unit 22 includes a communication module such as a LAN (Local Area Network) board, etc. The image forming apparatus 1 performs data communication via the communication unit 22 with an external device such as a PC connected via a network.

[0025] 3 is a diagram for explaining an overview of document management processing by the image forming apparatus 1. The document management processing by the image forming apparatus 1 is performed by the display unit 15, the private box 25, the control unit 10, and the storage unit 18, which are included in the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0026] The display unit 15 is provided with a touch panel 16C which constitutes a part of the operation unit 16. The private box 25 is a storage area provided in the storage unit 18. In the private box 25, storage areas corresponding to the respective users are further stored as user boxes. In addition, the control unit 10 executes processing as a file sharing interface.

[0027] The private box 25 has, for example, a user A box associated with user A and a user B box associated with user B. The control unit 10 permits access to each user box only to the associated user (the user who is the owner of the user box). In the example shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 10 permits only user A to access the user A box, and does not permit other users (user B, etc.) to access it. Also, the control unit 10 permits only user B to access the user B box, and does not permit other users (user A, etc.) to access it.

[0028] Furthermore, the control unit 10 controls the display unit 15 to display, for each user, images showing virtual boxes for displaying information showing documents that other users have permitted to share with each user. The control unit 10 controls the display so that, for a user viewing the display screen of the display unit 15, the private box 25 appears to have virtual boxes for each user (in this example, a user A virtual box and a user B virtual box) in addition to the above user boxes.

[0029] In accordance with instructions from a user received by the operation unit 16, the control unit 10 performs processes such as (i) reading documents stored in each user box which serves as a storage area of ​​the storage unit 18, (ii) managing whether a document stored in a user's user box is permitted to be shared with another user, and (iii) reading documents owned by other users which have been permitted to be shared with a user from the user boxes of the other users.

[0030] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a document information table that stores information on the owner and co-owners of each document. The control unit 10 sets the owner and co-owners of each document in accordance with an instruction from the user received by the operation unit 16, creates a document information table T1 including information indicating the owner and co-owners of each set document, and stores the document information table T1 in the storage unit 18. As shown in Fig. 4, the document information table T1 stores information indicating that (a) user A is the owner of document D1 and sharing is permitted for users B and C, (b) user A is the owner of document D22 and sharing is permitted for user B, and (c) user B is the owner of document D3 and sharing is not permitted.

[0031] Based on the information indicated in the document information table T1, the control unit 10 (1) causes the display unit 15 to display information indicating each user's user box and each document stored in the user box, and (2) causes the display unit 15 to display, for each user, the documents that each user has been authorized to share as documents associated with each user's virtual box, together with each user's virtual box.

[0032] Here, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display information such as icons indicating documents that the user is permitted to share, along with the user's virtual box, but the documents that the user is permitted to share are not stored in the virtual box.

[0033] For example, when a user stores a document in his / her own user box, the user operates operation unit 16 to input to operation unit 16 an instruction to specify the document and an instruction to specify a storage location (his / her own user box) for the document. Control unit 10 stores the specified document in the user box as the specified storage location. The specified document is an image obtained by scanning an original by image reading unit 11, or a document (file) received from an external computer via communication unit 22.

[0034] When a user operates the operation unit 16 to input an instruction to specify a document to be processed, such as printed, from documents stored in the user's user box, the control unit 10 reads the specified document from the user's user box. The control unit 10 causes, as a processing mechanism, for example, the image forming unit 12 to form an image of the document.

[0035] Furthermore, when a user wants to share a document with another user, the user operates operation unit 16 to input an instruction to specify the document to be permitted for sharing and an instruction to specify the user to permit sharing of the document to operation unit 16. Control unit 10 associates the specified document, the user who owns the document, and the user who permits sharing of the document, and stores the association in document information table T1 as information indicating the owner and the sharer for each of the documents.

[0036] When a user operates the operation unit 16 to input an instruction to specify a document to be processed such as printed from among the documents displayed together with the user's virtual box (documents owned by another user and shared by the other user), the control unit 10 reads out the specified document from the user box of the other user. The control unit 10 causes, as a processing mechanism, for example, the image forming unit 12 to form an image of the document.

[0037] Next, a process for setting sharing for a document will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG 5.

[0038] When a user operates the operation unit 16 to input a display instruction to display each user box stored in the private box 25 (YES in S1), the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a user box list display screen G10 such as the example shown in FIG. 6 (S2).

[0039] When the user operates the operation unit 16 to input a selection instruction to select a user box and an instruction to start setting detailed items to the operation unit 16 while the user box list display screen G10 is displayed (YES in S3), the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a setting screen G30 for accepting handling settings and the like for documents stored in the user box (S4). In the example of the user box list display screen G10 shown in Fig. 6, when the user operates the detailed item setting button B1 associated with a user box, a selection instruction to select the user box indicated by the image UB1 and an instruction to start setting detailed items for documents in the user box are accepted by the operation unit 16 via the touch panel 16C.

[0040] 7, the setting screen G30 displays, as setting items, for example, a data storage period setting, free space in a box, overwrite setting, and setting of contents permitted when sharing. When the setting screen G30 is displayed, the user operates the sharing process content setting button B2 and inputs a selection instruction to select the setting of the processing content permitted when sharing to the operation unit 16 (YES in S5), the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a permission content setting screen G40 for the contents permitted when sharing (S6).

[0041] The permission setting screen G40 shown in FIG. 8 displays, for example, print, send, delete, etc. as process items that are permitted to be executed as processes on a document when the document is shared.

[0042] When the permission content setting screen G40 is displayed, if the user operates the operation unit 16 to input an item selection instruction to select one of the above processing items (YES in S7), the control unit 10 sets and stores the processing item indicated by the item selection instruction ("Print" in the example shown in FIG. 8) as a processing item that is permitted to be executed for the shared document (S8).

[0043] Next, a process for setting up sharing for a document in a user box will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG 9.

[0044] When a user operates the operation unit 16 to input a display instruction to display each user box stored in the private box 25 (YES in S11), the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a user box list display screen G10 such as the example shown in FIG. 6 (S12).

[0045] When the user operates the operation unit 16 to input a selection instruction to select a user box (YES in S13) while the user box list display screen G10 is displayed, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a display setting screen G60 that displays a list of documents stored in the user box (S14). In the example shown in FIG. 10, the display setting screen G60 shows a state in which the user A box stores document D1 and document D22. Note that a user who has logged in to the image forming apparatus 1 and is operating the image forming apparatus 1 at this point in time can only select his / her own user box from among the user boxes displayed on the user box list display screen G10. In other words, when the user box list display screen G10 is displayed, the control unit 10 accepts selection of only the user box of the logged-in user via the operation unit 16.

[0046] When the display setting screen G60 is displayed, if a user operates the operation unit 16 to input a document selection instruction to select one of the documents stored in the user box (YES in S15), the control unit 10 sets and stores the document indicated by the document selection instruction as a document that other users are permitted to share (S16). After S16, the control unit 10 further causes the display unit 15 to display a permission confirmation screen G70 (FIG. 11) (S17). The permission confirmation screen G70 displays the contents stored in S8 (processing items permitted to be executed for the shared document) in the process of setting sharing for the document, which has been described with reference to FIG. 5. The permission confirmation screen G70 also displays a sharing user setting button B3.

[0047] When the permission confirmation screen G70 is displayed, if the user operates the share user setting button B3 and inputs a share user setting start instruction to the operation unit 16 via the touch panel 16C (YES in S18), the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a share user setting screen G80 (FIG. 12) for selecting users who are permitted to share the document (S19). A list of users whose user boxes are stored in the private box 25 is displayed on the share user setting screen G80.

[0048] When the shared user setting screen G80 is displayed, if the user operates the operation unit 16 to input a shared user selection instruction to select one of the users displayed on the shared user setting screen G80 (YES in S20), the control unit 10 sets and stores the user indicated by the shared user selection instruction as a user authorized to share the selected document (S21). The control unit 10 adds the other selected user as a sharer in the document information table T1 described above as information related to the document selected by the user to be authorized to share.

[0049] Next, a process flow when a user uses a document that has been allowed to be shared by the user will be described. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the process flow when a user uses a document that has been allowed to be shared by the user.

[0050] When a user operates the operation unit 16 to input a display instruction to display each user box stored in the private box 25 (YES in S31), the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a user box list display screen G10 such as the example shown in FIG. 6 (S32).

[0051] When the user operates the virtual box button B10 to input a selection instruction to select a virtual box to the operation unit 16 via the touch panel 16C (YES in S33), the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display a shared document list screen G110 that displays a list of documents owned by other users that are permitted to be shared by the user associated with the virtual box (the owner of the virtual box) (S34). In the example shown in FIG. 14, the shared document list screen G110 shows an example in which documents D1 and D22 that are permitted to be shared by user B are displayed when a virtual box associated with user B is selected. That is, when the control unit 10 receives a selection instruction to select a virtual box of the user through a user's operation at the operation unit 16, the control unit 10 causes the display unit 15 to display an image that makes it appear as if the document that is permitted to be shared by the user is stored in a virtual box as a display screen, based on the document information table T1 (shared information) stored in the storage unit 18.

[0052] Note that a user who has logged in to the image forming apparatus 1 and is currently operating the image forming apparatus 1 can only select his / her own virtual box from among the virtual boxes displayed on the user box list display screen G10. That is, when the user box list display screen G10 is displayed, the control unit 10 accepts the selection of only the virtual box of the logged-in user via the operation unit 16.

[0053] Here, documents D1 and D22 displayed on the shared document list screen G110 as documents permitted to be shared by user B are not stored in the virtual box of user B. The control unit 10 refers to the information indicated in the document information table T1 described above, and causes images im1 and im2 indicating documents owned by other users permitted to be shared by user B to be displayed on the shared document list screen G110. Documents owned by other users permitted to be shared by user B are stored in the user boxes of the other users.

[0054] When the shared document list screen G110 is displayed, if a user operates the operation unit 16 to input a document selection instruction to select one of the documents stored in the virtual box (YES in S35), the control unit 10 reads the document indicated by the document selection instruction from the user box of the user who is the owner of the selected document, and executes the process ("print" in this example) set by the user who is the owner of the selected document on the selected document (S36). In this example, the control unit 10 causes the image forming unit 12 to form an image indicated by document D1.

[0055] In this way, in the above embodiment, when a user who owns a document allows other users to share the document he or she owns, the document is not stored in the user box of the other user or in a shared box that can be referenced by multiple users, but an image of the document is displayed in the virtual box of the other user to allow the other user to recognize the document that the other user has been allowed to share, and when an instruction is given by the other user to process the document, the document that the other user has been allowed to share is read from the user box of the user who owns the document and used. Therefore, according to the above embodiment, when multiple users share data such as a document, the security of the data can be ensured at a higher level than before.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. Also, the configuration and processing shown in the above embodiment using Figures 1 to 14 are merely one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration and processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1. Image forming device 10 Control section 12 Image forming section 15 Display section 16 Control section 18 Storage section 25 Private Box 50 File Sharing Interface D1, D22, D3 Documents

Claims

1. A display unit; a storage unit having user boxes for a plurality of users as storage areas in which documents owned by the users are stored; an operation unit that receives a sharing instruction from a user who is an owner of the user box to make a document stored in the user box a shared document that is permitted to be shared by other users; a control unit that, when the sharing instruction is received by the operation unit, stores, in the storage unit, sharing information indicating the user who is an owner of the shared document and the other users who are authorized to share the document; the control unit controls the display unit to display, for each of a plurality of users, an image indicating a virtual box for displaying information indicating a document that is permitted to be shared; Furthermore, the control unit when a selection instruction for selecting a virtual box of the user is received by the operation unit through an operation by the user, an image is displayed on the display unit, which makes it appear as if a document permitted for sharing by the user is stored in the virtual box, based on the sharing information stored in the storage unit; When information indicating the documents that are permitted to be shared is displayed on the display unit together with the virtual box, and a document selection instruction to select one of the documents indicated by the information is received from the user on the operation unit, the image forming device reads out the document indicated by the document selection instruction from a user box of another user who is the owner of the document.

2. 2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit, when reading out the document indicated by the document selection instruction from a user box of another user who is an owner of the document, executes a predetermined process on the document.

3. the operation unit further receives a processing content designation instruction that designates the content of processing permitted for the document that is permitted to be shared, when the operation unit receives the sharing instruction from a user who is an owner of the document that is permitted to be shared; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit, when the document selection instruction is received from the user on the operation unit, executes the process content indicated by the process content designation instruction as the predetermined process.

Images