Electronic apparatus, control method for controlling electronic apparatus, control program, and storage medium for storing the program

• US 20060221378A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Asahara, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,612,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.140
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00092 the support being an IC card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00432 using tabs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0048 Indicating an illegal or impossible operation or selection to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/44 Secrecy systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An electronic apparatus that is capable of securely preventing a user who has worked in a dedicated mode using a storage device such as a removable medium from forgetting to remove the storage device. The electronic apparatus is operated in a normal mode or a dedicated mode in which a particular process including accessing an available medium is performed. When the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode by the mode switching module, a removable medium detecting module detects whether an available storage device is connected to a removable media drive, and if an available storage device is detected by the removable medium detecting module, the switching to the normal mode is inhibited by mode switching inhibiting module.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

interface means for enabling access to a storage device;

mode switching means for performing switching between a normal mode and a dedicated mode in which a particular process including accessing the storage device is performed;

storage device detecting means for detecting whether an available storage device is connected to said interface means when the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode by said mode switching means; and

normal mode inhibiting means for inhibiting switching to the normal mode when an available storage device is detected by said storage device detecting means.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus is an image forming apparatus, the normal mode is a mode in which a general user operates the image forming apparatus, and the dedicated mode is a service mode in which a service person operates the image forming apparatus.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a display section for displaying information, wherein

when an available storage device is detected by said storage device detecting means, said normal mode inhibiting means displays on the display section a warning prompting that the storage device should be removed.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage device detecting means comprises determination means for periodically communicating with said storage device to determine whether said storage device is in an available state, a holding means for holding determination information obtained by said determination means, and detection means for detecting that an available storage device is connected to said interface means based on the determination information held by said holding means.

7. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said interface means is a drive unit included in the electronic apparatus.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said interface means is a general-purpose interface included in the electronic apparatus.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising:

operating means for inputting an operation by a user;

interface means for enabling access to a storage device;

mode switching means for performing switching between a normal mode and a dedicated mode in which a particular process including accessing the storage device is performed;

storage device detecting means for detecting whether an available storage device is connected to said interface means after the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode by said mode switching means; and

normal mode inhibiting means for inhibiting an operation through said operating means in the normal mode when an available storage device is detected by said storage device detecting means.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electronic apparatus is an image forming apparatus, the normal mode is a mode in which a general user operates the image forming apparatus, and the dedicated mode is a service mode in which a service person operates the image forming apparatus.

9. A control method for controlling an electronic apparatus comprising interface means for enabling access to a storage device, said electronic apparatus being capable of executing, separately from a normal mode, a dedicated mode in which a particular processes including accessing the storage device is performed, the method comprising:

a mode switching step of performing switching between the normal mode and the dedicated mode;

a storage device detecting step of detecting whether an available storage device is connected to the interface means when the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode in said mode switching step; and

a normal mode inhibiting step of inhibiting switching to the normal mode when an available storage device is detected in said storage device detecting step.

10. A control method for controlling an electronic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the electronic apparatus is an image forming apparatus, the normal mode is a mode in which a general user operates the image forming apparatus, and the dedicated mode is a service mode in which a service person operates the image forming apparatus.

11. A control method for controlling an electronic apparatus comprising operating means for inputting an operation by a user and interface means for enabling access to a storage device, said electronic apparatus being capable of executing, separately from a normal mode, a dedicated mode in which a particular processes including accessing the storage device is performed, the method comprising:

a mode switching step of performing switching between the normal mode and the dedicated mode;

a storage device detecting step of detecting whether an available storage device is connected to the interface means after the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode in said mode switching step; and

a normal mode inhibiting step of inhibiting operation through the operating means in the normal mode when an available storage device is detected in said storage device detecting step.

12. A control method for controlling an electronic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the electronic apparatus is an image forming apparatus, the normal mode is a mode in which a general user operates the image forming apparatus, and the dedicated mode is a service mode in which a service person operates the image forming apparatus.

13. A control program for causing a computer to perform a control method for controlling an electronic apparatus comprising interface means for enabling access to a storage device, said electronic apparatus being capable of executing, separately from a normal mode, a dedicated mode in which a particular processes including accessing the storage device is performed, the control program comprising:

a mode switching module for performing switching between the normal mode and the dedicated mode;

a storage device detecting module for detecting whether an available storage device is connected to the interface means when the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode by said mode switching module; and

a normal mode inhibiting module for inhibiting switching to the normal mode when an available storage device is detected by said storage device detection module.

14. A control program for causing a computer to perform a control method for controlling an electronic apparatus comprising operating means for inputting an operation by a user and interface means for enabling access to a storage device, said electronic apparatus being capable of executing, separately from a normal mode, a dedicated mode in which a particular processes including accessing the storage device is performed, the program comprising:

a mode switching module for performing switching between the normal mode and the dedicated mode;

a storage device detecting module for detecting whether an available storage device is connected to the interface means after the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode by said mode switching module; and

a normal mode inhibiting module for inhibiting operation through the operating means in the normal mode when an available storage device is detected by said storage device detection module.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for controlling an electronic apparatus comprising interface means for enabling access to a storage device, said electronic apparatus being capable of executing, separately from a normal mode, a dedicated mode in which a particular processes including accessing the storage device is performed, the control program comprising:

a mode switching module for performing switching between the normal mode and the dedicated mode;

a storage device detecting module for detecting whether an available storage device is connected to the interface means when the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode by the mode switching module; and

a normal mode inhibiting module for inhibiting switching to the normal mode when an available storage device is detected by the storage device detection module.

16. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a control program for controlling an electronic apparatus comprising operating means for inputting an operation by a user and interface means for enabling access to a storage device, said electronic apparatus being capable of executing, separately from a normal mode, a dedicated mode in which a particular processes including accessing the storage device is performed, the control program comprising:

a mode switching module for performing switching between the normal mode and the dedicated mode;

a storage device detecting module for detecting whether an available storage device is connected to the interface means after the dedicated mode is switched to the normal mode by the mode switching module; and

a normal mode inhibiting module for inhibiting operation through the operating means in the normal mode when an available storage device is detected by the device detection module.