Data processing apparatus

• US 7,480,069 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2004
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Mayuko, Ogino, Kumiko, Tohki, Shinsaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park; Chan S
• Application Number:
  US10/774,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 358 115- 117, 345/156, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/21 Intermediate information storage H04N1/387, H04N1/41 take precedence ; for control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32358; indexing, editing G11B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32363 at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32486 Storage for making a plurality of copies or reproductions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/218 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames

Abstract

A data processing apparatus is provided in which data is stored in a state distributed to a storage destination depending on the data property, so that the stored data is reused easily and that the storage of the data is managed efficiently on the basis of the data property. Storage means comprises a first storage section, a second storage section, and a memory controller serving as data distributing means. The first storage section temporarily stores data outputted (processed for output) from each section (a scanner section, a FAX section, a network processing section, etc.) of data processing means. The second storage section comprises storage regions partitioned in correspondence to the data properties, and stores data satisfying a predetermined condition among the data outputted (processed for output). The memory controller distributes the data to either the first storage section or the second storage section depending on the data property.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus, comprising:

a data input unit for inputting data;

a data storage unit including a first storage section and a second storage section for storing the input data, wherein the first storage section is configured to store the input data temporarily and the second storage section is partitioned based on properties of the input data;

an outputting unit configured to perform output processing on the input data;

a data control unit configured to distribute the input data to either the first storage section or the second storage section depending on a property of the input data and transfer the stored input data from the first storage section to the partitioned region of the second storage section according to the properties of the input data, wherein the input data stored in the first storage section is deleted from the first storage section after being transferred to the partitioned region of the second storage section; and

a data delete control unit configured to delete the stored input data in the second storage section, set a deletion condition of the stored input data in the second storage section, and control deletion of the stored input data in the second storage section based on the deletion condition.

2. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data control unit distributes the input data having the property of confidentiality to the second storage section.

3. The data processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a confidentiality setting section for setting the input data as confidential, wherein the deletion condition is set in each data job when the input data is set to be confidential.

4. The data processing apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a date inputting section for inputting a date as the deletion condition; and

a calendar detecting section for detecting the date corresponding to the inputted date, wherein the stored input data in the second storage section is deleted when the date corresponding to the inputted date is detected.

5. The data processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a confidentiality setting section for setting the input data as confidential; and

a determination level inputting section for inputting a determination level depending on a level of secrecy or importance of the input data when the input data is set as confidential.

6. The data processing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

an automatic deletion section for deleting the stored input data automatically when the deletion condition is satisfied, wherein the determination level is classified into a plurality of classes, and each of the classes is used as the deletion condition.

7. The data processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the deletion condition is a date for deletion of the stored input data.

8. The data processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the deletion condition is a situation of a location of a person of the confidentiality setting.

9. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data control unit is a memory controller connected to the first storage section and the second storage section.