Electronic equipment and image forming apparatus

• US 7,827,600 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Obara, Takenori, Okimura, Naomasa
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US11/776,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 726/9, 726/20
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

An electronic equipment includes: a first connecting unit that connects an external apparatus and a transmit and receive unit; a prohibit unit; an identification information storage; a second connecting unit that is connected to a key constituting member including memory unit storing therein authentication information corresponding to the identification information; a covering unit; a gain unit; a judge unit; and a permit unit.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment comprising:

a first connecting unit that connects an external apparatus and a transmit and receive unit, which transmits and receives information;

a prohibit unit that prohibits use of a function to transmit and receive the information;

an identification information storage unit that stores therein identification information to permit use of the function prohibited by the prohibit unit;

a second connecting unit that connects a key member including a memory unit that stores therein authentication information with an electric equipment body;

a cover that, in a case where the key member is not connected to the second connecting unit, covers at least part of the first connecting unit and that, in a case where the key member is connected to the second connecting unit, removes the covering of the first connecting unit;

a gain unit that, in a case where the key member is connected to the second connecting unit, gains the authentication information from the memory unit;

a judge unit that judges whether or not the authentication information gained by the gain unit corresponds to the identification information stored in the identification information storage unit; and

a permit unit that, in a case where it is judged by the judge unit that the authentication information corresponds to the identification information, permits use of the information to transmit and receive the function prohibited by the prohibit unit.

2. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a case where the key member is not connected to the second connecting unit, the cover covers at least one of parts of the first connecting unit and parts of the second connecting unit.

3. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connecting unit comprises at least one of a connection terminal of a local area network and a data transmission line connection terminal.

4. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein in a case where the key member is connected to the second connecting unit, the cover is engaged with part of the key member, and is moved in a direction to remove the covering of the first connecting unit.

5. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1,

wherein

the cover comprises a guide unit that guides the key member to the second connecting unit through a given passage, and

while the key member is guided and connected to the second connecting unit by the guide unit, the cover is engaged with part of the key member and is moved in a direction to remove the covering of the first connecting unit.

6. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an energizer that, in a case where the key member is not connected to the second connecting unit, energizes the cover in a direction to cover the first connecting unit.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a first connecting unit that connects an external apparatus and a transmit and receive unit, which transmits and receives information;

a prohibit unit that prohibits use of a function to transmit and receive the information;

an identification information storage unit that stores therein identification information to permit use of the function prohibited by the prohibit unit;

a second connecting unit that connects a key member including a memory unit that stores therein given authentication information;

a cover that, in a case where the key member is not connected to the second connecting unit, covers at least part of the first connecting unit and that, in a case where the key member is connected to the second connecting unit, removes the covering of the first connecting unit;

a gain unit that, in a case where the key member is connected to the second connecting unit, gains the authentication information from the memory unit;

a judge unit that judges whether or not the authentication information gained by the gain unit corresponds to the identification information stored in the identification information storage unit; and

a permit unit that, in a case where it is judged by the judge unit that the authentication information corresponds to the identification information, permits use of the information to transmit and receive the function prohibited by the prohibit unit.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein in a case where the key member is not connected to the second connecting unit, the cover covers at least one of parts of the first connecting unit and parts of the second connecting unit.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first connecting unit comprises at least one of a connection terminal of a local area network and a data transmission line connection terminal.

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein in a case where the key member is connected to the second connecting unit, the cover is engaged with part of the key member, and is moved in a direction to remove the covering of the first connecting unit.

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7,

wherein

the cover comprises a guide unit that guides the key member to the second connecting unit through a given passage, and

while the key member is guided and connected to the second connecting unit by the guide unit, the cover is engaged with part of the key member and is moved in a direction to remove the covering of the first connecting unit.

12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cover comprises an energizer that, in a case where the key member is not connected to the second connecting unit, energizes the cover in a direction to cover the first connecting unit.