JPS61184660A - Control device of equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operability of an equipment by detecting the card by a photosensor in case it is already inserted when the power supply is turned on, and displaying to urge the operator to re-insert. CONSTITUTION:LEDs 31 and 33 for card data A and B are respectively turned on to start the detecting by the photosensors 30 and 32. Turning on/off of the card data signals A and B, from the sensors 30 and 32 is discriminated. If either or both of the signals A and B is or are turned off by the card, '...EE...' is displayed on the displayer. But when both are turned on, '...P...' that shows the nonexistence of the card is displayed. When the card is inserted, the data in the card is read, and from the said data, the card is discriminated as a con trol card or division card. If it is a control card, processing in price setting mode, upper limit setting mode, and deletion mode are executed. If it is a divi sion card, processings of plural division mode are executed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for managing equipment usage, such as the number of copies made by a copying machine and the number of facsimile communications, using a recording medium on which predetermined data is recorded.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Conventionally, each department is treated as one unit, and each department is provided with a mechanical counter (so-called key counter) as a means for managing, for example, the number of copies, and this counter is used when using a copying machine. There was a device that enabled copying operations by being inserted into a copying device, and also registered the number of copies made in a counter. However, when an administrator wanted to keep track of the number of copies made,
The counters that display the number of copies are kept by department, so the administrator has to visit each department from time to time to check the number of copies displayed on the counter, which requires a lot of effort and tabulation. The major drawback was that the work was troublesome. In addition, since the counter itself is relatively expensive, it is not economically preferable to use it in multiple parts, and it also has disadvantages in that it is not easy to carry in terms of shape and weight.

There is also a management device that enables the device to operate by inserting a department card with a departmental code recorded therein when using the device. In such devices, the department code is read when a card is inserted, so if a card is already inserted when the power is turned off, the department code of that card is unknown even when the power is turned on, and the user is required to read the card again. I need to have it re-inserted. However, in the past, the user was notified of the situation, which had the disadvantage that the user did not know how to deal with the situation.

Purpose The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and its purpose is to provide a device management device with improved operability.

Example The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a device management device (hereinafter referred to as a card controller) which is an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a card controller main body, 5 is an operation display section, 9 is an insertion slot for inserting a card as shown in FIGS. 2(a) to (d), and 23 is a connector for connecting a printer.

FIG. 3-1 is a perspective view showing a receiving unit member (hereinafter referred to as a socket) when the card controller 1 is installed in a device such as a copying machine.

100 is a socket body, and 4 is a connector connected to the socket. This socket 100 is mechanically fixed to the external device 01 of the device with screws 102 as shown in FIG. 3-2. Also, electrically, by combining the east line connector inside the device and the connector 4 connected to the socket, inserting the card controller l into the socket 100, and turning on the power of the device, as shown in Fig. 2 (a). Cards as shown in ~(d) can be accepted.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the operation display section 5 of the 17N, and 10
It consists of a digit number display section 6, pictogram instruction marks 7-1 to 7-4, and three types of operation key switches (+, -, ENTER switches) 8-1 to 8-4, and the operation of the key switches and By inserting the department card erasing card, unit price setting card, and upper limit setting card shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) into the insertion slot (9) of the card controller 1, the following functions can be performed.

Here, the operating functions of the device using the function cards shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(d) will be explained.

(1) Operational function of the device Total number of sheets by department By inserting the department card shown in FIG. 2(a), which is optically set for each department, the device becomes operational, and the display section 6 in FIG.
7 displays the card department number and the total number of copies.

(2) Erasing function The tally contents are erased by inserting the erasing card shown in FIG. 2(b) and operating the key switch 8-3 in FIG. 4.

(However, the upper limit set value and unit price set value, which will be described later, are not deleted.) (3) Unit price setting function Insert the unit price setting card shown in Figure 1 (d) and press the key switches 8-1 to 8-8 in Figure 3. You can set the unit price per piece by operating .

(4) Upper limit setting function By inserting the upper limit setting card shown in No. 11ffl (e) and operating the key switches 8-1 to 8-3 in Fig. 3, it is possible to limit the number of sheets used in each department. By setting this upper limit below the current number of sheets used in each department, it is also possible to prohibit the use of that department.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control section of the card controller. In the figure, 10 is a microcomputer, 11 is a RAM for storing total information, and 12 is a RAM for retaining information stored in the RAM when the device is powered off. backup battery,
13 is a comparator for comparing the voltage of the battery 12 with a reference voltage set by a resistor 14.15. Also, 16
is an analog switch that has an analog card function to detect the voltage of the battery 12 only immediately after the device is powered on and immediately after the aforementioned various cards are inserted, and a signal is output from the output port 026 of the microcomputer 10. The voltage of the battery 12 is inputted through the input line 17 of the comparator 13 and the voltage comparison is performed only when the voltage is turned on in an analog manner. This is to minimize the source current from the battery 12 and maximize the life of the battery.

In addition, 18 and 19 are the battery 12 when the device is powered on, respectively.
Analog switch to prevent radio waves from flowing into the device and to turn off the device 16. This is a diode to prevent current from flowing into elements other than RAMII. Also, 20 is a reset circuit for resetting the microcomputer IO when the power is turned on, 21 is a converter that exchanges the 24V current received from the device to 5V, and 22 is a converter that changes the number of sheets count pulse signal sent from the device to a 5V electric voltage amount. It is also a photo coupler to remove line noise. Also D
IND5 is a driver DI, and D2 is a driver for driving the printer motor 24 and printer magnet 25 during tally printing by connecting a printer (not shown) to the connector 23 in FIG.

D3 is a driver for shorting the 3.5 line of the connector 4 with the relay contact 26 to turn on the relay coil 27 to enable the device to operate. D4.
D5 is a driver for the LEDs 28 and 29 for card data A and B, and its configuration is shown in Figures 6-1.6-2 and 7.
As shown in the figure.

That is, the two systems of perforated data provided on the card are transferred to the phototransistor 30. A photo interrupter 34 consisting of (32), LED 31, and (33). (35), card data A signal generation circuit 36 and card data B
Input signal from signal generation circuit 37) I8. It is input to I9. 3B and 39.40 are respectively shown in Figure 4 8-
+ switch signal and - switch signal respectively generated by pressing 1 to 8-3.

This is a circuit that generates the ENTER switch signal.

These signals are input to input ports I4-I6. Reference numerals 41, 42, and 43 are the printer CP signal, printer SP signal, and printer connect signal, respectively, which are necessary for the above-mentioned printer to operate normally, and when printing a total, it is detected that the printer is connected by the printer connect signal 43. First, the printer motor 24 is turned on, and the printer motor number 4 generated every time printing is
Printing is performed sequentially by turning on the printer magnet 25 while monitoring the timing of the printer motor No. 1 and the home position.

In this embodiment, a key counter that mechanically stores the usage amount can also be connected to the socket 100 described above. FIG. 8-1 is an external perspective view of the key counter, and FIG. 8-2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the key counter. The key counter 45 maintains the cumulative number of used keys by mechanically rotating a cam using an electromagnetic magnet 44. Connector 4' is the same connector as connector 4 in Figure 5, and electrically, the power supply, sheet count pulse signal, and short bar terminals for enabling the equipment to operate are also connected to the same numbers. . The card controller shown in Figure 5 is inserted into the socket 100 shown in Figure 3-1.3-2, and by inserting the department card, the relay contact 26 is turned on, and numbers 3 and 5 of the connector 4 are shorted, and the equipment operates. It becomes possible. In the case of key counter 45, connect connector 4 in advance.
' No.3 and No.5 are shorted and the key counter is 4.
5 into the socket 100 shown in Fig. 3-1.3-2 to make the device operational. So socket 100
has a structure that can be used with both the card controller 1 and the key counter 45. This makes it possible to selectively install a key counter when the number of departments is small, and a card controller when there are many departments, which satisfies the user's requirements in terms of cost.

9 to 16.18 and 20.22 to 24 are flowcharts showing embodiments of the present invention.

A detailed explanation will be given below.

First, as shown in Fig. 9, when the power is turned on, the
A voltage check routine for the backup power supply 12 of RAMI 1 is executed (Step 500), and it is determined whether a card is inserted. This is because in configurations in which power is supplied from the device itself, such as a copying machine, it cannot be determined even if a card is inserted by the user when the power is turned off, so when the power is turned on, it is always determined whether a card is inserted or not. In this case, it is necessary to have the card inserted again. Therefore, in step 10 of FIG. 9, L for card data A is
Turn on ED31 and B LED33, and turn on the photo sensor 30.
Start detection of ゜32, and LE each at 5tep20
It is determined whether the signal card data A signal and B signal from the photosensors 30 and 32 facing D are on/off. If a card is inserted here, at step 12, because either or both of the A signal and B signal are turned off by the card, the display will show r --E.
E--J is displayed to prompt the user to reinsert the card. Then, the signal is constantly monitored at 5tepH, and only when both signals are turned on, it is determined that the card has been pulled out, and the no-card display r-P-J is displayed at 5tep13, and the check is completed and the process proceeds to 5tap14.

If the card is inserted, run the voltage check routine of the backup power supply 12 of 5-RAM11.5t
ep 600), proceed to Step 14. 5tap 14 is for determining the type of inserted card, and if no card is inserted, "r-p-" is displayed on the display section 6 (S
tap14), when inserted, the card data is read, and based on the read data, it is determined whether it is a management card or a department card (Step15).For the former, the data is from 201 to 203, and the unit price setting mode ( S t
e p200), upper limit setting mode (Step 300)
, execute the processing in the erase mode (Step 400), and in the latter case, the data is from 1 to 200, and execute the processing in the department mode (Steploo) (Step 20).
. If there is an error in card insertion, r-E-J will be displayed on the display section 6 (Step 16).
- Next, a detailed explanation will be given of card data reading in 5rep14 using the explanatory diagram of FIG. 7 and the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 13.

In FIG. 7, the card is inserted in the direction of the arrow, and the card has holes corresponding to the start pattern, card data, and stop pattern, which are detected by the card data A/B signal. In particular, in this embodiment, the start pattern and stop pattern are always different patterns, and if they are not detected in a predetermined order, reading of card data is canceled. In the flowchart of Fig. 1θ, first 5tep2
0 is used to detect a start pattern, which will be described later, and if it is detected.

Read data from 5tep21 to 5tep25,
In order to eliminate errors, data reading is executed only when the card is inserted within a certain speed range, otherwise an error is displayed and the data is canceled.

That is, at 5tpe21, a "data cancel timer" is used to wait in order to cancel the card insertion speed being too fast, and then at 5tep22, the "data out timer" is used to wait in order to cancel the card insertion speed being too slow. Perform data detection.If data cannot be detected even after the timer ends in 5tep22, 5tep
p23 displays r-g-j, prompts the user to reinsert the card, and waits for the card to be removed.

If data is detected, the data detection/storage described later will be performed.
Perform by t e p24, then increment the data counter by 1 by 5rep25, until the counter reaches 8.
In other words, 5 steps until 8 bits of card data are completed.
21 to 26 are read.

Then, in step 526, stop pattern detection, which will be described later, is performed, and if the process ends normally, reading of the card data ends.

FIG. 11 is a detailed explanation flow of start pattern detection, and the start pattern shown in FIG. 7 is detected as follows. First, in step 20-1, card data [exist], e
Both signals are on. In other words, the card has not been inserted yet, and then in step 20-2 ■,
■ Both signals are off, that is, the tip of the card has been inserted, and then in step 20-3, only the ■ signal is turned on, that is, the hole on the ■ signal side of the card is detected. be done. 5 steps here
If a detection other than the above is detected in step 20-3, it is not recognized as a start pattern and an error is generated.

Next, FIG. 12 is a detailed explanation flow of data detection. 5
In step 24-1, detect the position of the card without a hole,
At step 24-2, it is detected whether either the card data signal or the 0 signal is off, that is, whether it is on the hole side or the ■ side, and the side data at step 24-3 is 0.0 side is set as 1. It is stored in the bits of [card data] that correspond to the contents of [data counter].

That is, in the case of FIG. 7, the data is 0101011013, which is 86 in decimal.

In FIG. 13, the stop pattern detection is as follows:
5 step 26-1 detects no hole, 26-2 detects a hole only on the side, 26-3 detects no hole once, 26-4,
■Recognize the stop pattern in the order that both detect a hole and 26-5 detects no hole. Here 5tep26
If there is any other detection at -2 and 26-4, it will not be recognized as a stop pattern and will be treated as an error.

Next, processing in each mode will be explained.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing details of processing contents in department mode.

In this mode, each time a copy is made, the total number of copies corresponding to the department card number is increased by 1, and at the same time, the RA in the microcomputer 10
This is the mode for storing in M.

At step 100-1, the relay coil 27 is turned on by a signal from the terminal 03 of the microcomputer 10, and its contact 26 is turned on to permit copying of the copying machine main body.

In 5teplOO-2, pictogram display mark 7-1.7-
4 and indicate the "#" mark and the "σ" mark respectively. Then, Step 100-3 uses the card data as department data, and reads out the corresponding [number of copies] and [upper limit number of copies] from the backed-up and stored 5-RAM.

At step 5 OO-4, the card data (department number) and the cumulative number of copies for that department are displayed on the number display section 6. At step 100-5, the copier outputs a pulse every time it copies. Number of sheets count pulse signal〕
, and add 1 to the above-mentioned [number of copies] by outputting the signal.

At the same time, the [number of copies] is written and stored in the 5-RAM mentioned above, and the process returns to 5teplOO-4 and is displayed on the number display section 6.

On the other hand, in 5TEP100-6, while the [sheet count pulse signal] is not output, the [number of copies per copy] is the [upper limit number of copies].
If this is the case, the relay coil 27 is turned off, copying is prohibited, and at the same time the display on the number display section 6 is blinked to notify the user that the number of copies has reached the upper limit. Additionally, St pel 00-
7 always checks whether the card is inserted,
If the user removes the card during copying, that is, if the user wishes to interrupt copying, he or she immediately turns off the relay coil 27 to prohibit copying and closes the display on number display section 6 (-P-) to notify that there is no card.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are flowcharts showing in detail the processing contents of the unit price setting mode.

As mentioned above, this mode is used to set the unit price for each copy, and when the unit price setting card is inserted, the data (201 in this embodiment) of the card is read and this mode is started.

First, in step 200-1, change the display of number display section 6 to r---
-J, and at the same time read unit price setting data from S-RAMII. At this time, if nothing is set, rO, olJ
is read 5teplOO-2 and press Φ key 8-1
Check whether or not is pressed, and the emoji display mark 7-
2゜7-3 is turned on to indicate ``@ mark'' and ``9 mark'', and the unit price setting data is displayed as shown in Fig. 17 (a). And in 5tep200-3 key 8
Check whether -1 to 8-3 have been pressed. (2) When the key 8-1 is pressed, the unit price data is counted up to ten, and when the e key 8-2 is pressed, the unit price data is counted up to -. Figure 16 shows the details of the counting method, but if the unit price data is from 0.01 to 9.99, it should be counted in increments of 0.01 (Figure 17 (b)), 9.99.
+0.01 switches the display to 10.0 (Figure 17 (C)
)) From 10.0 to 60.0, it is counted in increments of 0.1 (Figure 17 (d)). This is necessary to support foreign currencies, and in Japan it is 0.1 yen. This is because, for example, in the United States, up to o and ois are required.

When the ENTER key 8-3 is pressed, the unit price setting is confirmed, the display is turned off after step 5200-4, and after 1 second, the confirmed data is displayed on the number display section 6, and at the same time, the unit price setting is Write and exit this mode.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing in detail the processing contents of the upper limit setting mode.

As mentioned above, this is a mode that sets the upper limit for the number of copies for a specific department, and in particular, it is a mode that can prohibit or cancel the use of a specific department, and when the upper limit setting card is inserted, the data (202 in this example)
Read and start upper limit setting mode.

First, in step 300-1, change the display of number display section 6 to r---
-J, and at the same time, each department data (
1 to 200), and the initial value of the apparatus is set to the maximum value (100,000 sheets) for each department.

Next, in 5tep300-2, Φ key 8-1 or e key 8-
When 2 is pressed, [department data] and [upper limit data]
is displayed on the number display section 6.

Then, in step 300-3, the pictograph display mark 7-1 is blinked to instruct the "# mark" to blink, and the pictograph display mark 7-4 is lit to indicate the "(mark)" (19th step 300-3).
(a), this state is maintained for 2 seconds until any of the keys 8-1 to 8-3 is pressed. When the mark 7-1 indicating the "# mark" is blinking, it is the department mode, and when the key is pressed, the [department code] is +1.9 with the ■ key 8-1 and -1 with the key 8-2. Figure 19 (b)
)(c)), repeat for each key power (Step 3)
00-4) - Also, if the key human power is not performed, proceed to 5 step 300-5 after the aforementioned 2 seconds have passed, and this time "(mark)"
The mark 7-4 indicating "# mark" flashes, and the mark 7-1 indicating "# mark" lights up (Fig. 19 (d)), and this state continues for 2 seconds until the key is pressed. After 2 seconds, 5t
Return to ep300-3. When the mark 7-4 indicated by "(mark)" is blinking, it is the upper limit setting mode, and when the key is pressed, the e key 8-1 sets [upper limit data].
+1000 and -1000 for e key 8-2 and display it (Fig. 19(e)(f)), and repeat this for each key from now on (Step 300-6), Step 17)
By setting the time [upper limit data] to 0 or less than the current cumulative number of sheets used, copying for that department can be prohibited.

Also, when the E NTE R key 8-3 is pressed, the upper limit data is confirmed, and the display is turned off once at step 5 300-7. In addition to displaying "# mark""♂mark"
Light up marks 7-1 and 7-4 that indicate
-Write to RAMII and exit this mode.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing details of the processing contents of the erase mode. This is a mode in which all the cumulative copy number data for departments 1 to 200 stored in the 5-RAM11 is cleared to O, and is not cleared in the upper limit setting mode or unit price setting mode.

First, (-------) is displayed on the number display section 6, and -(S
Step 400-1), B: By pressing the key 8-3 (Step 400-2) the display turns off -H.
p400-3), erase mode processing starts.

5tep400-4 [department data] from 1 to 2
Clear the corresponding sheet count data in S-RAMII to 0 one after another until it reaches 00, and when finished, 5tep4
At 00-5, the number display section 6 displays ``OO...004'' to notify the end of erasing.This makes it easy to clear the number data.

Also, by using an erasing card to do this, the reliability of management can be improved because the user cannot erase without this card.

Next, the display form of the pictogram display marks 7-1 to 7-4 and the display contents of the number display section 6 will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.

Figure 21 (a) shows the display format when the unit price setting card (Figure 1 (C)) is inserted, and the unit price (@) per sheet (0).
, and the display on the number display section 6 at that time indicates the value.

Further, FIGS. 21(b) to (e) show the display format when the ENTER switch 8-3 (FIG. 4) is pressed when no card is inserted. The process will be further explained below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. With no card inserted, the display on the number display section 6 is (-P-). When the ENTER] switch 8-3 is pressed from this state (SLep700-1), (---1- -) is displayed, and by pressing the [[[Eng.
Proceed to the display format showing P) (Fig. 21 (b) 0) Next, press the [○Rolo key 8-3 again to increment the (counter) by 1, and display the total number of used sheets for all departments as shown in Fig. 21 (c). Indicates the total amount of sheets multiplied by the unit price, and by pressing the ENTER switch 8-3 (counter) +1, as shown in Figure 21 (d), shows the department used and its cumulative number, that is, # (Department) of 49 (Number of sheets used)
The indicator mark 7-1.7-4 lights up. Also, by next pressing Rororoko]ro switch 8-3 (counter) +1
The display format is shown in FIG. 8(e), where the T by department is calculated by multiplying the cumulative number of sheets used in each department by the unit price.

Indicates the TAL amount, and then the next Roro Q Waroro switch 8
- If you press 3, the counter will be set only for the department in use = 4
, = 5 and (d) and (e) are displayed repeatedly in sequence ((Step-3), and if a card is inserted while this mode is being executed or the ENTER key 8
If -3 is not pressed until the timeout, the display is immediately stopped and returns to the initial state shown in Figure 9 (Step
700-2), the mode is switched according to the content of the cart load, and the display is also switched.

Next, the S-RA performed in 5 steps 500 and 600
A voltage check of the battery 1z for retaining the stored information of the MII when the device is powered off will be explained.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart for executing the above-described check performed in step 500 when the power is turned on.

In step 500-1, the analog switch 16 described above is turned on by the signal from the terminal 026 of the microcomputer IO, and in step 500-2, after waiting for the timer time by the [gate-on timer], the circuit shown in FIG. 5 described above turns on the battery. Wait for the comparison output of the capacitance to stabilize and then check the voltage. In step 500-3, if it is determined that the voltage check input is above the standard, turn off [analog switch 16] and continue the operation of the device (11th step). figure(
b)), On the other hand, if the voltage is judged to be below the standard, 5 steps
500-4, the analog switch 16 is turned off to prevent further wave peaks of the source current, and at the same time the number display section 6 is turned off.
C----J and blinks to notify the user that it is time to replace the battery (FIG. 25(a)).

Further, FIG. 24 is a flowchart for executing the above-mentioned check every time a department card is inserted.
4 Detects the presence or absence of a card and synchronizes with it to perform the above-mentioned 5tep500-1 to 5tep500-3.
Step 5 is the same step as voltage check.
Execute 00-1 to 600-3. on the other hand.

If the voltage is below the standard, proceed to step 600-4, turn off the analog switch 16, and then turn on the department code and r (----J) alternately as shown in Figure 25 to inform the user that it is time to replace the battery. inform (Fig. 25(c) to (e)
)).

Note that the various timers and counters set in the flowchart of this embodiment are R in the microcomputer 10.
This is set in a predetermined area of AM.

Furthermore, although this embodiment has been explained using the case of managing the number of copies made by a copying machine as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to managing the number of recorded sheets of a printer such as a laser beam printer, or managing the number of facsimile communications. It is clear that this method can be applied to the management of the amount of usage of various devices.

Effects As described above, according to the present invention, if a recording medium is inserted when power is supplied, this is notified.

Users can be prompted to reinsert the card, improving operability.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a card controller which is an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a view showing various function cards, Fig. 3-1 is an external perspective view of a socket, i, 3-2
Figure 4 is a diagram showing the connection state of the socket to the device, Figure 4 is a diagram showing the operation display section of the card controller, Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the control section of the card controller, Figure 6-1
The figure shows the configuration of the reading unit of the card controller, Figure 6-2 shows the electrical connection of the reading unit shown in Figure 6-1, and Figure 7 shows the operation of reading data recorded on the card. FIG. 17, FIG. 19, FIG. 21, and FIG. 25 are diagrams showing the display form of the display section. In the figure, 1 is a card controller, 5 is an operation display part, 9 is a card insertion slot, 10 is a microcomputer, and 11 is R
AM, 12 is a buffer amplifier battery, 30.32 is a phototransistor, 31.33 is an LED, and 100 is a socket. Figure z Figure 8-2 Mouth L --------+ u Figure 13 Deer 15 Figure 17 Kasumi # @ 0 ( # ■ (σ # @ Cσ # @ S σ Figure 19 # Q Ear 0 False 20 Diagram 23

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a device that manages usage of a device using a recording medium on which predetermined data is recorded, a detection means for detecting that the recording medium is inserted when power is supplied;
A device management device for equipment, characterized in that it has a notifying means for notifying this effect based on the output of the detecting means. (2) A device management device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means includes a display means for displaying a predetermined display.