JP2011221419A - Image-forming apparatus and determination method of genuine product - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it difficult for a third party to analyze a calculation method and operational expression and to produce a non-genuine product completely replacing a genuine product.SOLUTION: A determination method comprises: a step (S2) that a reader-writer reads solid identification information and additional information from a storage medium, at the time of attaching a consumable supply (S1); a step (S3) that a control part determines whether or not a first operation result acquired by operation conducted using the solid identification information in accordance with a first operational expression is consistent with first determination information included in the additional information; and steps (S6, S7 and S8) that if consistent, the control part determines whether the attached consumable supply is a genuine product or not by using a predetermined probability to determine whether or not a second operation result acquired by operation conducted using the solid identification information in accordance with a second operational expression is consistent with second determination information included in the additional information.

Description

  The present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus that forms an image using a consumable item (for example, a toner cartridge) to which a storage medium is attached, and the image forming apparatus, and determines whether or not the consumable item is a genuine product. This is related to a genuine product judgment method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a device that uses a consumable item with a storage medium, there is a device that determines whether the device can be used based on information stored in the storage medium. For example, in the system of Patent Document 1, a consumable item (for example, a toner cartridge) is provided with a storage medium (for example, an IC tag), and electronic information (for example, information on a release key) that permits the use of the consumable item, A predetermined operation (for example, an exclusive OR operation) is executed using the solid identification information, and the operation result is encrypted and written to the storage medium. The user device (for example, a printer) reads out the encrypted information from the consumable storage medium, decrypts it, executes a predetermined calculation using the decrypted information and the individual identification information, and performs the above-described release. Restore key information. If the release key information can be restored, it is determined that the consumable is a genuine product, the usage restriction is removed, and the consumable can be used.

  For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a system that prevents a non-regular contractor from refilling a used toner cartridge and reusing the toner when the consumable is a toner cartridge. Also in this system, it is determined whether or not the apparatus can be used based on information stored in the consumable storage medium. That is, the storage medium of consumables (for example, an RFID tag) is instructed on solid identification information, a result (calculation information) calculated using the solid identification information according to a predetermined calculation formula, and whether or not the apparatus can be used. Usage instruction information is stored. In the user side device (for example, printer), the solid identification information is read from the storage medium of the consumables, is used for calculation according to a predetermined calculation formula, and the calculation result matches the calculation information stored in the storage medium. Judge whether or not. When the calculation result by the calculation formula matches the stored calculation information, it is determined whether or not the device can be used based on the use instruction information corresponding to the stored calculation information, and the device cannot be used. If it is determined, the use of the device is prohibited.

JP 2004-348443 A (refer to claim 1, paragraphs [0010], [0014], etc.) JP 2005-134513 A (refer to claim 1 etc.)

  By the way, in the system of Patent Document 1 in which the apparatus can be used when the consumable is a genuine product, in order for a third party to create a non-genuine product and use it on a user side device, at least Therefore, it is necessary to obtain by analysis the calculation method and calculation formula used for calculation using the solid identification information in the device on the user side. And it is necessary to memorize | store the result calculated according to the acquired computing equation in the storage medium of a non-genuine product.

  However, in Patent Document 1, the calculation method using the solid identification information in the user device is a uniform calculation method of calculating an exclusive OR of the information on the release key and the solid identification information. There arises a problem that the analysis of the calculation method by a third party and the analysis of the calculation formula used therefor are relatively easy. Also, if the calculation method is uniform, if the third party can analyze even the calculation method, the third party will analyze the calculation formula used in the calculation method and replace it with a genuine product. There is also a problem that can be manufactured. In the system of Patent Document 2 that prevents the reuse of consumables by non-regular contractors, for example, when a uniform calculation method is applied to all consumables that are used first, the same as above. Problems can occur.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to make it difficult for a third party to analyze a calculation method and a calculation formula. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can make it difficult to produce a non-genuine product that is substituted for the genuine product and a genuine product determination method that can be applied to the image forming apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image using a consumable with a storage medium attached thereto, and when the consumable is mounted, solid identification information unique to the consumable, and the consumable Reading the solid identification information and the additional information from the storage medium storing the first determination information for determining whether or not the product is a genuine product and the additional information including the second determination information A calculation control unit that performs calculation using the solid identification information read by the reading device, and the calculation control unit is obtained by calculating using the solid identification information according to a first calculation formula. It is determined whether or not the first calculation result matches the first determination information included in the additional information. If the first calculation result matches, the solid identification information is determined according to a second calculation expression. Second calculation result obtained by calculation using Determining whether the attached consumable is a genuine product by determining whether or not it matches the second determination information included in the additional information with a predetermined probability. It is characterized by.

  According to the above configuration, the solid identification information and the additional information including the first and second discrimination information are read from the storage medium (for example, the IC tag) by the reading device when the consumable item (for example, the toner cartridge) is mounted. . Then, the calculation control unit determines whether or not the first calculation result matches the first determination information (hereinafter also referred to as first genuine product determination). By determining whether or not the calculation result of 2 matches the second determination information (hereinafter also referred to as second genuine product determination) with a predetermined probability, the mounted consumable is a genuine product. Determine whether or not.

  For example, when the second genuine product determination is performed with a predetermined probability (for example, a probability of 1/100) after the first genuine product determination, the second calculation result matches the second determination information. In this case, it is determined that the consumable item is a genuine product. If the consumable item does not match, it is determined that the consumable item is a non-genuine product (counterfeit product). On the other hand, after the first genuine product determination, if the second genuine product determination is not performed with the remaining probability (for example, the probability of 99/100), the first calculation result is the first calculation result in the first genuine product determination. Therefore, it is determined that the consumable item is a genuine product.

  Here, in order for a third party to make a non-genuine product and use it so that the user does not know that it is a non-genuine product, a judgment method for judging a genuine product in the image forming apparatus, that is, a predetermined calculation It is necessary to analyze the calculation method when judging whether it is a genuine product. Then, an arithmetic expression (an arithmetic expression for obtaining additional information from the solid identification information) necessary for the determination method (calculation method) is obtained by analysis, and the result calculated according to the acquired arithmetic expression is used as additional information. It is necessary to store it in the storage medium of the product.

  However, in the present invention, in determining whether or not the mounted consumable is a genuine product, the second genuine product determination is not necessarily performed after the first genuine product is determined. The method for determining whether or not the product is genuine changes probabilistically. This makes it difficult for a third party to analyze the entire judgment method used for genuine product judgment (the whole computation method), and the whole computation formula used for genuine product judgment is completely analyzed. It is possible to make it difficult to analyze not only the first arithmetic expression but also the second arithmetic expression.

  Further, since the second genuine product judgment is not necessarily performed after the first genuine product judgment, even if the judgment method is analyzed by a third party, it is analyzed by the judgment method of the first genuine product judgment. Thus, it is possible to make it difficult to analyze even the determination method of the second genuine product determination. Thereby, even if the first arithmetic expression used for the first genuine product determination is analyzed by a third party, and the information calculated by the first arithmetic expression is stored as additional information in the non-genuine product storage medium. However, since the second arithmetic expression is not analyzed and the additional information corresponding to the second arithmetic expression is not stored in the storage medium, the image forming apparatus performs the second genuine operation performed with a predetermined probability. Depending on the product judgment, it may be judged as a non-genuine product. Thus, when it is determined that the product is a non-genuine product, the third party has a suspicion that the analyzed first calculation formula is not completely correct as the calculation formula used for the genuine product determination. In this case, the third party needs further analysis (elucidation of the whole picture) of the judgment method, and it becomes difficult to produce a non-genuine product that completely replaces the genuine product until it can be completely analyzed.

  The above-described effects can be obtained in the same manner by the genuine product determination method of the present invention described below. That is, the genuine product determination method of the present invention is a genuine product determination method for determining whether or not a consumable product with a storage medium attached is a genuine product, the solid identification information unique to the consumable product, A reading step of reading the solid identification information and the additional information from the storage medium storing additional information including determination information for determining whether or not the consumable is a genuine product, and the read solid identification A calculation step of performing calculation using information, and in the calculation step, a first calculation result obtained by calculation using the solid identification information according to a first calculation formula is included in the additional information. It is determined whether or not the first discriminating information matches, and if it matches, the second calculation result obtained by calculating using the solid identification information according to the second calculation formula is: The second format included in the additional information. By performing determination of whether or not to match the information with a predetermined probability, in which the mounted consumable and determines whether the genuine product.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the predetermined probability for determining whether or not the second calculation result matches the second determination information is 1/10 or less of the probability of not performing the determination. It is desirable to be.

  The probability of making the second genuine product judgment is considerably lower than the probability of not making the second genuine product judgment, and the second genuine product judgment is hardly made. It is possible to reliably make it difficult to analyze the determination method, and it is possible to reliably make it difficult to analyze the entire determination method.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the calculation control unit generates a random number when the first calculation result matches the first determination information, and the generated random number appears with the predetermined probability. When the value matches a predetermined value, it may be determined whether or not the second calculation result matches the second determination information.

  The arithmetic control unit performs the second genuine product determination when a random number that coincides with a predetermined value that appears with a predetermined probability after the first genuine product determination is generated. By using a random number in this way, the case where the second genuine product judgment is performed is not specified for each consumable item, so that it is further ensured that the third genuine product judgment judgment method is analyzed by a third party. It is possible to make it difficult to make it difficult to analyze the entire judgment method.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention further includes a display unit for displaying information, and the calculation control unit is configured to display the second calculation result when the first calculation result does not match the first determination information. In any case where the consumable item is not the same as the second determination information, it may be determined that the attached consumable is a non-genuine product and the display unit may display that the consumable product is a non-genuine product. .

  When the installed consumable is a non-genuine product, the fact that it is displayed on the display unit allows the user to grasp the situation and take measures such as inquiring to the manufacturer if necessary. It becomes possible.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the consumable item may be a toner cartridge in which toner is loaded. In this case, the above-described effects of the present invention can be obtained in a configuration in which an image is formed using toner loaded in a toner cartridge as a consumable item.

  According to the present invention, in determining whether or not a mounted consumable is a genuine product, the second genuine product determination is not always performed after the first genuine product is determined. The method for determining whether or not the product is genuine changes probabilistically. As a result, it is possible to make it difficult for a third party to analyze the entire determination method (the entire calculation method) used for genuine product determination and the entire calculation formula used therefor. In addition, even if the first arithmetic expression is analyzed by a third party and a non-genuine product is produced using the same, the non-genuine product is determined to be a non-genuine product by the second genuine product determination. Therefore, it is possible to give a third party a suspicion that the analyzed first arithmetic expression is wrong as an arithmetic expression used for genuine product determination. In this case, the third party will recognize that further analysis of the judgment method is necessary, and it becomes difficult to produce a non-genuine product that completely replaces the genuine product until it can be completely analyzed.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of the said multifunctional device. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a part of information stored in a memory of a tag attached to a toner cartridge mounted on the multifunction machine. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example using the solid identification information while showing an example of the solid identification information memorize | stored in the said memory. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the solid identification information memorize | stored in the said memory, and specifically shows the calculation using the solid identification information. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a reader / writer and the tag of the multifunction machine. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the genuine article judgment method in the said multifunctional device.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment will be described. Here, as an image forming apparatus, a monochrome multifunction machine that forms an image by an electrophotographic method will be described as an example.

(Schematic configuration of image forming apparatus)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a multifunction peripheral 100 as an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The multifunction device 100 is a so-called MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) having various functions such as copying, facsimile, scanner, and printer. In this multi-function machine 100, a document conveying device 1 is provided at the top of the device, and an operation panel 2 is provided above the front of the device. The document conveying device 1 automatically conveys the documents stacked on the document tray one by one to a reading position (on the contact glass 3a) of the scanner unit 3 described later.

  The operation panel 2 functions as an input unit for performing various settings including settings at the time of printing (for example, the number of copies and the number of copies), and also has a function as a display unit for displaying various information. Yes. In this embodiment, the operation panel 2 includes a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit 2a and a plurality of press buttons (not shown). The liquid crystal display unit 2a serves as an input unit and a display unit. It functions as an input unit. Note that the above-mentioned press buttons are a numeric keypad (number keys from 0 to 9, symbol keys such as # and C (clear)), function selection keys (operation mode setting keys such as copy mode and FAX transmission mode), start and reset. Including stop various keys.

  The multifunction device 100 also includes a scanner unit 3, a paper feeding unit 4, a transport unit 5, an image forming unit 6, and a fixing unit 7.

  The scanner unit 3 reads an original and generates image data. More specifically, on the upper surface of the scanner section 3, a contact glass 3a for feeding reading and a contact glass 3b for mounting reading are provided. Further, inside the scanner unit 3, optical members such as a moving frame (including an exposure lamp and a mirror) that moves in a horizontal direction (left and right in the case of FIG. 1), a lens, and an image sensor (for example, a CCD). (Both not shown) are provided.

  When reading a document continuously conveyed by the document conveying device 1, a moving frame is fixed below the contact glass 3a for feeding reading, and reflected light of the document is guided to a lens and an image sensor. On the other hand, when reading an original placed on the contact glass 3b for reading, the moving frame is moved in the horizontal direction to guide the reflected light of the original to a lens and an image sensor. Image data of a read original can be obtained by A / D converting the output value of each pixel of the image sensor. The image data is stored in a storage unit 82 (see FIG. 2) of the control unit 8 described later.

  The paper feed unit 4 stores paper and supplies the stored paper to the image forming unit 6. In this embodiment, the paper feed unit 4 includes two paper feed cassettes 4 a and 4 a stacked in two stages in the vertical direction. Have. Each paper feed cassette 4a has various types (for example, plain paper, copy paper, recycled paper, etc.) and a plurality of sheets (for example, 500 to 1000 sheets) of each size (for example, A4, A3, B4, B5, letter size, etc.). Degree) Load and store. The number of stages of the paper feed cassette 4a is not limited to the above two stages.

  Each paper feed cassette 4a is provided with a paper stacking plate 4b that rotates with an end on the upstream side in the paper transport direction as a pivot. A push-up member 4d that has one end connected to the shaft 4c and pushes the paper stacking plate 4b upward at the other end is provided below the paper stacking plate 4b. By rotating the shaft 4c to change the angle of the push-up member 4d and pushing the paper placement plate 4b upward, the paper placed on the paper stacking plate 4b is pressed by the paper feed roller 4e, and the topmost The paper is discharged by the rotation of the paper supply roller 4e. When a plurality of sheets are simultaneously fed by the rotation of the sheet feeding roller 4e, the sheet is fed by a feed roller and a retard roller (not shown), and only the uppermost sheet is conveyed. Further, the remaining amount of paper on the paper stacking plate 4b is detected by a paper remaining amount sensor (not shown).

  The transport unit 5 transports the paper along a transport path from the paper feed unit 4 to a paper discharge tray (not shown). Specifically, the transport unit 5 includes a plurality of transport roller pairs (in FIG. 1, a total of seven from 5 a to 5 g shown in FIG. 1) that are rotationally driven during transport of the paper, and the transported paper. And a registration roller pair 5h that sends out the toner image at the same timing.

  The image forming unit 6 generates an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit 4 based on image data generated by the scanner unit 3 or image data input from the outside (for example, a personal computer) via a communication line. Toner image) is formed, and the toner image is transferred onto the conveyed paper. The image forming unit 6 includes a photosensitive drum 6a supported so as to be rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, and a charging device 6b and an exposure device 6c disposed around the photosensitive drum 6a. A developing device 6d, a transfer roller 6e, and a cleaning device 6f.

  In this configuration, first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 6a is charged to a predetermined potential by the charging device 6b. Then, the exposure device 6c outputs laser light based on the image data, and in FIG. 1, the surface of the photosensitive drum 6a is scanned and exposed from the right side of the charging device 6b. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 6a. In FIG. 1, a developing device 6d located on the right side of the photosensitive drum 6a supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 6a and develops it. The transfer roller 6e below the photosensitive drum 6a is pressed against the photosensitive drum 6a to form a nip. Then, the registration roller pair 5h is timed to cause the sheet to enter the nip. When the paper and toner image enter the nip, a predetermined voltage is applied to the transfer roller 6e, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 6a is transferred to the paper. Toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 6a after the transfer is removed by the cleaning device 6f.

  The fixing unit 7 fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet by the image forming unit 6. In the present embodiment, the fixing unit 7 is mainly composed of a heating roller 7a and a pressure roller 7b that incorporate a heating element. The heating roller 7a and the pressure roller 7b are pressed against each other to form a nip. When the paper passes through this nip, the toner is melted and heated, and the toner image is fixed on the paper. The paper after toner fixing is sent to a paper discharge tray. Note that the fixing unit 7 may be configured to fix the toner image on the paper by another heating method such as an electromagnetic induction heating method.

  Further, in the multifunction machine 100 of the present embodiment, the toner cartridge 200 is mounted above the developing device 6d. The toner cartridge 200 contains, for example, black toner, and supplies the toner to the developing device 6d. The toner cartridge 200 is a consumable item and is appropriately replaced with a new one when the remaining amount of toner is low. Note that the MFP 100 according to the present embodiment uses the information stored in the tag 210 (see FIG. 6) attached to the toner cartridge 200 to be mounted, and the toner cartridge 200 is genuine or non-genuine. Although it has a function to determine whether it is a product, the details will be described later.

(Hardware configuration of MFP)
Next, a hardware configuration of the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the MFP 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the MFP 100 of this embodiment has a control unit 8 on an internal control board. The control unit 8 controls each unit of the multifunction peripheral 100 such as the document conveyance device 1, the operation panel 2, the scanner unit 3, the paper feeding unit 4, the conveyance unit 5, the image forming unit 6, the fixing unit 7, and the like. , A storage unit 82, an image processing unit 83, and the like. The CPU 81 is a central processing unit, and controls and performs each part of the multifunction peripheral 100 based on a control program and data stored in the storage unit 82 and developed. The storage unit 82 is configured by a combination of nonvolatile and volatile storage devices such as ROM, RAM, and flash ROM. For example, the storage unit 82 stores a control program, data, and the like for the multifunction peripheral 100.

  The control unit 8 includes various connectors and sockets, and is provided with an I / F unit 84 (interface unit) for communicating with the outside of the multi-function device 100. The multi-function device 100 can connect the user terminal 300 (for example, a personal computer) via the I / F unit 84 via a network, a cable, or the like. Note that a plurality of user terminals 300 can be connected to the MFP 100 so as to be communicable. However, only one user terminal 300 is shown in FIG. 2 for convenience.

  Then, the user transmits image data and a file from each user terminal 300 to the multifunction device 100, and the multifunction device 100 can perform printing based on the received image data and the like. For example, the image processing unit 83 performs image processing such as data format conversion and density adjustment on the received image data, and outputs the processed image data to the exposure device 6c for printing. Note that although the functions of the image processing unit 83 are various, detailed description is omitted here because image processing can be performed by a known method.

  Further, a reader / writer 9 is connected to the control unit 8. The reader / writer 9 can wirelessly communicate with an RFID tag 210 (see FIG. 6) attached to the toner cartridge 200, and serves as a reading device and a writing device that read and write information from and to the tag 210. It has the function of That is, when the control unit 8 instructs the reader / writer 9 to read information stored in the tag 210 or write information to the tag 210, the reader / writer 9 receives the instruction from the control unit 8, Information is read from or written to the tag 210.

  Here, information stored in the tag 210 as a storage medium will be described. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the information stored in the memory 212 of the tag 210. As described above, the memory 212 stores the solid identification information 220 and the additional information 230 as information used when judging the genuine product of the toner cartridge 200 to which the tag 210 is attached.

  The solid identification information 220 is information specific to each tag 210 to be manufactured, such as the serial number of the tag 210. Therefore, when the tag 210 is attached to the toner cartridge 200, the solid identification information 220 is information unique to each toner cartridge 200, and is information that can distinguish a plurality of toner cartridges 200. The solid identification information 200 is stored in a non-rewritable area in the memory 212, and the solid identification information 200 cannot be written or rewritten.

  The additional information 230 is information added to determine whether or not the toner cartridge 200 attached to the multifunction peripheral 100 is a genuine product. The additional information 230 is stored in a rewritable area in the memory 212, and the additional information 230 can be written or rewritten according to the solid identification information 220 to be used. For example, when the tag 210 is manufactured, the additional information 230 is written according to the solid identification information 220 of the tag 210.

  Such additional information 230 includes first discrimination information 231 and second discrimination information 232. The first discrimination information 231 is the same information as the first calculation result that is calculated using the solid identification information 220 according to the first calculation formula in the multifunction peripheral 100. On the other hand, the second determination information 232 is the same information as the second calculation result calculated using the solid identification information 220 according to the second calculation formula in the multi-function device 100.

  As the first and second arithmetic expressions, for example, an arithmetic expression based on exclusive OR of the solid identification information 220 and predetermined information can be assumed. However, an arithmetic expression other than exclusive OR may be used. Of course it is possible. Of course, the first and second arithmetic expressions may be expressions combining a plurality of logical operations. Hereinafter, specific examples of the first determination information 231 and the second determination information 232 obtained by calculation using the first and second calculation formulas will be described. Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the description, description will be made with the number of bits reduced.

  For example, assume that the first arithmetic expression is (solid identification information ^ 0x1111) and the second arithmetic expression is (solid identification information ^ 0x2222). The symbol “^” indicates exclusive OR (XOR). “0x” indicates a hexadecimal number.

Therefore, when the solid identification information 220 is, for example, 0x1234, the calculation result by the first calculation formula is
0x1234 ^ 0x1111 = 0x0325
It becomes. In addition, the calculation result by the second calculation formula is
0x1234 ^ 0x2222 = 0x3016
It becomes. Therefore, when the solid identification information 220 is, for example, 0x1234, 0x0325, which is the same information as the first calculation result, is written in the memory 212 of the tag 210 having the solid identification information 220 as the first discrimination information 231. As the second determination information 232, 0x3016, which is the same information as the second calculation result, is written in the memory 212. FIG. 4 specifically shows the above calculation.

In addition, when the solid identification information 220 is, for example, 0x1111, the calculation result by the first calculation formula is
0x1111 ^ 0x1111 = 0x0000
It becomes. The calculation result of the second calculation formula is
0x1111 ^ 0x2222 = 0x3333
It becomes. Therefore, when the solid identification information 220 is, for example, 0x1111, 0x0000, which is the same information as the first calculation result, is written in the memory 212 of the tag 210 having the solid identification information 220 as the first discrimination information 231. Accordingly, 0x3333, which is the same information as the second calculation result, is written in the memory 212 as the second determination information 232. A specific example of the above calculation is shown in FIG.

  For example, when the toner cartridge 200 is mounted, the control unit 8 reads the solid identification information 220 and the additional information 230 from the tag 210 by the reader / writer 9 and uses the read solid identification information 220 to read the first, It has a function as a calculation control unit that performs calculation according to the second calculation formula and determines whether or not the mounted toner cartridge 200 is a genuine product. The details of the genuine product determination method by the control unit 8 will be described later.

  The control unit 8 also has a random number generation function for generating any numerical value of 1 to 100 as a random number, for example. Each numerical value of 1 to 100 is generated evenly with a probability of 1/100. Based on the value of the generated random number, the control unit 8 determines whether or not to perform the second genuine product determination after the first genuine product determination in the genuine product determination process described later. For example, if 1 is generated as a random number after the determination of the first genuine product, the control unit 8 determines the second genuine product, and if any of 2 to 100 is generated as a random number. The second genuine product judgment is not performed.

  As information to be stored in the memory 212 of the tag 210, in addition to the information used when determining the genuine product described above, for example, the following information can also be stored. In other words, the tag 210 can store information on the color of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 200. By reading this information, the control unit 8 can grasp the mounting mistake of the toner cartridge 200. The tag 210 can also store information related to compatible models of the toner cartridge 200. By reading this information, the control unit 8 can determine whether or not the toner cartridge 200 attached to the multifunction peripheral 100 is appropriate. Further, the tag 210 can store parameters such as the characteristics of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 200 and an appropriate voltage to be applied to the developing roller of the developing device 6d to form a high-quality image. it can. By reading this information, the control unit 8 can perform printing with better quality.

  Further, in order to detect the remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge 200, the tag 210 stores (writes) the total number of sheets printed using the toner since the toner cartridge 200 was mounted on the multifunction peripheral 100. )be able to. By constantly rewriting and appropriately reading out information related to the number of printed sheets stored in the tag 210, the control unit 8 can determine the remaining amount of toner in the toner cartridge 200, the toner from the relationship between the number of printed sheets and the amount of toner consumed. Cutting can be detected by calculation or the like.

(Configuration of reader / writer and tag)
Next, the configuration of the tag 210 attached to the reader / writer 9 and the toner cartridge 200 will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the reader / writer 9 and the tag 210.

  A CPU 91, a memory 92, a modulation unit 93, a filter 94, a demodulation unit 95, a first antenna A1, and the like are mounted on the substrate 9a of the reader / writer 9. The CPU 91 is an arithmetic device that controls communication control with the control unit 8 and operation of the reader / writer 9. The memory 92 stores programs and data necessary for the CPU 91 to perform control.

  The modulation unit 93 places an instruction or information (signal wave) to be transmitted to the tag 210 on the carrier wave. The filter 94 removes frequency components unnecessary for communication from the modulated waveform. The modulation unit 93 performs modulation according to the communication method between the reader / writer 9 and the tag 210, such as amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, and phase modulation (the same applies to the demodulation unit 95). The output of the modulation unit 93 is input to the first antenna A1 facing the tag 210 to be communicated, received by the tag 210 to be communicated, and instructions and information are transmitted. The demodulator 95 is a part that demodulates the reflected wave from the tag 210 on which information stored in the tag 210 is placed.

  On the other hand, the tag 210 is provided with the second antenna A2, the IC 211, and the memory 212 described above. The tag 210 may be a passive type as in this embodiment, or an active type having a power source. The IC 211 incorporates a control arithmetic circuit, a modulation / demodulation circuit for communicating with the reader / writer 9, a rectifier circuit as a driving power source for the IC 211 that obtains power from a carrier wave emitted from the reader / writer 9, and the like. The memory 212 stores various types of information as described above. The memory 212 may be built in the IC 211.

  The first antenna A1 of the reader / writer 9 is formed in a coil shape (loop shape) by wiring on the substrate 9a, and the second antenna A2 of the tag 210 is also formed in a coil shape (loop shape). For example, the first antenna A1 of the reader / writer 9 and the second antenna A2 of the tag 210 are approximately the same size. In addition, a magnetic field is generated by voltage application to the first antenna A1 by the modulation unit 93 and voltage application to the second antenna A2 by the IC 211. The magnetic field generated in one antenna generates a voltage (current) in the other antenna by electromagnetic induction (electromagnetic induction method), and communication is performed. The reader / writer 9 and the tag 210 may communicate with each other using a radio wave system.

  The CPU 91 of the reader / writer 9 receives an instruction from the control unit 8 and communicates with the tag 210 as described above, so that the reader / writer 9 reads information from the tag 210 and transmits the read information to the control unit. 8 and data received from the control unit 8 can be written to the tag 210.

(Regarding the genuine product judgment method)
Next, a method for determining whether or not the toner cartridge 200 mounted on the multifunction peripheral 100 is a genuine product will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the genuine product determination method.

  First, when the toner cartridge 200 is attached to the multifunction peripheral 100 (S1), the reader / writer 9 causes the solid identification information 220 and the additional information 230 (first determination information 231 and 231) stored in the tag 210 of the toner cartridge 200 to be stored. The second discrimination information 232) is read (S2; reading process). Then, the control unit 8 performs a predetermined calculation using the read solid identification information 220 in the calculation process after S3 shown below, and the mounted toner cartridge 200 is a genuine product according to the calculation result. Judge whether there is.

  Specifically, the control unit 8 calculates using the solid identification information 220 according to a first calculation formula (for example, solid identification information ^ 0x1111), and the first calculation result obtained by the calculation is added to the additional information 230. It is determined whether or not it matches the included first determination information 231 (first genuine product determination; S3). If the first calculation result does not match the first determination information 231 in S3, the control unit 8 determines that the mounted toner cartridge 200 is a non-genuine product (S4). And the control part 8 displays on the liquid crystal display part 2a of the operation panel 2 that it is a non-genuine product (S5), and complete | finishes a process.

  On the other hand, when the first calculation result and the first discrimination information 231 match in S3, the control unit 8 next generates any numerical value from 1 to 100 as a random number (S6). ), It is determined whether or not the generated random number matches a predetermined value (for example, 1) (S7). The predetermined value is set in advance when the apparatus is shipped from the factory, for example, but may be set and changed by the user using the operation panel 2 in advance.

  If the generated random number matches the predetermined value in S7, the control unit 8 calculates using the solid identification information 220 according to the second calculation formula (for example, the solid identification information ^ 0x2222). It is determined whether or not the obtained second calculation result matches the second determination information 232 included in the additional information 230 (second genuine product determination; S8). That is, the second genuine product determination in S8 is performed with a predetermined probability (here, a probability of 1/100) and is not performed with the remaining probability (here, a probability of 99/100).

  If the second calculation result and the second determination information 232 match in S8, the control unit 8 determines that the mounted toner cartridge 200 is a genuine product (S9), and performs the process. finish. On the other hand, if the second calculation result does not match the second determination information 232 in S8, the control unit 8 determines that the mounted toner cartridge 200 is a non-genuine product (S10). ). And the control part 8 displays on the liquid crystal display part 2a of the operation panel 2 that it is a non-genuine product (S5), and complete | finishes a process. In S7 described above, if the generated random number does not match the predetermined value, the control unit 8 has already cleared the first genuine product determination in S3, and therefore, the mounted toner cartridge 200 has been cleared. Is determined to be a genuine product (S11), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the first calculation result matches the first determination information 231 (see S3). Is determined with a predetermined probability (in this case, a probability of 1/100) to determine whether the attached consumable is a genuine product or not. (See S7 and S8).

  In such a genuine product determination method, after the first genuine product determination in S3, the second genuine product determination in S8 is not necessarily performed, and whether or not the consumable product is a genuine product is determined. The entire judgment method changes stochastically. As described above, in the example of the present embodiment, after the first genuine product determination, the second genuine product determination is performed probabilistically for one of 100 consumables. Of the 99 consumables, the second genuine product determination is not performed, and is determined to be a genuine product on the condition that the first genuine product determination is cleared (see S7 and S11). .

  As described above, the second genuine product determination is not necessarily performed after the first genuine product determination, and therefore, the third party analyzes the entire determination method (the entire calculation method) of the genuine product determination. Can be difficult. As a result, it is difficult for a third party to completely analyze the entire arithmetic expression used for determining the genuine product (not only the first arithmetic expression but also the second arithmetic expression). it can.

  In other words, the determination method for genuine products according to the present embodiment is not determined uniformly when consumables to be mounted (solid identification information) are determined, but change with a predetermined probability as a whole by the generation of random numbers. Therefore (because the entire determination method changes), it is possible to make it difficult for a third party to analyze the entire determination method and the entire arithmetic expression used therefor.

  In addition, since the second genuine product determination is not necessarily performed after the first genuine product determination, even if a third party analysis method of the genuine product is analyzed, it is determined as the first genuine product determination. It is possible to limit the analysis of the method, and it is possible to make it difficult to analyze even the determination method of the second genuine product determination. Thereby, even if the first arithmetic expression used for the first genuine product determination is analyzed by a third party, and the information calculated by the first arithmetic expression is stored as the additional information 230 in the storage medium of the non-genuine product However, in the MFP 100, 99 non-genuine products out of 100 are judged to be genuine products because the first genuine product judgment is cleared, but about 1 non-genuine product out of 100 products. Are determined as non-genuine products by the second genuine product determination after the first genuine product determination. Therefore, when a ratio of 1 out of 100 is determined to be a non-genuine product, the third party suspects that the analyzed first arithmetic expression is not completely correct as an arithmetic expression used for genuine product determination. Will have. In this case, it is necessary for the third party to further analyze the judgment method (elucidation of the whole picture), and it becomes difficult to produce a non-genuine product that completely replaces the genuine product until the judgment method can be completely analyzed.

  In the present embodiment, the probability of performing the second genuine product determination is 1/100, which is extremely lower than the probability of not performing the second genuine product determination (99/100). Accordingly, it is possible to reliably make it difficult to analyze the determination method of the second genuine product determination by a third party, and it is possible to reliably make it difficult to analyze the entire determination method. Such an effect can be sufficiently obtained if the probability of performing the second genuine product determination is 1/10 or less of the probability of not performing the second genuine product determination.

  That is, assuming that the probability of performing the second genuine product determination is A and the probability of not performing the second genuine product determination is (1-A), A ≦ (1-A) / 10 may be satisfied. In this case, the probability of performing the second genuine product determination is 1/11 or less, which is considerably lower than the probability of not performing the second genuine product determination (10/11 or more). It is possible to reliably make it difficult to analyze the judgment method and thus the whole judgment method.

  The adjustment of the probability of performing the second genuine product determination is sufficient if the width of the random number generated in S6 (the number of random numbers that can be generated) is adjusted. For example, when the probability of determining the second genuine product is 1/11, the random number generated in S6 may be a numerical value from 1 to 11. It should be noted that the probability setting for determining the second genuine product can be performed by the user via the operation panel 2.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 8 generates a random number when the first calculation result matches the first determination information 231, and the generated random number has the predetermined probability (for example, 1 / 100), it is determined whether or not the second calculation result matches the second determination information 232 (see S3, S6 to S8). ). By using a random number in this way, the case where the second genuine product judgment is performed is not specified for each consumable item, so that it is further ensured that the third genuine product judgment judgment method is analyzed by a third party. It is possible to make it difficult to make it difficult to analyze the entire judgment method.

  Further, when the control unit 8 determines that the mounted toner cartridge 200 is a non-genuine product based on the above-described determination method, the control unit 8 displays the non-genuine product on the liquid crystal display unit 2a. Can see that the displayed toner cartridge 200 is a non-genuine product. It is left to the user to decide whether to use a non-genuine product or to use a genuine product, but it is also possible to contact the manufacturer and examine the response if necessary.

  In the present embodiment, the first and second arithmetic expressions, the solid identification information 220, and the additional information 230 are illustrated with a small number of bits. However, this is for easy understanding of the description, and further, the number of bits is changed. Of course, it is possible to make the analysis of the arithmetic expression more difficult by increasing the number (for example, 256-bit information) or adopting a complicated arithmetic expression. It is also possible to make a genuine product determination by further increasing the number of arithmetic expressions (using the third and fourth arithmetic expressions).

  In the present embodiment, the first discrimination information 231 and the second discrimination information 232 are stored separately as the additional information 230 stored in the memory 212 of the tag 210, but the first discrimination information 231 is stored. And the second discrimination information 232 may be stored by including the first discrimination information 231 and the second discrimination information 232 in one discrimination information (bit string).

  In the present exemplary embodiment, an example in which the image forming apparatus is configured by the monochrome multifunction peripheral 100 has been described. However, the configuration illustrated in the present exemplary embodiment is another image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile, and a tandem type. Alternatively, the present invention can be applied to a rotary color image forming apparatus. In the color image forming apparatus, the genuine product determination method described above may be applied to each color toner cartridge.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention can be used in an image forming apparatus that forms an image using a consumable item (for example, a toner cartridge) to which a storage medium is attached.

2a Liquid crystal display (display)
8 Control unit (calculation control unit)
9 Reader / Writer (Reader)
100 MFP (image forming device)
200 Toner cartridge (consumable)
210 Tag (storage medium)
220 Solid identification information 230 Additional information 231 First discrimination information 232 Second discrimination information

Claims (6)

An image forming apparatus that forms an image using a consumable with a storage medium attached thereto,
Solid identification information unique to the consumable when the consumable is mounted, and additional information including first determination information and second determination information for determining whether the consumable is genuine. A reading device that reads the solid identification information and the additional information from the storage medium in which is stored,
An operation control unit that performs an operation using the solid identification information read by the reader,
The calculation control unit determines whether or not a first calculation result obtained by calculation using the solid identification information according to a first calculation formula matches the first determination information included in the additional information. And the second calculation result obtained by calculation using the solid identification information in accordance with the second calculation formula is the second determination information included in the additional information. An image forming apparatus comprising: determining whether or not the consumables are genuine by determining whether or not they match with each other by a predetermined probability.   The predetermined probability of determining whether or not the second calculation result matches the second determination information is 1/10 or less of the probability of not performing the determination. The image forming apparatus according to 1.   The calculation control unit generates a random number when the first calculation result matches the first determination information, and the generated random number matches the predetermined value appearing at the predetermined probability. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a determination is made as to whether or not the second calculation result matches the second determination information. A display unit for displaying information;
The calculation control unit, when the first calculation result does not match the first determination information, and when the second calculation result does not match the second determination information, 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mounted consumable is determined to be a non-genuine product and the display unit displays the non-genuine product. 5.   5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the consumable is a toner cartridge in which toner is loaded. A genuine product determination method for determining whether or not a consumable item with a storage medium is a genuine product,
From the storage medium storing solid identification information unique to the consumables and additional information including discrimination information for determining whether the consumables are genuine products, the solid identification information and the additional information A reading process for reading information;
An operation step of performing an operation using the read solid identification information,
In the calculation step, it is determined whether or not a first calculation result obtained by calculation using the solid identification information according to a first calculation formula matches the first determination information included in the additional information. If it is determined and agrees, the second calculation result obtained by calculation using the solid identification information according to the second calculation formula is identical to the second determination information included in the additional information. A genuine product judgment method characterized in that it is judged whether or not the attached consumable is a genuine product by making a judgment as to whether or not it is done.

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