초록 ▼

A data processing apparatus secures data from third parties in event of power loss by utilizing a backup power supply to provide power while data is erased from memory. The data is stored in a nonvolatile memory. A first voltage supply unit supplies voltage to the memory, and a second voltage unit s

A data processing apparatus secures data from third parties in event of power loss by utilizing a backup power supply to provide power while data is erased from memory. The data is stored in a nonvolatile memory. A first voltage supply unit supplies voltage to the memory, and a second voltage unit supplies voltage to the memory when the first voltage supply unit is incapable of supplying voltage to the memory. When the first voltage supply unit becomes incapable of supplying voltage to the memory, the memory is controlled to erase the data stored therein using a selected one of a plurality of erasing processes depending on the status of processing of the data.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A data processing apparatus comprising: an input unit that inputs data; a data processing unit that performs predetermined processing on the data input by said input unit; a nonvolatile storage unit that stores the data on which the processing has been performed by said data

What is claimed is: 1. A data processing apparatus comprising: an input unit that inputs data; a data processing unit that performs predetermined processing on the data input by said input unit; a nonvolatile storage unit that stores the data on which the processing has been performed by said data processing unit; a first voltage supply unit that supplies voltage to said storage unit; a second voltage supply unit that supplies voltage to said storage unit when said first voltage supply unit is incapable of supplying voltage to said storage unit; a selecting unit that selects one of a plurality of erasing processes based on a status of processing of the data on which said data processing unit performs the predetermined processing; a detecting unit that detects an amount of electric power that can be supplied from said second voltage supply unit to said storage unit, and wherein said selecting unit selects one of the plurality of erasing processes based on the amount of electric power detected by said detecting unit and an amount of the data; a determining unit that determines an amount of data that can be erased from said storage unit by the amount of electric power detected by said detecting unit, and wherein said selecting unit selects one of the plurality of erasing processes based on whether the amount of the data is greater than the amount of data that can be erased; and a control unit responsive to said first voltage supply unit becoming incapable of supplying voltage to said storage unit, for controlling said storage unit to erase the data stored in said storage unit using the selected erasing process. 2. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an image forming unit that forms an image, and wherein said input unit comprises: a determining unit that inputs the data received from an external apparatus and determines whether predetermined authentication information is included in the input data; and an authenticating unit that carries out authentication corresponding to the predetermined authentication information so as to cause said image forming unit to form an image based on the data including the predetermined authentication information. 3. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image forming unit that forms an image based on data generated by the predetermined processing performed on the data by said data processing unit. 4. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting unit, responsive to said first voltage supply unit becoming incapable of supplying voltage to said storage unit, selects one of the plurality of erasing processes for erasing at least part of the processed data stored in said storage unit in the case where the predetermined processing on the data input by said input unit is completed, and selects one of the plurality of erasing processes for erasing table data for identifying the processed data stored in said storage unit in the case where the predetermined processing on the data input by said input unit is not completed. 5. A data erasing method executed by a data processing apparatus, comprising: an input step of inputting data; a data processing step of performing predetermined processing on the data input in said input step; a storage step of storing the data on which the processing has been performed in said data processing step in a storage unit; a switching step of switching a source of voltage supply to the storage unit from a first voltage supply unit to a second voltage supply unit when the first voltage supply unit is incapable of supplying voltage to the storage unit; a selecting step of selecting one of a plurality of erasing processes based on a status of processing of the data on which said data processing step performs the predetermined processing; a detecting step that detects an amount of electric power that can be supplied from said second voltage supply unit to said storage unit, and wherein said selecting step selects one of the plurality of erasing processes based on the amount of electric power detected by said detecting step and an amount of the data; a determining step that determines an amount of data that can be erased from said storage unit by the amount of electric power detected by said detecting step, and wherein said selecting step selects one of the plurality of erasing processes based on whether the amount of the data is greater than the amount of data that can be erased; and an erasing step of erasing the data in response to the switching of the source of voltage supply from the first voltage supply unit to the second voltage supply unit in said switching step, using the selected erasing process. 6. A data erasing method according to claim 5, comprising an image forming step of forming an image based on data generated by the predetermined processing performed on the data in said data processing step. 7. A data erasing method according to claim 5, wherein said selecting step, in response to the switching of the source of voltage supply from the first voltage supply unit to the second voltage supply unit in said switching step, selects one of the plurality of erasing processes for erasing at least part of the processed data stored in the storage unit in the case where the predetermined processing on the data input in the input step is completed, and selects one of the plurality of erasing processes for erasing table data for identifying the processed data stored in the storage unit in the case where the predetermined processing on the data input in the input step is not completed. 8. A machine readable storage medium for storing a program for causing a computer to implement a data erasing method executed by a data processing apparatus, comprising: an input module for inputting data; a data processing module for performing predetermined processing on the data input by said input module; a storage module for storing the data on which the processing has been performed by said data processing module in a storage unit; a switching module for switching a source of voltage supply to the storage unit from a first voltage supply unit to a second voltage supply unit when the first voltage supply unit is incapable of supplying voltage to the storage unit; a selecting module for selecting one of a plurality of erasing processes based on a status of processing of the data on which said data processing module performs the predetermined processing; a detecting module that detects an amount of electric power that can be supplied from said second voltage supply unit to said storage unit, and wherein said selecting module selects one of the plurality of erasing processes based on the amount of electric power detected by said detecting step and an amount of the data; a determining module that determines an amount of data that can be erased from said storage unit by the amount of electric power detected by said detecting module, and wherein said selecting module selects one of the plurality of erasing processes based on whether the amount of the data is greater than the amount of data that can be erased; and an erasing module for erasing the data in response to the switching of the source of voltage supply from the first voltage supply unit to the second voltage supply unit by said switching module, using the erasing process.