Erasing a stored information pattern on a storage medium with progress indication

Abstract

According to an embodiment, a method is presented of erasing, in a document data processing device, a stored information pattern on a rewritable data carrier that is accessible by a data processing facility of said device, the document data processing device having primary processes for processing document data, wherein data may be stored on the data carrier, and secondary processes for erasing stored data, through overwriting a selected storage area of the carrier by a shredding pattern. According to the method, the primary and secondary processes are run asynchronously, i.e. the secondary processes are run in background, in order not to hinder the primary processes, and the progress of the erasing process is dynamically displayed for the operator to give an indication of an internal data security situation.

1 . A method of erasing, in a document data processing device, a stored information pattern on a rewritable data carrier that is accessible by a data processing facility of said device, 
 the document data processing device having 
 primary processes for processing document data, wherein data is stored on said data carrier, and  
 secondary processes for erasing stored data, through overwriting a selected storage area of said carrier with a shredding pattern,  
   wherein the method includes running said primary and secondary processes completely or partly asynchronously, and    the method further includes dynamically automatically determining overall progress of secondary processes in the device and displaying the same on a display of the device to give an indication of the internal data security situation.    
   
   
       2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said selected storage area includes storage of temporary, intermediate, and other data used by an actual operating system during a particular primary process.  
   
   
       3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said overwriting is terminated as based on a predetermined sufficient overwriting activity on a storage area of predetermined sufficient size.  
   
   
       4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in the step of displaying the progress of the secondary processes, data that have been stored by the primary processes, including data scheduled for shredding but not yet completely erased, are displayed.  
   
   
       5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein in the step of displaying the progress of the secondary processes, “data in use”, “data in erasure process”, and free (“clean”) disc space are distinguishably displayed.  
   
   
       6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the step of displaying the progress of the secondary processes, specifies the progress in the form of a “fuel gauge”.  
   
   
       7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the step of displaying the progress of the secondary processes, specifies the data in numbers of bytes.  
   
   
       8 . The method as claimed in any one of  claim 1 ,  4  or  5 , wherein the step of displaying the progress of the secondary processes, specifies the data in numbers of files.  
   
   
       9 . The method as claimed in any one of  claim 1 ,  4  or  5 , wherein said displaying of the progress of secondary processes in the device takes place on a local device display.  
   
   
       10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said displaying of the progress of secondary processes in the device takes place on a workstation display.  
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said data processing device comprises a printer, a scanner or a digital copier.  
   
   
       12 . A document processing device comprising: 
 a data processing facility;    a local display; and    a rewritable data carrier accessible by said data processing facility,    said data processing facility running 
 primary processes for processing document data, wherein data may be stored on said data carrier, and  
 secondary processes for erasing data stored in said data carrier, through overwriting a selected storage area of said carrier by a shredding pattern,  
   wherein the data processing facility is adapted to run said primary and secondary processes completely or partly asynchronously, and    the data processing facility includes: 
 means for monitoring the overall progress of secondary processes in the device, and  
 means for dynamically displaying said progress on the local display, to give an indication of an internal data security situation.  
   
   
   
       13 . The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said rewritable data carrier is a hard disc.  
   
   
       14 . The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said means for displaying said progress to an operator is a local display.  
   
   
       15 . The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said device is a printer, a copier or a scanner.