JP2001075751A - Network print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a network print system which improves the security by managing print jobs in detail and is further equipped with a charging system by connecting a network printer where user information and print job information are registered to a user which gives a print instruction through an network. SOLUTION: In a user registration table 1, information regarding users 6 such as user IDs and passwords for identifying the users 6 and use charges is managed and recorded by the users 6, and the table 1 is used for user authentication. A user 6 who uses the network printer 2 is previously registered in the user registration table 1 of the network printer 2. A print job management table 5 is used to manage and authenticate print jobs. When a registered user is authenticated at a print acknowledgement request, the network printer 2 generates a print ID, which is registered in the print job management table 5 together with the user ID. When print data are received, the print job is authenticated with the print ID and user ID.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a network printing system, and more particularly to a network printing system having a billing system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer provided on a network receives data sent from a host computer and prints the data. In such a system, printing of the received data is not restricted, so that a third party can print freely.

For example, in a copying machine, a key counter is used to restrict a third party from using the copying machine without permission, and a charging system for collecting a fee for using the copying machine is adopted. Have been.

[0004]

The first problem with this conventional network printing system is that printers on the network do not have the limitations of the above-described copiers, so that a third party can print data without permission. It is possible to do. The reason is that, in the conventional network printing system, data from many computers on the network can be printed freely, so that users cannot be restricted and users cannot be charged.

[0005] The second problem is that security is not perfect. The reason is that the user cannot be confirmed because the printer does not have a user registration table.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a network printing system which improves security by managing print jobs in a network printing environment in detail and further includes a billing system.

[0007]

A network printing system according to the present invention includes a user registration table in which user information is registered, a print job management table in which print job information is registered, a network printer having these, and a computer. The system includes a user who issues a print instruction and a network for connecting these.

Further, the network printing system of the present invention manages / records information relating to the user such as a user ID / password for identifying the user, a usage fee for each user, and stores the user registration table used for user authentication. Prepare.

Further, the network printing system of the present invention is used for management / authentication of a print job, and when the user is authenticated as a registered user in the print permission request, registers the print ID and user ID generated by the network printer. The print job management table is provided.

Further, the network printing system according to the present invention is characterized in that, after printing is completed, job information (print ID, user ID) is deleted from the print job management table.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 showing a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, in a network printing system of this embodiment, a user registration table 1 in which user information is registered, and a print job management in which print job information is registered. Table 5 and network printer 2 having these
And a user 6 who issues a print instruction via the computer 3
And a network 4 for connecting these.

The user registration table 1 manages / records information about the user 6 such as a user ID / password for identifying the user 6 and a usage fee for each user 6, and uses the information for user authentication. User 6 using network printer 2
Must be registered in the user registration table 1 of the network printer 2 in advance.

The print job management table 5 is used for print job management / authentication. When authenticating that the user is a registered user in the print permission request, the network printer 2 generates a print ID and stores the print ID,
Register the user ID. When print data is received, print I
D. Authenticate the print job using the user ID.

Next, the overall operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2, which is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment, in conjunction with FIG.

First, the user 6 is registered in the user registration table 1 of the network printer 2 via the computer 3 in advance. User 6 receives user I from computer 3
D, the password is transmitted to the network printer 2 and a print permission request is made (S1 in FIG. 2). The network printer 2 that has received the print permission request refers to the user registration table 1 and performs user authentication (S2). If the user 6 is a registered user, the network printer 2 generates a print ID and stores the print ID and the user ID in the print job management table 5.
And a print permission response to which the print ID is added
(S3). If it is an unregistered user, a print non-permission response is returned (S4). The user 6 having received the print permission response transmits the print data to which the user ID and the print ID are added from the computer 3 to the network printer 2 (S5). The network printer 2 that has received the print data refers to the print job management table 5 and authenticates the print job using the print ID and the user ID (S6). If the job is a registration job, printing is performed while counting the number of prints (S7), and billing information is recorded in the user registration table 1 (S8). In the case of an unregistered job, a print non-permission response is returned to the computer 3 of the user 6 to discard the print data (S9). After printing is completed, job information (print ID, user I
D) is deleted.

[0017]

As described above, the first effect of the present invention is that security in network printing is improved. The reason is that only a user registered in the user registration table is permitted to use the printer, and the job is authenticated for each print job, so that unregistered users and non-permitted jobs can be excluded.

The second effect is that billing can be performed by the network printing system. The reason is that information is managed / recorded for each user by having a user registration table.

A third effect is that the management and operation of the print job can be performed in detail. The reason is that when a print job is deleted, a print job to be operated can be uniquely identified by the print ID registered in the print job management table.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 User Registration Table 2 Network Printer 3 Computer 4 Network 5 Print Job Management Table 6 User

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A user registration table in which user information is registered, a print job management table in which print job information is registered, a network printer having them, a user who issues a print instruction via a computer, and a network connecting these A network printing system comprising: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the user registration table for managing / recording information relating to the user such as a user ID / password for identifying the user and a usage fee for each user, and using the information for user authentication. 2. The network printing system according to 1. 3. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein the user who uses the network printer needs to be registered in the user registration table of the network printer in advance. 4. A print job management table which is used for management / authentication of a print job and registers a print ID and a user ID generated by the network printer when the registered user is authenticated in a print permission request. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The network printing system according to claim 1, wherein after printing is completed, job information (print ID, user ID) is deleted from the print job management table. 6. A user is registered in a user registration table of a network printer via a computer in advance, and the user transmits a user ID and a password from the computer to the network printer, makes a print permission request, and receives the print permission request. The network printer refers to a user registration table and performs user authentication. If the user is a registered user, the network printer generates a print ID and registers the print ID and the user ID in a print job management table. Returning a print permission response to which the print ID is added to the computer of the user, returning a print non-permission response if the user is not a registered user, and receiving the print permission response. The print data added with the ID is transmitted from the computer to the network. The network printer, which has transmitted the print data to the network printer, refers to the print job management table, authenticates the print job by the print ID and the user ID, and counts the number of prints in the case of a registered job. While printing, the accounting information is recorded in the user registration table, and in the case of an unregistered job, a print non-permission response is returned to the user's computer to discard the print data. Job information (print ID,
A network printing system for deleting the user ID).