JP2002091712A - Printing system and contents data reproducing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an illegal copy printing of contents data. SOLUTION: Printing job data to be transmitted from a contents server 44 to a printer 38 contain contents data CD and copy guard codes CGCO1 and CGCO2 for disabling normal printing. The copy guard code CGCO1 contains printer specification information PI for specifying a printer capable of printing the contents data CD. In the printer 36 which receives the printing job data, the printer specification information PI contained in the printing job data are read out and deciphered, and it is judged whether the printer identifier contained therein matches with its own printer identifier or not. Only when both the printer identifiers mutually match, information for removing the copy guard codes CGCO1 and CGCO2 is requested to the contents server 44.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a printing system and a content data reproduction system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, public networks such as the Internet have exploded. For this reason, it has become possible for a general user to download content data from a content server remote from the user via the Internet and print the content data from his / her own printer.

For example, when a content server connected to the Internet stores data of photos of entertainers in a content database, a user can access the content server that manages the content database via the Internet. Then, the photograph of the entertainer desired by the user can be downloaded from the content database to his / her computer, and can be printed from a printer connected to the computer. At the time of this download, the provider of the content server charges the user accordingly, whereby the service business is established.

[0004]

However, a mechanism for preventing unauthorized copy printing is not provided for content data such as photos downloaded by a user from a content server. Therefore, the user can print the content data downloaded from the content server any number of times using a printer. In this case, it cannot be said that the copyright of the content data is sufficiently protected.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a printing system capable of printing content data downloaded by a user from a printer and preventing unauthorized copying of the content data. The purpose is to:

It is another object of the present invention to provide a content data reproducing system capable of reproducing content data downloaded by a user with a reproducing device such as a printer, a television, a music / sound reproducing player, etc., and preventing unauthorized reproduction of the content data. With the goal.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a printing system according to the present invention is a printing system having a content server and a printer connected to the content server via a network, Print job data generating means for generating, in the content server, print job data having at least content data and printer specifying information including a printer identifier for specifying a printer capable of printing the content data; and Print job data transmitting means for transmitting to the printer, print job data receiving means for receiving the print job data from the content server, the printer receiving the print job data, In the printer specific information of the data Read out the printer identifier, determine whether or not this matches the printer identifier of the printer itself, and request print permission from the content server only when both match, and print permission request means, A print permission transmitting unit that transmits a print permission from the content server to the printer when the print permission is requested; and the printer that receives the print permission executes printing based on the print job data. , A print execution unit. By doing so, it becomes impossible to print the print job data unless the content server gives a print permission to the printer to which the print job data has been transmitted. Therefore, the print job data transmitted by the content server can be printed only by a specific printer, and it is possible to prevent the content data included in the print job data from being illegally copied and printed.

In this case, the print job data includes one first copy guard code inserted at a specific position,
At least one or a plurality of second copy guard codes that are dispersedly inserted between the content data as necessary according to the data length of the content data,
The print job data generating unit generates the first copy guard code including at least the printer specifying information and a first code pointer indicating a position of a next second copy guard code, and stores the first copy guard code at the specific position. When the content data is present at the position indicated by the first code pointer, the second code pointer indicating the position of the second copy guard code next to the next second copy guard code at that position. Is inserted until the data length of the content data is reached, and the first and second code pointers are inserted into the first and second code pointers. Each time the code pointer is generated, it may be determined randomly. As a result, even if an attempt is made to print this print job data using a printer that does not have a mechanism for preventing unauthorized copy printing as in the present invention, a correct print result cannot be obtained.

[0009] Further, the first code pointer may be encrypted by the content server. By encrypting the first code pointer in this way,
The contents of the first code pointer can be kept from being known to a person having an unauthorized purpose, and the insertion position of the second copy guard code following the first copy guard code can be hidden.

Further, the first code pointer may be encrypted by the content server, and the content server may hold a code pointer decryption key as a decryption key. By encrypting the first code pointer in this way, anyone with an unauthorized purpose can
The contents of the first code pointer can be kept from being known, and the confidentiality of the code pointer decryption key can be further ensured by holding the code pointer decryption key on the content server side. .

The print permission transmitting means may transmit the code pointer decryption key as the print permission to the printer based on the print permission request from the printer. Thus, the encrypted first code pointer can be decrypted only by the printer to which the content server has given the print permission.

Further, the print execution means decodes the first code pointer by using the code pointer decoding key as a decoding key, thereby acquiring the position of the next second copy guard code. The position of each subsequent second copy guard code is sequentially obtained based on the second code pointer of the immediately preceding second copy guard code, and the first and second copy guard codes are sequentially removed to execute printing. You may do so. As a result, only when the content server gives the print permission,
In addition, normal printing can be performed with a printer to which printing permission has been given.

On the other hand, the print job data generating means includes:
A third copy guard code including at least the printer specifying information is generated, and the content data is encrypted to generate encrypted content data, and at least the third copy guard code and the encrypted content data are used. Thus, the print job data may be generated. As a result, the encrypted content data can be decrypted only by the printer to which the content server has given permission so that a correct print result cannot be obtained.

In this case, a content data decryption key which is a decryption key for the encrypted content data may be held in the content server. Then, the print permission transmitting unit may transmit the content data decryption key to the printer as the print permission based on the print permission request from the printer. As a result, the encrypted content data can be decrypted only by the printer that has properly obtained the content data decryption key held by the server.

[0015] Further, the print executing means obtains the content data by decrypting the encrypted content data using the content data decryption key as a decryption key, and performs printing based on the content data. It may be executed. As a result, normal printing can be performed only when the content server has given the print permission and only with the printer to which the print permission has been given.

Further, the printer specifying information is transmitted from the printer to the content server when the content server requests the printer to transmit print job data to be generated from the printer. Is also good. Thus, every time the content server generates print job data, the content server can acquire the printer identification information of the printer that is going to transmit the print job data.

In this case, the printer identifier may be encrypted and transmitted as the printer specifying information, or the printer identifier may be transmitted as it is without encrypting the printer identifier. If the encryption is performed, the confidentiality of the printer identifier is improved. If the encryption is not performed, the encryption processing and the decryption processing in the printer become unnecessary.

The present invention can be realized as a printer used in the printing system described above, or as a content server used in the printing system described above. Further, the present invention can be realized as a control method for controlling these printing systems, printers, and content servers.

Further, the present invention can be applied not only to a printer but also to a content data reproduction system for reproducing any content data. In this case, it can be realized as a reproduction device or a content server used in the content data reproduction system.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [First Embodiment] When a printing system according to the present invention downloads image data as print job data from a content server via the Internet, normal printing is performed in the print job data. Insert a copy guard code that will not be able to print, and when the printer prints this print job data,
The decryption key required to release the copy guard code is transmitted from the content server to the printer. The first copy guard code includes printer specifying information for specifying a printer that can print the print job data, so that the print job data can be printed only by the specific printer. Thus, appropriate copyright protection for image data can be achieved. For more details,
This will be described below.

First, the configuration of the printing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to the present embodiment by blocks.

As shown in FIG. 1, a printing system 10 according to this embodiment includes a local area network (LAN) 30 connected to the Internet 20 and a content providing system 4 also connected to the Internet 20.
0. The Internet 20 is an example of a public network, and is the most popular public network of computers today.

The local area network 30 is connected to the Internet 20 via a proxy server 32. This local area network 30
Is composed of, for example, Ethernet, and includes a client computer 34 and a printer 36. The print job data transmitted from the client computer 34 is received by the printer 36 via the local area network 30 and printed. Various data received from the Internet 20 via the proxy server 32 are received by the client computer 34 and the printer 36. In particular, print job data received by the printer 36 from the Internet 20 via the proxy server 32 can be printed by the printer 36 as it is.

The content providing system 40 is also connected to the Internet 20 via the proxy server 42. In the content providing system 40, a content server 44 is connected to a proxy server 42, and the content server 44 has a content database 46. In the present embodiment, the content database 46 stores one or more photos of entertainers as one or more digital image data.

As can be seen from these configurations, in the printing system 10 shown in FIG.
The printer 36 can take in the image data stored in the printer 20 via the Internet 20 as print job data and print it. In the present embodiment, in printing the image data in the printer 36, an attempt is made to prevent unauthorized copy printing.

Next, a print job data structure of image data transmitted from the content server 44 to the printer 36 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of print job data generated by the content server 44 to transmit image data to the printer 36.

As shown in FIG. 2, the print job data is
The copy guard code CGCO1 is inserted at the head position, and the copy guard code CGCO2 is dispersed and randomly inserted between the content data CDs. The content data CD is original data that is indispensable for printing image data. Copy guard code CG
CO1 and CGCO2 are data for preventing unauthorized copying so that the printer 36 and other printers cannot print properly unless they are unplugged. In the present embodiment, the copy guard code CGCO1 always exists at the head of the print job data. The copy guard code CGCO2 is also randomly scattered between the content data CDs, so that unauthorized copy printing is not performed by the printer 36 or another printer. The copy guard code CGCO2 is randomly inserted as needed according to the data length of the content data CD. That is, depending on the data length of the content data, the copy guard code CGCO2 may not exist in the print job data, may exist only one, or may exist plurally.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a data structure of the copy guard code CGCO1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the copy guard code CG according to the present embodiment.
It is a figure showing the data composition of CO2.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the copy guard code CGCO1 is a copy guard command CGCM1.
, Printer identification information PI, and a code pointer CP1.

The copy guard command CGCM1 is a command indicating that several bytes thereafter store data relating to the copy guard code CGCO1.
In the present embodiment, the copy guard command CG
CM1 is not encrypted at all.

The printer specifying information PI is information for limiting a printer that can print this print job data. In this description, information for specifying the printer 36 is stored so that printing can be performed only by the printer 36 and cannot be performed by another printer. The printer identification information PI is stored in the printer 36.
Are generated by the printer 36 itself by encrypting its own printer identifier and transmitted to the content server 44. Therefore,
This printer specifying information PI can be decrypted only by the printer 36.

The code pointer CP1 is a pointer indicating the position where the next copy guard code CGCO2 is stored. It is determined that the copy guard code CGCO1 is stored at the beginning of the print job data, but it is not determined at which position in the print job data subsequent copy guard codes CGCO2 are stored. It is determined randomly each time the copy guard code CGCO2 is generated. For this reason, the first copy guard code CGCO1 is pointed to by the code pointer CP1 at the position of the next copy guard code CGCO2. In the present embodiment, the code pointer CP
1 is generated after being encrypted by the content server 44. For this reason, even if the printer 36 receives the print job data, it cannot acquire the information of the code pointer CP unless it receives a code pointer decryption key for decrypting the print job data from the content server 44. I have.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the second and subsequent copy guard codes CGCO2 include a copy guard command CGCM2 and a code pointer CP2.

The copy guard command CGCM2 is a command in which several bytes thereafter indicate that data relating to the copy guard code CGCO2 is stored.

The code pointer CP2 is a pointer indicating the position where the next copy guard code CGCO2 is stored. That is, the next copy guard code CGCO
The position of the second copy guard code CGCO2 is pointed by the code pointer CP2.

In this embodiment, the copy guard command CGCM2 and the code pointer CP2 are not encrypted. This is because the insertion position of the copy guard code CGCO2 differs for each print job data, so that as long as the first code pointer CP1 is encrypted, it can be decrypted by a third party without encryption and the position can be specified. This is because there is substantially no risk of the occurrence.

The copy guard codes CGCO1 and CGCO2 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B may have data items other than those shown in these figures, and may have data items other than those shown. Items may be ordered.

Next, a printing process of image data in the printing system 10 according to the present embodiment will be schematically described with reference to FIG. This FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram for sequentially explaining data and instructions transmitted and received among a client computer 34, a printer 36, and a content server 44 when printing is performed by the printer.

As shown in FIG. 4, the user accesses the content database 46 from the client computer 34 via the Internet 20. Then, image data to be printed is specified from a plurality of types of image data stored in the content database 46. Subsequently, the user transmits (1) a request to print the image data and information specifying the printer 36 as a printer to be printed to the content server 44 via the Internet 20.

The content server 44 that has received the image data print request and the designation of a printer as a printing destination,
(2) For the printer 36 specified as the printing destination,
Requests printer specification information PI for specifying the printer.

The printer 36, which has received the request for the printer specifying information PI, generates (3) encrypted printer specifying information PI in the encryption processing section 50. In the present embodiment, the printer 36 has a printer-specific ID,
Using the information arbitrarily assigned to the printer 36 by the administrator of the printer 36, the printer identification information PI is generated by encrypting a printer identifier for identifying the printer 36 from other printers. Therefore, these printer-specific IDs and the information assigned to the printer 36 by the administrator serve as a printer decryption key for decrypting the printer identification information PI. In the present embodiment, a MAC (Media Access Control) address is used as a printer identifier for identifying the printer 36 from other printers. The MAC address is a unique address assigned at the time of manufacture to a LAN card connected to Ethernet (registered trademark). Subsequently, the encryption processing unit 50 of the printer 36 transmits (4) the generated printer specifying information PI to the content server 44 via the Internet 20.

The content server 44 that has received the printer specifying information PI generates (5) a copy guard code CGCO1 (see FIG. 3A) using the printer specifying information PI, CG
CO2 (see FIG. 3B) is generated. And (6)
The copy guard codes CGCO1 and CGCO2 are appropriately inserted between the content data DC to generate print job data (see FIG. 2). Copy guard code CGC
The position at which O2 is inserted into the content data DC is randomly determined by a random number each time print job data is generated. Then, the content server 44 transmits (7) the generated print job data via the Internet 20.
The data is transmitted to the printer 36.

Printer 36 receiving print job data
In the decryption processing unit 52, (8) extracts the copy guard code CGCO1 from the beginning of the print job data. (9) This copy guard code CGCO
1 to determine whether the print job data is print job data generated for the printer 36. Specifically, in the decryption processing unit 52, the received printer specifying information PI
Checks whether the printer can be decrypted with a printer decryption key consisting of an ID unique to the printer and information assigned by the administrator to the printer 36. If the decryption is successful, the printer identifier obtained by decryption is output to the printer 36. Check if it is yours. If the printer identifier obtained by decryption indicates that it is the printer 36's own, (10) the content server 44 requests a code pointer decryption key via the Internet 20. On the other hand, the decrypted printer identifier is
If it does not indicate that the print data belongs to the printer itself, or if it cannot be decoded in the first place, the printing process ends without requesting the code pointer decoding key. For this reason, even if the printer 36 receives print job data for another printer, it cannot print it.

The content server 44 requested by the printer 36 for the code pointer decryption key transmits the code pointer decryption key to the printer 36 via the Internet 20 (11). The printer 36 receiving the code pointer decryption key causes the decryption processing unit 52 to
The code pointer CP1 included in the copy guard code CGCO1 is extracted and decrypted using the code pointer decryption key. By this decoding, the position of the second copy guard code CGCO2 is obtained. Then, the copy guard code CGCO1 is extracted from the print job data,
It is transmitted to the printing unit 54. Further, the second and subsequent copy guard codes CGCO2 also
Based on the position information of the code pointer CP2 included in the GCO2, the data is sequentially extracted and transmitted to the printing unit 54. Thus, (12) printing is normally performed by the printing unit 54.

As described above, the printing system 10 according to the present embodiment
Has been described briefly, and then individual processes of the content server 44 and the printer 36 will be described in detail.

First, a print job data generation process in the content server 44 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 5 and 6 are flowcharts illustrating print job data generation processing executed by the client computer 34 that has received a print request for image data and designation of a printer to print from the client computer 34.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, the content server 44 sends the print job data to the printer 3
6 via the Internet 20 (step S10). The printer to be connected is the content server 4
4 can be specified by designating the print destination printer transmitted from the printer 4.

Next, the content server 44 determines whether or not it has been connected to the printer 36 as the printing destination (step S11). If the printer 36 cannot be connected to the print destination (step S11: No), the print job data generation processing ends.

On the other hand, if the printer 36 can be connected to the printing destination (step S11: Yes), the content server 44 requests the printer 36 for printer specifying information PI for specifying the printer (step S11). S1
2). The content server 44 and the printer 36
Is maintained until the series of printing processes is completed.

Subsequently, the content server 44 determines whether or not the printer identification information PI has been received from the printer 36 (step S13). If not (step S13: No), the process of step S13 is performed. Repeat and wait.

On the other hand, from the printer 36 to the Internet 2
If the printer identification information PI is received via the “0” (step S13: Yes), the code pointer CP1 of the copy guard code CGCO1 to be inserted at the head of the print job data is determined by a random number (step S14).
Subsequently, the content server 44 performs an encryption process on the generated code pointer CP1. At this time, the content server 44 holds a code pointer decryption key necessary for decrypting the encrypted code pointer CP1 (step S16).

Next, the content server 44 stores the printer identification information PI encrypted by the printer 36 and the code pointer CP1 encrypted by the content server 44,
A copy guard code CGCO1 is generated by adding it to the copy guard command CGCM1 (step S17).

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the content server 44 converts the generated copy guard code CGCO1 into
Insert at the beginning of the print job data (step S1
8). In generating the print job data, the content data CD is generated based on the image data stored in the content database 46. That is,
The image data selected by the user is read from the content database 46, and this image data is used as the content data CD.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the content data CD still exists at the position of the code pointer CP1 generated in step S14 (step S19). If the content data CD does not exist at this position (step S19: No), it means that the generation of the print job data for the image data specified by the user has been completed, and the print job data generation process ends.

On the other hand, if the content data CD exists at the position of the code pointer CP1 generated in step S14 (step S19: Yes), the next code pointer CP2 is determined by a random number (step S2).
0). Subsequently, the content server 44 generates the second copy guard code CGCO2 by adding the code pointer CP2 determined in step S20 to the copy guard command CGCM2 (step S20).
21). Then, the copy guard code CGCO2 generated in step S21 is inserted into the position of the code pointer CP1 determined in step S14 (step S21).
22). Then, the process returns to step S18.

Thereafter, the processing of the above-described steps S18 to S22 is repeated. However, in the second and subsequent loops, in step S19, the previous step S20
It is determined whether or not the content data CD still exists at the position of the code pointer CP2 determined in the processing of step S22. In step S22, the copy guard code CGCO is added to the position of the code pointer CP2.
2 will be inserted.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, a description will be given of the printer specific information response processing in the printer 36. FIG. FIG. 7 shows that the printer identification information P
13 is a flowchart illustrating a printer identification information response process executed by the printer requested for I. That is,
This processing is executed by the printer 36 based on the request for the printer specifying information PI in step S12 in FIG.

First, the printer 36 has a printer-specific I
D and the information arbitrarily assigned to the printer 36 by the administrator of the printer 36 become a printer decryption key.
The printer identifier for identifying the printer 36 is encrypted to generate the printer specifying information PI (step S3).
0). As described above, in the present embodiment, a MAC (Media Access Control) address is used as a printer identifier for identifying the printer 36 from other printers.

Next, the printer 36 is connected to the Internet 2
The generated printer specifying information PI is transmitted to the content server 44 via the “0” (step S31). Then, the printer-specific ID and the information assigned to the printer 36 by the administrator of the printer 36 are held as printer decryption keys (step S32). This allows
The printer identification information response processing according to the present embodiment ends.

Next, a print job data transmission process in the content server 44 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a print job data transmission process executed by the content server 44 that has completed the print job data generation process illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. That is, when it is determined in step S19 in FIG. 6 that the print job data has been generated up to the end of the image data, the process is executed by the content server 44.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, the content server 44 inserts one copy guard code CGCO1 and one or a plurality of copy guard codes CGCO2 depending on the length of image data via the Internet 20. The print job data is transmitted to the printer 36 (step S40). Subsequently, the content server 44 determines whether the transmission of the code pointer decryption key is requested from the printer 36 (step S41). If the transmission of the code pointer decryption key has not been requested (step S41: No), the process of step S41 is repeated to wait.

On the other hand, when the transmission of the code pointer decryption key is requested from the printer 36, the code pointer decryption key is transmitted to the printer 36 together with the approval of the printing (step S42). In the present embodiment, since the printer 36 is permitted to print the image data only once, if the code pointer decryption key is transmitted in step S42, it is regarded that the printing has been executed by the printer 36. Thereafter, even if a request for transmission of a code pointer decryption key for this print job data is received from the printer 36, it is not accepted. For this reason, the printer 36 converts the received print job data into one.
Printing can be performed only once.

Next, the print job data decoding process in the printer 36 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating the print job data decryption process executed by the printer 36 that has completed the printer identification information response process shown in FIG. That is, the process is executed by the printer 36 after holding the printer decryption key in step S32 of FIG.

First, as shown in FIG.
Determines whether print job data has been received from the content server 44 (step S50). When print job data has not been received (step S50: N
In step o), the process of step S50 is repeated to wait.

On the other hand, when the print job data is received from the content server 44 (step S50: Yes), the printer 36 checks whether the copy guard code CGCO1 is inserted in the print job data (step S51). . Specifically, the printer 36 checks whether the copy guard command CGCM1 exists at the head position of the print job data. If the copy guard command CGCM1 exists, the copy guard codes CGCO1, CG
This indicates that CO2 has been inserted.

If the copy guard code CGCO1 is not inserted (step S52: No), the print job data is transmitted to the printing unit 54 as it is because it is normal print job data (step S53). Thereby, normal printing is performed.

On the other hand, if the copy guard code CGCO1 has been inserted (step S52: Yes), the copy guard code CGC
The printer identification information PI is extracted from O1, and the printer identification information PI is decrypted using the printer decryption key held in step S32 (see FIG. 7) (step S5).
4). That is, the printer identification information PI is stored in the printer-specific ID and the administrator of the printer 36.
The printer is decrypted using a printer decryption key composed of information arbitrarily assigned to the printer, and a printer identifier is obtained from the printer specifying information PI.

Next, the printer 36 determines whether or not the printer identifier obtained by decrypting the printer identification information PI matches its own printer identifier (step S55). If the printer identifier obtained by decrypting the printer identification information PI does not match the printer identifier of its own, or if it cannot be decrypted in the first place (step S5)
In 5: No), the print job data is not data generated for the printer 36, and thus the print job data decoding process ends.

On the other hand, the printer identifier obtained by decrypting the printer specifying information PI and its own printer identifier are
If they match (step S55: Yes), the process of FIG.
As shown in (1), a code pointer decryption key is requested from the content server 44 via the Internet 20 (step S56). Then, the printer 36 determines whether or not a code pointer decryption key has been received from the content server 44 (step S57). If not (step S57: No), the printer 36 repeats the process of step S57. Wait for reception.

When the code pointer decryption key is received from the content server 44 (step S57: Yes), the printer 36 uses the code pointer decryption key to generate the copy guard code CGCO1 located at the head of the print job data. The code pointer CP1 is decoded (step S58). Thus, the position of the second copy guard code CGCO2 is determined.

Next, the printer 36 removes the copy guard code CGCO1 from the head of the print job data and sends it to the printing unit 54 (step S59). Subsequently, the printer 36 determines whether or not the print job data still exists at the position indicated by the code pointer CP1 decoded in step S58 (step S6).
0). If print job data does not exist at this position (step S60: No), the content server 44
Since all of the copy guard codes CGCO1 and CGCO2 have been removed from the print job data received from, this print job data decryption process ends.

When print job data still exists at the position of the code pointer CP1 (step S60: Ye)
In step s), the copy guard code CGCO2 is read from the position indicated by the code pointer CP1, and the code pointer CP2 is obtained (step S).
61).

Next, the printer 36 removes the copy guard code CGCO2 read in step S61 and sends it to the printing unit 54 (step S62). Then, the process returns to step S60 described above.

Thereafter, the processing of steps S60 to S62 described above is repeated. However, in the second and subsequent loops, in step S60, it is determined whether or not print job data exists at the position of the code pointer CP2 acquired in the previous step S61. In step S61, the code pointer CP2 of the next copy guard code CGCO2 is obtained from the position of the code pointer CP2 obtained in the previous step 61. Subsequently, in step S62, the copy guard code CGCO2 is removed from the position of the code pointer CP2 acquired in step S61 two times before, and
The data is transmitted to the printing unit 54 (step S62).

As described above, according to the printing system 10 of the present embodiment, when the print job data of the image data transmitted from the content server 44 is printed by the printer 36, only one Since printing can be performed, the content database 46 can be used.
Illegal copy printing of the image data stored in the printer can be prevented.

More specifically, the printer identification information PI including the printer identifier of the printer 36 is transmitted to the content server 4.
4 to the printer 36. And only when the printer identifier matches,
The printer prints the print job data. Therefore, even if the printer other than the printer 36 receives the print job data, it is possible to prevent printing.

Further, since the printer identification information PI can be decrypted only by a printer decryption key combining the ID unique to the printer 36 and information arbitrarily assigned by the administrator of the printer 36, the printer 36
Even if another printer acquires this print job data, the printer identification information PI cannot be decoded.

Further, even in a printer without such a mechanism for preventing unauthorized copy printing, since the copy guard code CGCO1 is inserted at the head of the print job data, the print job data is not changed. If you try to print with a printer that does not have it, you can only get a meaningless print result.

Further, the leading copy guard code CGC
The position of O1 is fixed, but the position of the second or later copy guard code CGCO2 is randomly different for each print job data. Therefore, if the copy guard code CGCO1 at the head is removed, normal printing is performed. No results can be obtained.

Further, even if an unauthorized third party attempts to decode the copy guard code CGCO1 located at the top,
Since the code pointer CP1 is encrypted, the position of the second or later copy guard code CGCO2 cannot be known. For this reason, even if the copy guard code CGCO1 is removed by some means, the content data CD after the second copy guard code CGCO2
Cannot print normally.

Further, since the second and subsequent copy guard codes CGCO2 are scattered everywhere in the print job data, the copy guard codes CGCO2 are divided into a plurality of packets, and a normal content data CD is illegally obtained for each packet. However, it cannot be easily obtained.

As a method for preventing unauthorized copying of image data, copy guard codes CGCO1 and CGC
Since a simple method of inserting O2 between the content data CDs is used, the processing performed to obtain a normal print result by the printer 36 is to remove these copy guard codes CGCO1 and CGCO2 from the received print job data. It's just a simple process. Therefore, much time is not required for data processing, and the processing load on the printer 36 can be reduced.

Since the code pointer decryption key also serving as a print permission is transmitted from the content server 44 to the printer 36 only once, the printer 36 illegally copies and prints a plurality of image data. Can be prevented. In addition, the printer 36 requests the code pointer decryption key only when the printer identifier included in the printer identification information PI matches its own printer identifier.
4 was sent. Therefore, the code pointer decryption key can be requested and obtained only when the transmission destination of the print job data generated by the content server 44 matches the printer that actually performs printing.

The present embodiment is not limited to the above description but can be variously modified. For example, in FIG. 3, it has been described that the code pointer CP2 of the second and subsequent copy guard codes CGCO2 is not encrypted. However, the code pointer CP2 is encrypted so that it cannot be decrypted unless a code pointer decryption key is used. Is also good.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the copy guard command CGCM2 has been described as not being encrypted. However, this may be encrypted. In this case, a code pointer decryption key may be used as it is, or another decryption key may be used. If you use another decryption key,
The printer 36 needs to separately obtain the decryption key from the content server 44.

The second or later copy guard code C
The position of GCO2 is determined by the copy guard code C preceding it.
It is specified by GCO1 or copy guard code CGCO2. Therefore, the copy guard command CGCM
2 can be omitted from the data structure.

Further, the printer identification information PI is not provided in the data structure for the second and subsequent copy guard codes CGCO2.
I may be provided. In this case, the printer 36
Then, whether or not the copy guard code CGCO2 is print job data for its own printer 36 may be confirmed.

In the above-described embodiment, the printer identification information PI can be decrypted by using a printer decryption key including an ID unique to the printer and information arbitrarily assigned to the printer 36 by an administrator. It may be possible to encrypt and decrypt based on one of them. However, it is difficult to decode the printer identification information PI by making it possible to decode the information only when the two information of the printer-specific ID and the information assigned by the administrator to the printer 36 match as in the present embodiment. Improves. On the other hand, on the other hand, the printer identifier of the printer 36 may be transmitted from the printer 36 to the content server 44 as the printer identification information without being encrypted.
This means that even if the printer identifier is not encrypted and used as the printer identification information PI, unless a third party manipulates the print job data with an incorrect intention, printing cannot be performed by a printer other than the one specified by the content server 44. Because it does not change.

[Second Embodiment] In a second embodiment of the present invention, the entire content data, which is image data, is encrypted by the content server 44, and the printer identification information PI included in the copy guard code CGCO1 matches the printer identification information. By transmitting the content data decryption key for decrypting the encryption only from the content server 32 to the content server 32, it is possible to appropriately protect the copyright of the image data. This will be described in more detail below.

The printing system 10 according to the present embodiment
Is similar to that of FIG. 1 of the first embodiment described above, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

First, a print job data structure of image data transmitted from the content server 44 to the printer 36 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the structure of print job data generated by the content server 44 to transmit image data to the printer 36.

As shown in FIG. 11, the print job data has a copy guard code CGCO3 inserted at the head position, and the content data CD following the copy guard code CGCO3 is encrypted. The encrypted content data CD cannot be decrypted unless the content data decryption key, which is the decryption key, is obtained from the content server 44. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is sufficient that only one copy guard code CGCO3 is inserted at the head position.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the data structure of the copy guard code CGCO3 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the copy guard code CGCO3 is
It includes a copy guard command CGCM3 and printer specification information PI.

The copy guard command CGCM3 is a command in which several bytes thereafter indicate that data relating to the copy guard code CGCO3 is stored.
In the present embodiment, the copy guard command CG
CM1 is not encrypted at all.

The printer specifying information PI is information for limiting the printers that can print this print job data, as in the first embodiment. In this description, information for specifying the printer 36 is stored so that printing can be performed only by the printer 36 and cannot be performed by another printer. The printer specifying information PI is information generated by the printer 36,
The printer 36 itself is generated by encrypting the printer identifier of the printer 36, and the content server 44
Is the information sent to Therefore, the printer specifying information PI can be read only by the printer 36.

The copy guard code CGCO3 shown in FIG. 12 may have data items other than those shown in FIG. 12, or may have a data item order other than that shown.

Next, a printing process of image data in the printing system 10 according to the present embodiment will be schematically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 shows that the client computer 34 prints image data with the printer 36.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram for sequentially explaining data and instructions transmitted and received between the printer 36 and the content server 44, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment described above.

In FIG. 13, the processes up to the process (4) are the same as those in the first embodiment. That is, the user accesses the content database 46 from the client computer 34 via the Internet 20. Then, image data to be printed is specified from a plurality of types of image data stored in the content database 46. Subsequently, the user (1)
A request for printing the image data and information for specifying the printer 36 as a printer of the printing destination are transmitted to the content server 44 via the Internet 20.

Upon receiving the print request for the image data and the designation of the printer as the printing destination, the content server 44
(2) For the printer 36 specified as the printing destination,
Requests printer specification information PI for specifying the printer.

In the printer 36 that has received the request for the printer identification information PI, the encryption processing unit 50 generates (3) printer identification information PI in which the printer identifier is encrypted. Subsequently, the encryption processing unit 50 of the printer 36
(4) The generated printer specifying information PI is transmitted to the content server 44 via the Internet 20.

The following processing (5) is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, the content server 44 that has received the printer specifying information PI uses (5) the copy guard code CGCO3
(See FIG. 12), and encrypts the entire content data CD as image data. And
(6) The copy guard code CGCO3 is inserted at the head of the encrypted content data DC to generate print job data (see FIG. 11). Subsequently, the content server 44 transmits (7) the generated print job data to the printer 36 via the Internet 20.

Printer 36 that has received print job data
Extracts the copy guard code CGCO3 from the beginning of the print job data in the decryption processing unit 52. (9) This copy guard code CGCO
3 to determine whether or not the print job data is print job data generated for the printer 36. Specifically, in the decryption processing unit 52, the received printer specifying information PI
Checks whether the printer 36 can be decrypted with a printer decryption key consisting of an ID unique to the printer and information arbitrarily assigned to the printer 36 by the administrator. If decryption is successful, the printer identifier obtained by decryption is It is confirmed whether or not it belongs to the printer 36 itself. If the decrypted printer identifier indicates that of the printer 36 itself, (10) the content server 44 requests a content data decryption key via the Internet 20. On the other hand, if the decrypted printer identifier does not indicate that it is the printer 36's own, or if decryption cannot be performed in the first place, the printing process is terminated without requesting a content data decryption key. Therefore, the printer 3
In No. 6, even if print job data for another printer is received, it cannot be printed.

The content server 44 requested by the printer 36 for the content data decryption key transmits (11) the content data decryption key to the printer 36 via the Internet 20. The printer 36 that has received the content data decryption key decrypts the encrypted content data CD using the content data decryption key in the decryption processing unit 52. Then, the decrypted content data CD is transmitted to the printing unit 54. Thus, (12) printing is normally performed by the printing unit 54.

As described above, the printing system 10 according to the present embodiment
Has been described briefly, and then individual processes of the content server 44 and the printer 36 will be described in detail.

First, a print job data generation process in the content server 44 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a print job data generation process executed by the client computer 34 that has received a print request for image data and a designation of a printer to be printed from the client computer 34.

In FIG. 14, the processing of steps S70 to S73 is the same as that of FIG.
The processing is the same as the processing of steps S10 to S13. That is, the content server 44 connects to the printer 36 to which the print job data is to be transmitted via the Internet 20 (step S70).

Next, the content server 44 determines whether or not it has been connected to the printer 36 as the printing destination (step S71). If the printer 36 cannot be connected to the print destination printer (step S71: No), the print job data generation processing ends.

On the other hand, if the printer 36 can be connected to the print destination (step S71: Yes), the content server 44 requests the printer 36 for printer specifying information PI for specifying the printer (step S71). S7
2). The content server 44 and the printer 36
Is maintained until the series of printing processes is completed.

Subsequently, the content server 44 determines whether or not the printer specifying information PI has been received from the printer 36 (step S73). If not (step S73: No), the processing of step S13 is performed. Repeat and wait.

The processing after step S74 is different from the processing of the first embodiment described above. That is, the printer 3
If the printer identification information PI is received from the Internet 6 via the Internet 20 (step S73: Yes),
The content data selected by the user is read from the content database 46, and the entire content data is encrypted (step S74). Then, at the time of this encryption processing, a content data decryption key for decrypting the content is held (step S75).

Next, the content server 44 generates a copy guard code CGCO3 by adding the printer identification information PI received from the printer 36 to the copy guard command CGCM3 (step S76).
Subsequently, the content server 44 proceeds to step S74.
The print job data is generated by adding a copy guard code CGCO3 to the beginning of the content data CD encrypted in step S77 (step S77). Thus, the print job data generation processing according to the present embodiment ends.

Note that the printer specific information response processing in this embodiment is the same as the printer specific information response processing in FIG. 7 in the first embodiment described above. Therefore, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

Next, a print job data transmission process in the content server 44 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a print job data transmission process executed by the content server 44 that has completed the print job data generation process shown in FIG. That is, when the generation of the print job data is completed in step S77 of FIG.
This is the process executed by

First, as shown in FIG. 15, the content server 44 transmits, via the Internet 20, print job data in which one copy guard code CGCO3 is inserted at the head to the printer 36 (step S8).
0). Then, the content server 44
It is determined whether the transmission of the content data decryption key is requested by the user (step S81). If the transmission of the content data decryption key has not been requested (step S81: No), the process of step S81 is repeated to wait.

When the transmission of the content data decryption key is requested from the printer 36, the printing is also approved and
The content data decryption key is transmitted to the printer 36 (step S82). In the present embodiment, since the printer 36 is permitted to print the image data only once, when the content data decryption key is transmitted in step S82, it is regarded that the printing has been executed by the printer 36. Thereafter, even if a request for transmission of a content data decryption key for the print job data is received from the printer 36, the request is not accepted.
Therefore, the printer 36 can print the received print job data only once.

Next, the print job data decoding process in the printer 36 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating a print job data decryption process executed by the printer 36 that has completed the printer identification information response process of FIG. 7 according to the first embodiment. That is, also in the present embodiment, the print job data decryption process is executed after holding the printer decryption key in step S32 in FIG.

First, as shown in FIG.
Determines whether print job data has been received from the content server 44 (step S90). When print job data has not been received (step S90: N
In step o), the process of step S90 is repeated to wait.

On the other hand, when the print job data is received from the content server 44 (step S90: Yes), the printer 36 checks whether the copy guard code CGCO3 is inserted in the print job data (step S91). . Specifically, the printer 36 checks whether the copy guard command CGCM3 exists at the head position of the print job data. The presence of the copy guard command CGCM3 indicates that the copy guard code CGCO3 has been inserted into the print job data.

If the copy guard code CGCO3 has not been inserted (step S92: No), the print job data is transmitted to the printing unit 54 as it is because it is normal print job data (step S93). Thereby, normal printing is performed.

On the other hand, if the copy guard code CGCO3 has been inserted (step S92: Yes), the copy guard code CGC
The printer identification information PI is extracted from O3, and the printer identification information PI is decrypted using the printer decryption key held in step S32 (see FIG. 7) (step S9).
4). That is, the printer identification information PI is stored in the printer-specific ID and the administrator of the printer 36.
The printer is decrypted using a printer decryption key composed of information arbitrarily assigned to the printer, and a printer identifier is obtained from the printer specifying information PI.

Next, the printer 36 determines whether or not the printer identifier obtained by decrypting the printer identification information PI matches its own printer identifier (step S95). If the printer identifier obtained by decrypting the printer identification information PI does not match the printer identifier of its own, or if it cannot be decrypted in the first place (step S9)
In 5: No), the print job data is not data generated for the printer 36, and thus the print job data decoding process ends.

If the printer identifier obtained by decrypting the printer specifying information PI matches the printer identifier of the printer itself (step S95: Yes), the content data decryption key is transmitted to the content server 44 via the Internet 20. Is requested (step S96). And
The printer 36 determines whether or not a content data decryption key has been received from the content server 44 (step S97), and if not received (step S97: N).
In step o), the process of step S97 is repeated, and the process waits for reception.

When the content data decryption key is received from content server 44 (step S97: Yes)
The printer 36 decrypts the content data CD included in the print job data using the content data decryption key (step S98). Then, the decrypted content data CD is transmitted to the printing unit 54 as print job data (step S99). As a result, a print result of normal image data is obtained.

As described above, according to the printing system 10 according to the present embodiment, when the print job data of the image data transmitted from the content server 44 is printed by the printer 36, only one Since it is possible to print, the content database 46
Illegal copy printing of the image data stored in the printer can be prevented.

Specifically, the printer identification information PI including the printer identifier of the printer 36 is transmitted to the content server 4.
4 to the printer 36. And only when the printer identifier matches,
The printer prints the print job data. Therefore, even if the printer other than the printer 36 receives the print job data, it is possible to prevent printing.

Further, since the printer specifying information PI can be decrypted only with a printer decryption key in which a unique ID of the printer 36 and information arbitrarily assigned by the administrator of the printer 36 can be decrypted,
Even if another printer acquires this print job data, the printer identification information PI cannot be decoded.

Further, even if the printer does not have such a mechanism for preventing unauthorized copy printing, since the entire contents data CD is encrypted, if the contents data decryption key is not obtained from the contents server 44, normal printing is not performed. Can not.

Further, since the content data decryption key also serving as a print permission is transmitted from the content server 44 to the printer 36 only once, the printer 36 illegally copies and prints a plurality of image data. Can be prevented. In addition, the printer 36 transmits the content data decryption key request to the content server 44 only when the printer identifier included in the printer identification information PI matches the printer identifier of the printer 36 itself. Therefore, the content data decryption key can be requested and obtained only when the transmission destination of the print job data generated by the content server 44 matches the printer that actually performs printing.

The present embodiment is not limited to the above description but can be variously modified. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the printer identification information PI
And the printer 36 can be decrypted with a printer decryption key composed of information assigned to the printer 36 by the administrator. Alternatively, encryption may be performed based on either of them. However, as in the present embodiment, an ID unique to the printer and
By making it possible to decode the printer 36 only when the two pieces of information coincide with the information assigned by the administrator to the printer 36, the difficulty in decoding the printer identification information PI is improved. on the other hand,
On the contrary, the printer identifier of the printer 36 may be transmitted from the printer 36 to the content server 44 as the printer identification information without encrypting the printer identifier. This means that even if the printer identifier is not encrypted and used as the printer identification information PI, unless a third party manipulates the print job data with an incorrect intention, printing cannot be performed by a printer other than the one specified by the content server 44. Because it does not change.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, but can be variously modified. For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the content data CD can be printed only once by the valid printer 36, but it is also possible to print a plurality of sheets such as two or three. Good. For example, the content server 44 may transmit the code pointer decryption key or the content data decryption key to the printer 36 a plurality of times. By doing so, the printer 36
The content data CD can be printed by the number of times the code pointer decryption key or the content data decryption key is received. Further, when transmitting the code pointer decryption key or the content data decryption key from the content server 44 to the printer 36, information about the number of printable pages may be included.

In the first and second embodiments, the content server 44 holds the code pointer decryption key and the content data decryption key, respectively.
The code pointer decryption key and the content data decryption key are transmitted to the printer 36 based on the request from the printer 36. However, the code pointer decryption key and the content data decryption key need not be held by the content server 44. There is no. For example, the code pointer decryption key and the content data decryption key are previously agreed between the content server 44 and the printer 36, and the code pointer decryption key and the content data decryption key need not be obtained from the content server 44. Alternatively, the print job data may be decrypted by the printer 36.

Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the case where the content data CD is still image data such as a photograph and the like is printed by the printer 36 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the content data CD may be moving image data, music data, audio data, or the like, and its reproduction device may be a television, a music / audio reproduction player, or the like.

[0133] For each of the processes described in the first and second embodiments, a program for executing each of the processes is stored in a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a CD, or the like.
-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), RO
M, a recording medium such as a memory card, and the like, and can be distributed in the form of a recording medium. In this case, the above-described embodiment can be realized by causing the client computer 34, the printer 36, and the content server 44 to read and execute the recording medium on which the program is recorded.

The client computer 34, the printer 36, and the content server 44 may include another program such as an operating system or another application program. In this case, the other programs provided in the client computer 34, the printer 36, and the content server 44 are used, and the recording medium includes the programs provided in the client computer 34, the printer 36, and the content server 44. An instruction for calling a program for realizing the processing may be recorded.

Furthermore, such a program can be distributed not as a recording medium but as a carrier wave through a network (for example, the Internet 20). The program transmitted in the form of a carrier wave on the network includes a client computer 34, a printer 36,
The above-described embodiment can be realized by being loaded into the content server 44 and executing this program.

[0136] When a program is recorded on a recording medium or transmitted as a carrier wave over a network, the program may be encrypted or compressed.
In this case, the client computer 34, the printer 36, and the content server 44 which read the program from the recording medium or the carrier wave need to execute the program after decrypting or decompressing the program.

[0137]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The printer that has received the print job data reads the printer identifier included in the printer identification information of the print job data, determines whether or not this matches its own printer identifier. When the print permission is requested by the printer and the print permission is requested by the printer, the print permission is transmitted from the content server to the printer. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a third party from illegally printing the print job data.

Further, according to the present invention, the reproducing device that has received the transmission data reads the identifier included in the reproducing device specifying information of the transmission data, determines whether or not this matches its own identifier, and determines whether the identifier matches its own identifier. Only when they match, the content server requests the reproduction permission from the content server, and when the reproduction apparatus requests the reproduction permission, the reproduction permission is transmitted from the content server to the reproduction apparatus, and the reproduction apparatus that receives the reproduction permission, Since the reproduction is performed based on the transmission data, it is possible to prevent a third party from illegally reproducing the content data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of the structure of print job data according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a configuration of a copy guard code according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the entire print processing of the print processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart (part 1) illustrating print job data generation processing executed by the content server according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating print job data generation processing executed by the content server according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating printer identification information response processing executed by the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating print job data transmission processing executed by the content server according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart (part 1) illustrating print job data decryption processing executed by the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating print job data decryption processing executed by the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of the structure of print job data according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a copy guard code according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the entire print processing of a print processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating print job data generation processing executed by the content server according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating print job data transmission processing executed by the content server according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating print job data decryption processing executed by the printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Printing System 20 Internet 30 Local Area Network 32 Proxy Server 34 Client Computer 36 Printer 40 Content Providing System 42 Proxy Server 44 Content Server 46 Content Database CD Content Data CGCO1, CGCO2, CGCO3 Copy Guard Code CGCM1, CGCM2, CGCM3 Copy Guard Command PI Printer specification information CP1, CP2 Code pointer 50 Encryption processing unit 52 Decryption processing unit 54 Printing unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06F 13/00 540 G06F 17/60 142 5B057 17/60 142 302E 5C076 302 G06T 1/00 500B 5C077 G06T 1 / 00 500 H04N 1/387 5J104 H04L 9/10 B41J 29/00 Z H04N 1/387 H04L 9/00 621A 1/40 H04N 1/40 Z F term (reference) 2C061 AP01 CL10 HJ06 HK05 HK11 HN15 HQ01 HR07 2C087 AB05 AB08 BA03 BA05 BD01 BD46 CB02 DA13 2C187 AE11 GD01 5B021 AA01 BB02 EE02 NN18 5B049 AA05 BB00 CC05 CC21 DD01 EE01 EE07 FF02 FF03 FF04 FF06 GG04 GG07 GG10 5B057 AA11 CA12 CB12 CC02 DA07 5 AA13 AA16 EA04 EA16 NA02 PA07

Claims (36)

[Claims] 1. A printing system comprising a content server and a printer connected to the content server via a network, wherein the printer includes content data and a printer identifier for specifying a printer capable of printing the content data. Print job data generating means for generating, at the content server, print job data having at least specific information; print job data transmitting means for transmitting the print job data to the printer; and printing from the content server. Print job data receiving means for receiving the job data by the printer; and the printer receiving the print job data reads the printer identifier included in the printer identification information of the print job data, and the printer Identifier and A print permission requesting means for requesting print permission from the content server only when both match, and a print permission request means, when the print permission is requested from the printer, A print permission transmitting unit that transmits a print permission to the printer; and a print execution unit that executes printing based on the print job data when the printer that has received the print permission. system. 2. The print job data is dispersedly inserted between one piece of the first copy guard code inserted at a specific position and the content data as necessary according to the data length of the content data. Or at least a plurality of second copy guard codes, wherein the print job data generating means includes at least the printer specifying information and a first code pointer indicating a position of a next second copy guard code. The first copy guard code is generated and inserted into the specific position. If the content data exists at the position indicated by the first code pointer, the next second copy guard code is stored at that position. And inserting a second copy guard code including at least a second code pointer indicating a second copy guard code position next to 2 The insertion of the copy guard code is repeated until the data length of the content data is reached, and the first and second code pointers are randomly determined each time the first and second code pointers are generated. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the first code pointer is encrypted by the content server. 4. The printing method according to claim 2, wherein the first code pointer is encrypted by the content server, and a code pointer decryption key serving as a decryption key is held in the content server. system. 5. The printer according to claim 4, wherein the print permission transmitting unit transmits the code pointer decryption key to the printer as the print permission based on the print permission request from the printer. The printing system as described. 6. The printing execution means decodes the first code pointer by using the code pointer decoding key as a decoding key, thereby obtaining the position of the next second copy guard code. The position of each subsequent second copy guard code is sequentially obtained based on the second code pointer of the immediately preceding second copy guard code, and the first and second copy guard codes are sequentially removed to execute printing. The printing system according to claim 5, wherein: 7. The print job data generating means generates a third copy guard code including at least the printer identification information, and encrypts the content data to generate encrypted content data. The print system according to claim 1, wherein the print job data is generated using at least a copy guard code and the encrypted content data. 8. The printing system according to claim 7, wherein a content data decryption key, which is a decryption key of the encrypted content data, is held in the content server. 9. The printer according to claim 8, wherein the print permission transmitting unit transmits the content data decryption key as the print permission to the printer based on the print permission request from the printer. The printing system as described. 10. The print executing means obtains the content data by decrypting the encrypted content data by using the content data decryption key as a decryption key, and performs printing based on the content data. The printing system according to claim 9, wherein the printing system is executed. 11. The printer specifying information is transmitted from the printer to the content server when the content server requests the printer to transmit print job data to be generated from the printer. The printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein 12. When the printer transmits the printer identification information to the content server, the printer encrypts the printer identifier and transmits it as the printer identification information. 11
A printing system according to claim 1. 13. When the printer transmits the printer identification information to the content server, the printer transmits the printer identification information as it is, without encrypting the printer identifier. A printing system according to claim 1. 14. A printer connected to a content server via a network, comprising: print job data having at least content data and printer identification information including a printer identifier for identifying a printer capable of printing the content data. Receiving the print job data from the content server, reading the printer identifier included in the printer identification information of the print job data, and determining whether or not this matches its own printer identifier. Requesting print permission from the content server only when they match, print permission requesting means, receiving the print permission from the content server, print permission receiving means, and only when the print permission is received, Execute printing based on print job data, A printer, comprising: printing execution means. 15. The print job data is distributed and inserted between one first copy guard code inserted at a specific position and the content data as necessary according to the data length of the content data. Or at least a plurality of second copy guard codes, wherein the first copy guard code includes at least the printer specifying information and a first code pointer indicating a position of a next second copy guard code. Wherein each of the second copy guard codes further includes at least a second code pointer indicating a position of a next second copy guard code, and wherein the first and second code pointers are the first and second code guard codes. The printer according to claim 14, wherein the second code pointer is determined randomly each time the second code pointer is generated. 16. The printer according to claim 15, wherein said first code pointer is encrypted by said content server. 17. The print permission receiving means receives a code pointer decryption key, which is a decryption key of the encrypted first code pointer, from the content server as the print permission. Item 17. A printer according to Item 16. 18. The printing execution means decodes the first code pointer by using the code pointer decoding key as a decoding key, thereby acquiring the position of the next second copy guard code. The position of each subsequent second copy guard code is sequentially obtained based on the second code pointer of the immediately preceding second copy guard code, and the first and second copy guard codes are sequentially removed to execute printing. 18. The printer according to claim 17, wherein: 19. The print job data includes at least a third copy guard code including at least the printer specifying information and encrypted content data obtained by encrypting the content data. The printer according to claim 14. 20. The printer according to claim 19, wherein said print permission receiving means receives a content data decryption key, which is a decryption key of said encrypted content data, as said print permission. 21. The print execution means obtains the content data by decrypting the encrypted content data using the content data decryption key as a decryption key, and performs printing based on the content data. 21. The printer according to claim 20, wherein the printer is executed. 22. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a printer specifying information transmitting unit that transmits the printer specifying information to the content server based on a request from the content server.
A printer according to any one of the preceding claims. 23. When the printer specifying information transmitting means transmits the printer specifying information to the content server, the printer identifier is encrypted and transmitted as the printer specifying information. Item 2
3. The printer according to 2. 24. When the printer specifying information transmitting means transmits the printer specifying information to the content server, the printer identifier is transmitted as it is without encrypting the printer identifier. The printer according to claim 22, wherein 25. A content server connected to a printer via a network, comprising: print job data having at least content data and printer identification information including a printer identifier for identifying a printer capable of printing the content data. Generating print job data generating means; transmitting the print job data to the printer; printing job data transmitting means; the printer identifier included in the printer identification information of the print job data; and the printer identifier of the printer A print permission receiving unit that receives a print permission request transmitted from the printer to the content server only when the print permission is matched, and transmits a print permission to the printer when the print permission request is received. , And a print permission transmitting means. Content server that. 26. The print job data is dispersedly inserted between one first copy guard code inserted at a specific position and the content data as necessary according to the data length of the content data. Or at least a plurality of second copy guard codes, wherein the print job data generating unit includes at least the printer specifying information and a first code pointer indicating a position of the next second copy guard code. And generating the first copy guard code including the first copy guard code and inserting the content data at the position indicated by the first code pointer. Inserting a second copy guard code including at least a second code pointer indicating a second copy guard code position next to the code; This insertion of the second copy guard code is repeated until the data length of the content data is reached, and the first and second code pointers are randomly determined each time the first and second code pointers are generated. 26. The content server according to claim 25, wherein: 27. The content server according to claim 26, wherein the first code pointer is encrypted by the content server. 28. The first code pointer is encrypted by the content server, and the content server holds a code pointer decryption key as a decryption key.
The content server according to claim 26, wherein: 29. The printer according to claim 28, wherein said print permission transmitting means transmits said code pointer decryption key to said printer as said print permission based on said print permission request from said printer. Content server as described. 30. The print job data generating unit generates a third copy guard code including at least the printer specifying information, encrypts the content data to generate encrypted content data, and generates the third copy guard code. The content server according to claim 25, wherein the print job data is generated using at least a code and the encrypted content data. 31. The content server according to claim 30, wherein a content data decryption key that is a decryption key for the encrypted content data is held by the content server. 32. The printer according to claim 31, wherein the print permission transmitting means transmits the content data decryption key as the print permission to the printer based on the print permission request from the printer. Content server as described. 33. The printer identification information is transmitted from the printer to the content server when the content server requests the printer to transmit print job data to be generated from the printer. The content server according to any one of claims 25 to 32, characterized in that: 34. A printing system, comprising: a content server; and a reproduction device connected to the content server via a network to reproduce the content data, wherein the content data and a reproduction device capable of reproducing the content data. Transmission data generation means for generating, at the content server, transmission data having at least reproduction apparatus specifying information including an identifier for specifying the transmission apparatus; transmission data transmission means for transmitting the transmission data to the reproduction apparatus; A transmission data receiving unit for receiving the transmission data from the content server by the reproduction device; and the reproduction device receiving the transmission data reads the identifier included in the reproduction device identification information of the transmission data. Judge whether it matches their own identifier, and both match A reproduction permission requesting means for requesting reproduction permission from the content server only when the reproduction permission is requested from the reproduction apparatus; and a reproduction permission is transmitted from the content server to the reproduction apparatus when the reproduction permission is requested from the reproduction apparatus. A content data reproduction system, comprising: transmission means; and reproduction execution means, wherein the reproduction device that has received the reproduction permission performs reproduction based on the transmission data. 35. A reproducing apparatus connected to a content server via a network, the transmission data comprising at least content data and reproducing apparatus specifying information including an identifier for specifying a reproducing apparatus capable of reproducing the content data. Receiving from the content server, a transmission data receiving unit, and reading the identifier included in the reproduction device identification information of the transmission data, determining whether or not this matches its own identifier. Only when the reproduction permission is requested from the content server, reproduction permission requesting means, receiving the reproduction permission from the content server, reproduction permission receiving means, and the transmission data only when the reproduction permission is received. A reproduction execution means for performing reproduction on the basis of: 36. A content server connected to a reproducing apparatus via a network, the transmission data comprising at least content data and reproducing apparatus specifying information including an identifier for specifying a reproducing apparatus capable of printing the content data. Generating transmission data; transmitting the transmission data to the reproduction apparatus; transmitting data transmission means; the identifier included in the reproduction apparatus identification information of the transmission data; and the identifier of the reproduction apparatus. The content server is transmitted from the reproduction device only when they match,
A content server comprising: a reproduction permission receiving unit that receives a request for reproduction permission; and a reproduction permission transmitting unit that transmits a reproduction permission to the reproduction device when the request for reproduction permission is received. .