JP2005062970A - Access control system in printing device equipped with information reading function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To print an original electronic document in a server while maintaining its information secrecy. <P>SOLUTION: An access system to an information additive original which is added with information showing the storage destination of an original electronic document and an access system to a server in which the original electronic document is stored are embedded in the original electronic document, and user is identified by those access systems, and also server authentication at the time of acquiring the original electronic document from the server is executed. Thus, it is possible to set access restriction in the information additive original itself, and to prevent the illicit use of the information additive original due to theft. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an access control method in a printing apparatus having an information reading function.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the conventional technique, since the image of the document itself is read by the image reading device, the image deteriorates if the grandchild copy is repeated many times by the copying device.
Therefore, the electronic document is stored in a device that can store the electronic document, such as a document server, the address of which server is stored in which directory is embedded in the print data of the original electronic document as information, and printing is performed by a printing device. The information-added original printed by the printing device is read by the copying apparatus, the address information embedded in the information-added original is extracted, the original electronic document is obtained from the server, and the original electronic document is printed by the copying apparatus. A method of performing has been devised.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the system devised in the prior art, an access system to the server indicated by the address embedded in the information-added manuscript becomes a problem. In the method of setting the user ID and password of the server on the copying apparatus side, it is troublesome to set if the access range is different for each document stored in the server.
[0004]
Therefore, a method of embedding the user ID and password for the document stored on the server in the information-added manuscript is conceivable. However, if the embedded information-added manuscript is a confidential document, the information-added manuscript is extracted as information. If it is in the hands of others who are authorized to use a functioning copying machine, it is dangerous to copy confidential documents.
The present invention aims to solve the above-described problems.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve such problems, the present invention saves the original electronic document in a document server when printing the original electronic document created on a PC, and which server contains the print data of the original electronic document. The address stored in which directory is embedded as additional information, printing is performed by a printing device, the information-added document printed by the printing device is read by a copying apparatus, and the address information embedded in the information-added document is In an access control method in a printing apparatus having an information reading function for extracting and acquiring the original electronic document from the server and printing the original electronic document in the copying apparatus, the information-added original itself Embedding the access method for Embedding an access method for a server in which the original electronic document is stored in an additional manuscript; and authenticating a user by the access method embedded in the step when the information adding manuscript is read in the copying apparatus; A step of authenticating with the server by the access method embedded in the step when acquiring the original electronic document from the server.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system configuration example according to the present embodiment.
In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a network, which normally uses Ethernet (registered trademark). The term “network” in the present embodiment refers to a protocol (protocol) that realizes information exchange realized by a combination of a physical cable, an electrical signal passing through the cable, and an electrical signal. One or more of them, usually a generic term for these.
[0007]
Reference numeral 102 denotes a computer having a file server function, which stores document data and the like. The file server 102 has a network interface and is connected to the network 101.
[0008]
Reference numeral 103 denotes a client PC, which has a network interface and is connected to the network 101 to be used by a general user. The PC 103 issues instructions to the file server 102 and peripheral devices handled by the present invention. Also, software (such as a printer driver) for accessing and using the printer is held.
A printer 104 includes a network interface, and prints on a medium such as paper by a known printing technique based on print data received via the network 101.
[0009]
A digital copying apparatus 105 has a network interface and is connected to the network 101. An image scanner function and a printer function are provided, and these functions can be used as a copying machine, a printer, and a scanner by singly or in combination. It also has a function of extracting information from the information-added document.
[0010]
As an overall flow, an electronic document created by the client PC 103 is stored in the file server 102. Information is embedded on the printer driver of the client PC 103, and the original electronic document stored in the file server 102 is printed by the printer 104. The information-added original document obtained in this way is scanned by the digital copying apparatus 105 and the information is read to acquire the original electronic document from the file server 102 and print the original electronic document itself.
[0011]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the digital copying apparatus 105 used in this embodiment.
[0012]
The digital copying apparatus 105 (hereinafter also referred to as copying apparatus 105) includes a CPU 201, a memory 202, a hard disk 203, a network device 204, a printer device 205, a scanner device 206, an operation unit 207, and a fingerprint authentication device 208. 200 is connected.
[0013]
The CPU 201 controls each device and takes charge of four arithmetic operations and logical operations. The memory 202 stores control programs and image data.
[0014]
The hard disk 203 analyzes the image data stored in the memory 202, and determines whether or not URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and access method embedding information described later are included in the image, image data An embedded information extraction program for extracting embedded information from an access code, an access code authentication program for authenticating an access code extracted from an input access code and an information-added document, and the like.
[0015]
The network device 204 is for connecting the network 101 and the hardware, and includes a communication module using a communication protocol capable of bidirectional communication.
The printer device 205 prints the result of processing such as graphics and characters.
The scanner device 206 converts a paper document into electronic information.
The operation unit 207 is a touch panel and has a display function. The fingerprint authentication device 209 reads a fingerprint and performs user authentication.
[0016]
The data shown in FIG. 5 is an example of information embedded in the information-added document. This data includes a URL, a user ID, a password, and an access code.
[0017]
The URL is an address representing the location of the original electronic document that can be accessed from the copying apparatus at any location in consideration of the Internet environment. A protocol can be designated, and the copying apparatus 105 communicates with the file server 102 by the designated protocol.
[0018]
The user ID and password are the ID and password used when accessing the original electronic document stored in the file server 102. When using a server such as an anonymous server with no access restrictions, the user ID and password are set to 0 and embedded. This eliminates the trouble of setting the file server user ID and password on the copying apparatus side.
[0019]
For the access code, an arbitrary code number is embedded in the information-added document itself. If this is set, the operation unit 207 requests the access code to be input, causes the access code to be input, and authenticates the embedded access code. Do.
[0020]
If this authentication is not performed, 0 is set. With this access code authentication, even if an information-added document in which a user ID and password are embedded is stolen, the information-added document itself cannot be used, and security is improved. This is intended for use with information-added manuscripts such as confidential documents.
[0021]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process of embedding information in the print data of the original electronic document in the present embodiment. The system configuration shown in FIG. 1 shows processing performed on the printer driver of the client PC.
[0022]
The file server 102 stores an electronic document created by the client PC 103. The file driver 102 is accessed from the printer driver of the client PC 103, and the stored electronic document is selected (step S1).
[0023]
Next, it is selected whether information embedded printing is performed on the print data of the electronic document (step S2). If not printing is selected in step S2, print data of the original electronic document in which no information is embedded is created (step S15), and the printer 104 is accessed for printing (step S14).
[0024]
If printing is selected in step S2, the address path in which the original electronic document is stored is converted to a URL (step S3), and the URL is set as embedded information (step S4).
[0025]
Next, whether or not to set a user ID and a password is selected (step S5). If setting in step S5 is selected, the user ID and password are input (step S6). If not set is selected, the user ID and password are automatically set to 0 (step S8).
[0026]
Next, it is selected whether or not to set an access code for the information-added document (step S9). If setting in step S9 is selected, an access code is input (step S10). If not set is selected in step S9, the access code is automatically set to 0 (step S12).
[0027]
Then, print data in which the information on the URL and the access method is embedded is created (step S13), and the printer 104 is accessed for printing (step S14).
FIG. 4 is a flowchart from scanning of the information-added original by the scanner device 206 of the copying apparatus 105 to printing by the printer apparatus 205 of the original electronic document copying apparatus 105 in the present embodiment. The configuration shows processing performed in the copying apparatus 105.
[0028]
In this embodiment, when the copying apparatus 105 is used, user authentication is performed by the fingerprint authentication apparatus 208 (step S1001). It is determined whether the user authentication is OK (step S1002). If the authentication fails, the user interface is not opened and the operation on the copying apparatus 105 is rejected.
[0029]
If the authentication is successful in step S1002, the copying apparatus 105 can be operated. When the information-added document is scanned by the scanner device 206 of the copying apparatus 105 (step S1003), first, the embedded information determination program analyzes whether the embedded information is embedded in the data output by the scanner device 206 (step S1004). .
[0030]
If there is no embedded information, image data of the scanned document is created (step S1007), and the process proceeds to preview display processing in step S1017. If there is embedded information, information extraction is performed by an embedded information extraction program (step S1006).
[0031]
In the extracted information, it is determined in step S1008 that the access code is not 0, and if the access code is not 0, the operation unit 207 requests input of the access code, and the user inputs the access code (step S1009).
[0032]
The access code is authenticated by the access code authentication program (step S1010). If there is an error, image data of the scanned document is created (step S1015), and the process proceeds to the preview display in step S1017.
[0033]
When the access code is authenticated, the file server 102 is accessed by the extracted URL (step S1011). Here, authentication is performed using the file server 102 indicated by the URL extracted in step S1006 and the user ID and password extracted in step S1006 (step S1012).
[0034]
If access is not permitted in step S1013, communication with the file server 102 is terminated, image data of the scanned document is created (step S1015), and the process proceeds to preview display in step S1017.
[0035]
If access is permitted in step S1013, the original electronic document is acquired from the file server 102 (step S1014). Then, the image data of the acquired original electronic document is displayed as a preview on the operation unit 207 (step S1017), and the user is allowed to select whether to perform printing. When printing, printing is performed by the printer device 205.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to limit access to the information-added original document by reading the information-added original document in which the URL and the access method information are added to the original electronic document. Prevent abuse.
[0037]
Also, the original electronic document can be acquired by specifying the file server storing the original electronic document and accessing it by the designated access method. This eliminates the trouble of setting the user ID and password of the file server on the copying apparatus side.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a copying apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing for embedding information in print data of an original electronic document according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart from scanning by the scanner device of the copying apparatus for the information-added original document to printing of the original electronic document by the printer device in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of information embedded in an information-added document.
[Explanation of symbols]
101 Network 102 File Server 103 Client PC
104 Printer 105 Copier 200 Internal Bus 201 CPU
202 Memory 203 Hard Disk 204 Network Device 205 Printer Device 206 Scanner Device 207 Operation Unit 208 Fingerprint Authentication Device

Claims (1)

When printing an original electronic document created on a PC, the original electronic document is stored in a document server, and the address of which server is stored in which directory is embedded as additional information in the print data of the original electronic document. Printing on the printing device, reading the information-added original printed on the printing device with a copying apparatus, extracting the address information embedded in the information-added original, obtaining the original electronic document from the server, In an access control method in a printing apparatus having an information reading function for printing the original electronic document in the copying apparatus,
Embedding an access method for the information-added original document in the information-added original document;
Embedding an access method for a server in which the original electronic document is stored in the information-added manuscript;
Authenticating a user by the access method embedded in the step when reading the information-added document in the copying apparatus;
An access control method in a printing apparatus having an information reading function, comprising: authenticating with the server by the access method embedded in the step when acquiring the original electronic document from the server.

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