JP2006134141A - Programmable decryption method for print data using ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a forming method for a high-speed and flexible decryption means for encrypted print data. <P>SOLUTION: A programmable decryption circuit forming means, such DSP and PLD, is prepared within a printing apparatus. When print data is encrypted, source programs for forming a decryption circuit are stored into an IC card from a host PC. The encrypted data is transmitted to the printing apparatus through a network, and the IC card, which is stored with the source file for forming a decryption circuit, is connected to the printing apparatus. The CPU within the IC card forms a decryption circuit within DSP and PLD in the printing apparatus based on the source file to decrypt the encrypted print data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to formation of a printing apparatus, a print control method, an IC card, and a print data decoding unit.

  Conventionally, when printing data with high confidentiality is transmitted to a printing apparatus and printing is performed, the printing data is encrypted, transmitted to the printing apparatus, and decrypted by the printing apparatus for printing.

  A method has also been adopted in which encrypted print data transmitted to a printing apparatus is decrypted and printed in an IC card connected to the printing apparatus.

For example, see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.
JP 2003-237186 A JP 2004-077874 A

  However, the cryptographic processing algorithm has changed due to technological progress, etc., and it has become necessary to change the apparatus each time the processing algorithm is changed.

  Further, as a method for solving the above problem, a method of performing decryption processing in the IC card has been considered. However, since resources in the IC card are limited, a complicated encryption with a long time required for decryption is required. There was a problem that the method could not be processed.

  Means for solving the above problems will be described below. First, source data for forming decryption means corresponding to encryption of transmission data is prepared. The print data is transmitted to the printing apparatus, and a program for forming decryption means is stored in the IC card. The IC card is connected to the printing apparatus, resources in the printing apparatus are used, print data decoding means is formed in the printing apparatus, and the print data is decoded. The decrypted print data is printed by the printing apparatus. With this method, the print data between the host computer and the printing apparatus is encrypted, and this encryption format can be selected as long as source data for forming the decryption means can be prepared, and is changed by technological progress. In addition, the latest encryption format can be used, and the encryption format can be changed for each transmission data, thereby enhancing security.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a printing apparatus having means capable of forming a circuit in a programmable manner and a program to be downloaded to the means are stored, and when connected to the printing apparatus, the program is downloaded, An encryption / decryption system for print data is formed by an IC card that forms a circuit in the means.

  As a result, it is possible to enhance the security of the print data on the communication path from the host PC to the printing apparatus and to perform a high-speed decryption process by using resources in the printing apparatus.

  In addition, any encryption method can be used flexibly as long as a decryption source file can be prepared, and a decryption circuit formed in the printing apparatus after the decryption process of the print data is completed by forming a decryption circuit led by the IC card. Can be securely erased.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an IC card and a host PC in the first embodiment.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes an IC card, reference numeral 102 denotes storage means in the IC card, reference numeral 104 denotes an external interface, and reference numeral 103 denotes a bus connecting the storage means 102 and the external interface 104.

  Reference numeral 105 denotes a host PC, 106 denotes a CPU of the host PC, 107 denotes a memory, 108 denotes an IC card interface, 110 denotes a communication interface to the printing apparatus, and 109 denotes a bus for connecting them.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the IC card and the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  201 is an IC card, 203 is a CPU of the IC card 201, 202 is a storage device of the IC card 201, 204 is an interface to the outside of the IC card 201, and 205 is a bus for connecting the 202 to 204. 207 is a printing device, 208 is a storage device of the printing device 207, 209 is a PLD that can form a logic circuit in a programmable manner of the printing device 207, 210 is a communication interface, and 211 is a printing device that performs printing processing by a conventional method , 212 is an IC card interface, and 213 is a bus for connecting the 208-212.

  When printing certain data on the host PC, print data encrypted by the apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is transmitted to the printing apparatus. The procedure is shown below. The CPU 106 on the host PC first encrypts the print data and simultaneously prepares a PLD source file on the MEM 107 for forming a decryption circuit necessary for decryption. Next, the CPU 106 transmits the encrypted print data from the MEM 107 to the printing apparatus 111 via the communication interface 110. Further, the prepared PLD source file for decoding circuit formation is stored in the storage device 102 of the IC card.

  Next, the encrypted print data is decrypted and printed by the apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. Encrypted print data sent from the host PC is stored in the storage device 208 of the printing device 207. The user connects the IC card 201 in which the decryption circuit source file is stored by the above method to the printing apparatus 207. The CPU 203 of the IC card 201 downloads a compilation program for the PLD 208 stored in the printing device 207 in advance to its own MEM, compiles the decoding circuit source file stored in the storage device 202, and generates a binary file for forming the decoding circuit. Generate. The CPU 203 forms a decoding circuit in the PLD 208 of the printing apparatus 207 using this binary file.

  The CPU 203 of the IC card 201 recognizes that the decryption circuit has been formed in the PLD 208, takes out the encrypted print data stored in the storage device 208, and transmits it to the decryption circuit in the PLD 208. A circuit for notifying the CPU 203 of the IC card 201 that the decryption process has been completed is placed in advance in the decryption circuit formed in the PLD 208 so that the CPU 203 of the IC card 201 can recognize the end of decryption of the encrypted print data. Keep it. Recognizing the end of decoding, the CPU 203 of the IC card 201 transmits the decoded print data to the printing apparatus 211, resets the PLD 208, and erases the decoding circuit formed inside the PLD 208. The printing apparatus 211 that has received the decrypted print data performs a print process, and the print process for the print data transmitted from the host PC ends.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described.

  Since the configuration of the second embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the first embodiment, in the description of the second embodiment, the configuration of the first embodiment is used. Only the different components are described.

  In the first embodiment, the data in the IC card is a PLD source file, and the compilation program is stored in the printing apparatus.

  Instead, in the second embodiment, a binary file obtained by compiling a source file in advance according to the PLD in the printing apparatus is stored in the IC card. When the IC card is connected to the printing apparatus, a binary file is downloaded to the PLD by the CPU of the IC card, and a decoding circuit is formed in the PLD. This eliminates the need to store a compile program in the printing apparatus as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing encryption of print data from a host PC and storage of a decryption circuit source file in an IC card in the first embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the method of compiling the source file memorize | stored in the IC card in 1st Embodiment, and forming a decoding circuit in PLD.

Explanation of symbols

101 IC Card 102 Storage Means in IC Card 100 103 Internal Bus of IC Card 100 104 External Interface of IC Card 100 105 Host PC
106 CPU of the host PC 105
107 Memory of Host PC 105 108 Interface with IC Card of Host PC 105 109 Internal Bus of Host PC 105 110 Communication Interface of Host PC 105 111 Printing Device 201 IC Card 202 Storage Device of IC Card 201 203 CPU of IC Card 201
204 External interface of IC card 201 205 Internal bus of IC card 201 206 Host PC
207 Printing Device 208 Storage Device of Printing Device 207 209 PLD (Programmable Logic Device) of Printing Device 207
210 Communication Interface of Printing Device 207 211 Printing Device of Printing Device 207 212 Interface with IC Card of Printing Device 207 213 Internal Bus of Printing Device 207

Claims (9)

An IC card having storage means for storing program data to be transmitted to the outside, and program data output means for transmitting the program data to the outside;
A printing apparatus comprising: program data receiving means for receiving program data downloaded from the outside; and means for forming decryption means for print data encrypted from the received program data.   An apparatus for decrypting encrypted print data input to the printing apparatus using encrypted print data decrypting means formed in the printing apparatus by combining the IC card according to claim 1 and the printing apparatus according to claim 1 Method.   3. The IC card, the printing apparatus and the method according to claim 1, further comprising means for erasing the encrypted print data decrypting means formed in the printing apparatus according to claim 1.   4. The printing apparatus transmits print data stored in the printing apparatus to an encrypted print data decryption unit, controls print data decryption processing, and erases the formed print data decryption unit according to claim 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 3.   An IC card is used to transmit the print data stored in the printing apparatus to a print data processing unit, to control the print data decoding process, and to erase the formed print data decoding unit according to claim 3. Item 3. The IC card according to item 3.   5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the print data decoding unit is a DSP.   5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the print data decoding means is a PLD.   6. The program data stored in the IC card according to claim 2, claim 3 or claim 5 is a source file, and the source file compiled using a compile program stored in the printing apparatus is stored in the printing apparatus. The IC card according to claim 2, 3 or 5, the printing apparatus according to claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4, claim 5, claim 6, and method thereof.   6. The IC card according to claim 2, 3 or 5, wherein the program data stored in the IC card according to claim 1 or 2 is a binary file capable of forming the print data decoding means in the printing apparatus. And a printing apparatus and method thereof according to claim 2, claim 3, or claim 4, claim 5, and claim 6.

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