JP2006252407A - Image-processing device and image-processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent other devices, which are connected to an image-processing device via a network, from being infected by viruses. <P>SOLUTION: When receiving virus-infected data, an image-forming device generates history information based on information on attributes of a transmission origin (209). Afterwards, when receiving the data (202), the device refers to the history information and outputs a warning to compulsory finish the operation when the transmission origin has experience in virus infection (203). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method, and an apparatus for removing an unauthorized job or data recorded on a storage medium, particularly an image processing apparatus such as a printer connected to a network. Suitable for image processing devices that can maintain high security for the entire network by suppressing adverse effects on other devices on the network against unauthorized printing and saving jobs or data such as printing and saving It is a thing.

  A typical example of an unauthorized job or data is a computer virus. As an apparatus for suppressing the infection of a computer virus, in Patent Document 1, when it is detected that a received file is contaminated with a computer virus, the contaminated file is deleted and a warning is given to the file sender. Facilitating facsimile machines have been proposed.

Patent Document 2 proposes a printer device that receives print data and a program language, detects a virus against a computer virus mixed in the program language, and removes the virus.
JP-A-6-350784 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-119927

  However, in the conventional technique, Patent Document 1, even if a file contaminated with a virus is deleted, if the virus itself adversely affects the facsimile transmission function, a transmission function that issues a warning to the file sender. In addition to the possibility of a problem occurring in itself, there is a problem that the possibility of sending warning data contaminated with viruses to all users stored in the facsimile machine cannot be denied. Further, Patent Document 2 has a problem that there is no means for detecting when printing data or stored data is contaminated with a virus.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of suppressing infection of other devices on a network due to viruses.

  The image processing apparatus of the present invention solves the above-described problem, and includes a data transmission / reception unit that transmits / receives data, a memory unit that stores data obtained by the data transmission / reception unit, and data that is stored in the memory unit The image output means for outputting the virus, the virus detection means for detecting that the virus is mixed in the data held in the memory means, and the virus detection data when the virus detection means detects the virus. Based on the history information created by the infection history creation means and the history information created by the infection history creation means, only the warning is output without processing the history information related to the attribute of the infection. Forcibly blocking means for blocking data infected with a virus.

  According to the present invention, by referring to the infection log and invalidating processing for print data transmitted from a user with an infection history, infection of other devices on the network due to viruses is suppressed. be able to.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer according to the present invention.

  The client PC 120 is a transmission source of print requests, print data, storage requests, and storage data, the printer 100 is a configuration of the entire printer, the main CPU 101 is a central control unit that performs overall control, and a network control unit Reference numeral 102 is connected to the client PC 120 to receive a print request, print data, a save request, and save data from the client PC 120, and status information of the printer 100, such as error information due to a paper jam, to the client PC 120. A peripheral control unit 103 is a unit that controls transmissions 104 to 108 that are connected to the main CPU 101 and are peripheral devices.

  The memory 104 is a volatile storage unit that temporarily stores print data and the like, and the ROM 105 is a read that stores a program for performing overall control and virus detection, including control such as activation of the printer 100 itself. The hard disk unit 106 is a dedicated memory, and a magnetic medium used for dealing with a case where a pattern file for virus detection, print data, saved data, or the like is temporarily or permanently stored or the capacity of the memory 104 is exceeded. That is, it is a non-volatile storage means, the panel 107 is a monitor that displays the status of the printer 100, and the key 108 is an input device that accepts a control request to the printer 100 main body and display switching to the panel 107. The engine control unit 109 drives the printer engine 110 and A control unit for controlling such force data transfer, the printer engine 110 is a printer for outputting a final output image.

  In FIG. 2, a flow when the printer 100 receives a print request and print data contaminated with a virus from the client PC 120 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step 201, the printer 100 determines the presence or absence of a print job. When a print request is transmitted from the client PC 120, the print request is received by the network control unit 102 of the printer 100, and the network control unit 102 requests the main CPU 101 for a command for acquiring status information inside the printer. When the main CPU 101 receives a status information acquisition command from the network control unit 102, it causes the peripheral control unit to verify the normality of all internal device states. When the main CPU 101 confirms that there is no abnormality in the internal state of the printer 100, a normal code is transmitted to the network control unit 102. If there is an abnormality, a code including an error code indicating the abnormal part Send. Upon receiving the internal state code from the main CPU 101, the network control unit 102 transmits a code representing the internal state to the client PC.

  In step 202, the client PC 120 starts transmission of print data when the internal state of the printer 100 is normal. An example of the overall configuration of print data to be transmitted at this time is shown in FIG. That is, data describing information about the transmission source user name, data describing information about the transmission source computer, data describing information regarding the network physical address of the transmission source computer, data describing information regarding the network IP address of the transmission source computer, Data describing information about the sender domain name to which the sender computer belongs, data describing password information for setting restrictions by the sender at the time of output by the sender user, printer set by the sender user It is composed of data that describes information about the virus check flag to turn off or set a flag to be sure to perform virus check, and print data, etc. .

  When the printer 100 receives all the print data from the client PC 120, the CPU 101 of the printer 100 searches the data stored in the hard disk 105 or the memory 104 for log infection log data. A configuration example of the virus infection log is shown in FIG. The virus infection log describes the data describing the log number, the data describing the information about the user who sent the infection data, and the information about the date the infection data was sent to index individual information in the log Data, data describing information on the virus type, data describing information for controlling whether or not printing is possible, and the like.

  If there is an infection log, whether or not the data describing information about the transmission source user name of the received print data corresponds to data describing information about the user who sent the infection data of the infection log in step 203. Search for. If the user has the corresponding data in the infection log, that is, the user has a history of virus infection data, in step 204, the printer 100 loads from the ROM 105, the memory 104 or the hard disk 105 in which the warning data is stored, and the engine control unit. The warning data is converted into print data from 109 to the printer engine 110, the warning data is printed out, and the print job is deleted and the process ends.

  If there is no infection log in step 202, and if there is no corresponding user history in the infection log in step 203, in step 205, the CPU 101 of the printer 100 loads a virus detection program from the ROM 105 and loads it into the hard disk unit 106. The stored virus detection pattern file is loaded into the memory 104, a virus detection program is started, and it is determined whether or not the print data is infected with a virus.

  In step 206, if the print data is not infected with a virus, the virus detection program is terminated, and in step 207, a normal printing operation is started. If the print data is infected with a virus, in step 208, the CPU 101 of the printer 100 activates a virus removal program and invalidates the virus included in the print data.

  In the following step 209, an infection log as a result of what virus the received print data is infected with the activated virus detection program is created, written in the memory 104, and stored in the hard disk unit 106. Write a copy of the content written to and exit.

[Second Embodiment]
The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment described above. In the first embodiment, the infection log is created based on the data describing the information related to the user name. However, any one or more of the data groups transmitted as the print data illustrated in FIG. 3 are used as keys. An infection log may be created and the history information may be used as a reference key. In particular, when a plurality of client PCs are used even with a single user name, a uniquely determined reference key such as a network physical address is used to uniquely determine a client PC storing a virus. Sometimes it is desirable.

[Third embodiment]
The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above. In the first and second embodiments, a print job from a user with a history of infection outputs a warning and is terminated by deleting the print job by forcible blocking. However, virus countermeasures are strengthened on the client PC side. If the administrator of the printer 100 confirms that the history information is updated by the administrator of the printer 100 and the print enable flag illustrated in FIG. 4 is updated, at least the virus infection history remains, Processing for permitting printing can be realized. The processing flow is shown in FIG.

  First, in step 501, the printer 100 determines whether or not there is a print job. When a print request is transmitted from the client PC 120, the print request is received by the network control unit 102 of the printer 100, and the network control unit 102 requests the main CPU 101 for a command for acquiring status information inside the printer. When the main CPU 101 receives a status information acquisition command from the network control unit 102, it causes the peripheral control unit to verify the normality of all internal device states.

  When the main CPU 101 confirms that there is no abnormality in the internal state of the printer 100, a normal code is transmitted to the network control unit 102. If there is an abnormality, a code including an error code indicating the abnormal part Send. Upon receiving the internal state code from the main CPU 101, the network control unit 102 transmits a code representing the internal state to the client PC. In step 502, the client PC 120 starts transmitting print data when the internal state of the printer 100 is normal.

  An example of the overall configuration of print data to be transmitted at this time is shown in FIG. That is, data describing information about the transmission source user name, data describing information about the transmission source computer, data describing information regarding the network physical address of the transmission source computer, data describing information regarding the network IP address of the transmission source computer, Data describing information about the source domain name to which the source computer belongs, data describing information about the password set by the source user, data describing information about the virus check flag set by the source user, and print It consists of data.

  When the printer 100 receives all the print data from the client PC 120, the CPU 101 of the printer 100 searches the data stored in the hard disk 105 or the memory 104 for log infection log data.

  A configuration example of the virus infection log is shown in FIG.

  The virus infection log describes the data describing the log number, the data describing the information about the user who sent the infection data, and the information about the date the infection data was sent to index individual information in the log Data, data describing information on the virus type, data describing information for controlling whether or not printing is possible, and the like. If there is an infection log, whether or not the data describing the transmission source user name of the received print data corresponds to the data describing the information about the user who sent the infection data of the infection log in step 503. Search for.

  If the user has the corresponding data in the infection log, that is, the user has a history of virus infection data, the information of Print Enable Flag in the infection log is referred to in step 504. If the print output is impossible, the same steps as in the first embodiment In 505, the printer 100 loads the warning data from the ROM 105, the memory 104, or the hard disk 105, converts the warning data from the engine control unit 109 to the printer engine 110, prints the warning data, prints the warning data, and prints. Exit after deleting the job.

  If print output is possible, if there is no infection log in step 502, and if there is no corresponding user history in the infection log in step 503, then in step 506, the virus check is performed in the print data transmitted from the client PC 120. When the attribute data of the flag is referred to and information for avoiding the virus check is described, the process moves to step 511 to perform print output. If the virus check is not to be avoided, the CPU 101 of the printer 100 loads the virus detection program from the ROM 105 and loads the virus detection pattern file stored in the hard disk unit 106 into the memory 104 in step 507. Then, a virus detection program is activated to determine whether the print data is infected with a virus.

  If it is determined in step 508 that the print data is not infected with a virus, the virus detection program is terminated, and in step 511, a normal print operation is started. If the print data is infected with a virus, in step 509, the CPU 101 of the printer 100 activates a virus removal program and invalidates the virus included in the print data. In the following step 510, an infection log as a result of what kind of virus the received print data is infected with the activated virus detection program is created, written in the memory 104, and stored in the hard disk unit 106. Write a copy of the content written to and exit.

The figure which shows the block configuration of the image processing apparatus which concerns on this invention The figure which shows the flow of the virus detection process which concerns on this invention The figure which shows the block structural example of the data received with the image processing apparatus which concerns on this invention The figure which shows the structural example of the virus infection log which concerns on this invention The figure which shows the flow of the virus detection process in case there exists print re-permission based on this invention

Explanation of symbols

100 Printer 101 Main CPU
102 Network control unit 103 Peripheral control unit 104 Memory 105 ROM
106 Hard Disk 107 Panel 108 Key 109 Engine Control Unit 110 Printer Engine 120 Client PC

Claims (10)

  Data transmission / reception means for transmitting / receiving data, memory means for holding data received by the data transmission / reception means, image output means for outputting data held by the memory means, and virus stored in the data held by the memory means Virus detection means for detecting that the virus is mixed, and infection history creation means for creating history information relating to the attribute of the data mixed with the virus when the virus is detected in the virus detection means and holding in the memory means And an alert output means for outputting only a warning when data having an attribute existing in the history is received based on the history information created by the infection history creating means.   2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the warning output means is a forced shut-off means for forcibly discarding the received data regardless of the presence or absence of virus contamination.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the history created by the history information creating unit is attribute information related to an attribute of a sender who transmitted data.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a virus removal unit that removes a virus when the virus detection unit detects a virus.   2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a history management unit for changing the contents of the history information created by the history creating unit and permitting image output to a transmission source of data mixed with a virus in the past. An image processing apparatus comprising:   A data transmission / reception step for transmitting / receiving data; an image output step for outputting data received in the data transmission / reception step; a virus detection step for detecting that a virus is mixed in the data received in the data transmission / reception step; In the virus detection step, when a virus is detected, an infection history creation step for creating history information regarding the attribute of the data mixed with the virus, and an attribute existing in the history based on the history information created by the infection history creation step And a warning output step of outputting only a warning when data having the above is received.   7. The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the warning output step is a forcible blocking step for forcibly discarding the received data regardless of the presence or absence of virus contamination.   The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the history created in the history information creating step is attribute information related to an attribute of a sender who has transmitted data.   The image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising: a virus removal step of removing a virus when a virus is detected in the virus detection step.   7. The image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising: a history management step for changing the contents of the history information created by the history creating step and permitting image output to a transmission source of data mixed with a virus in the past. An image processing method comprising:

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