JP4400144B2 - Printing apparatus and printing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs confidential printing and a printing system including the printing apparatus.

  In a printer device connected to a network such as a LAN (local area network), print processing of print data transmitted from each part is performed based on management of the printer server. Similarly, print data including confidential data is managed by the printer server.

The invention of Patent Document 1 discloses a print control apparatus for print data including a confidential document. The present invention is a security system that sorts by security unit, such as by department or distribution destination, and performs sorting at the stage of storing print data in a printer server, using keywords and passwords sent from a host device. The confidential document is printed by transferring data to the printer device for each confidential unit.
JP-A-8-314659 (paragraph numbers 0021 to 0077)

  However, since the conventional print control apparatus performs the sorting process in units of confidentiality as described above, there is a problem in management and printing of common documents other than confidential information. For example, so-called common documents that are not confidential are also included in confidential documents, and it is necessary to separately print pure confidential documents and documents including confidential documents in order to prevent leakage and the like. For this reason, the print data is transferred to the printer device in two steps.

According to the present invention, there is provided a host device that creates print data including print data and a print start / end instruction for a confidential portion included in the print data, and transfers the print data to a printing apparatus, and the host device enter the print data transmitted from a first write control means for storing the common portion excluding the confidential image portion included in the print data in the first storage means, only the confidential image portion included in the print data wherein A second writing control means for storing in the second storage means in accordance with a print start / end instruction for the confidential portion; an operating means for inputting a password when the print data is input; and a password input by the operating means. There line printing of the print data stored in said to be determined to be the first password first storage means which is previously set, input by the operation unit password Further comprising a printer device de has a preset second row cormorants print control means to print the print data stored in said first and second storage means to be determined to be a password This can be achieved by providing a printing system characterized by:

  Here, the first print control means determines the input of the first password, and when the first password is input, prints of the common part excluding the confidential part stored in the first storage means. I do. With this configuration, the confidential part is not printed, and the confidentiality of the document can be secured for the user who knows only the first password.

  The second print control means determines the input of the second password, and when the second password is input, the common part excluding the confidential part stored in the first storage means, and the second password Printing is performed by combining the confidential portions stored in the second storage means. Therefore, the user who knows the second password can print all the confidential documents.

With this configuration, the print data including the confidential document need only be transferred once to the printer apparatus, and there is no need to separately transmit the confidential document and the portion not including the confidential document as in the conventional case. Good transmission processing can be performed.
The printing apparatus has a document management table for managing a plurality of input document information. The document management table stores the document number of each document information and the first and second storage means. The head address of the document data to be stored is stored.

  With this configuration, when the first password or the second password is designated, it is possible to know the start address of the corresponding document and quickly read the corresponding print data. For example, when the first password is designated, the start address of the portion excluding the confidential portion stored in the first storage means is immediately designated, and the print data of the portion excluding the confidential portion can be read immediately. Further, when the second password is designated, the head address of the confidential part stored in the second storage means is immediately designated, and the confidential part document can be read immediately.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an input means for inputting print data including print data and a print start / end instruction for a confidential portion included in the print data, and a secret included in the print data. First writing control means for storing the common part except the part in the first storage means, and only the confidential part included in the print data is stored in the second storage means in accordance with the print start / end instruction for the confidential part. When it is determined that the second writing control means, the operating means for inputting a password when the print data is input, and the password input by the operating means is a preset first password , 1 have line printing of the print data stored in the storage means, the password input by the operation unit is determined to be a second password set in advance It can be achieved by providing a printing apparatus characterized by having a row Cormorant print control means to print the print data stored in the first and second storage means.

  The present invention is an invention of a printing apparatus. Even with this configuration, the print data including the confidential document is transferred to the printer device only once, and the portion that does not include the confidential document and the confidential document as in the conventional case. There is no need to separately transmit to the printing apparatus, and efficient transmission processing can be performed.

The printing apparatus includes a document management table for managing a plurality of input document information. The document management table includes a document number of each document information, the first and first document information . The leading address of the document data stored in the second storage means is stored.
This example also relates to the printing apparatus, as in the second aspect, when the first password or the second password is designated, the head address of the corresponding document is known, and the corresponding print data can be read quickly. it can.

  According to the present invention, even when a confidential document and a common document are mixed, the confidential document and print data including the confidential document can be transferred to the printing apparatus by one transfer process.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this system is composed of a personal computer PC which is a host device and a printer device P connected to the personal computer PC. The personal computer PC outputs the print data created according to the application to the printer device P.

  The printer device P includes a printer interface (I / F) P1 and a printer engine P2. The printer interface (I / F) P1 includes a host interface (I / F) 1, MPU2, ROM3, RAM4, EEPROM5, fonts. A ROM 6 and a hard disk 7 are disposed, and are connected via a video interface (I / F) 8 to a printer engine control unit 9 disposed in the printer engine P2.

The printer device P is provided with an operation panel 10, and the operation panel 10 is provided with an LCD module 10a for displaying various information and various button switches 10b.
Print data created by a personal computer (PC) and provided with a command to be described later is stored in a reception buffer constructed in the RAM 3 via the host interface (I / F) 1. Based on the program stored in the ROM 3, the MPU 2 analyzes the print data, reads the corresponding pattern data from the font ROM 6 based on the character code, creates image data based on the control command, and stores the image data in the RAM 4. Expand to frame memory. The image data developed in the frame memory is transmitted to the printer engine P2 via the video interface (I / F) 8 and printed on recording paper.

  In the above configuration, FIG. 2 shows a part of a control command transmitted to the printer apparatus P and a part of a command included in the print data. In the figure, a document start command 12 is composed of an identifier 13, a document ID, a password 1, and a password 2. The document ID is an ID number for confidential printing (confidential printing), and confidential printing is performed based on the input of this document ID. Password 1 is a password for printing a common document excluding the contents of confidential matters, and password 2 is a password for printing documents of confidential matters.

  The identifier 14 is a secret document print start command for the password 2, and the identifier 15 is the same secret document print end command. The RAM 4 is provided with a flag area corresponding to the passwords 1 and 2. In this flag area, “0” is set when printing a non-confidential document corresponding to the password 1, and a confidential document corresponding to the password 2 is set. “1” is set during printing.

  On the other hand, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a document management table constructed in the EEPROM 5. As shown in the figure, the number of registered documents and information of each document number (document No.) are registered in the table, and each document No. The specific information is registered in the linked storage area. As shown in FIG. Corresponding to the document ID, password 1 and password 2 are recorded. For example, the head addresses of K frame, Y frame, M frame, and C frame are recorded corresponding to password 1, and the head addresses of K frame, Y frame, M frame, and C frame are recorded corresponding to password 2. Is recorded.

  The K frame is an area of a frame memory in which black (K) print data is recorded, the Y frame is an area of a frame memory in which yellow (Y) print data is recorded, and the M frame is magenta ( M) is an area of the frame memory in which print data is recorded, and C frame is an area of the frame memory in which print data of cyan (C) is recorded. Here, the password 1 is a document excluding the confidential document, and the head address 16 of each frame indicates the head address of each color of the print data of this document. On the other hand, the password 2 is a confidential document, and the start address 17 of each frame indicates the start address of each color of the print data of the confidential document.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the head address. FIG. 4A shows an image frame corresponding to the password 1, and FIG. 4B shows an image frame corresponding to the password 2. FIG. 4A corresponds to the top address 16 of each frame shown in FIG. 4, while k2, y2, m2, and c2 shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to the head address 17 of each frame.

Next, the processing operation of this example in the above configuration will be described.
5 and 6 are flowcharts for explaining the processing operation of this example, FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the registration processing of confidential image data, and FIG. 6 shows the printing processing of confidential image data based on the registration processing. It is a flowchart to explain.

  First, in the registration process shown in FIG. 5, when a document start command is input, the registration process is started (step (hereinafter referred to as S) 1). This process is performed by operating the keyboard and mouse, and the document ID, password 1 and password 2 described above are input, and a document start command including the identifier 13 is created.

Next, registration initialization processing is performed, and the password 2 print flag is cleared (S2). In this process, the print flag recorded in the EEPROM 5 is initialized, for example, “0” is set in the flag area.
Next, the registration confirmation of the ID number of the new document is performed, and the document management table is searched (S3). For example, the above-described document management table is searched based on the newly input ID number of the new document, and the presence of the document with the corresponding ID number is searched.

  Here, if a document with the same ID number exists (S4 is existing), the deletion processing of each image frame of the data and the deletion processing of the corresponding data in the document management table in order to delete the registered existing data. And the number of documents registered in the document management table is subtracted (S5). On the other hand, if it is a new ID number, information is additionally registered in the document management table (S6). At that time, each frame is assigned to each password. For example, an image frame is secured, each information is registered, and the number of registered documents in the document management table is increased.

Through the above processing, the document management table stores information on the number of registered documents and a plurality of documents No. Is registered, and the head address of the image data of the confidential document is stored in the frame memory.
Thereafter, it waits for a command input (S7), and if the next input command is an end command (S8 is YES), the registration processing in the document management table is ended. However, in this first process, the end command is not input (S8 is NO), and the next password 2 print start command is determined (S9).

  If it is a password 2 printing start command, the flag is turned on (S9 is YES, S10). On the other hand, if it is not the password 2 print start command (S9 is NO), a password 2 print end command is further determined (S11). If it is a password 2 print end command (S11 is YES), the password 2 print flag is turned off (S12).

  If it is not a password 2 print end command (S13 is NO), it is determined whether the password 2 is input (S13). If the password 2 is input (S13 is YES), the image data is written in the password 2 frame (S14). That is, in FIG. 3 described above, the print data is developed in the image frame in which the head address of each color is stored. In this case, black (K) image data is developed from the head address position k2 shown in FIG. 4B, yellow (Y) image data is developed from the head address position y2, and head address positions m2 and c2 are similarly developed. The corresponding magenta (M) and cyan (C) image data are developed.

  On the other hand, if the password 2 is not input (S13 is NO), the image data is written into the password 1 frame (S15). In this case, image data of each color is developed from the position stored at the head address 16 in FIG. That is, the image data of black (K) is developed from the start address position k1 shown in FIG. 4A, the image data of yellow (Y) is developed from the start address position y1, and similarly from the start address positions m1 and c1. The corresponding magenta (M) and cyan (C) image data are developed.

The print data set as described above is transferred to the printer apparatus P as described above, and print processing is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG.
First, the above-described MPU 2 determines whether there is a panel input (step (hereinafter referred to as ST) 1). That is, the button switch 10b provided on the operation panel 10 is operated to determine whether or not this operation signal is input.

Next, when an operation signal is input, the above-mentioned document management table is searched, and the ID number and the password are collated (ST2). If the ID number and the password do not match (ST2 does not match), it is determined that another button operation has been performed, and the process ends.
On the other hand, if the ID number matches the password (ST2 matches), the input password is determined (ST4), and if password 1 is used, the image data corresponding to password 1 is printed (ST5). In this case, the image data developed in FIG. 4A is read out, transmitted to the print head via the video interface (I / F) 8, and printed on the recording paper according to the control of the printer engine control unit 9. Note that the image data developed in FIG. 4A is print data that does not include a confidential document as described above, and only a common document that does not include a confidential document is printed.

Therefore, the user who knows only the password 1 cannot print the confidential document, and the confidential document is surely protected. In the printing process, a desired number of common documents can be printed.
On the other hand, if the input password is password 2 in the determination (ST9), the image data corresponding to password 2 is printed (ST6, ST7). In this case, the image data expanded in FIG. 4A and the image data expanded in FIG. 4B are combined, and the desired number of the combined image data is printed.

Therefore, the user who knows the password 2 can print the confidential document including the common part and print out the image data including the confidential document by one printing process.
As described above, according to this example, image data including a confidential document can be transferred to the printer apparatus P by one transfer based on the print information recorded in the document management table. Processing can be performed.

  Further, the print data including command information such as the password 2 print start command to the printer device P may be transferred once, and it is not necessary to transfer the print data in two depending on the contents of the image data to be printed. Accordingly, the transfer efficiency of print data is excellent.

It is a system configuration diagram of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a command used in the present invention, which is a part of a control command transmitted to a printer apparatus. It is a figure explaining the structure of the document management table constructed | assembled by EEPROM. (A) shows an image frame corresponding to password 1, and (b) shows an image frame corresponding to password 2. It is a flowchart explaining the processing operation | movement of this example, and is a flowchart explaining the registration process of confidential image data. It is a flowchart explaining the processing operation | movement of this example, and is a flowchart explaining the registration process of confidential image data.

Explanation of symbols

1 Host interface (I / F)
2 MPU
3 ROM
4 RAM
5 EEPROM
6 Font ROM
7 Hard disk 8 Video interface (I / F)
9 Printer Engine Control Unit 10 Operation Panel 10a LCD Module 10b Button Switch 12 Document Start Command 13, 14, 15 Identifier 16, 17 Start Address

Claims (4)

A host device that creates print data including print data and a print start / end instruction of a confidential portion included in the print data, and transfers the print data to a printing apparatus;
First write control means for inputting print data transmitted from the host device and storing in the first storage means a common part excluding a confidential part included in the print data;
Second write control means for storing only the confidential part included in the print data in the second storage means in accordance with the print start / end instruction of the confidential part ;
Operation means for inputting a password when the print data is input;
There line printing of the print data stored in said to be determined to be the first password first memory means input password is preset by the manipulation means, input by said operating means password There a printer device and a second of said first and is determined to be a password and a second Urn line printing of the print data stored in the storage means printing control means that is set in advance,
A printing system comprising: The printer apparatus has a document management table for managing a plurality of input document information, and the document management table stores the document number of each document information and the first and second storage means. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a head address of the document data is stored. An input means for inputting print data including print data and a print start / end command of a confidential portion included in the print data;
First write control means for storing a common part excluding the confidential part included in the print data in the first storage means ;
Second write control means for storing only the confidential part included in the print data in the second storage means in accordance with a print start / end command for the confidential part ;
Operation means for inputting a password when the print data is input;
There line printing print data password input by the manipulation means is stored in said first storage means and it is determined that the first password set in advance,
Entered password and line cormorants printing control means and the printing of the print data stored in said first and second storage means is judged to be the second password set in advance by the operation unit,
A printing apparatus comprising: The printing apparatus has a document management table for managing a plurality of input document information, and the document management table stores the document number of each document information and the first and second storage units. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a head address of document data is stored.

Images