JP2004341931A - Document communication system and its device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transmit data to a destination of a user himself or herself by preventing another user from peeping into it without requiring a reception box for each user. <P>SOLUTION: When requesting confidential print, a transmission side adds biometrics data and an authentication request to transmission data, and transmits the transmission data, and when detecting an authentication request, a reception side records a file name and the biometrics data in a confidential print list, and stores a reception file into a shared box or the like. When a user inputs the biometrics data, the reception side collates the biometrics data with the biometrics data of the confidential print list, and displays the list of the matched files, and prints out the file selected by the user. Thus, it is possible to perform confidential print without setting any reception box for each user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
Field of application of the invention
The present invention relates to a document communication system for performing confidential printing and the like, a communication device such as a network printer used for the document communication system, a personal computer serving as a client, and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
[0003]
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-23422 Patent Literature 1 describes personal authentication using biometrics data. It is also conceivable to apply personal authentication based on biometric data to document processing.
[0004]
By the way, confidential printing is performed in a network printer. In confidential printing, a network printer is provided with an inbox for each user, and a key such as a password is determined. A user transmits print data from his / her terminal such as a personal computer to his / her own inbox, goes to a network printer, inputs a password, opens his / her own inbox, and prints. In this system, in order to perform confidential printing, it is necessary to provide a reception box in the network printer for each user, and it is necessary to manage passwords. For example, it is necessary to manage so that a duplicate password is not used between users.
[0005]
[Problems of the Invention]
An object of the present invention is to enable transmission of data addressed to the user without requiring a receiving box for each user without being looked at by other users (claims 1 to 5). .
Another object of the present invention is to enable confidential printing without preparing a receiving box for each user.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent the leakage of biometrics data from the document processing device.
[0006]
Configuration of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document communication system in which document data is transmitted from a communication device on the transmission side to a document processing device on the reception side, and only specific users can access the document data on the document processing device on the reception side. The transmitting communication device is provided with means for adding the user's biometric data and the authentication request to the document data to be transmitted, and the receiving document processing device is provided with a biometric sensor, When the authentication request is detected from the obtained document data, the document data is stored, and when the user inputs biometrics data that matches the biometrics data in the document data from the biometrics sensor, the biometrics It is characterized in that user access is allowed.
[0007]
The communication device on the transmitting side is, for example, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a mobile phone, or the like, and the document processing device on the receiving side is, for example, a facsimile device or a printer connectable to a network.
Preferably, the document processing apparatus on the receiving side has a print function, and prints the document data as the access.
[0008]
A document processing device according to the present invention includes a biometric sensor, means for detecting an authentication request from received document data, and storing the document data having detected the authentication request, and extracting biometric data from the document data. Means for performing, the biometrics data input by the user from the biometrics sensor, comparing the biometrics data in the received document data to authenticate the user, at the time of authentication to the received document data The access of the user is permitted.
[0009]
Preferably, the document processing apparatus has a print function, and when there is a plurality of received document data having biometrics data that matches the biometrics data input by the user, outputs a list of the received document data. The received document data selected by the user from the list is printed as the user's access.
[0010]
Preferably, the received document data and the biometrics data accessed by the user are deleted.
[0011]
Function and Effect of the Invention
In the document communication system according to the present invention, the access right is authenticated by comparing the biometric data in the received document data with the biometric data of the user in the document processing device on the receiving side. Therefore, when performing confidential printing or the like, there is no need to provide a reception box for each user, and no password is required. Further, this system can be used without prior user registration (claims 1 and 2).
[0012]
The type of the document processing apparatus on the receiving side is arbitrary, but for example, it is provided with a print function, preferably a printer which can be connected to a network. This makes it easy to print a document that the user does not want to see (claim 2).
[0013]
In the document processing apparatus of the present invention, when an authentication request is detected from the received document data, the received document data is stored. Then, the biometric data extracted from the received document data is compared with the biometric data input by the user from the biometric sensor to perform user authentication, and the user is permitted to access the received document data at the time of authentication. Therefore, confidential printing or the like can be performed using the biometrics data without using a receiving box, a password, or the like (claims 3 to 5).
[0014]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when there are a plurality of received document data for a certain user, a list thereof is output and the received document data selected by the user is printed. For this reason, confidential printing can be performed without using a user's dedicated receiving box or password, and a large number of document data can be transmitted for the time being, and a necessary one can be selected and printed.
[0015]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the received document data which has been accessed by the user, for example, the printed document data and the corresponding biometric data are deleted, there is no possibility that the biometric data is leaked through the document processing apparatus.
[0016]
【Example】
1 to 3 show an embodiment. In these figures, reference numeral 2 denotes a document communication system, and reference numeral 4 denotes a communication device of a client, such as a personal computer or a portable information terminal. Reference numeral 6 denotes a network printer, which is an example of a document processing apparatus on the receiving side, and may be a facsimile machine or a multifunction machine of a printer and a facsimile. Document data is transmitted as transmission data 8 from the communication device 4 to the network printer 6 for confidential printing. The document data 8 describes that biometrics data is added as image data or converted into characters, and that an authentication request has been made by an appropriate method. The confidential print may be requested from a communication device such as a personal computer in the LAN to the network printer, or may be requested from a communication device outside the LAN via the Internet or the like.
[0017]
The communication device 4 is provided with, for example, a biometrics sensor 10 so that biometrics data of a user can be read. As the biometric data, for example, a fingerprint or sweat gland pattern, a capillary pattern, or an iris may be used. Instead of reading the user's biometric data from the biometric sensor 10 each time, the communication device 4 may store the user's biometric data. This is suitable when the communication device 4 is a portable information terminal or the like and the user always has. The communication device 4 is provided with an authentication request unit 11, and when a user inputs an authentication request, an authentication request is added to the transmission data 8.
[0018]
The network printer 6 is provided with an authentication request detection unit 20 for detecting an authentication request from the transmission data 8. The control unit 21 controls the entire network printer 6, and upon detecting an authentication request, extracts the file name and biometrics data from the transmission data 8 and records them in the confidential print list 22. The recorded contents in the confidential print list 22 are, for example, a file name and biometrics data. This list 22 is a list of document data to be subjected to confidential printing. After executing the printing, the corresponding item is deleted and the file name is transcribed to a log file (not shown). However, the biometric data used for the authentication key is Erase without posting to file.
[0019]
The network printer 6 is provided with, for example, a shared receiving box 23, and stores data received via a network or the like for each file. The received data without the authentication request or the biometrics data may be printed (output) immediately without being stored in the shared receiving box 23, assuming that the data is required to be printed immediately.
[0020]
A biometric sensor 24 such as a fingerprint sensor is provided on, for example, an operation panel of the network printer 6, so that the user's biometric data can be read. When the user inputs the biometrics data, the biometrics data in the confidential print list 22 is compared with the authentication unit 25, and if there is a matching biometrics data, the access right of the user to the file is authenticated. Here, the coincidence of the biometrics data means that the biometrics data coincides to the extent that the biometrics data can be authenticated as the same user.
[0021]
When the user inputs biometrics data from the biometrics sensor 24, it detects whether a file of the same biometrics data exists in the confidential print list 22 and displays the presence or absence of such a file on the touch panel 26, for example. If there are many such files, for example, a list of them is displayed, and the file selected by the user is output (printed). When the received file with the biometric data is printed, the corresponding received file is deleted, and the biometric data and the file name are deleted from the confidential print list 22. This can prevent the biometric data from leaking from the network printer 6. Since it is almost impossible for a plurality of users to share biometrics data, it is not necessary to manage duplication of biometrics data. The need for duplicate management is one of the differences from the management of passwords and the like.
[0022]
In the embodiment, like the one-time password, the biometric data is registered in the confidential print list 22 each time it is received, and is deleted each time the print is executed. On the other hand, biometrics data may be used in place of the password or ID of each user and registered in the confidential print list 22. For example, when the users of the network printer 6 are determined, the biometrics data of each user is registered in the confidential print list 22 in advance. In this case, it is preferable that the user's real name or the like is not registered so that the relationship between the biometrics data and the user himself / herself cannot be known to a third party. When an authentication request is detected from the received document data, the biometric data is compared with the data registered in the confidential print list 22, and if there is a matching biometric data, it is listed as confidential print data in the column of the biometric data. . However, in this case, the biometric data may be leaked, and the confidential print cannot be used until the biometric data is registered.
[0023]
FIG. 2 shows processing in the communication device on the transmission side. In step 1, transmission data is created. This is, for example, remote confidential print (confidential print from outside the LAN) or confidential print data from within the LAN. is there. Then, the biometric data is read and added to the transmission data (step 2), and in parallel with this, an authentication request is added to the transmission data (step 3), and transmission is executed (step 4).
[0024]
FIG. 3 shows processing in the network printer on the receiving side. When print data is received (step 11), the presence or absence of an authentication request is checked (step 12). If there is no authentication request, the flow shifts from the connector A to step 20, where the received data is printed, and the processing ends. If there is an authentication request, the file name and the biometrics data are recorded in the confidential print list (step 13). Then, the received data is stored in the shared receiving box (step 14), and the system waits for the user to input biometrics data (step 15).
[0025]
If there is no biometric data that matches the biometric data input by the user in the confidential print list, a message such as "There is no confidential print document addressed to you" is displayed on a touch panel or the like. If there is matching biometrics data, the file name is extracted from the confidential print list (step 16). Then, a list of the extracted confidential prints is displayed (step 17), and the data selected by the user is printed (step 18). Next, the printed data is deleted from the public box and the confidential print list (step 19).
[0026]
In this embodiment, processing such as confidential printing can be performed without using an inbox or password for each user. It is also possible to transmit the document data to a network printer for the time being, and select a document to be printed. Further, since the biometric data is deleted every time the transmission data is printed, there is little possibility that the biometric data is stolen.
[0027]
Although the confidential print is taken as an example in the embodiment, the present invention can be similarly used when a facsimile transmission is performed to the user from a remote place.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a document communication system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing on the transmission side in the system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing on the reception side in the system of FIG. Flow chart shown [Explanation of reference numerals]
2 Document communication system 4 Communication equipment (client)
6 Network Printer 8 Transmission Data 10 Biometric Sensor 11 Authentication Request Unit 20 Authentication Request Detection Unit 21 Control Unit 22 Private Print List 23 Shared Inbox 24 Biometric Sensor 25 Authentication Unit 26 Touch Panel

Claims (5)

A document communication system in which document data is transmitted from a communication device on the transmission side to a document processing device on the reception side so that only a specific user can access the document data on the document processing device on the reception side.
The communication device on the transmission side is provided with means for adding the biometric data and the authentication request of the user to the document data to be transmitted,
The receiving-side document processing device is provided with a biometric sensor, and when detecting an authentication request from the received document data, stores the document data, and transmits the biometric data that matches the biometric data in the document data to the user. Wherein the user is allowed to access the document data when input from the biometric sensor. 2. The document communication system according to claim 1, wherein the document processing apparatus on the receiving side has a print function, and permits printing of document data as the access. A biometric sensor,
Means for detecting an authentication request from the received document data;
Means for storing the document data in which the authentication request is detected, and means for extracting biometrics data from the document data,
The biometrics data input by the user from the biometrics sensor is compared with the biometrics data in the received document data to authenticate the user, and to allow the user access to the received document data at the time of authentication. A document processing apparatus, comprising: The document processing device has a print function,
When there are a plurality of received document data having biometric data that matches the biometric data input by the user, a list of the received document data is output, and the received document data selected by the user from the list is output. 4. The document processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein printing is performed as a user access. 5. The document processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the received document data and the biometrics data accessed by the user are deleted.

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