JP2005078203A - Printer security system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer security system which easily registers personal information for use in user identification. <P>SOLUTION: The printer security system comprises a printer and a host connected together via a communication media. The printer has an image sensor for reading personal information for user authentication, a personal information sending means for sending personal information to the host, and a provided information receiving means for receiving the information provided from the host. The host has a registering means that determines whether personal information matching the personal information sent from the personal information sending means is registered in a personal identification database and that, if no matching personal information is registered, causes the personal information sent from the personal information sending means and ID data to be registered in the personal identification database in association with each other, and a provided information sending means for reading the provided information associated with the ID data from the provided information database and sending it to the printer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer security system that accurately identifies biometric information and reliably processes it for security purposes.

Some conventional printer security systems limit the number of copies for each user or limit facsimile transmission by performing user authentication when copying a document or transmitting a facsimile. Are known. In such a printer security system, a registered user's fingerprint or handwritten character is registered in advance, and the user is authenticated by comparing and collating the registered information with the information obtained at the time of authentication. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-127545 A

  However, in the printer security system disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to register the user's fingerprint or handwritten character in advance in order to detect the user's fingerprint or handwritten character and collate it with the registered user's fingerprint. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time to register fingerprints and handwritten characters. In particular, an MFP (Multi Function Printer) installed in a convenience store or the like has a low frequency of use for each user but is used by a large number of users, so that it is difficult to register information about users in advance. There is.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a printer security system capable of easily registering personal information used for user authentication.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a printer security system in which a printer and a host computer are connected via a communication medium, wherein the printer reads an image sensor for reading personal information for identifying a user, and the personal Personal information transmitting means for transmitting information to the host computer, and provided information receiving means for receiving provided information provided from the host computer, wherein the host computer identifies personal information and ID data for identifying a user Are registered in the personal authentication database, personal information matching the personal information transmitted from the personal information transmitting means, and the personal information database associated with ID data and the provision information. The matching personal information is not registered In addition, the registration means for associating the personal information transmitted from the personal information transmission means with the ID data and registering it in the personal authentication database, and reading the provision information associated with the ID data from the provision information database Provided information transmitting means for transmitting to the printer is provided.

  The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the personal information is iris image data.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the provision information is embedded in an icon image displayed on the printer and transmitted from the host computer to the printer.

  The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that the printer further comprises information processing means for processing the received provided information.

  According to the present invention, since personal information used for user authentication can be easily registered, there is an effect that it is effective for security management of a printer used by many users such as a convenience store.

Hereinafter, a printer security system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment. In this figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a printer system, which is installed in a convenience store or the like. The printer system 1 includes an MFP (Multi Function Printer) 11, an input unit 12 configured with a keyboard and the like, a display unit 13 configured with a display, It is comprised from the image sensor 13 which images and acquires a user's iris image. The image sensor 14 is installed at a position substantially at the eyes of the human body at the top of the MFP 11 and can adjust the height from the floor. Reference numeral 2 denotes a host computer that performs user authentication and information provision processing for the printer system 1 and includes a personal authentication database 21 that stores information for performing personal authentication and a provision information database 22 that stores information to be provided. . The personal authentication database 21 is a database in which ID data capable of uniquely specifying an individual and iris image data are associated with each other. The provided information database 22 is a database in which ID data and information provided to an individual having the ID data are associated with each other. Reference numeral 3 denotes a network serving as a communication medium between the printer system 1 and the host computer 2, and may be a public network.
Although only one printer system 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1, two or more printer systems 1 may be configured to be able to communicate with the host computer 2 via the network 3.

  Next, the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the user operates the input unit 12 to perform an input operation for receiving information. In response, the MFP 11 displays a message to start reading iris image data on the display unit 13. When the user puts out his / her pupil in front of the image sensor 14, the image sensor 14 acquires iris image data. Subsequently, the MFP 11 reads the sensor output of the image sensor 14 (step S1). Then, the MFP 11 transmits sensor output data (iris image data) to the host computer 2 via the network 3 (step S2).

  In response to this, the host computer 2 receives the sensor output data transmitted by the MFP 11 (step S3). Then, the host computer 2 compares the received sensor output data (iris image data) with the authentication data registered in the host computer 2 to determine whether or not the authentication is successful (step S4). This determination is made based on whether or not iris image data that matches the sensor output data (iris image data) transmitted from the MFP 11 is registered in the personal authentication database 21.

  As a result of this determination, if the authentication is not successful (when no matching iris image data is found), the host computer 2 determines whether or not to register the received sensor output data (iris image data), and does not register Ends the process. On the other hand, in the case of registration, the host computer 2 registers the received sensor output data (iris image data) and the newly issued ID data in association with the personal authentication data 21 (step S6). Then, the host computer 2 creates an embedded image in which the newly issued ID data is embedded in the icon image for the MFP (step S7). The creation of the embedded image uses a method of embedding ID data in icon image data using a digital watermark technique, in addition to a method of embedding ID data in an empty area of icon image data displayed on the display unit 13. The icon image created here is registered in the provision information database 22 in association with the ID data.

  Next, the host computer 2 reads the provision information (here, the icon image) associated with the newly issued ID data from the provision information database 22 and uses a known method for the read provision information. Encryption processing is performed, and the encrypted provision information is transmitted to the MFP 11 (step S9). In response, the MFP 11 receives the encrypted provision information (step S10) and decrypts it. Subsequently, the MFP 11 displays the decrypted provided information (icon image) on the display unit 13. When the user designates an icon displayed on the display unit 13, the MFP 11 extracts information embedded in the provided information, and processes the provided information based on the information input from the input unit 12. The provided information is printed (step S11).

  In step S4, when authenticated (when matching iris image data is found), the host computer 2 is associated with iris image data that matches the sensor output data (iris image data) transmitted from the MFP 11. The ID data is read from the personal authentication database 21, and the provision information associated with the read ID data is read from the provision information database 22 (step S8). Then, the host computer 2 encrypts the read provided information using a known method, and transmits the encrypted provided information to the MFP 11 (step S9). In response, the MFP 11 receives the encrypted provision information (step S10) and decrypts it. Subsequently, the MFP 11 displays the decrypted provided information (icon image) on the display unit 13. When the user designates an icon displayed on the display unit 13, the MFP 11 extracts information embedded in the provided information, and processes the provided information based on the information input from the input unit 12. The provided information is printed (step S11).

  In this way, the image sensor 14 that reads the iris image data is connected to the MFP 11, and the iris image data read by the image sensor 14 is transmitted to the host computer 2. The host computer 2 and the iris image data transmitted from the MFP 11 It is determined whether or not the matching information is registered in the personal authentication database 21, and when the matching information is not registered, the iris image data transmitted from the MFP 11 and the ID data are associated with each other and the personal authentication database 21 is associated. Therefore, user registration can be easily performed. In addition, since the provision information is provided by a series of operations after the user registration, the user can receive user registration and information provision without performing any troublesome operations. In addition, when transmitting the provision information from the host computer 2 to the MFP 11, the provision information to be transmitted is embedded in the icon image and transmitted after being encrypted, so that the security of the transmission data can be improved.

  The image read by the image sensor 14 is not limited to an iris image, but may be a fingerprint or palm image, or a face image.

  Further, a security management process is performed by recording a program for realizing the function of the processing unit in FIG. 1 on a computer-readable recording medium, causing the computer system to read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium. You may go. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a storage device such as a flexible medium, a magneto-optical disk, a portable medium such as a ROM and a CD-ROM, and a hard disk incorporated in a computer system. Further, the “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a volatile memory (RAM) in a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In addition, those holding programs for a certain period of time are also included.

  The program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, the “transmission medium” for transmitting the program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, and what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the apparatus shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer system 11 ... MFP (multifunctional printer)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Input part 13 ... Display part 14 ... Image sensor 2 ... Host computer 21 ... Personal authentication database 22 ... Provided information database 3 ... Network

Claims (4)

A printer security system in which a printer and a host computer are connected via a communication medium,
The printer is
An image sensor that reads personal information for identifying the user;
Personal information transmitting means for transmitting the personal information to the host computer;
Provision information receiving means for receiving provision information provided from the host computer,
The host computer
A personal authentication database in which personal information for identifying a user is associated with ID data;
A provision information database in which ID data and provision information are associated;
It is determined whether or not personal information that matches the personal information transmitted from the personal information transmitting means is registered in the personal authentication database, and if the matching personal information is not registered, the personal information transmitting means Registration means for associating and registering personal information and ID data transmitted from the personal authentication database;
A printer security system comprising: provision information transmission means for reading provision information associated with the ID data from the provision information database and transmitting the information to the printer.   The printer security system according to claim 1, wherein the personal information is iris image data.   The printer security system according to claim 1, wherein the provision information is embedded in an icon image displayed on the printer and transmitted from the host computer to the printer. The printer security system according to claim 1, wherein the printer further comprises information processing means for processing the received provided information.

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