JP2007083440A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance user's convenience by setting security by a wireless LAN while preventing an unauthorized use from the start of introduction. <P>SOLUTION: The printer for receiving print information through the wireless LAN and printing the received print information has at least two security levels corresponding to the security function of the wireless LAN and limits a function receiving from the wireless LAN depending on the security level. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to technology for preventing unauthorized use in a printer connected to a wireless LAN.

  Security functions that prevent unauthorized use are indispensable for printers that communicate with a host via a wireless LAN. Conventionally, in order to use the security function, it has been necessary to make settings at the time of introduction and from the host via the printer operation panel or wireless LAN.

For example, Patent Document 1 can be cited as a conventional example.
JP 2004-65609 A

  However, the conventional example has the following problems.

  Setting from the operation panel is inconvenient in terms of operability. In addition, since the setting from the wireless LAN must already be able to communicate with the host in the initial state, the security function must be disabled, and there is a problem that it is used illegally during this time.

(the purpose)
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer device capable of setting security by wireless LAN while preventing unauthorized use from the beginning of introduction.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A printer device that receives and prints print information via a wireless LAN,
Having at least two security levels corresponding to the security functions of the wireless LAN;
Means for limiting the functions accepted from the wireless LAN according to the security level;
This is solved by a printer device characterized by comprising:

  As described above, according to the first invention of the present application, although the wireless LAN security function is not set in the initial state, only the PING and the administrator login are accepted, so the printer is illegally used. It is never used.

  As a result, it is possible to set security by wireless LAN from the beginning of introduction while preventing unauthorized use, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram that well represents the system of the present invention, in which 101 is a printer that prints a print job received via a wireless LAN, and 102 is an AP (access point) that relays between a wireless LAN and a wired LAN. , 103 is a host computer that connects to the wired LAN 103 and transmits and operates a print job to the printer 101 via the AP 102, 104 is an antenna of the wireless LAN interface unit of the printer 101, and 105 is a wired LAN that connects the AP 102 and the host computer 103. It is.

  Next, the operation will be described.

  In a normal printing operation, the host computer 103 generates a print job and transmits it to the printer 101 via the AP 102 connected by the wired LAN 105. The printer 101 that has received the print job from the host computer 103 prints the print job.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram that well represents the configuration of the printer of the present invention, in which 202 is a wireless LAN interface unit for connecting to the AP 102 via the wireless LAN, 203 is a control unit that controls the printer 103, Reference numeral 204 denotes an internal bus; 205, a program that operates in the control unit; a memory unit that temporarily stores a print job and information as a work area; and 206, a print engine unit (not shown) that executes printing. An engine interface unit 207 is an engine interface bus that transmits and receives image information to and from a print engine unit (not shown), 208 is an operation panel unit that is operated by a user, and 209 is a non-volatile storage that holds setting values of the printer 101 It is a memory part.

  Next, the operation will be described.

  In the printing operation, when the wireless LAN interface unit 202 receives a print job packetized from the host computer 103 via the AP 102, the wireless LAN interface unit 202 writes the print job in the work area of the memory unit 205. The control unit 203 restores the packetized print job to a print job based on the network protocol, expands the image data into image data, and prints the engine unit (not shown) via the engine interface unit 206 and the engine interface bus 207. Send to and print. At this time, by setting a security function such as encryption of communication data between the wireless LAN interface unit 202 and the AP 102, a third party can be prevented from illegally accessing the printer 101. The security function is set by setting a setting value in the nonvolatile memory unit 209 via the operation panel unit 208 or the wireless LAN interface unit 202, and the wireless LAN interface unit 202 reads the setting value from the nonvolatile memory unit 209 at the time of activation. Set up.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram that well represents the security level of the wireless LAN interface unit 202 in the printer of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the contents of security at each security level and the correspondence of operations from the permitted host computer are shown. . At security level 0, there is no security, and the permitted operations are response to PING and administrator login. In security level 1, security is ESS-ID and WEP, and permitted operations are status information responses. In security level 2, security is WPA and EAP, and permitted operations are print job printing and scan data SEND.

  By setting the security level to 0 in the initial state, it is possible not to accept anything other than a response to PING and an administrator login.

  In addition, by changing the security level at a preset time, it is possible not to accept a print job after a certain time unless the administrator logs in and changes the security level.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation in the case of security level 0 in the printer of the present invention. In FIG. 4, S401 indicates whether the packet received from the AP 102 by the wireless LAN interface unit 202 is a request for administrator login. If it is not a packet for requesting administrator login, the process ends. In the case of a packet requesting administrator login, authentication is further executed (S402) to permit login of the host computer 103. Subsequently, a setting including a security level is performed by an operation from the host computer 103 (S403), and the process ends.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation in the case of security level 1 in the printer of the present invention. In FIG. 5, S501 determines whether the packet received by the wireless LAN interface unit 202 from the AP 102 is a PING request packet, If it is not a PING request packet, the same processing as in FIG. 4 is executed. If it is a PING request packet, the wireless device transmits a packet responding to PING from the LAN interface unit 202 (S502) and ends.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation in the case of security level 2 in the printer of the present invention. In FIG. 6, step S601 determines whether the packet received by the wireless LAN interface unit 202 from the AP 102 is a print job. If not, the processing of FIG. 5 and FIG. 4 is executed. If it is a print job, the received print job is printed (S602), and the process ends.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a security level in the printer apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation in the case of security level 0 in the printer apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in the case of security level 1 in the printer device according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in the case of security level 2 in the printer device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

101 Printer 102 AP (Access Point)
103 Host computer 104 Antenna 105 Wired LAN
202 Wireless LAN interface unit 203 Control unit 204 Internal bus 205 Memory unit 206 Engine interface unit 207 Engine interface bus 208 Operation panel unit 209 Non-volatile memory unit

Claims (4)

A printer device that receives and prints print information via a wireless LAN,
Having at least two security levels corresponding to the security functions of the wireless LAN;
Means for limiting the functions accepted from the wireless LAN according to the security level;
A printer apparatus comprising: In the case of a security level that does not enable the security function, means for limiting the function accepted from the wireless LAN to only the administrator's login,
Means for authenticating the administrator upon login of the administrator;
Means for changing the security level by the administrator after authentication of the administrator;
The printer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: Means for setting a security level that does not enable the security function in the initial state;
The printer apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: Means for changing to an arbitrary security level at a preset time;
The printer apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

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