JP2007280172A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To limit printing of a specified character string in a document without adding information about limitation on printing to the document. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming apparatus 1 stores font data representing the class of a font and a user identifier representing a user who can use a font of the class represented by the font data with a correspondence between them. On receiving a character string, font data representing the class of a font used for printing the character string, and a user identifier uniquely specifying a user designating printing of the character string, the image forming apparatus 1 generates an image of a received character string, forms the generated image on a recording sheet, and outputs it when the user identifier correspondedly stored to the same font data as the received font data is the same as the received user identifier. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for restricting image formation of a confidential portion in a document.

For example, when printing a document in which confidential information and non-confidential information are mixed in the workplace, etc., if a general employee prints the document, the confidential part is not printed, and if the officer prints the document, the confidential information is printed. A printing system has been devised that performs partial printing (see Patent Document 1).
Specifically, in this system, a print restriction information table is added to document data representing a document, and user identification information for identifying a person who is permitted to print is stored in this table. Further, this table stores data indicating whether or not the confidential portion can be output in association with the user identification information. When the user logs in by operating the PC and instructs printing of the document represented by the document data, the print restriction information table and the document data are transmitted to the printing apparatus. Upon receiving the document data and the print restriction information table, the printing apparatus refers to the print restriction information table and determines whether the logged-in user is permitted to print confidential information. If printing of confidential information is permitted, the confidential information portion is printed. If printing is not permitted, the confidential information is not printed or the confidential information portion is blacked. Or, replace the confidential information with another character and print. According to this system, since the portion of the confidential information cannot be printed by anyone other than those who are permitted the confidential information, it is possible to prevent leakage of the confidential information.
JP 2004-227447 A

  In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a print restriction information table must be created each time a document is created, and the print restriction information table must be added to the document. However, setting a user who is permitted to print each time a document is created, and setting permission / non-permission of printing of confidential information for each user is very time-consuming, and requires a great deal of effort for the person who creates the document. I was supposed to.

  The present invention has been made under the background described above, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to limit printing of a specific character string in a document without adding information for limiting printing to the document. is there.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides typeface data representing a type of typeface used when printing a character string, and a first identifier representing a user who is permitted to use the typeface represented by the typeface data. Are stored in association with each other, a character string, typeface data indicating the type of typeface used when printing the character string, and a second identifier for uniquely identifying the user who has instructed printing of the character string, And a user represented by the first identifier stored in the storage unit in association with the same typeface data as the typeface data received by the receiving unit is received by the receiving unit. When the user is the same user as the identifier, the image generation unit generates an image of the character string received by the reception unit, and the image generated by the image generation unit is formed on the recording sheet. To provide an image forming apparatus having image forming means for outputting Te.

  According to the present invention, printing of a specific character string in a document can be restricted without adding information for restricting printing to the document.

[First Embodiment]
[Configuration of the embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to the present embodiment. PCs (Personal Computers) 10A and 10B are personal computers that store a word processor program (hereinafter abbreviated as a word processor program) that implements a function for creating and editing a document and a function for instructing the image forming apparatus 1 to output a document. is there. When this program is executed on the PCs 10A and 10B, a document creation / editing function and a function for instructing the image forming apparatus 1 to output a document are realized, and the PCs 10A and 10B can create and edit the document. It becomes possible.

  The image forming apparatus 1 is a so-called multifunction machine having a copying function, an image forming function, a FAX function, and the like. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 is connected to the bus 101, and exchanges data between each unit via the bus 101.

  The image input unit 108 includes a scanner mechanism that optically reads a document and an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) that transports the document to the scanner mechanism. The documents set in the ADF are conveyed one by one on the platen glass provided in the scanner mechanism. The scanner mechanism irradiates the document conveyed on the platen glass by the ADF with light. Then, the light reflected by the document is read by a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and image data representing the read document is generated. This image data is stored in the storage unit 105.

  The input unit 106 includes various keys such as a numeric keypad and an arrow key for operating the image forming apparatus 1. When the user operates these keys, various instructions are input to the image forming apparatus 1 and various settings of the image forming apparatus 1 are performed. The display unit 107 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display, for example, and displays a menu screen, various messages, and the like for operating the image forming apparatus 1 under the control of the CPU 102.

  The communication unit 110 is connected to the communication network 20 and functions as a communication interface that communicates with the PCs 10 </ b> A and 10 </ b> B via the communication network 20. The communication unit 110 receives various data transmitted via the communication network 20.

  The image processing unit 111 performs image processing such as gradation correction and screen processing on the image represented by the input image data. Then, image data of each color image of Y (Yellow), M (Magenta), C (Cyan), and K (black) is generated from the image-processed image and output to the image forming unit 109.

  The image forming unit 109 includes an image forming engine (not shown) that forms a toner image on a recording sheet by electrophotography. This image forming engine employs an intermediate transfer system, and includes an image forming unit that forms toner images of colors of Y (Yellow), M (Magenta), C (Cyan), and K (black). Each image forming unit forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor according to input image data, and then attaches toner on the photoconductor to form toner images of each color of YMCK. Then, after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording sheet conveyed from the paper tray. The toner image transferred to the recording sheet is fixed by applying heat and pressure, and then the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed is discharged out of the image forming apparatus 1.

  The storage unit 105 includes a hard disk device, and stores image data generated by the image input unit 108 and various data received by the communication unit 110. The storage unit 105 stores a typeface table TB1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a format of the typeface table TB1. As illustrated in FIG. 3, in the typeface table TB1, the typeface name of the typeface used by the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the “typeface name” field. A user identifier representing a person who can perform printing using this typeface is stored in association with this typeface name. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when the user identifier “A0001” is stored in association with “type A”, only the person with the user identifier “A0001” assigned the typeface “type A”. Can be used for printing. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when “*” is stored in the user identifier field in association with “Type B”, all users print using the typeface “Type B”. It can be carried out. Each data of the typeface table TB1 is stored in the typeface table TB1 when the user of the image forming apparatus 1 operates the input unit 106.

  The ROM 103 stores a control program executed by the CPU 102. The CPU 102 reads out the control program stored in the ROM 103 and executes the control program using the RAM 104 as a work area. When the control program is executed by the CPU 102, each part of the image forming apparatus 1 is controlled by the CPU 102 to realize a copying function, an image forming function, a FAX function, and the like, and the image forming apparatus 1 operates as a so-called multifunction machine.

[Operation of the embodiment]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In the following description, document data representing the document illustrated in FIG. 5A is stored in the PCs 10A and 10B, and a user A who is a manager assigned the user identifier “A0001” operates the PC 10A. The operation will be described assuming that the user B of the general employee who is given the user identifier “A0002” operates the PC 10B to output the document illustrated in FIG. Further, in the document illustrated in FIG. 5A, the address type corresponding to the confidential information, and the typeface of the text in the product information (product code, product name, number, unit price) are set to “type A”. It is assumed that the font type of the slip number, customer name, and item name corresponding to the non-confidential information is set to “type B”.

(Operation when user A instructs to print a document)
First, when the user A turns on the PC 10A, a logon screen for inputting a user identifier and a password is displayed. When the user A logs on by inputting the user identifier “A0001” and the password, the user A can operate the PC 10A and use various application programs stored in the PC 10A. Next, when the user A operates the PC 10A and causes the PC 10A to execute the word processor program, the word processor function is realized in the PC 10A. Next, when the user A performs an operation of opening the document data stored in the PC 10A, the document data Accordingly, the document illustrated in FIG. 5A is displayed on the screen of the PC 10A.

  Next, when the user A operates the PC 10A to instruct printing of the document displayed on the screen, the document displayed on the screen is converted according to a predetermined page description language, and the displayed document is Representing page data is generated. Then, the user identifier “A0001” input by the user A at the time of logon and the generated page data are transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication network 20. When the PC 10A generates the page data, for the character strings representing the product code, product name, number, and unit price corresponding to the confidential information, the data for instructing printing of these character strings and these character strings are used. And the typeface data “Typeface A” representing the typeface used when printing these character strings, and the character strings representing slip numbers, customer names, and item names corresponding to non-confidential information, Data instructing printing of character strings, data representing these character strings, and font data “font B” representing the font used when printing these character strings are generated.

  When the user identifier and the page data are received by the communication unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming apparatus 1 analyzes the received page data (FIG. 4: step SA2), and a graphic is included in the page data. If there is data for instructing drawing (step SA3; NO), a graphic image is generated (step SA4).

  Further, when there is data instructing the printing of the character string in the page data (step SA3; YES), the image forming apparatus 1 represents the character string to be printed and the font used when printing the character string. Font data is extracted from the page data (step SA5). For example, in the case of the product unit price “1,000” illustrated in FIG. 5A, “font A” is extracted from the page data as the font data representing the font used. When the image forming apparatus 1 extracts the font data, it searches the font name field of the font table TB1 using the font name represented by this data as a search key (step SA6). When the image forming apparatus 1 finds the typeface name as the search key, it reads the user identifier “A0001” stored in association with the searched typeface name from the typeface table TB1 (step SA7). When reading the user identifier, the image forming apparatus 1 compares the read user identifier with the user identifier received together with the page data. Here, the read user identifier is “A0001”, the received user identifier is “A0001”, and the two match (step SA8; YES). Here, the image forming apparatus 1 determines that the person who has instructed the printing of the document including the character string of the font A is a person who can use the font A, and the received character string “1,000” of the received product unit price. Is generated (step SA10).

  Further, in the case of the slip number “FX200060101” illustrated in FIG. 5A, “typeface B” is extracted from the page data as typeface data representing the typeface used when printing (step SA5). When the typeface data is extracted, the image forming apparatus 1 searches the typeface name field of the typeface table TB1 using the typeface name represented by the data as a search key (step SA6). When the image forming apparatus 1 finds the typeface name as the search key, it reads the user identifier “*” stored in association with the searched typeface name from the typeface table TB1. When the user identifier read from the typeface table TB1 is “*” (step SA9; YES), the image forming apparatus 1 generates an image of the received slip number character string “FX200060101” (step SA10).

  When the image forming apparatus 1 performs image generation processing for all received page data (step SA1; YES), finally, the image illustrated in FIG. 5A is generated. When the image forming apparatus 1 finishes generating the document image illustrated in FIG. 5A, the image forming apparatus 1 outputs image data representing the image illustrated in FIG. 5A to the image processing unit 111. When the image data is supplied, the image processing unit 111 performs image processing such as gradation correction and screen processing on the image represented by the supplied image data, and the image processing unit 111 displays the image data representing the image subjected to the image processing. To 109.

  When image data is input, the image forming unit 109 forms a toner image on the photosensitive drum according to the input image data. Then, after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt is transferred to the recording sheet conveyed from the paper tray (step SA11). The toner image transferred to the recording sheet is fixed by applying heat and pressure, and then the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed is discharged out of the image forming apparatus 1. Thereby, the user A can obtain the document illustrated in FIG.

(Operation when user B instructs to print a document)
Next, an operation when the user B instructs to print the document illustrated in FIG. 5A will be described. First, when the user B turns on the PC 10A, a logon screen for inputting a user identifier and a password is displayed. Here, when the user B logs on by inputting the user identifier “A0002” and the password, the user B can use the various application programs stored in the PC 10B by operating the PC 10B.

  Next, when the user B operates the PC 10B and causes the PC 10B to execute the word processor program, the function of the word processor is realized in the PC 10B. Next, when the user B performs an operation of opening the document data stored in the PC 10B, the document data Accordingly, the document illustrated in FIG. 5A is displayed on the screen of the PC 10B.

  Next, when the user B operates the PC 10B to instruct the printing of the document displayed on the screen, the document displayed on the screen follows the predetermined page description language in the same manner as the PC 10A converted. Page data representing the document being converted and displayed is generated. The user identifier “A0002” input by the user B at the time of logon and the generated page data are transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication network 20.

  When the user identifier and page data are received by the communication unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 1, the image forming apparatus 1 analyzes the received page data (step SA2) and prints a character string in the page data. If there is data to be instructed (step SA3; YES), the character string to be printed and the typeface data representing the typeface used when the character string is printed are extracted from the page data (step SA5). For example, in the case of the product unit price “1,000” illustrated in FIG. 5A, “font A” is extracted from the page data as the font data representing the font used. When the image forming apparatus 1 extracts the font data, it searches the font name field of the font table TB1 using the font name represented by this data as a search key (step SA6). When the image forming apparatus 1 finds the typeface name as the search key, it reads the user identifier “A0001” stored in association with the searched typeface name from the typeface table TB1 (step SA7). When reading the user identifier, the image forming apparatus 1 compares the read user identifier “A0001” with the user identifier “A0002” received together with the page data. Here, the read user identifier is “A0001”, and the received user identifier is “A0002”, which are different (step SA8; NO, step SA9; NO). Here, the image forming apparatus 1 determines that the person who instructed the printing of the document including the character string of the font A is not a person who can use the font A, and the received character string “1,000” of the product unit price is received. No image generation is performed.

  Further, in the case of the slip number “FX200060101” illustrated in FIG. 5A, “typeface B” is extracted from the page data as typeface data representing the typeface used when printing (step SA5). When the typeface data is extracted, the image forming apparatus 1 searches the typeface name field of the typeface table TB1 using the typeface name represented by the data as a search key (step SA6). When the image forming apparatus 1 finds the typeface name as the search key, it reads the user identifier “*” stored in association with the searched typeface name from the typeface table TB1. When the user identifier read from the typeface table TB1 is “*” (step SA9; YES), the image forming apparatus 1 generates an image of the received slip number character string “FX200060101” (step SA10).

  When the image forming apparatus 1 performs image generation processing for all received page data (step SA1; YES), finally, as illustrated in FIG. An image having only the used character string is generated. When the image forming apparatus 1 finishes generating the document image illustrated in FIG. 5B, the image forming apparatus 1 outputs image data representing the image illustrated in FIG. 5B to the image processing unit 111. When the image data is supplied, the image processing unit 111 performs image processing such as gradation correction and screen processing on the image represented by the supplied image data, and the image processing unit 111 displays the image data representing the image subjected to the image processing. To 109. When the image data is input, the image forming unit 109 forms a toner image on the recording sheet according to the input image data (step SA11), and discharges the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1. . As a result, the user B can obtain the document illustrated in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the user B who is a general employee instructs the output of the document including confidential information, the confidential information portion in the document is not printed. Can be prevented.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, in addition to the typeface table TB1, the storage unit 105 further stores a user table TB2 (see FIG. 6) that stores user identifiers and passwords in association with each other, and the document data according to the page data. The operation after the image is generated is different from that of the first embodiment. Since the configuration of other parts of the image forming apparatus 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted, and the differences described above will be described below.

(Operation when user A instructs to print a document)
First, an operation when the user A instructs to print the document illustrated in FIG. 5A will be described. Since the operation from when the user A turns on the PC 10A to instruct the printing of the document until the image forming apparatus 1 receives the user identifier and the page data is the same as in the first embodiment, Description is omitted.

  When the user identifier and page data transmitted from the PC 10A are received by the communication unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 1, first, the image forming apparatus 1 sets the value of the print flag to 0 (FIG. 7: Step SB1). ). This print flag is a flag used when determining whether or not an image is generated using a typeface whose use is restricted to only some persons. Next, the image forming apparatus 1 analyzes the received page data (step SB3), and if there is data instructing printing of the character string in the page data, the character string to be printed and the character string are printed. Font data representing the font used at times is extracted from the page data (step SB6). For example, in the case of the product unit price “1,000” illustrated in FIG. 5A, “font A” is extracted from the page data as the font data representing the font used. When the image forming apparatus 1 extracts the typeface data, the typeface name represented by the data is used as a search key to search the typeface name field of the typeface table TB1. When the image forming apparatus 1 finds the typeface name as the search key, it reads the user identifier “A0001” stored in association with the searched typeface name from the typeface table TB1 (step SB7). When reading the user identifier, the image forming apparatus 1 compares the read user identifier with the user identifier received together with the page data. Here, the read user identifier is “A0001” and the received user identifier is “A0001”. The image forming apparatus 1 determines that the person who has instructed the printing of the document including the character string of the font A is a person who can use the font A (step SB9; YES), and the received character string “1” of the received product unit price. , 000 "is generated (step SB11).

  Next, when the user identifier read from the typeface table TB1 matches the user identifier received together with the page data, the image forming apparatus 1 uses a typeface that is restricted for use only by the user A (the usage is partially limited). It is determined that a character string image has been generated using "Type A", and the value of the print flag is set to "1" (step SB12).

  When the image forming apparatus 1 performs image generation processing for all received page data (step SB2; YES), an image of the document illustrated in FIG. 5A is finally generated. Next, the image forming apparatus 1 determines the value of the print flag. Here, the value of the print flag is “1” by the process of step SB12. If the value of the print flag is “1” (FIG. 8: Step SB14; YES), the image forming apparatus 1 determines that image generation has been performed using a typeface that is limited to use by a specific user. The received user identifier “A0001” and the image data representing the image illustrated in FIG. 5A are associated with each other and stored in the storage unit 105 (step SB15).

  Thereafter, the user A operates the image forming apparatus 1 to instruct the image forming apparatus 1 to output the document illustrated in FIG. Specifically, when the user A operates the input unit 106 of the image forming apparatus 1 and an image output instruction stored in the storage unit 105 is input to the image forming apparatus 1 (step SB16; YES), the image The forming apparatus 1 displays a menu screen prompting the user identifier and password to be input on the display unit 107 (step SB17). When the user A operates the input unit 106 and inputs the user identifier “A0001” and the password “ABC” (step SB18; YES), the image forming apparatus 1 determines that the set of the input user identifier and password is the user table TB2. It is judged whether it is memorized.

  If the set of the input user identifier and password is not stored in the user table TB2 (step SB17; NO), the image forming apparatus 1 ends the image forming process, while the input user identifier and password Is stored in the user table TB2 (step SB19; YES), the same identifier as the input user identifier is stored in association with the image data stored in the storage unit 105. Search for image data. When the image forming apparatus 1 finds image data that is stored in association with the same identifier as the input user identifier, the image forming apparatus 1 reads the image data (step SB20) and outputs the read image data to the image processing unit 111. . When the image data is supplied, the image processing unit 111 performs image processing such as gradation correction and screen processing on the image represented by the supplied image data, and the image processing unit 111 displays the image data representing the image subjected to the image processing. To 109.

  When the image data is input, the image forming unit 109 forms a toner image on the recording sheet according to the input image data (step SB21), and discharges the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1. . Thereby, the user A can obtain the document illustrated in FIG.

(Operation when user B instructs to print a document)
Next, an operation when the user B instructs to print the document illustrated in FIG. 5A will be described. The operation from when the user B turns on the PC 10B to instruct the document output and until the image forming apparatus 1 receives the user identifier and the page data is the same as that in the first embodiment. Description is omitted.

  When the user identifier and page data transmitted from the PC 10B are received by the communication unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 1, first, the image forming apparatus 1 sets the value of the print flag to 0 (FIG. 7: Step SB1). ). Next, the image forming apparatus 1 analyzes the received page data (step SB3), and if there is data instructing printing of a character string in the page data, the character string to be printed and the character string are printed. The typeface data representing the typeface to be used when extracting is extracted from the page data (step SB6). For example, in the case of the product unit price “1,000” illustrated in FIG. 5A, “font A” is extracted from the page data as the font data representing the font used. When the image forming apparatus 1 extracts the typeface data, it searches the typeface name field of the typeface table TB1 using the typeface name represented by this data as a search key (step SB7). When the image forming apparatus 1 finds the typeface name as the search key, it reads out the user identifier “A0001” stored in association with the searched typeface name from the typeface table TB1 (step SB8). When reading the user identifier, the image forming apparatus 1 compares the read user identifier with the user identifier received together with the page data. Here, the read user identifier is “A0001” and the received user identifier is “A0002”, which are different (step SB8; NO, step SB9; NO). The image forming apparatus 1 determines that the person who instructed the printing of the document including the character string of the font A is not a person who can use the font A, and generates an image of the character string “1,000” of the received commodity unit price. Do not do.

  When the image forming apparatus 1 performs image generation processing for all received page data (step SB2; YES), finally, an image of the document illustrated in FIG. 5B is generated. Next, the image forming apparatus 1 determines the value of the print flag. Here, the value of the print flag is “0” by the process of step SB1. If the value of the print flag is “0” (step SB14; NO), the image forming apparatus 1 determines that image generation has not been performed using a typeface that is limited to use by a specific user. Image data representing the image of the document illustrated in FIG. 5B is output to the image processing unit 111. When the image data is supplied, the image processing unit 111 performs image processing such as gradation correction and screen processing on the image represented by the supplied image data, and the image processing unit 111 displays the image data representing the image subjected to the image processing. To 109.

  When the image data is input, the image forming unit 109 forms a toner image on the recording sheet according to the input image data (step SB21), and discharges the recording sheet on which the toner image is formed to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1. . Thereby, the user B can obtain the document illustrated in FIG.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a document using a typeface that is restricted to use only by a specific user is output only when a user who can use the typeface operates the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that a document in which confidential information is described is taken away by another person.

[Modification]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, It can implement with another various form. For example, the present invention may be implemented by modifying the above-described embodiment as follows.

  In the embodiment described above, when the user B instructs the output of the document, the character string is not printed for the confidential information portion. However, as shown in FIG. The portion may be replaced with other characters to form an image, or the confidential information portion may be painted black as shown in FIG. 9B.

  In PC 10A, 10B, when a form is created by an application program for creating a form and the created form is output from the image forming apparatus 1, a specific typeface is used for a part related to confidential information such as personal information by the program. In addition, the typeface cannot be changed, and in the image forming apparatus 1, a person who can use the specific typeface may be set in the typeface table TB1.

  In the embodiment described above, typeface data may be additionally stored in the PCs 10A, 10B and the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication network 20, and the typeface table TB1 for the additionally stored typeface. Various data may be set in the.

  In the embodiment described above, the type of page description language of page data received in association with the typeface name may be stored in the typeface table TB1 as illustrated in FIG. For a specific typeface, the character string is printed using the specific typeface only when the received user identifier matches the type of page description language of the received page data. Good.

  When printing using a so-called form overlay function for outputting a form by superimposing an image of a frame line part of a form and an image of a character string such as personal information, a typeface used by the image forming apparatus 1 is selected. For example, a specific typeface such as “typeface A” may be set, and a typeface may not be specified when character string information is transmitted from the PC to the image forming apparatus 1. As a result, the designated typeface is used when printing personal information or the like. If a person who can use the designated typeface is set in the image forming apparatus 1, a document on which a portion of personal information is printed cannot be obtained by a person other than a specific person.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. It is the figure which illustrated the format of typeface table TB1. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing performed by the image forming apparatus 1. 4 is a diagram illustrating a document output from the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. It is the figure which illustrated the format of user table TB2 concerning 2nd Embodiment. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing performed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing performed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a document output from an image forming apparatus according to a modified example of the invention. It is the figure which illustrated the format of the typeface table concerning the modification of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus, 10A, 10B ... PC, 20 ... Communication network, 101 ... Bus, 102 ... CPU, 103 ... ROM, 104 ... RAM, 105 ... Storage unit 106 Input unit 107 Display unit 108 Image input unit 109 Image forming unit 110 Communication unit 111 Image processing unit

Claims (4)

Storage means for storing typeface data representing a type of typeface used when printing a character string and a first identifier representing a user who is permitted to use the typeface of the type represented by the typeface data;
Receiving means for receiving a character string, typeface data representing a type of typeface used when printing the character string, and a second identifier for uniquely identifying a user who has instructed printing of the character string;
The user represented by the first identifier stored in the storage unit in association with the same typeface data received by the receiving unit is the same user as the user represented by the second identifier received by the receiving unit The image generating means for generating an image of the character string received by the receiving means,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms and outputs an image generated by the image generating unit on a recording sheet. The user represented by the first identifier stored in the storage unit in association with the same typeface data received by the receiving unit is different from the user represented by the second identifier received by the receiving unit The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image of a character string or a specific graphic different from the character string received by the receiving unit is generated. The storage means stores the first identifier and a password in association with each other;
Image storage means for storing the second identifier received by the receiving means and the image generated by the image generating means in association with each other;
An input means for inputting the second identifier and the password;
When the second identifier and password set identical to the second identifier and password set input to the input means are stored in the storage means, the image forming means is configured to input the second identifier input to the input means. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image stored in the image storage unit is read in association with an image, and the read image is formed on a recording sheet and output. The storage means stores type data representing a type of page description language in association with the typeface data,
The character string and the typeface data received by the receiving means are described according to a predetermined page description language,
The type of page description language that the character string received by the receiving unit and the typeface data follow is the type represented by the type data stored in the storage unit in association with the same typeface data as the typeface data. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the same case, the image generation unit forms and outputs the image generated by the image generation unit on a recording sheet.

Images