JP2008021150A - Confidential printing system, its method, printer server, authentication server, and their program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To print a confidential document by a printer desired by a distribution destination user without distributing an electronic file of a confidential document. <P>SOLUTION: A request terminal 100 transmits a distribution user ID and print data to a printer server 200. The printer server 200 newly assigns print request numbers to the received distribution user ID and print data, and transmits the print request numbers and the received distribution user ID to an authentication server 300. When the distribution user approaches, a reader/writer 450a transmits the user ID received from an IC tag 701 of the distribution user to the authentication server 300. The authentication server 300 transmits the print request number corresponding to the received user ID and a printer ID of the printer 400a corresponding to the reader/writer 450a to the printer server 200. The printer server 200 transmits a print command of print date corresponding to the received print request number to the printer 400a of the received printer ID. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a confidential printing system, a method thereof, a printer server, an authentication server, and these programs, and in particular, a confidential printing system capable of printing with a printer designated by a distribution destination user designated by a distribution source user. , Its method, printer server, authentication server, and program thereof.

A conventional confidential printing apparatus receives a password set when a user instructs printing, together with print data, and stores them in a hard disk included in the confidential printing apparatus. When the password input by the user matches the stored password, the confidential printing apparatus prints the print data stored on the hard disk together with the password (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Further, the user ID and the password are stored in the confidential printing apparatus in association with each other, and the user ID of the user who has instructed printing is stored together with the print data in a hard disk included in the confidential printing apparatus. When the password input by the user matches the password corresponding to the stored user ID, some of the print data stored on the hard disk is printed together with the user ID. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-326556 A

  However, in the conventional confidential printing apparatus, when a distribution source user distributes a confidential document to a distribution destination user at a remote location, the electronic file of the confidential document is attached to a mail or the like and transmitted. The distribution destination user who has received the electronic file of the confidential document prints it using the confidential printing device. Thus, it is possible to prevent another user from bringing the confidential document printed, but there is a problem that the electronic file of the confidential document is distributed, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of security. Further, if the distribution source user designates and prints the confidential document electronic file so that the electronic file of the confidential document is not distributed, it may be printed by a printer that is inconvenient for the distribution destination user. There is a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a confidential printing system capable of printing a confidential document by a printer desired by a distribution destination user without distributing an electronic file of the confidential document. Is to provide.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and a confidential printing system according to the present invention includes a request terminal, a plurality of printers, and a plurality of pieces of identification information each associated with one of the printers. In a confidential printing system having an apparatus, a printer server, and an authentication server, the request terminal transmits user identification information and print data of a distribution destination user designated by a user operation to the printer server, and the printer The server receives the print request storage unit that stores the print request identification information, the user identification information, and the print data in association with each other, receives the user identification information and the print data from the request terminal, and receives the received user identification information and the print data. A print request reception processing unit that associates the newly allocated print request identification information with the print request identification information and stores the print request identification information in the print request storage unit, and the print request An authentication request processing unit for transmitting print request identification information and user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit to the authentication server, and print request identification information and printer identification information from the authentication server; And a printer print request processing unit that transmits print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information to the printer of the received printer identification information, and the authentication server A printer information storage unit that stores the printer identification information and the identification information of the identification information acquisition device in association with each other, an authentication request storage unit that stores the print request identification information and user identification information in association with each other, and authentication of the printer server An authentication request registration processing unit that receives print request identification information and user identification information from the request processing unit, and stores the received information in the authentication request storage unit; The identification information acquisition device receives the user identification information from the identification information acquisition device, and stores the print request identification information stored in the authentication request storage unit in association with the received user identification information and the identification information acquisition device from which the user identification information is transmitted. An authentication processing unit that transmits the printer identification information associated with the information stored in the printer information storage unit to the printer server, and the identification information acquisition device receives the user identification information input by a user operation. The printer transmits to the authentication server, and the printer performs printing in accordance with the print data received from the print request processing unit of the printer server.

  The confidential printing system of the present invention is the above-described confidential printing system, wherein the printer server receives a request from a user setting storage unit that stores user identification information and the requesting terminal, and stores the user setting storage. A user list transmission processing unit that transmits user identification information stored at the end of the request, wherein the requesting terminal requests user identification information from the printer server, and receives the user identification information received as a response to the request. The user identification information specified by the user operation from the displayed user identification information is transmitted to the printer server together with the print data as user identification information of the distribution destination user.

  The confidential printing system of the present invention is any of the above-described confidential printing systems, comprising a user terminal for displaying information received from the printer server, wherein the printer server receives the user identification received from the requesting terminal. A user terminal owned by the user of the information is provided with a user notification processing unit that transmits information indicating that there is a print request addressed to the user.

  Further, the confidential printing method of the present invention provides a confidential printing method in a confidential printing system having a plurality of printers, a plurality of identification information acquisition apparatuses each associated with one of the printers, a printer server, and an authentication server. In the method, a first step in which the requesting terminal transmits user identification information and print data of a distribution destination user designated by a user operation to the printer server, and the printer server performs user identification from the requesting terminal. A second step of receiving information and print data, associating the received user identification information, print data, and newly allocated print request identification information in the print request storage unit; and The print request identification information and the user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit in the second process are sent to the authentication server. And the authentication server receives the print request identification information and the user identification information from the printer server, associates the received print request identification information with the user identification information, and stores them in the authentication request storage unit. A fourth process in which the identification information acquisition apparatus transmits user identification information input by a user operation to the authentication server, and the authentication server performs user identification from the identification information acquisition apparatus. Information is received, the print request identification information stored in the authentication request storage unit in association with the received user identification information and the printer information storage in association with the identification information of the identification information acquisition device that is the transmission source of the user identification information. A sixth process of transmitting the printer identification information stored in the printing unit to the printer server, and the printer server printing from the authentication server. Seventh process of receiving the request identification information and the printer identification information, and transmitting the print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information to the printer of the received printer identification information And an eighth step of printing according to the print data received from the printer server.

  The printer server of the present invention includes a print request storage unit that stores print request identification information, user identification information, and print data in association with each other in a printer server to which a request terminal, an authentication server, and a printer are connected. Print request reception processing for receiving user identification information and print data from the request terminal, and storing the received user identification information, print data, and newly allocated print request identification information in the print request storage unit An authentication request processing unit that transmits the print request identification information and the user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit by the print request reception processing unit, and the print request identification from the authentication server. Information and printer identification information, and print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information, Characterized in that it comprises a printer print request processing unit for transmitting to the printer Shin printer identification information.

  Further, the program of the present invention receives a user identification information and print data from a request terminal, a computer to which a request terminal, an authentication server, and a printer are connected, and receives the received user identification information and print data. A print request reception processing unit that associates the newly assigned print request identification information with the print request storage unit and stores the print request identification information in association with the print request storage unit, and the print request identification information and user identification that the print request reception processing unit stores in association with the print request storage unit Authentication request processing unit that transmits information to the authentication server, print request identification information and printer identification information are received from the authentication server, and stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information. The print data is made to function as a printer print request processing unit that transmits the received print data to the printer having the received printer identification information.

  The printer server of the present invention includes a print request storage unit that stores print request identification information, user identification information, and print data in association with each other in a printer server in which a request terminal, an authentication server, and a printer are connected via a communication network. Receiving the user identification information and the print data from the requesting terminal, and storing the received user identification information, the print data, and the newly allocated print request identification information in the print request storage unit in association with each other A processing unit, an authentication request processing unit that transmits the print request identification information and the user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit by the print request reception processing unit, and a print request from the authentication server. The identification information is received, and a print instruction for print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information is transmitted to the print request. Characterized in that it comprises a printer print request processing unit for transmitting to the printer.

  The authentication server of the present invention receives print request identification information and user identification information from the printer server at the authentication server to which the printer server and the identification information acquisition device are connected, and receives the received print request identification information. An authentication request registration processing unit that associates and stores user identification information with the authentication request storage unit, receives user identification information from the identification information acquisition device, and associates the received user identification information with the received user identification information in the authentication request storage unit An authentication processing unit that transmits the stored print request identification information and the printer identification information stored in the printer information storage unit in association with the identification information of the identification information acquisition device that is the transmission source of the user identification information to the printer server It is characterized by providing.

  Further, the program of the present invention receives a print request identification information and user identification information from the printer server, a computer to which the printer server and the identification information acquisition apparatus are connected, and receives the received print request identification information and the user. An authentication request registration processing unit that associates the identification information with the authentication request storage unit and stores the user identification information from the identification information acquisition device and stores the user identification information in association with the received user identification information and is stored in the authentication request storage unit The print request identification information and the printer identification information stored in the printer information storage unit in association with the identification information of the identification information acquisition device that is the transmission source of the user identification information are caused to function as an authentication processing unit that transmits to the printer server. .

  According to the present invention, an electronic file of a confidential document and a distribution destination user are designated for the requesting terminal, the user identification information of the distribution destination user is input to the identification information acquisition device, and the distribution destination user prints By inputting the user identification information to the identification information acquisition device corresponding to the printer that desires the confidential document, it is possible to print the confidential document on the printer desired by the distribution destination user without distributing the electronic file of the confidential document.

  In the confidential printing system according to the present embodiment, when a distribution source user designates a distribution destination user and prints an electronic file such as a confidential document owned by the distribution source user, the reader / writer corresponding to the printer desired by the distribution destination user is designated. The electronic file is printed by the printer after being authenticated in step 1, so that the electronic file is not distributed to the distribution destination user and the print result of the electronic file is not passed to other users. Then, the printing result of the electronic file is distributed by printing with the printer desired by the distribution destination user.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a confidential printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numeral 100 denotes a request terminal through which a distribution source user inputs an instruction for the confidential printing system. When the request terminal 100 is designated by a user operation to distribute an electronic file by confidential printing, the request terminal 100 acquires a list of user IDs and user names from the storage unit of the printer server 200 or its own device and displays the list. The requesting terminal 100 uses the user ID specified by the user operation from the displayed list or the user ID input by the user operation as the distribution destination user ID, and the specified electronic file as the print file. The ID is sent to the printer server 200 as the distribution source user ID and the current date and time as the request date and time.
The request terminal 100 stores in advance a user ID of an available user (for example, “001001” of the user A who is the distribution source user here), and the user ID received by the reader / writer 150 is stored in advance. The user's input operation is accepted only when the user ID matches with the user ID.

The reader / writer 150 is installed in the vicinity of the requesting terminal 100, wirelessly transmits an activation command, and receives a user ID wirelessly transmitted by the IC tags 700 and 701 that have received the activation command.
The IC tags 700 and 701 store a user ID, and upon receiving an activation command, wirelessly transmit the user ID. Here, as an example, the IC tag 700 stores the user ID “001001” of the user A, and the IC tag 701 stores the user ID “001002” of the user B.

  The printer server 200 receives a request for confidential printing from the requesting terminal 100. When the distribution destination user is authenticated by the authentication server, the printer server 200 instructs the printer designated by the authentication server to print. As shown in the block diagram of the schematic configuration of the printer server 200 in FIG. 2A, the printer server 200 includes a print request storage unit 201, a user setting storage unit 202, a user list transmission processing unit 210, a print request, and the like. A reception processing unit 211, a user notification processing unit 212, an authentication request processing unit 213, and a print request processing unit 214 are provided.

  The print request storage unit 201 associates a print request number, a distribution destination user ID, a distribution source user ID, a print file file name, and a request date and time, as shown in the example of stored contents in FIG. Remember. In addition, the file having the file name designated by the print file name is also stored.

  The user setting storage unit 202 stores a user ID, a user name, and an e-mail address in association with each other, as shown in the stored content example in FIG. In the user setting storage unit 202, a user ID, a user name, and an e-mail address of a user who is a distribution destination user are registered in advance.

  The user list transmission processing unit 210 receives a list request from the requesting terminal 100, reads out a user ID and a user name from the user setting storage unit 202, generates a list, and transmits this list to the requesting terminal 100.

  The print request reception processing unit 211 receives the distribution destination user ID, the print file, the distribution source user ID, and the request date and time from the request terminal 100, and associates these with the newly allocated print request number, and the print request storage unit Stored in 201.

  The user notification processing unit 212 acquires an email address associated with the distribution destination user ID received from the requesting terminal 100 from the user setting storage unit 202, and is an email addressed to this email address. E-mail for notifying the distribution and the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for confirmation notification of the e-mail is transmitted to the mail server 500.

  The authentication request processing unit 213 acquires the print request number and the distribution destination user ID stored in the print request storage unit 201 by the print request reception processing unit 211, and requests the print request number and the distribution destination user ID. To the authentication server 300.

  The print request processing unit 214 receives the print request number and the printer ID from the authentication server 300 and associates the print file stored in the print request storage unit 201 with the received print request number in the printer with the received printer ID. The queue data is converted to the queue data, and a print instruction for the queue data is transmitted to the printer having the printer ID. The queue data is data for printing in a format unique to each type of printer, and each printer prints a document based on the data.

  Upon receiving an authentication request from the printer server 200, the authentication server 300 authenticates the distribution destination user. The authentication server 300 includes a printer information storage unit 301, an authentication request storage unit 302, an authentication request registration processing unit 310, an authentication process, as illustrated in a block diagram of a schematic configuration of the authentication server 300 in FIG. Part 311.

  As shown in the example of stored contents in FIG. 4A, the printer information storage unit 301 includes a printer ID and a reader / writer address that is an IP address of reader / writers 450a, 450b,... Installed in the vicinity of the printer ID. Are stored in association with each other. In this printer information storage unit 301, reader / writer addresses of reader / writers corresponding to printer IDs are registered in advance for all printers included in the confidential printing system.

  The authentication request storage unit 302 stores a monitoring number, a print request number, a distribution destination user ID, a reader / writer address, and a status, as shown in the stored content example of FIG.

  The authentication request registration processing unit 310 receives a print request number and a distribution destination user ID as an authentication request, acquires all reader / writer addresses stored in the printer information storage unit 301, and newly allocates them. The monitoring number, the received print request number, the received distribution destination user ID, the acquired reader / writer address, and “monitoring” as the status are associated with each other and stored in the authentication request storage unit 302. Further, the authentication request registration processing unit 310 instructs the activation command transmission to the IC tag to all the acquired reader / writer addresses.

  The authentication processing unit 311 receives the user ID from the reader / writer 450a or the reader / writer 450b, and then acquires the printer ID stored in the printer information storage unit 301 in association with the reader / writer address of the source reader / writer. . Further, the authentication processing unit 311 reads the print request number stored in the authentication request storage unit 302 in association with the received user ID, and transmits the read print request number and the acquired printer ID to the printer server 200.

Printers 400 a, 400 b, and 400 c (not shown) are assigned printer IDs “0007”, “0002”, and “0001”, respectively, and print based on the queue data received from the printer server 200.
Reader / writers (identification information acquisition devices) 450a, 450b, and 450c (not shown) are installed in the vicinity of the printers 400a, 400b, and 400c, respectively. The IC tags 700 and 701 that have received the activation command receive the user ID transmitted wirelessly.

  The mail server 500 is a server that delivers mail by SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), and stores mail addressed to a user registered in the own apparatus in the own apparatus without delivery. When the mail server 500 receives an inquiry from the user terminal 600, the mail server 500 returns a mail addressed to the corresponding user stored in the own device.

  The user terminal 600 inquires about the mail stored in the mail server 500 and displays the acquired mail. Note that the user terminal 600 stores in advance a user ID of an available user (for example, “001002” of the user B who is the distribution destination user here), and the user ID received by the reader / writer 650 is stored in advance. The user's input operation is accepted only when the user ID matches with the user ID.

  A reader / writer 650 wirelessly transmits an activation command and receives a user ID wirelessly transmitted by the IC tags 700 and 701 that have received the activation command.

  800 denotes a request terminal 100, a reader / writer 150, a printer server 200, an authentication server 300, printers 400a, 400b..., A reader / writer 450a, 450b..., A mail server 500, a user terminal 600, and a reader / writer 650. It is a network connected so that it can communicate with. The network 800 uses IP (Internet Protocol) as a protocol.

  The request terminal 100 and the user terminal 600 are connected to an input device, a display device, and the like (none of which are shown) as peripheral devices. Here, the input device refers to an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. The display device refers to a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a liquid crystal display device, or the like.

  In the present embodiment, reader / writers 450a, 450b, 450c,... Are used as the identification information acquisition apparatus, and the IP addresses of the reader / writers 450a, 450b, 450c,. For the print file and queue data, a user ID is used as user identification information, a print request number is used as print request identification information, and a printer ID is used as printer identification information.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an operation example of the confidential printing system in the present embodiment.
Next, the operation of this confidential printing system will be described with reference to FIG.
Here, a case where user A distributes a confidential document to user B will be described as an example. Note that user A has an IC tag 700 with a user ID “001001”, and user B has an IC tag 701 with a user ID “001002”.

  First, when the user A performs a login operation to the request terminal 100, the request terminal 100 instructs the reader / writer 150 installed in the vicinity thereof to issue an activation command to the IC tag. Upon receiving this instruction, the reader / writer 150 wirelessly transmits an activation command. When receiving the activation command, the IC tag 700 possessed by the user A wirelessly transmits the user ID “001001” stored in the own device. Upon receiving the wirelessly transmitted user ID “001001”, the reader / writer 150 transmits this to the requesting terminal 100. Upon receiving this user ID “001001”, the requesting terminal 100 compares it with the user ID stored in its own device. Here, it is assumed that the stored user ID is “001001” and the comparison results match. The requesting terminal 100 permits the user A to log in when the comparison results match.

  Next, when the user A operates the requesting terminal 100 to instruct reading of the electronic file “file B” of the confidential document from a medium such as a flexible disk, the requesting terminal 100 reads this and stores it in its own device. Remember. Further, when the user A operates the requesting terminal 100 to request the distribution destination designation of the electronic file “file B”, the requesting terminal 100 requests the user list from the printer server 200 (S1).

  Upon receiving the user list request, the user list transmission processing unit 210 of the printer server 200 reads the user ID and user name stored in the user setting storage unit 202 and generates a user list that is a list of these. Then, this user list is transmitted to the requesting terminal 100 (S2).

  When the request terminal 100 receives the user list, the request terminal 100 displays it. When the user A operates the requesting terminal 100 and designates the user B as a distribution destination from the displayed user list, the requesting terminal 100 sets the electronic file stored earlier as the print file, the user ID of the user B A print request is sent to the printer server 200 with “001002” as the distribution destination user ID, the user ID of the user A “001001” as the distribution source user ID, and the current date and time as the request date and time (S3).

  When receiving a print request, the print request reception processing unit 211 of the printer server 200 newly assigns a print request number to the print request, and associates the allocated print request number with each item of the print request in the print request storage unit 201. Store. Here, for example, “00002” is assigned as the print request number and stored in the print request storage unit 201 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the user notification processing unit 212 reads the distribution destination user ID “001002” newly stored in the print request storage unit 201 by the print request reception processing unit 211, and refers to the user setting storage unit 202 to read the distribution The mail address “B@xx.co.jp” associated with the user ID that matches the previous user ID “001002” is acquired (here, the contents stored in the user setting storage unit 202 are shown in FIG. 3B). Example). The user notification processing unit 212 is an e-mail addressed to this e-mail address “B@xx.co.jp”, for notification of distribution of “file B” by confidential printing and confirmation notification of receipt of the e-mail. The e-mail describing the URL notification is sent to the mail server 500 (S4). By accessing the URL, this URL notifies the authentication request processing unit 213 of the printer server 200 that the distribution destination user has received the distribution notification, and the corresponding print request number “00002”. Is also notified to the authentication request processing unit 213.

  Next, when the user B performs a login operation to the user terminal 600, the user terminal 600 instructs the reader / writer 650 installed in the vicinity thereof to issue an activation command to the IC tag. Upon receiving this instruction, the reader / writer 650 wirelessly transmits an activation command. When detecting the activation command, the IC tag 701 possessed by the user B wirelessly transmits the user ID “001002” stored in the own device. Upon receiving the wirelessly transmitted user ID “001002”, the reader / writer 650 transmits this to the user terminal 600. Upon receiving this user ID “001002”, the user terminal 600 compares the user ID with the user ID stored in its own device. Here, it is assumed that the stored user ID is “001002” and the comparison results match. The user terminal 600 permits the login of the user B when the comparison results match.

  When the user B operates the user terminal 600 to instruct acquisition of an e-mail addressed to the user B, the user terminal 600 inquires of the mail server 500 about mail. Here, since the e-mail transmitted by the printer server 200 in step S4 is stored in the mail server 500, the mail server 500 transmits the e-mail to the user terminal 600 (S5).

  When the user terminal 600 receives the e-mail, the user terminal 600 displays a notification of “file B” distribution by confidential printing and a URL for confirming that the e-mail has been received. When the user B selects the displayed URL, the user terminal 600 transmits a confirmation notification to this URL (S6).

  Upon receiving the confirmation notification, the authentication request processing unit 213 of the printer server 200 that is the destination of the URL acquires the print request number “00002” from the confirmation notification. Next, the authentication request processing unit 213 refers to the print request storage unit 201 and acquires the distribution destination user ID “001002” associated with the acquired print request number “00002”. The authentication request processing unit 213 transmits the print request number “00002” and the distribution destination user ID “001002” acquired previously to the authentication server 300 as an authentication request (S7).

  Upon receiving the authentication request from the authentication request processing unit 213, the authentication request registration processing unit 310 of the authentication server 300 acquires the print request number “00002” and the distribution destination user ID “001002” from the authentication request. Next, the authentication request registration processing unit 310 refers to the printer information storage unit 301 and acquires all stored reader / writer addresses. Here, it is assumed that the stored contents of the printer information storage unit 301 are the contents example shown in FIG. 4A. Reader / writer addresses “xx.xx.xx.xx”, “yy.yy.yy.yy” to “ zz.zz.zz.zz ". The authentication request registration processing unit 310 includes the print request number “00002” acquired from the authentication request, the distribution destination user ID “001002”, and the reader / writer addresses “xx.xx.xx.xx” “ In addition to “yy.yy.yy.yy” to “zz.zz.zz.zz”, the newly assigned monitoring number (for example, “0414”) is associated with the status “monitoring” to authenticate Stored in the request storage unit 302. Further, the authentication request registration processing unit 310 has the reader / writer addresses “xx.xx.xx.xx”, “yy.yy.yy.yy” to “zz.zz.zz.zz” acquired from the printer information storage unit 301, respectively. Is directed to send an activation command to the IC tag (S8a, S8b).

Here, it is assumed that the IP addresses of the reader / writers 450a, 450b, and 450c are “zz.zz.zz.zz”, “yy.yy.yy.yy”, and “xx.xx.xx.xx”, respectively.
The reader / writers 450a, 450b, 450c,... Whose IP addresses are the reader / writer addresses “xx.xx.xx.xx”, “yy.yy.yy.yy” to “zz.zz.zz.zz” When receiving an activation command transmission instruction from the authentication request registration processing unit 310, each starts wireless transmission of a periodic activation command (S9a, S9b).

  First, when the user B who sees the notification of the distribution of “file B” by the confidential printing at the user terminal 600 comes to the vicinity of the printer 400a in order to receive the print result of “file B”, the user B near the printer 400a. The IC tag 701 possessed by the user B receives the activation command wirelessly transmitted by the installed reader / writer 450a. When receiving the activation command, the IC tag 701 wirelessly transmits the user ID “001002” stored in the own device (S10a).

  Upon receiving the user ID “001002” from the IC tag 701, the reader / writer 450a transmits this user ID to the authentication server 300 (S11).

Upon receiving the user ID “001002” from the reader / writer 450a, the authentication processing unit 311 of the authentication server 300 refers to the authentication request storage unit 302 and associates it with the distribution destination user ID that matches the received user ID “001002”. Get the stored print request number. Here, since the user ID previously registered by the authentication request registration processing unit 310 matches, the print request number “00002” stored in association therewith is acquired. Further, the authentication processing unit 311 refers to the printer information storage unit 301 and associates it with the reader / writer address that matches the IP address “zz.zz.zz.zz” of the reader / writer 450a that is the transmission source of the received user ID. To obtain the stored printer ID. Here, the printer ID “0007” of the printer 400a corresponding to the reader / writer 450a is acquired.
The authentication processing unit 311 transmits the print request number “00002” and the printer ID “0007” as authentication notifications to the printer server 200 (S12), and also stores the print request number “00002” in the authentication request storage unit 302. Update the associated and stored status to “authenticated”.

  At this time, the authentication processing unit 322 generates an e-mail indicating that the print request with the print request number “00002” and the distribution destination user ID “001002” is “authenticated”, and distributes the e-mail. The original user may be sent to the mail server 500. At this time, since the mail address of the distribution source user of the print request number that is the destination of the electronic mail is obtained by referring to the print request storage unit 201 and the user setting storage unit 202 of the printer server 200, the authentication process The unit 322 may make a request to the printer server 200, or the authentication request processing unit 213 may transmit to the authentication server 300 when an authentication request is made. Instead of sending an e-mail, the status stored in the authentication request storage unit 302 in association with the print request may be sent to the requesting terminal 100 in response to a request from the distribution source user. .

  Upon receiving the authentication notification from the authentication server 300, the print request processing unit 214 of the printer server 200 acquires the print request number “00002” and the printer ID “0007” from the authentication notification. Next, the print request processing unit 214 refers to the print request storage unit 201 and acquires the print file “file B” stored in association with the print request number “00002”. The print request processing unit 214 converts the print file “file B” into printer queue data with the printer ID “0007” acquired from the authentication notification. The print request processing unit 214 instructs the printer 400a whose printer ID is “0007” to print the previously converted queue data (S13). Upon receiving the queue data from the print request processing unit 214, the printer 400a prints based on the queue data. Note that after printing is completed, the print request processing unit 214 notifies the distribution source user of the print request number that printing has been completed in response to an e-mail or a request from the distribution source user in the same manner as the authentication processing unit 311. It may be.

  As a result, the electronic file instructed to be distributed by the user A is printed only when the IC tag 701 possessed by the user B designated as the distribution destination by the user A is within a range in which the user A can communicate with the reader / writer 450a. It is possible to prevent a printed document from being taken by a person other than the user B designated as the distribution destination, and the user B can cause the desired printer 400a to print the document.

  In this embodiment, after the user notification processing unit 212 transmits an e-mail addressed to the distribution destination user and receives a confirmation notification for the e-mail from the user terminal 600, the authentication request processing unit 213 sends the authentication server 300 to the authentication server 300. Although the authentication request is transmitted, the authentication request processing unit 213 may transmit the authentication request to the authentication server 300 without waiting for the confirmation notification. Alternatively, after the authentication request processing unit 213 transmits an authentication request to the authentication server 300, the user notification processing unit 212 may transmit an e-mail addressed to the distribution destination user.

  In this embodiment, the reader / writer 450a installed in the vicinity of the printer 400a is described as receiving the user ID from the IC tag 701. However, the reader / writer 450a may be built in the printer 400a. Further, instead of the reader / writer 450a, a fingerprint authentication device, an iris authentication device, or a password input keyboard may be used. In this case, the user identification information acquired by these devices is not the user ID but the authentication information of each user, and the authentication request storage unit 302 stores the authentication information instead of the user ID, or the user ID and the authentication Memorize information. This authentication information may be stored in the user setting storage unit 202, and the authentication request processing unit 213 may transmit the authentication request to the authentication server 300 at the time of the authentication request, or the authentication server 300 stores the user ID in association with the user ID. Also good.

  In this embodiment, the reader / writer 450a installed in the vicinity of the printer 400a has been described as receiving a user ID from an IC tag. However, a contact-type or non-contact-type IC card or magnetic card is used instead of the IC tag. There may be.

  In the present embodiment, the printers 400a, 400b, and 400c are described as printers connected to the network 800 using IP as a protocol. However, even if the printers are faxes connected to a network such as a public telephone line network. Good. In this case, the printer server 200 is connected to the network 800 and a network such as a public telephone line network to which a fax is connected.

    The printer server 200 and the authentication server 300 are separate devices and are described as being connected via the network 800. However, instead of the printer server 200 and the authentication server 300, the functions of the printer server 200 and the authentication server 300 are described. A device having a function may be connected to the network 800.

  2A, the user list transmission processing unit 210, the print request reception processing unit 211, the user notification processing unit 212, the authentication request processing unit 213, the print request processing unit 214, and the authentication request in FIG. A program for realizing the functions of the registration processing unit 310 and the authentication processing unit 311 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read into a computer system and executed. The processing of the processing unit may be performed. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices.

Further, the “computer system” includes a homepage providing environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is used.
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. Furthermore, the “computer-readable recording medium” dynamically holds a program for a short time like a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In this case, a volatile memory in a computer system serving as a server or a client in that case, and a program that holds a program for a certain period of time are also included. The program may be a program for realizing a part of the functions described above, and may be a program capable of realizing the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes a design and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

  The present invention relates to a confidential printing system capable of printing an electronic file designated by a distribution source user with a printer designated by a distribution destination user designated by the distribution source user, using a communication network such as a building or a premises. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The installation location of the request terminal and the installation location of the printer may be in a different building or a different premises.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a confidential printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer server 200 and an authentication server 300 in the embodiment. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the memory content of (a) print request memory | storage part 201 in the same embodiment, (b) user setting memory | storage part. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of stored contents of (a) a printer information storage unit 301 and (b) an authentication request storage unit 302 in the embodiment. FIG. It is a sequence diagram explaining operation | movement of the confidential printing system in the same embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Request terminal 150, 650 ... Reader / writer 200 ... Printer server 201 ... Print request memory | storage part 202 ... User setting memory | storage part 210 ... User list transmission process part 211 ... Print request reception process part 212 ... User notification process part 213 ... Authentication request Processing unit 214 ... Print request processing unit 300 ... Authentication server 301 ... Printer information storage unit 302 ... Authentication request storage unit 310 ... Authentication request registration processing unit 311 ... Authentication processing unit 400a, 400b ... Printer 450a, 450b ... Reader / writer 500 ... Mail Server 600 ... User terminal 700, 701 ... IC tag

Claims (8)

In a confidential printing system having a request terminal, a plurality of printers, a plurality of identification information acquisition devices each associated with one of the printers, a printer server, and an authentication server,
The request terminal transmits user identification information and print data of a distribution destination user designated by a user operation to the printer server,
The printer server is
A print request storage unit that stores print request identification information, user identification information, and print data in association with each other;
Print request reception processing for receiving user identification information and print data from the request terminal, and storing the received user identification information, print data, and newly allocated print request identification information in the print request storage unit And
An authentication request processing unit that transmits print request identification information and user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit by the print request reception processing unit to the authentication server;
The print request identification information and the printer identification information are received from the authentication server, and the print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information is transmitted to the printer of the received printer identification information. A printer print request processing unit,
The authentication server is
A printer information storage unit for storing the printer identification information and the identification information of the identification information acquisition device in association with each other;
An authentication request storage unit that stores the print request identification information and the user identification information in association with each other;
An authentication request registration processing unit that receives print request identification information and user identification information from the authentication request processing unit of the printer server, and stores the received information in the authentication request storage unit;
Receiving user identification information from the identification information acquisition device, identifying the print request identification information stored in the authentication request storage unit in association with the received user identification information and the identification information acquisition device that is the transmission source of the user identification information An authentication processing unit that transmits printer identification information associated with information stored in the printer information storage unit to the printer server, and
The identification information acquisition device transmits user identification information input by a user operation to the authentication server,
The confidential printing system, wherein the printer performs printing in accordance with print data received from a print request processing unit of the printer server. The printer server is
A user setting storage unit for storing user identification information;
A user list transmission processing unit that receives a request from the request terminal and transmits user identification information stored in the user setting storage unit to the request terminal;
The request terminal requests the user identification information from the printer server, displays the user identification information received as a reply to the request, and displays the user identification information designated by the user operation from the displayed user identification information. The confidential printing system according to claim 1, wherein the user identification information of the distribution destination user is transmitted to the printer server together with print data. A user terminal for displaying information received from the printer server;
The printer server is
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a user notification processing unit that transmits information indicating that there is a print request addressed to the user to a user terminal owned by the user of the user identification information received from the request terminal. The confidential printing system according to any one of the items 2). In a confidential printing method in a confidential printing system having a request terminal, a plurality of printers, a plurality of identification information acquisition devices each associated with one of the printers, a printer server, and an authentication server,
A first step in which the requesting terminal transmits user identification information and print data of a distribution destination user designated by a user operation to the printer server;
The printer server receives user identification information and print data from the requesting terminal, and stores the received user identification information, print data, and newly allocated print request identification information in the print request storage unit A second process to
A third process in which the printer server transmits print request identification information and user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit in the second process to the authentication server;
A fourth process in which the authentication server receives print request identification information and user identification information from the printer server, and stores the received print request identification information and user identification information in the authentication request storage unit in association with each other;
A fifth step in which the identification information acquisition apparatus transmits user identification information input by a user operation to the authentication server;
The authentication server receives the user identification information from the identification information acquisition device, and identifies the print request identification information stored in the authentication request storage unit in association with the received user identification information and the transmission source of the user identification information A sixth process of transmitting printer identification information associated with the identification information of the information acquisition device and stored in the printer information storage unit to the printer server;
The printer server receives print request identification information and printer identification information from the authentication server, and print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information is received by the printer identification. A seventh process of sending information to the printer;
A confidential printing method, comprising: an eighth step in which the printer performs printing in accordance with print data received from the printer server. In the printer server to which the request terminal, authentication server, and printer are connected,
A print request storage unit that stores print request identification information, user identification information, and print data in association with each other;
Print request reception processing for receiving user identification information and print data from the request terminal, and storing the received user identification information, print data, and newly allocated print request identification information in the print request storage unit And
An authentication request processing unit for transmitting print request identification information and user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit by the print request reception processing unit to the authentication server;
The print request identification information and the printer identification information are received from the authentication server, and the print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information is transmitted to the printer of the received printer identification information. A printer print request processing unit. The computer to which the request terminal, authentication server, and printer are connected
A print request reception processing unit that receives user identification information and print data from the request terminal, and stores the received user identification information, print data, and newly allocated print request identification information in a print request storage unit in association with each other ,
An authentication request processing unit that transmits print request identification information and user identification information stored in association with the print request storage unit by the print request reception processing unit to the authentication server;
The print request identification information and the printer identification information are received from the authentication server, and the print data stored in the print request storage unit in association with the received print request identification information is transmitted to the printer of the received printer identification information. A program that functions as a printer print request processor. In the authentication server to which the printer server and the identification information acquisition device are connected,
An authentication request registration processing unit that receives print request identification information and user identification information from the printer server, and stores the received print request identification information and user identification information in an authentication request storage unit in association with each other;
Receiving user identification information from the identification information acquisition device, identifying the print request identification information stored in the authentication request storage unit in association with the received user identification information and the identification information acquisition device that is the transmission source of the user identification information An authentication server comprising: an authentication processing unit that transmits printer identification information associated with information stored in a printer information storage unit to the printer server. A computer to which the printer server and the identification information acquisition device are connected;
An authentication request registration processing unit that receives print request identification information and user identification information from the printer server, and stores the received print request identification information and user identification information in an authentication request storage unit in association with each other;
Receiving user identification information from the identification information acquisition device, identifying the print request identification information stored in the authentication request storage unit in association with the received user identification information and the identification information acquisition device that is the transmission source of the user identification information A program that causes printer identification information associated with information and stored in a printer information storage unit to function as an authentication processing unit that transmits to the printer server.

Images