JP2008040659A - Print control system, policy management device, image forming device and print execution control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To certainly prevent leakage of information recorded in an electronic document. <P>SOLUTION: In this print control system, a policy management server 20 sets policy to the electronic document according to a setting request from a client 10, holds it in a policy information holding part 24, encrypts the electronic document, and makes it stored. The client 10 encrypts print instruction data by its own private key and a public key of an image forming device 50 of a print instruction destination to sign, and sends them to the image forming device 50. The image forming device 50 decrypts the print instruction data by a holding key to authenticate validity as the print instruction destination of the client 10. Subsequently, the image forming device 50 confirms the validity as a print execution side by inquiring to the policy management server 20 to confirm the policy and user authentication of its own device, decrypts the electronic document by a key sent from the policy management server 20, and thereafter, executes printing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a print control system for electronic documents, and more particularly to print execution control adapted to a security policy.

  When using the Internet, it goes without saying that security needs to be taken into consideration, especially in companies that handle computerized customer information and confidential documents. Electronic documents are generally called policies, but various privileges can be set, such as access restrictions such as setting of accessible users, browsing, and editing, and security of electronic documents has been improved by the development of encryption technology. It has become relatively easy to maintain sex. On the other hand, if an electronic document is printed on a print medium such as paper, access authority cannot be given to the paper medium, and some device for security is required. For example, as for security of a paper document after printing, there is a tint block printing by a latent image (for example, Patent Document 1). Also, a technique for printing management information for associating an electronic document with a paper document on a paper document (for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3), and a technique for providing management information with storage destination information such as a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) (for example, Patent Document 4) )

  By the way, when printing an electronic document to which access authority is set from the viewpoint of the security policy, a user who does not have printing authority cannot naturally print. On the other hand, a user with printing authority can print, but when printing is executed, the electronic document is processed as follows.

  That is, when the printing authority of the user who has issued the printing instruction is authenticated, the personal computer (hereinafter “PC”) used by the user transmits the printing instruction to the image forming apparatus equipped with the printing function. If the electronic document to be printed is stored in the PC, the PC converts the electronic document into PDL (Page Description Language) by the print driver of the mounted image forming apparatus, and then sends the electronic document to the image forming apparatus together with a print instruction. To do. Further, when the electronic document to be printed is not stored in the PC, the PC transmits a URI as a storage destination information of the electronic document to the image forming apparatus together with a print instruction.

  When an image forming apparatus receives a print instruction and an electronic document that has been PDL converted is sent together with the print instruction, the image forming apparatus forms a print image from the PDL and prints it out. On the other hand, when the URI is sent together with the print instruction, the electronic document is taken out from the storage location specified by the URI and converted into PDL. Then, a print image is formed from the converted PDL and printed out.

JP 2005-38371 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-143414 JP 2002-351877 A JP 2003-157251 A

  As described above, when the electronic document is printed, it is once converted into PDL. However, the policy set for the electronic document cannot be taken over by PDL. In other words, the print instruction itself for the electronic document can be made only by an authorized user according to the set policy, but when the electronic document is converted into PDL, the policy is not set in the PDL. Even a user who does not have access authority to an electronic document can access PDL. In other words, no matter how strict a policy is set for an electronic document before PDL conversion, if an unauthorized third party obtains PDL illegally by some means or method, PDL can be obtained from a printer other than the designated one. May be output, and thus information may be leaked.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to more reliably prevent leakage of information described in an electronic document.

  In order to achieve the above object, a print control system according to the present invention is configured by a policy management server for setting and managing a policy for restricting the operation of each user for each electronic document, and the policy management server. A repository unit that stores an electronic document associated with a policy, a client that requests a print instruction for the electronic document stored in the repository unit, and a policy that is associated with the electronic document according to the print instruction from the client And the image forming apparatus that controls the execution of the printing process according to the above, and printing is executed only when both the client that instructs printing and the image forming apparatus that executes printing have authority.

  The policy management apparatus in the print control system according to the present invention includes a policy management unit that sets a policy for restricting the operation of each user in the electronic document in response to a policy setting request for the electronic document from a client that issues a print instruction. In response to a policy setting request, policy information storage means for storing policy information in which at least the set policy and the setting request source identification information are associated with the identification information of the electronic document, and the identification information of the electronic document are designated. In response to a policy confirmation request from the image forming apparatus that executes the print, the presence or absence of the print execution authority for the electronic document of the image forming apparatus is confirmed by referring to the policy information storage unit, and the result is And a policy confirmation unit that sends a reply to the image forming apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus further includes means for receiving print log information including a processing result for a print instruction sent from the image forming apparatus, and log information storage means for storing the received print log information.

  An image forming apparatus in a print control system according to the present invention includes a document acquisition unit that acquires an electronic document to be printed, a print instruction side authentication unit that authenticates a print instruction authority of a client that has transmitted a print instruction for the electronic document, Policy confirmation means for confirming whether or not the user has a print execution authority for the electronic document to be printed by inquiring of a policy management apparatus that individually manages the electronic document for a policy that restricts the operation of each user, and the print instruction side authentication Print execution control means for printing an electronic document to be printed only when the print instruction authority of the client instructed to print by the means and the possession of the print execution authority of the own apparatus are confirmed by the policy confirmation means. To do.

  Further, the print instruction side authenticating unit specifies the client from a signature applied to the electronic document acquired by the document acquiring unit.

  Further, the print instruction side authenticating unit, when the electronic document acquired by the document acquiring unit is encrypted, is stored in advance or acquired from the key management apparatus and the client key of the print instruction source and the own apparatus The print instruction authority of the client is authenticated by decrypting the electronic document with the key.

  Further, the print execution control means executes printing after forming information related to an electronic document including at least a set policy as a latent image and adding the latent image to the document image.

  A print execution control method according to the present invention includes a client that issues a print instruction, a policy management server that manages a policy that specifies authority for print instruction and authority for print execution for each electronic document, and responds to a print instruction from the client. Implemented in a print control system having an image forming apparatus that controls execution of print processing in accordance with a policy associated with the electronic document, and the policy management server applies an electronic document to be printed in response to a request from the client. A policy is set for the client, and the client issues a print instruction to the image forming apparatus, and the image forming apparatus responds to the print instruction authority of the client that has transmitted the print instruction of the electronic document and the electronic document to be printed. Check the print execution authority of the local device and check the client Characterized in that the holdings of print execution permission of the printing instruction authority and its own device to print the electronic document to be printed if it is confirmed both.

  According to the present invention, the authority that can instruct printing and the authority that can execute printing are set separately, and when the image forming apparatus performs printing according to the printing instruction, it is set on each of the printing instruction side and the printing execution side. Since the authorized authority is confirmed in advance, the electronic document to be printed can be printed only when the print instruction side is valid and the print execution side is also valid. As a result, print execution control adapted to a desired security policy can be realized.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram of an embodiment of a print control system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a system in which a client 10, a policy management server 20, a user authentication server 30, a database server 40, and an image forming apparatus 50 are connected via a network 5. The client 10 is a computer that issues a print instruction to the image forming apparatus 50. In this embodiment, the client 10 is assumed to be realized on a PC. Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to a PC, and can be realized by an image forming apparatus or various network compatible devices that can issue a print instruction. The policy management server 20 sets a policy for restricting each user's operation for each electronic document to be printed, manages information about the set policy, and operates in cooperation with the user authentication server 30 in response to an inquiry from the outside. Authenticate. The user authentication server 30 holds and manages user information such as user IDs and passwords set and registered in advance, and performs user authentication in response to an inquiry from the policy management server 20 or the like. The database server 40 stores electronic documents to be printed.

  In the present embodiment, the repository means for storing the electronic document is configured to be realized by the database server 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and an external storage device or the like built in the client 10 or the image forming apparatus 50 is used. It may be realized. The image forming apparatus 50 refers to the electronic document sent from the client 10 together with the print instruction via the network 5 or the information added to the print instruction, and acquires the electronic document itself to execute printing. In FIG. 1, a plurality of clients 10 and image forming apparatuses 50 may be connected to the network 5, respectively, but since they may have the same configuration, one is shown in FIG. 1. .

  FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus 50 according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 50 is a multifunction machine having various functions such as a copy function and a scanner function, and is an apparatus having a built-in computer. In FIG. 2, the CPU 51 controls the operation of various mechanisms installed in the apparatus such as the scanner 54 and the printer engine 56 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 59. The address data bus 52 is connected to various mechanisms to be controlled by the CPU 51 to perform data communication. The operation panel 53 receives instructions from the user and displays information. The scanner 54 reads a document set by the user and stores it as electronic data in an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 55 or the like. The HDD 55 stores an electronic document read using a scanner. The printer engine 56 prints an image on output paper in accordance with an instruction from a control program executed by the CPU 51. A network interface (I / F) 57 is connected to the network 5 to transmit electronic data generated by the apparatus, to receive electronic mail transmitted to the apparatus, and to access the apparatus via a browser. Used. A random access memory (RAM) 58 is used as a work memory at the time of program execution and a communication buffer at the time of electronic data transmission / reception. A read only memory (ROM) 59 stores various programs relating to control of the apparatus, encryption of electronic data, and transmission / reception of electronic data. As various programs, there are an electronic document acquisition program, a user authentication program, a print end notification program, a print log information registration program, and the like, as will be described later. An external media interface (I / F) 60 is an interface with an external memory device such as a USB memory or a flash memory.

  FIG. 3 is a functional block configuration diagram of apparatuses that constitute the print control system according to the present embodiment. The client 10 includes a document processing unit 11, a user authentication unit 12, a policy assignment unit 13, a print processing unit 14, and a document holding unit 15. The document processing unit 11 acquires an electronic document to be printed by a document creation process using document creation software or an acquisition process via the network 5, and the electronic document is stored in a database via the document holding unit 15 or the network 5. Register with the server 40. The user authentication unit 12 requests the policy management server 20 for user authentication. The policy assignment unit 13 requests the policy management server 20 to set a policy for an electronic document to be printed. The print processing unit 14 sends an electronic document print instruction to the image forming apparatus 50 to give an instruction to print the electronic document. Each component 11-14 in the client 10 is implement | achieved by the cooperative operation | movement of the computer which forms the client 10, and the program which operate | moves with CPU mounted in the computer. The document holding unit 15 is realized by an external storage device mounted on the client 10.

  The policy management server 20 includes a user management unit 21, a policy management unit 22, a print execution management unit 23, a policy information holding unit 24, and a print execution log storage unit 25. The user management unit 21 performs user authentication by inquiring of the user authentication server 30 in response to a user authentication request from the client 10 or the image forming apparatus 50. The policy management unit 22 sets a policy for each electronic document to be printed. The print execution management unit 23 collects log information related to print processing by the image forming apparatus 50 and stores the log information in the print execution log storage unit 25 to collectively manage printing results. Each component 21 to 23 in the policy management server 20 is realized by a cooperative operation of a computer that forms the policy management server 20 and a program that operates on a CPU mounted on the computer. The policy information holding unit 24 and the print execution log storage unit 25 are realized by an external storage device mounted on the policy management server 20.

  The image forming apparatus 50 includes a document acquisition unit 61, a signature authentication unit 62, a user authentication unit 63, a policy confirmation unit 64, and a print execution control unit 65. The document acquisition unit 61 acquires an electronic document to be printed. As a provider of the electronic document, a read document using the client 10, the database server 40, or the scanner 54 can be considered. The signature authenticating unit 62 authenticates the signature that is set as the print instruction data. The user authentication unit 63 authenticates a user, and in the case of the present embodiment, authenticates the client 10 that has issued a print instruction and the image forming apparatus 50 that performs printing. The policy confirmation unit 64 confirms whether or not the image forming apparatus 50 has authority to execute printing of the electronic document by making an inquiry to the policy management server 20. The print execution control unit 65 performs execution control of printing of an electronic document to be printed according to a print instruction. Also, the print record information is transmitted to the policy management server 20 and recorded as log information. Each of the components 61 to 65 in the image forming apparatus 50 is realized by a cooperative operation of a computer mounted on the image forming apparatus 50 and a program operating on a CPU mounted on the computer.

  Next, print processing according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The sequence in the printing process is shown in FIG. 4, the process flow in the client 10 is shown in FIG. 5, and the process flow in the image forming apparatus 50 is shown in FIG. 6, respectively. .

  In the client 10, the document processing unit 11 generates an electronic document to be printed (step 101). This is newly created using, for example, document creation software. Of course, the electronic document to be printed may be acquired using other means, for example, an external electronic document to be printed is acquired via the network 5. When the electronic document to be printed is generated by the document processing unit 11, the user authentication unit 12 requests user authentication by sending user authentication information including a user ID and a password to the policy management server 20 (step 102). The user authentication information may be user login information to the client 10.

  In the policy management server 20, when a user authentication request is sent from the client 10, the user management unit 21 performs user authentication by inquiring of the user authentication server 30 and returns the result to the client 10. Here, it is assumed that the user has been successfully authenticated.

  In the client 10, the user authentication unit 12 terminates the process if the user is not authenticated as a result of the user authentication by the policy management server 20 (N in step 103). After the authentication, the policy assigning unit 13 subsequently grants user access authority to be given to the generated electronic document, for example, authority to open, edit, print, and save the electronic document for each user or each user group. The designated authority and the document owner's user ID are sent to the policy management server 20 together with the electronic document, thereby requesting policy setting for the electronic document (step 104).

  In the policy management server 20, when a policy setting request is sent from the client 10, the policy management unit 22 first encrypts the sent electronic document with its own private key, and identifies information (hereinafter referred to as “identification information”) in the electronic document. , Document ID). Then, a policy is set with the authority designated by the client 10, and it is associated with the document ID of the encrypted electronic document, and the identification information of the client 10 that can be specified from the generated policy, the received user ID, and the request data ( Client ID) and key information used for encrypting the electronic document are registered in the policy information holding unit 24. By referring to the policy registered in this way, it is possible to confirm which user has the authority to issue a print instruction and the authority to execute printing. Thereafter, the policy management unit 22 adds the document ID and the identification information (server ID) of the server 20 in which the policy is set to the encrypted electronic document, and sends it back to the client 10.

  In the client 10, when the policy giving unit 13 receives the information returned in response to the request (step 105), the policy assigning unit 13 stores the encrypted electronic document in the received information (step 106). Although it may be held by the local document holding unit 15, it is transmitted to the database server 40 and stored here. At this time, the URI is acquired from the database server 40 as the storage location information.

  Then, the print processing unit 14 instructs the printing of the electronic document by transmitting the print instruction data to the image forming apparatus 50 (step 107). Note that the electronic document entity may be sent to the image forming apparatus 50 when a print instruction is given, but other methods for notifying the storage destination information or document ID of the electronic document are also conceivable. Here, a case where the storage destination information of the electronic document is transmitted will be described as an example. In this case, the print instruction data transmitted from the print processing unit 14 to the image forming apparatus 50 includes a URI. Furthermore, the print instruction data includes the user ID, the document ID of the electronic document to be printed, and the server ID of the policy management server 20 that encrypted the electronic document. Is transmitted after being encrypted with the private key of the client 10 and the public key of the image forming apparatus 50 serving as a print instruction destination held in advance. In this embodiment, this encryption is referred to as a signature. Thus, falsification of the print instruction can be prevented by performing the signature.

  In the image forming apparatus 50, when the print instruction data sent from the client 10 is received (step 201), the signature authenticating unit 62 first authenticates the signature made into the print instruction data (step 202). That is, decryption is performed using the private key of the self-image forming apparatus 50 and the public key of the client 10 acquired from an external key management server held in advance or managing the key. The public key used for the decryption can be easily specified by specifying the client 10 that is the print instruction data transmission source. However, if the client 10 is specified from the result of the signature authentication, the validity of the print request source is confirmed. can do. Since the sent print instruction data should be encrypted with the private key of the client 10 that is the print instruction source and the public key of the image forming apparatus 50 of itself, both of them, that is, the client 10 that issued the print instruction and the print instruction If the set of image forming apparatuses 50 that execute printing in accordance with the print data is correct, the print instruction data should be able to be decoded normally. In the present embodiment, printing can be executed only when both the user who instructs printing (in this case, the client 10) and the user who executes printing (in this case, the image forming apparatus 50) match. If the authenticity of the print instruction cannot be confirmed by this signature authentication process (N in step 203), it is determined that printing is performed by an unauthorized person or the image forming apparatus, and the print execution control unit 65 is determined. Generates log information including that fact, the client ID of the client 10 that has issued the print instruction, the user ID, the apparatus ID of the image forming apparatus 50 that has received the print instruction, the print instruction reception time information, and the like. (Step 213).

  Subsequently, the document acquisition unit 61 specifies the storage location of the electronic document from the URI included in the normally decoded print instruction data, and acquires and acquires the electronic document from the storage location (step 204). The electronic document is encrypted as described above. Subsequently, the user authentication unit 63 requests user authentication by sending user authentication information including the apparatus ID and password of the image forming apparatus 50 to the policy management server 20 specified from the server ID included in the print instruction data. (Step 205).

  In the policy management server 20, when a user authentication request is sent from the image forming apparatus 50, the user management unit 21 performs user authentication of the image forming apparatus 50 by making an inquiry to the user authentication server 30, and the result is image formation. Return to device 50. Here, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 50 is normally authenticated.

  In the image forming apparatus 50, if the user authentication unit 63 is not authenticated as a result of the user authentication by the policy management server 20 (N in step 206), the user authentication unit 63 determines that the apparatus is not a valid device for executing printing. The print execution control unit 65 generates the log information having the above-mentioned content and transmits it to the policy management server 20 (step 213). If authenticated, the policy confirmation unit 64 subsequently includes the document ID included in the print instruction data, the device ID of the self-image forming apparatus 50, and the access content including “print” with respect to the specified policy management server 20. The policy is confirmed by sending a policy confirmation request (step 207).

  In the policy management server 20, the policy management unit 22 specifies the corresponding policy information from the policy information holding unit 24 using the sent document ID as a key, and refers to the setting contents for the policy information. The printing authority of the image forming apparatus 50 corresponding to the received apparatus ID is checked. If the image forming apparatus 50 has no print authority, a message to that effect is returned. If the user has printing authority, information about the key that encrypted the electronic document, specifically, the decryption key is returned.

  In the image forming apparatus 50, the policy confirmation unit 64 determines that the apparatus is not authorized to execute printing when the policy management server 20 notifies that there is no printing authority (N in step 208). Then, the print execution control unit 65 generates the log information having the above-mentioned contents and transmits it to the policy management server 20 (step 213). If the right to execute printing is recognized (Y in Step 208), the print execution control unit 65 decrypts the encrypted electronic document with the received decryption key, and then print image data of the electronic document. Is formed (step 209). Further, the print execution control unit 65 forms an image using information related to printing such as the document ID of the electronic document, storage location information, specific information of the policy management server 20 such as a server ID, user ID, and printing date / time information as a latent image. And added to the electronic document image (step 210). Since the latent image appears on the copy sheet when the printed matter of the electronic document image is illegally copied, the illegal copy can be detected and the illegal copy source can be specified. That is, even when an electronic document is printed on a medium, security management similar to that of the electronic document can be performed on the print medium.

  When the image data to be printed is formed as described above, the print execution control unit 65 instructs the printer engine 56 to print, and the image data is printed out on the print medium, and printing is executed ( Step 211). When the printing is normally executed, the print execution control unit 65 sends a print end notification to the print instruction source client 10 (step 212). Upon receiving this notification, the print processing unit 14 in the client 10 ends the print processing (Step 108). Further, the print execution control unit 65 generates the log information having the above-mentioned contents and the information indicating the normal end of printing, and transmits it to the policy management server 20 (step 213). The print execution management unit 23 in the policy management server 20 stores the log information sent from the image forming apparatus 50 in the print execution log storage unit 25.

  According to the present embodiment, as described above, the authority to instruct printing and the authority to execute printing are set separately, and when the image forming apparatus 50 performs printing in accordance with the printing instruction, Since the authority set for the user is confirmed in advance, only when the user who issued the print instruction (client 10) is valid and the user who executes printing (image forming apparatus 50) is valid, Electronic documents can be printed. In other words, a user having the authority to issue a print instruction can set the output so that only the image forming apparatus having the authority to perform printing can output.

  Conventionally, even if the authority is set for the electronic document itself, the authority set for the electronic document is not carried over to the PDL converted for printing. Even users who do not have access to PDL can access it. That is, the illegally acquired PDL can be printed. In the present embodiment, since the printing authority for the user (image forming apparatus 50) who executes printing is confirmed before printing, the illegally acquired PDL cannot be printed from an unauthorized image forming apparatus. Thereby, leakage of confidential information described in the electronic document can be more reliably prevented.

  By the way, in the printing process, the client 10 includes the storage instruction information (URI) of the electronic document in the print instruction data and sends it to the image forming apparatus 50. However, as described above, a document ID or an electronic document entity may be used instead of the URI. In this case, the client 10 holds the encrypted electronic document not in the database server 40 but in the document holding unit 15. When the client 10 sends the document ID of the electronic document in the print instruction, the image forming apparatus 50 does not acquire the electronic document from the database server 40 but sends an acquisition request including the document ID to the print instruction source client 10. By sending it, it is acquired from the client 10. When the client 10 sends the electronic document entity together with the print instruction, the image forming apparatus 50 does not need to acquire the electronic document from the outside, and may decode the sent electronic document, form an image, and print it.

  Note that the present embodiment is characterized in that authority is set for each of the instruction side and the execution side for processing for an electronic document. As an example, the print processing on a paper medium is taken up, but the present invention is limited to this example. Is not to be done. For example, the output destination of the electronic document may be electronic paper, FAX transmission, an information communication device such as a mobile phone, or the like. Further, the processing for a document need not be limited to printing, and a series of processing illustrated in this embodiment can be applied as long as the policy can be set. For example, an instruction and execution of editing an electronic document can be considered.

1 is a network configuration diagram of an embodiment of a print control system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of an apparatus that constitutes a print control system in the present embodiment. It is a sequence diagram of a printing process in the present embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed on the client side in print processing according to the present embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed on the image forming apparatus side in the printing processing according to the present exemplary embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  5 network, 10 client, 11 document processing unit, 12 user authentication unit, 13 policy granting unit, 14 print processing unit, 15 document holding unit, 20 policy management server, 21 user management unit, 22 policy management unit, 23 print execution management , 24 Policy information storage unit, 25 Print execution log storage unit, 30 User authentication server, 40 Database server, 50 Image forming device, 51 CPU, 52 Address data bus, 53 Operation panel, 54 Scanner, 55 HDD, 56 Printer engine 57 Network interface, 58 RAM, 59 ROM, 60 External media interface, 61 Document acquisition unit, 62 Signature authentication unit, 63 User authentication unit, 64 Policy confirmation unit, 65 Print execution control unit.

Claims (8)

A policy management server that sets and manages policies that limit the operations of each user individually for each electronic document;
Repository means for storing an electronic document associated with a policy set by the policy management server;
A client requesting a print instruction for an electronic document stored in the repository means;
An image forming apparatus that controls execution of print processing in accordance with a policy associated with the electronic document in response to a print instruction from the client;
The print control system is characterized in that printing is executed only when both the client that instructs printing and the image forming apparatus that executes printing have authority. Policy management means for setting a policy for restricting the operation of each user in the electronic document in response to a policy setting request for the electronic document from a client that issues a print instruction;
Policy information storage means for storing policy information in which at least the set policy and the setting request source identification information are associated with the identification information of the electronic document in response to the policy setting request;
In response to a policy confirmation request from an image forming apparatus that executes printing in which the identification information of the electronic document is specified, the policy information storage unit is referred to whether or not the image forming apparatus has print execution authority for the electronic document. Policy confirming means for confirming the result and returning the result to the image forming apparatus,
A policy management apparatus in a print control system, comprising: The policy management device according to claim 2, wherein
Means for receiving print log information including a processing result for a print instruction sent from the image forming apparatus;
Log information storage means for storing received print log information;
A policy management apparatus in a print control system, comprising: Document acquisition means for acquiring an electronic document to be printed;
Print instruction side authentication means for authenticating the print instruction authority of the client that has transmitted the print instruction of the electronic document;
A policy checking unit for checking whether or not the printing apparatus has the print execution authority for the electronic document to be printed by inquiring to the policy management apparatus that manages the electronic document individually for a policy that restricts the operation of each user;
A print execution control means for printing an electronic document to be printed only after the print instruction authority of the client instructed to print by the print instruction side authentication means and the possession of the print execution authority of the own apparatus are confirmed by the policy confirmation means;
An image forming apparatus in a print control system comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
The image forming apparatus in the print control system, wherein the print instruction side authentication unit identifies the client from a signature applied to the electronic document acquired by the document acquisition unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
When the electronic document acquired by the document acquisition unit is encrypted, the print instruction side authentication unit stores the client key of the print instruction source and the key of the own device that are stored in advance or acquired from the key management device An image forming apparatus in a print control system, wherein the print instruction authority of the client is authenticated by decrypting the electronic document. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.
An image forming apparatus in a print control system, wherein the print execution control unit executes printing after forming information related to an electronic document including at least a set policy as a latent image and adding the latent image to the document image. A client that issues a print instruction, a policy management server that individually manages a policy that restricts the operation of each user, and a print processing execution control according to a policy associated with the electronic document according to the print instruction from the client Implemented in a print control system having an image forming apparatus for performing
The policy management server sets a policy for an electronic document to be printed in response to a request from the client;
The client issues a print instruction to the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus includes:
Check the print instruction authority of the client that sent the print instruction of the electronic document and the print management authority of the own device for the electronic document to be printed by inquiring to the policy management server,
Print the electronic document to be printed when both the print instruction authority of the client that instructed printing and the possession of the print execution authority of the own device are confirmed.
And a print execution control method.

Images