JP2008044154A - Printer, printing control method, and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer of which the handling method of invisible data (particularly, confidential information) is improved, a printing control method, and a printing system. <P>SOLUTION: A printer 20 receives print data and detects whether or not a document of the print data includes watermark information. When the printer detects the watermark information, it judges whether or not the information embedded in the watermark information is of personal information. When it is revealed that the personal information is embedded as the watermark information based on the judgment, the printing by a user not having a printing authority of the personal information and a printing authority of the document is limited. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that prints various documents (files including characters and images, photographs, and the like), a printing control method thereof, and a printing system, and more specifically, includes data invisiblely embedded in the document. The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing control method thereof, and a printing system that restrict printing by a user other than a user having a predetermined printing authority.

  Recently, a technique for embedding encrypted data in a document from the viewpoint of copyright protection, security improvement, and the like has attracted attention. For this encryption, for example, a barcode or a digital watermark technique is used.

  With this digital watermark technology, in general, watermark information is embedded in digital content (character image, image image, etc.) to the extent that it cannot be visually recognized (to the extent that it does not feel uncomfortable), thereby suppressing data leakage, tampering, and theft. Can do.

  Conventionally, as a technique related to the digital watermark, for example, Patent Document 1 requires confidentiality of a resume or the like by embedding various character information related to personal information or the like as watermark information in an image image using a secret key. A technique for preventing information from being easily referenced by a third party is disclosed.

Further, for example, in Patent Document 2, the actual pixel unit is composed of three color components of R, G, and B. However, by achromatizing an image image in which watermark information is embedded, color copying (automatically) Since the color difference information (watermark information) is not copied to (mode), a technique is disclosed that can realize high-security forgery prevention regardless of color or black and white.
JP-A-10-285383 JP-A-11-355554

  However, in the conventional techniques represented by these patent documents 1 and 2, since personal information is embedded in an invisible state, it is considered that security is increased. Security may be lost due to invisibility.

  For example, if a third party, etc., does not know that personal information is included in a document and copies it and distributes this document to an unspecified number of people, the person himself may be invisible. If you don't know it, your consent will be disseminated without your consent.

  In general, this type of information (in this case, personal information) is information that belongs to the individual, even though it is encrypted with a digital watermark. Should not communicate.

  Such a problem is not limited to the digital watermark technique described above, and is a problem that commonly occurs when various types of information such as barcodes are embedded in a state that cannot be directly recognized by the human eye.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a printing apparatus, a printing control method thereof, and a printing system for improving a handling method for invisible data (particularly, information that requires confidentiality). The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the printing apparatus of the invention of claim 1 is configured to detect whether or not invisible embedded data is included in a document when the document is printed, And a print restriction unit for restricting printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined print authority when it is detected that the document includes the invisible embedded data.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the print restriction unit suspends the printing until an authentication unit that performs user authentication when the document is printed, and until the user authentication is performed by the authentication unit. And a print holding means.

  Further, in the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 1, when the print restricting means detects that the invisible embedded data is included in the document by the detecting means, the data Has a determination means for determining whether or not information includes confidentiality information, and has a predetermined print authority when the determination means determines that the data includes confidentiality information. The printing of the document by a user other than the user is restricted.

  Further, in the invention of claim 4, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, when a user other than a user who has a print authority for the information requiring confidentiality performs the printing, an administrator of the information requiring confidentiality, etc. The printing restricting unit further includes a printing propriety confirmation unit for confirming whether or not the printing is possible, and the printing restriction unit prints the document when an approval of printing is obtained from the administrator or the like by the printing propriety confirmation by the printing propriety confirmation unit. It is characterized by permitting.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the administrator or the like gives an instruction to rewrite or delete the confidential information by the print permission confirmation by the print permission confirmation means, the instruction The information processing apparatus further includes an editing unit that rewrites or deletes information that requires confidentiality based on the information, and the print restriction unit permits printing of the document after the rewriting or deletion by the editing unit.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the data is invisiblely embedded in the document by a digital watermark, a barcode, or the like.

  The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that, in the inventions of claims 3 to 6, the information requiring confidentiality is information relating to personal information.

  In the printing control method for a printing apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, when printing a document, the detection means detects whether or not the document contains invisible embedded data, and the detection means detects the document. If it is detected that the invisible embedded data is included, the printing restriction unit restricts printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined printing authority.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing system for detecting whether or not invisible data is included in a document when the document is printed, and the document is invisible to the document by the detection unit. When it is detected that embedded data is included, the printing apparatus includes a print restriction unit that restricts printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined print authority.

  According to the present invention, when printing a document, it is detected whether or not the invisible embedded data is included in the document, and the invisible embedded data is included in the document by the detection. If detected, since it is configured to restrict the printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined print authority, even invisible data is not printed unprotected, There is no situation where this data (particularly information that requires confidentiality) is disseminated without your knowledge.

  In addition, if there is an error in this invisible data (especially information that requires confidentiality), it will be permitted to print after rewriting or deleting it. It does not happen that information is printed.

  As a result, it is possible to improve the handling method for this type of data, in which security is often neglected due to the invisible nature.

  Embodiments of a printing apparatus, a printing control method thereof, and a printing system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which confidential information is used as personal information, and the digital watermark technique is used for embedding the personal information invisible.

  First, the meanings of main terms used in this embodiment will be defined.

(1) “Print instruction with electronic watermark (including personal information)” used in this embodiment refers to a print instruction for a document in which personal information is embedded as watermark information.

(2) “Print instruction with electronic watermark (without personal information)” used in the present embodiment refers to a print instruction for a document that includes watermark information but does not have personal information embedded in the watermark information.

(3) “Printing instruction without electronic watermark (including personal information)” used in the present embodiment refers to a printing instruction for a document that has no watermark information but includes personal information.

(4) “Printing instruction without digital watermark (no personal information)” used in the present embodiment refers to a printing instruction for a document containing neither watermark information nor personal information.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a printing system configured by arranging a printer 20 to which a printing apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

  In this printing system, a corporate system 40 that handles personal information and a personal personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal terminal) 50 that deposits the personal information to the company are connected via the Internet.

  Here, the corporate system 40 includes a personal information database 10 and a printer 20, and the personal information database 10 and the printer 20 are connected to each other via a network 41 or the like so as to be able to communicate with each other.

  The personal information database 10 stores various types of personal information, which includes personal information related to the user who handles the personal terminal 50 described above. This personal information is information that requires confidentiality, and since it is necessary to pay close attention to its handling, the personal information stored here is encrypted.

  The printer 20 receives print data (data including a document to be printed) formed based on a print instruction from various information processing apparatuses (not shown) on the network 41, and paper based on the print data. Printing on a recording medium such as When a printing instruction with electronic watermark (including personal information) is issued from the information processing apparatus, the printer 20 performs printing control according to the present invention. Although details of this print control will be described later, from the viewpoint of personal information protection, for example, printing is prohibited or watermark information is deleted to suppress leakage of personal information.

  An authentication device 30 is connected to the printer 20, and this authentication device 30 performs a function of performing user authentication as to whether or not the user who performs the printing is a user having printing authority when printing by the printer 20. . The user authentication is performed by inputting authentication information read by the authentication device 30 to the printer 20.

  Here, if there is no personal information in the document to be printed, any user who has print authority for the document can authenticate and print, but the document contains personal information. If the user does not have the print authority for the document and the print authority for the personal information, the authentication is not normal and the user cannot print. Even if the printer 20 receives the print data, the printer 20 does not immediately start printing, but the authentication device 30 suspends printing until authentication by a user having print authority for the document and its personal information is performed. Become.

  The user authentication in the authentication device 30 includes card authentication using a card-like recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a security card) on which user identification information (user ID) carried by the user is recorded, and biometrics such as a user's fingerprint. Biometric authentication or the like that reads characteristic information can be adopted. In this embodiment, a case where user authentication is performed using a security card will be described as an example.

  The security card can be composed of an IC card equipped with an IC (integrated circuit), a magnetic card using a magnetic stripe as a recording means, and the like, in addition to the user ID, the department information to which the user belongs and the authority Various information necessary for user authentication such as a range is recorded.

  Here, an operator panel serving as an interface with the user is provided on the front surface of the printer 20. In FIG. 1, as an example of an operator panel screen, an administrator (hereinafter simply referred to as an administrator) who is entrusted with handling personal information at the time of printing in response to a print instruction (including personal information) with a digital watermark is a user authentication. The screen that is displayed after printing is displayed. On this screen, the print image and the contents of the personal information are displayed. One of the following operations is performed: “Erase and Print”, “Printing Prohibition and Disposal”, and “Personal Information Editing”. Here, the administrator confirms the content and purpose of use of personal information, and if it is determined to be appropriate, printing is permitted, but if it is determined to be inappropriate, personal information can be edited, It will erase or cancel the printing itself.

  Now, the flow of print processing in the printer 20 will be described. When a print instruction with digital watermark (including personal information) is issued, the printer 20 first extracts the watermark information from the document of the print data based on the print instruction and collates it with the data (personal information) in the personal information database 10. I will let you.

  If there is corresponding data as a result of the collation, personal information is included in the print data, so the printer 20 restricts printing based on the print data.

  The print restriction in the printer 20 is performed based on, for example, print control data shown in FIG. In the example of the print control data shown in FIG. 2, for example, when a print instruction with digital watermark (including personal information) is performed (item number 3), if the person or administrator of the personal information prints normally However, it is stipulated that printing is prohibited for other users, even if they have printing authority, without the consent of the person or administrator of the personal information.

  Item Nos. 4 to 7 restrict the confirmation or editing of personal information by a third party when printing of a document containing personal information is suspended because the printer 20 is waiting for authentication. Provisions have been made. For example, item number 4 and item number 5 stipulate that browsing of personal information items and their contents by a user other than the person or administrator of the personal information is prohibited.

  Next, a part of the functional configuration of the printer 20 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, only the constituent elements according to the present invention will be described.

  The printer 20 includes a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, a printing unit 23, and a UI (User Interface) unit 24 as its functional configuration.

  The communication unit 21 is a communication interface device such as a network card that connects the printer 20 and the network 41. The printing unit 23 includes a photosensitive drum, a transfer roller, a fixing unit, and the like, and is a printing mechanism that performs printing on a recording medium such as paper. The UI unit 24 corresponds to the above-described operator panel, and includes a display unit 24a such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and an operation unit 24b such as a touch panel and hard buttons.

  The control unit 22 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a program memory, a working memory, and the like, and the CPU controls the entire printer 20 according to a program stored in the program memory.

  Here, details of the control unit 22 will be described. The control unit 22 includes, as its functional configuration, a print data reception unit 61, a digital watermark detection unit 62, a personal information determination unit 63, a user authentication unit 64, a print control unit 65, and a print availability confirmation unit 66. And a personal information editing unit 66.

  The print data receiving unit 61 has a function of receiving print data received via the communication unit 21 or the like. The print data can be received from other than the communication unit 21. For example, a mounting slot for mounting an external recording medium (flash card, USB memory,...) On the printer 20 is provided. A file (document) recorded on the medium may be received as print data.

  The digital watermark detection unit 62 has a function of detecting whether or not watermark information is included in a document of print data. If watermark information is detected here, it is extracted from the document and personal information embedded as watermark information is extracted. This watermark information can be detected, for example, by separating the watermark information from the document using a predetermined separation filter.

  The personal information determination unit 63 functions to determine whether or not personal information is included in the print data document. This determination process is performed based on the result of collation with data (personal information) in the personal information database 10. Note that when the watermark information is detected by the digital watermark detection unit 62 described above, the personal information embedded in the watermark information is collated with the personal information database 10, so that the watermark information is also detected. It is possible to determine whether or not personal information is included.

  The user authentication unit 64 fulfills a function of performing user authentication based on authentication information read by the authentication device 30. The user authentication unit 64 authenticates whether or not the user is authorized to perform printing based on the print data by making an inquiry to the user's own database or a separately provided user management system. It will be.

  The print control unit 65 performs a function of performing overall processing related to print control. For example, the print control unit 65 holds the print control data described with reference to FIG. 2 and performs print control based on the setting contents defined here.

  The print permission confirmation unit 66 has a function of confirming whether or not the printing can be performed with respect to the person or the manager when the consent of the person or the manager of the personal information is necessary at the time of printing. The confirmation of whether or not printing is possible with respect to the person or the administrator is performed, for example, by displaying the fact on the operator panel of the printer 20 (see the screen example in FIG. 1) or the personal terminal 50.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the confirmation destination of whether or not printing is possible by the printability confirmation unit 66 can be changed as appropriate according to the presence or absence of a digital watermark and whether or not personal information is included. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, even if printing with a digital watermark is performed, if personal information is not included, neither the principal nor the administrator confirms whether or not printing is possible. If it is included, both the principal and the administrator are confirmed as to whether printing is possible.

  The reason why the confirmation destination can be changed in this way is because, depending on the contents of the personal information, there are some that can be handled by the administrator, and some that can be handled only by the person of the personal information. Second, since it is difficult to obtain consent from the principal each time, if the administrator can handle it, it is more appropriate in terms of system configuration to use the confirmation destination as the administrator. By confirming whether or not printing is possible, there is no risk of the personal information being scattered without the consent of the person or administrator of the personal information.

  The personal information editing unit 66 rewrites or deletes personal information based on the instruction when editing (including deletion) of the personal information is instructed as a result of confirming whether or not printing is possible to the person or the administrator. Fulfills the function of performing. This editing prevents personal information from being printed in an incorrect state.

  In the present embodiment, the personal information editing unit 66 edits the personal information in the personal information database 10 that is the original data of the personal information together with the personal information embedded in the watermark information. Although described as an example, only one of them may be edited, and this can be changed as appropriate according to the operation setting of the printer 20. This completes the description of the various processing function units that make up the printer 20.

  Next, the operation of the print control process in the printer 20 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, as an example of the operation of the printer 20, a case where the printer 20 operates according to the setting example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 when a print instruction with digital watermark (including personal information) is performed will be described. .

  When a user gives a print instruction with digital watermark (including personal information) from an information processing apparatus (not shown) on the network 41, print data based on the instruction is sent to the printer 20, and the printer 20 Is received via the communication unit 21 and is received by the print data receiving unit 61 (step S101).

  Accordingly, the digital watermark detection unit 62 detects whether or not watermark information is included in the document of the print data. If watermark information is detected as a result of this detection, it is extracted from the document and personal information embedded as watermark information is extracted (step S102).

  In response to this, the personal information determination unit 63 collates this watermark information with data (personal information) in the personal information database 10 together with various information in the document, so that the personal information is included in the document. It is determined whether or not (step S103).

  If the personal information is not included in the document as a result of the collation (NO in step S104), the printing unit 23 starts printing based on the control of the print control unit 65 (step S112). If the collation results in personal information included in the document (YES in step S104), the print control unit 65 that has received the print data suspends printing for the print data. The printer 20 waits for authentication (step S105).

  When a user inserts a security card into an authentication device 30 provided corresponding to the printer 20 to perform user authentication, authentication information read from the card is input from the authentication device 30 to the printer 20. Then, the user authentication unit 64 performs user authentication.

  As a result of the authentication, if the user has the print authority for the document in the print data and its personal information (YES in step S106), the printing unit 23 starts printing based on the control of the print control unit 65. (Step S112) This process is ended. On the other hand, if the user has the print authority for the document but does not have the print authority for the personal information (NO in Step S106), the print propriety confirmation unit 66 confirms whether or not the personal information can be printed or not (step S107). That is, a screen for confirming the consent is displayed on the display unit such as the printer 20, the personal terminal 50, or the administrator terminal (not shown).

  As a result of confirming whether or not printing is possible, if there is a reply from the principal, the administrator, or the like that prohibits printing (NO in step S108), the print control unit 65 that has received the response discards the print data. Thus, printing is restricted (step S109). On the other hand, if there is a response from the principal, the administrator, or the like that permits printing (YES in step S108, then in step S110). NO), printing in the printing unit 23 is started based on the control of the printing control unit 65 (step S112), and this process ends.

  As a result of confirming whether or not printing is possible, if the personal information is edited by the person, the administrator, or the like, and if there is a reply that printing may be permitted (YES in step S108, then in step S110) YES), in the personal information editing unit 67, the personal information database which is the original data of the personal information together with the personal information embedded as watermark information based on an editing (including deletion) instruction on the personal information from the person or the administrator 10 is edited (step S111), the printing unit 23 starts printing based on the control of the print control unit 65 (step S112), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, in the present invention, the printer 20 receives print data and detects whether or not watermark information is included in the document of the print data. Determines whether or not the information embedded in the watermark information is personal information. If the personal information is embedded as watermark information as a result of the determination, the printing authority for the personal information, Since it is configured to restrict printing by users other than those who have printing authority for the document, even if the personal information is invisible, it will not be defenselessly printed. There will be no situation where personal information is disseminated.

  In addition, if there is an error in personal information, printing is permitted after it is rewritten or deleted, so that incorrect information is not printed.

  This makes it possible to improve the handling method for this type of information, which is often neglected because of its invisible nature.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the printing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to the printer 20 has been described. However, the processing in the printer 20 is performed by, for example, a printing system that is executed by a print server. You may comprise as follows.

  In addition, the personal information itself may be embedded in the watermark information, or information relating to the personal information may be embedded. The information related to personal information is, for example, information indicating an address (for example, URL) of a storage location where personal information is stored, not personal information itself.

  In the above embodiment, personal information has been described as an example of information that requires confidentiality. However, this information that requires confidentiality includes all information that must be kept secret. For example, business secret information also corresponds to this.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the digital watermark technique is used as an example of the technique for embedding invisible data in the document has been described as an example. Any information can be used as long as it can embed various types of information in an incapable state. For example, data can be embedded invisible even with a barcode or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the description has been mainly given of the case where the watermark information in the document is detected and the print restriction is performed when the information embedded in the watermark information is personal information. Regardless of whether or not, printing may be restricted when watermark information is detected from the document.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown above and shown in the drawings, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within a range not changing the gist thereof.

  The printing apparatus, the printing control method, and the printing system of the present invention can be applied to all printing apparatuses that print documents including invisible embedded data, and in particular, by applying the present invention, The handling method for invisible data (particularly information that requires confidentiality) can be improved.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a printing system configured by arranging a printer 20 to which a printing apparatus according to the present invention is applied. It is a figure which shows an example of printing control data. It is a figure which shows a part of functional structure of the printer 20 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting a confirmation destination of whether or not printing is possible when printing personal information. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of a print control process in the printer 20 shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Personal information database 20 Printer 21 Communication part 22 Control part 23 Printing part 24 UI (User Interface) part 24a Display part 24b Operation part 30 Authentication apparatus 40 Corporate system 41, 42 Network 50 Personal terminal 61 Print data reception part 62 Digital watermark detection Unit 63 Personal information determination unit 64 User authentication unit 65 Print control unit 66 Print availability confirmation unit 67 Personal information editing unit

Claims (9)

Detecting means for detecting whether or not invisible data is included in the document when printing the document;
Print restriction means for restricting printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined print authority when the detection means detects that the invisible embedded data is included in the document. A printing apparatus characterized by the above. The printing restriction means includes
Authentication means for performing user authentication when printing the document;
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a print holding unit that holds the printing until user authentication is performed by the authentication unit. The printing restriction means includes
When the detection unit detects that the invisible embedded data is included in the document, the determination unit includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the data includes confidential information.
The printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined print authority is restricted when the determination unit determines that the data includes confidential information. Printing device. When a user other than a user who has a print authority for the information that requires confidentiality performs the printing, the information management device that further requires confidentiality further includes a print permission confirmation unit that confirms whether or not the printing is possible.
The printing restriction means includes
3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein printing of the document is permitted when the approval of printing is obtained from the administrator or the like by the printing permission confirmation by the printing permission confirmation unit. When rewriting or deletion of the information requiring confidentiality is instructed by the manager or the like by the printing permission confirmation by the printing permission confirmation means, rewriting or deleting the confidentiality information is performed based on the instruction. An editing means,
The printing restriction means includes
The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein printing of the document is permitted after rewriting or deletion by the editing unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data is invisiblely embedded in the document by a digital watermark, a barcode, or the like. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information requiring confidentiality is information related to personal information. When printing a document, the detection means detects whether or not the document contains invisible embedded data;
When the detection means detects that the invisible embedded data is included in the document, the printing restriction means restricts printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined print authority. Print control method for a printing apparatus. Detecting means for detecting whether or not invisible data is included in the document when printing the document;
Print restriction means for restricting printing of the document by a user other than a user having a predetermined print authority when the detection means detects that the invisible embedded data is included in the document. A printing system featuring.

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