JP2008299394A - Print management device and print management program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print management device and a print management program for enabling a user to confirm information relating to authenticated printing. <P>SOLUTION: An authentication processing part performs the authentication processing of authentication information from an authentication printer, and decides whether or not authentication print data to which the authentication information has been added may be transmitted to the authentication printer. The authentication processing includes, for example, processing for authenticating whether or not user authentication information included in the authentication information is a user who has the authorization of printing in a print system; processing for, when the use authentication information is authentication information for authenticating the authority of printing, specifying the authentication print data corresponding to the authentication information; processing for confirming whether or not the authentication printer is available; and processing for, when the authentication printer is available, confirming whether or not the authentication printer is matched with a designation printer, and for selecting and transmitting a message corresponding to the result of the authentication processing executed by the authentication processing part to the printer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a print management apparatus and a print management program.

  In recent years, there are many systems that can use a printer in a so-called network environment in which a plurality of client terminals are connected to a network, a plurality of printers are connected, and the plurality of printers are shared by a plurality of client terminals. Has been built.

  In a system that shares a printer in such a network environment, ensuring the security of the printed document is a problem.

  As a countermeasure against this problem, for example, there is known an authentication printing system provided with an authentication device corresponding to a client terminal on the print request side and a printer on the output side.

  In this authentication printing system, at the time of printing, user authentication is performed by an authentication device provided on the client terminal side. Further, in order to obtain the output result, user authentication is performed by an authentication device provided on the printer side, so that there is no inconvenience that a printed matter is taken away by a third party, and security can be ensured.

  For example, at the time of authentication printing from the terminal, it is determined whether or not to perform function restriction for each printing function based on the printing restriction information in the security card read for authentication, and the printing function is restricted based on the determination result. The print job related to the print instruction for which the print function is set within the limit of the print function is sent to the print server, and the print for the print job is based on the authentication from the authentication device provided for the printer. There is a printing instruction apparatus to be performed, a printing function restriction method thereof, and an authentication printing system (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Further, for example, the user ID stored in the IC card separate from the printer device is read, the user ID is compared with the user ID registered in the memory, and the user ID stored in the IC card and registered in the memory. When an error occurs due to a mismatch between user IDs, there is an image processing apparatus that gives an error notification from a speaker or displays an error on an operation display panel (for example, see Patent Document 2).
JP 2007-58744 A JP-A-2005-208313

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a print management apparatus and a print management program that allow a user to confirm information related to authenticated printing.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a print data receiving means for receiving print data to which identification information indicating print authority is added from an information processing apparatus connected via communication means, and the print data. Print data storage means for storing print data received by the reception means, authentication information reception means for receiving authentication information from the image forming apparatus connected via the communication means, and authentication information received by the authentication information reception means Authentication means for authenticating the printing authority in the display, display information storage means for storing at least one display information to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus, and display information corresponding to a result of authentication by the authentication means. Display information selection means for selecting from display information stored in the means, and the same identification information as the authentication information authenticated by the authentication means is added. Print data acquisition means for acquiring print data from print data stored in the print data storage means; display information selected by the display information selection means; or print data acquired by the print data acquisition means Transmission means for transmitting to the apparatus.

  In the invention of claim 2, in the invention of claim 1, the display information selecting means can authenticate the authentication information when the authentication means cannot authenticate the print right of the print data in the authentication information. It is characterized in that display information indicating that there was no information is selected.

  Further, the invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the display information selection means, when the authentication means cannot authenticate the authentication information because the authentication information has not been registered. The display information indicating unregistered is selected.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the display information selecting unit cannot acquire the print data to which the print data acquiring unit has added the same identification information as the authentication information. The display information indicating that the print data does not exist is selected.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when the display information selecting unit determines that the authentication unit cannot use the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus cannot be used. It is characterized by selecting display information to the effect.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when an image forming apparatus that prints the print data is specified in the print data, the display information selection unit is configured so that the authentication unit performs the designation. If the designated image forming apparatus does not match the image forming apparatus that is the transmission source of the identification information, and the image forming apparatus that is the transmission source of the identification information does not match. It is characterized by selecting display information indicating that there is.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the display information selecting unit displays that the authentication information has been authenticated when the transmitting unit transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus. It is characterized by selecting information.

  The invention according to claim 8 receives the print data to which the identification information indicating the print authority is added from the information processing apparatus connected through the communication means, and stores the received print data in the print data storage means. A print data storage process; an authentication information reception process for receiving authentication information from an image forming apparatus connected via the communication unit; an authentication process for authenticating a printing authority in the received authentication information; and a display information storage unit Display information selection processing for selecting display information corresponding to the authentication result from at least one display information transmitted to the stored image forming apparatus, and identification information identical to the authenticated authentication information. Print data acquisition processing for acquiring the added print data from the print data stored in the print data storage means, and the selected display information, or The print data whose serial acquired, characterized in that to execute a transmission process of transmitting to the image forming apparatus to the computer.

  The invention according to claim 9 is that, in the invention according to claim 8, when the display information selection processing cannot authenticate the print right of the print data in the authentication information, the authentication information cannot be authenticated. The display information is selected.

  Further, in the invention of claim 10, in the invention of claim 8, the display information selection process indicates that the authentication information is not registered when the identification information cannot be authenticated because the authentication information is not registered. The display information is selected.

  Further, in the invention of claim 11 according to the invention of claim 8, if the display information selection process cannot acquire print data to which the same identification information as the authentication information is added, the print data exists. It is characterized by selecting display information to the effect.

  The invention according to claim 12 is that, in the invention according to claim 8, when the display information selection process determines that the image forming apparatus cannot be used, the image forming apparatus cannot be used. The display information is selected.

  Further, in the invention of claim 13, in the invention of claim 8, when an image forming apparatus that prints the print data is specified in the print data, the display information selection process performs the specified image. When the forming apparatus does not match the image forming apparatus that is the transmission source of the identification information, an indication that the designated image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus that is the transmission source of the identification information do not match It is characterized by selecting information.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the eighth aspect of the invention, the display information selecting process selects display information indicating that the authentication information has been authenticated when the print data is transmitted to the image forming apparatus. It is characterized by that.

  According to the first and eighth aspects of the present invention, the user can confirm information related to the authentication printing.

  In the inventions according to claims 2 and 9, the user can confirm that the authentication information has not been authenticated.

  In the inventions according to claims 3 and 10, the user can confirm that the authentication information is not registered.

  According to the fourth and eleventh aspects of the present invention, the user can confirm that the print data corresponding to the authentication information is not registered.

  In addition, according to the fifth and twelfth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to confirm that the printer from which the user has read the authentication information cannot be used.

  According to the sixth and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to confirm that the printer from which the user has read the authentication information is not the printer designated as the print data printing destination.

  Further, according to the seventh and fourteenth aspects, the user can confirm that the authentication information has been authenticated.

  Embodiments of a print management apparatus and a print management program according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a printing system 1 to which the present invention is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes one or more terminals 2, a print management device 3, and one or more printers 4, each of which is a LAN [Local Area Network]. Or the like via the network 5. Each terminal 2 is provided with an authentication information receiving device 6 and each printer is provided with an authentication information receiving device 6 in a one-to-one correspondence.

  The terminal 2 is a personal computer handled by the user, and can print a desired document from the terminal 2. In the printing system 1, when printing is performed from the terminal 2, printing is always performed by the printer 4 via the print management device 3. The authentication information receiving apparatus 6 that is locally connected to the terminal 2 receives user identification information indicating that the user has the authority to print when requesting printing of a document from the connected terminal 2 (hereinafter referred to as authentication information and the like). Accept).

  Here, when the terminal 2 requests the printer 4 to print the document via the print management device 3, the terminal 2 generates a print request (hereinafter referred to as print data) in the form of a printer control code, and generates the generated print. Data is transmitted to the print management apparatus 3. The authentication information received by the authentication information receiving device 6 is added to the print data. When the printer 4 that performs printing is designated (hereinafter, the designated printer is referred to as the designated printer), the information of the designated printer 4 is also included in the print data. The print data added with these pieces of information is hereinafter referred to as authentication print data.

  The printer 4 receives print data from the terminal 2 via the print management apparatus 3 and performs print processing for the print data. Note that the authentication information receiving device 6 receives authentication information indicating that the user is authorized to print when printing is performed by the corresponding printer 4.

  Here, the printer 4 that has received the authentication information by the authentication information receiving device 6 (hereinafter referred to as an authentication printer) adds information related to the own device to the authentication information and transmits the authentication information to the print management device 3. . When the print management apparatus 3 authenticates the authority of the authentication information, the print management apparatus 3 transmits the print data to which the authentication information is added to the authentication printer 4, and the authentication printer 4 prints out the print data. Do.

  Note that user authentication based on authentication information includes user authentication using a card-like storage medium (hereinafter referred to as a security card) in which authentication information carried by the user (for example, a user ID) is stored, and biometrics such as a user's fingerprint. In this embodiment, a case where user authentication is performed using a security card will be described as an example.

  Here, 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 storage means, and the like, in addition to the user ID, department information to which the user belongs. In addition to various information necessary for user authentication such as a range of authority, a secret key used for encryption of a print job formed based on a print instruction, a public key used for encoding, and the like, print restriction information characteristic of the present invention Stored in advance.

  The print management apparatus 3 receives and manages print data from the terminal 2, and transmits the print data to one of a plurality of printers 4 managed by the own apparatus for printout.

  Further, the print management apparatus 3 performs user authentication processing based on an inquiry to its own database or a separately provided user management system to determine whether or not the user has the authority to issue a document print instruction. Return to terminal.

  Next, details of the print management apparatus 3 will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the print management apparatus 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the print management apparatus 3 includes a reception unit 7, a print data storage unit 8, an authentication processing unit 9, a print data acquisition unit 10, a message storage unit 11, a message selection unit 12, and a transmission unit 13. Configured.

  The receiving unit 7 performs processing for receiving the authentication print data transmitted from the terminal 2 or processing for receiving the authentication information transmitted from the authentication printer 4.

  The print data storage unit 8 is a storage area for storing authentication print data from the terminal 2 received by the reception unit 7.

  Whether the authentication processing unit 9 may perform authentication processing of the authentication information from the authentication printer 4 received by the receiving unit 7 to transmit the authentication print data with the authentication information added to the authentication printer 4. Judge whether or not. The authentication process is, for example, a process for authenticating whether or not the user identification information included in the authentication information is a user who has printing authority in the printing system. The process of specifying the authentication print data corresponding to the process, the process of checking whether or not the authentication printer 4 is available, and if the authentication printer 4 is available, whether or not the authentication printer 4 and the designated printer 4 match. It is a process to confirm.

  When the print data acquisition unit 10 determines that the authentication processing unit 9 can transmit the authentication print data to the authentication printer 4, the authentication information to which the authentication processing performed by the authentication processing unit 9 is added A process of acquiring print data from the print data storage unit 8 is performed.

  The message storage unit 11 stores various messages to be transmitted to the printer 4.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the various messages include a message of “authentication NG” transmitted when the authority to print the user identification information included in the authentication information cannot be authenticated (the message shown in FIG. 3 1) The message "Unregistered authentication information cannot be printed" message (message 2 shown in Fig. 3) sent when authentication information is not registered, and the authentication print data corresponding to the authentication information could not be specified Send message when there is "Your print data is not available" (message 3 shown in Fig. 3), send when authentication printer 4 is not available "Printer is not available Please move to an available printer" Message (message 4 shown in FIG. 3) and “authentication OK printing process” sent together with the authentication print data. A message with the content “Medium” (message 5 shown in FIG. 3) and a message “Move to the specified printer that is not the specified printer” to be sent if the authentication printer 4 and the specified printer 4 do not match ( The message 6) shown in FIG.

  The message selection unit 12 performs processing for selecting a message corresponding to the result of the authentication processing performed by the authentication processing unit 9 from the message storage unit 11.

  The transmission unit 13 transmits the authentication print data corresponding to the authentication information and the message selected by the message selection unit 12 to the printer 4 or when the authentication print data is not transmitted to the printer 4 (authentication information authority can be authenticated). The message selection unit 12 selects the authentication print data corresponding to the authentication information, the authentication printer 4 cannot be used, the authentication printer 4 and the designated printer 4 do not match, or the like. Process to send the message to the printer.

  In addition, it is also possible to apply a configuration in which a print management program having the above-described authentication processing unit 9, print data acquisition unit 10, and message selection unit 12 as functions is installed in a general-purpose server or computer. The print management program is stored in the storage unit (for example, hard disk) of the server or computer, and the calculation unit (for example, CPU) of the server or computer executes the print management program stored in the storage unit. . Further, the above-described print management program can be provided by being stored in a storage medium such as various memories and optical disks, and can be distributed via a communication line such as the network 5, for example.

  Next, an example of the flow of processing performed in the print management apparatus 3 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the receiving unit receives the authentication print data from the terminal (S401), the received authentication print data is stored in the storage unit (S402).

  When the receiving unit receives authentication information from an arbitrary authentication printer (S403), an authentication process is performed based on the received authentication information (S404), and the process ends.

  Next, an example of the flow of authentication processing performed in S404 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  The authentication processing unit authenticates authentication information based on an inquiry to its own database of the print management apparatus or a separately provided user management system (S501). If the authentication information cannot be authenticated (NO in S502) ), The process proceeds to S503, and if the authentication information can be authenticated (YES in S502), the process proceeds to S508.

  If the authentication processing unit cannot authenticate the authentication information (NO in S502), the authentication processing unit checks whether the authentication information is registered in its own database or a separately provided user management system, and the authentication information is registered. If YES in step S503, the process advances to step S504. If authentication information is not registered (NO in step S503), the process advances to step S506.

  When authentication information is registered (YES in S503), the message selection unit selects message 1 shown in FIG. 3 from the message storage unit (S504), and the transmission unit transmits message 1 to the authentication printer (S505). The authentication process ends. Therefore, when the authority to print the user identification information included in the authentication information cannot be authenticated, the authentication printer displays a message “authentication NG”. Note that the authentication printer may emit a warning sound such as a buzzer together with the message display.

  If authentication information is not registered in S503 (NO in S503), the message selection unit selects message 2 shown in FIG. 3 from the message storage unit (S506), and the transmission unit transmits message 2 to the authentication printer ( S507), the authentication process is terminated. Therefore, if the authentication information has not been registered in the print management device's own database or in a separate user management system, the authentication printer displays a message stating that “unregistered authentication information cannot be printed”. become. Note that the authentication printer may emit a warning sound such as a buzzer together with the message display.

  If the authentication information can be authenticated in S502 (YES in S502), the authentication print data corresponding to the authenticated authentication information is searched. If the authentication print data cannot be specified (NO in S508), the process proceeds to S509. If the authentication print data can be specified (YES in S508), the process proceeds to S511 in the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the authentication print data cannot be specified (NO in S508), the message selection unit selects the message 3 shown in FIG. 3 from the message storage unit (S509), and the transmission unit transmits the message 2 to the authentication printer (S510). The authentication process is terminated. Therefore, if the print data corresponding to the authentication information is not registered in the print management apparatus, the authentication printer displays a message with the content “There is no your print data”. Note that the authentication printer may emit a warning sound such as a buzzer together with the message display.

  In S508, if the authentication print data can be specified (YES in S508), it is checked whether the authentication printer is available. If the authentication printer is not available (NO in S511), the process proceeds to S512. If the authentication printer is available (YES in S511), the process proceeds to S514.

  If the authentication printer is not available (NO in S511), the message selection unit selects the message 4 shown in FIG. 3 from the message storage unit (S512), and the transmission unit transmits the message 4 to the authentication printer (S513). The authentication process ends. Therefore, if an authenticated printer cannot be used, the authenticated printer will display a message stating that “the printer cannot be used, please move to an available printer”. Note that information about available printers (for example, a printer name or the like) may be displayed, and the authentication printer may emit a warning sound such as a buzzer together with a message display.

  In S511, if an authentication printer is available (YES in S511), it is checked whether a printer for printing is designated. If a printer is designated (YES in S514), the process proceeds to S515, and If the printer is not designated (NO in S514), the process proceeds to S516.

  If the printer is designated (YES in S514), it is checked whether or not the authentication printer matches the designated printer. If the authentication printer and the designated printer match (YES in S515), the process proceeds to S516. If the authentication printer does not match the designated printer (NO in S515), the process proceeds to S519.

  If the printer is not specified in S514 (NO in S514), or it is checked in S515 whether the authentication printer and the specified printer match, and if the authentication printer and the specified printer match (S515). 3), the message selection unit selects the message 5 shown in FIG. 3 from the message storage unit (S516), and the print data acquisition unit acquires the authentication print data to which the authentication information is added from the print data storage unit (S517). The transmission unit transmits the print data and the message 5 to the authentication printer (S518), and ends the authentication process. Therefore, when the authentication printer receives the print data, the authentication printer displays a message indicating that “authentication OK print processing is in progress”.

  If the authentication printer does not match the designated printer in S515 (NO in S515), the message selection unit selects message 6 shown in FIG. 3 from the message storage unit (S519), and the transmission unit selects message 6 as the authentication printer. (S520), and the authentication process is terminated. Therefore, if the authentication printer is not the designated printer, the authentication printer displays a message indicating that “the printer is not the designated printer, please move to the designated printer”. Note that information about the designated printer (for example, a printer name) may be displayed, and the authentication printer may emit a warning sound such as a buzzer together with a message display.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a printing system to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a print management apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the message memorize | stored in the message memory | storage part. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of processing performed in the print management apparatus. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of authentication processing performed in S404 of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of authentication processing performed in S404 of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printing system 2 Terminal 3 Print management apparatus 4 Printer 5 Network 6 Authentication information reception apparatus 7 Reception part 8 Print data storage part 9 Authentication processing part 10 Print data acquisition part 11 Message storage part 12 Message selection part 13 Transmission part

Claims (14)

Print data receiving means for receiving print data to which identification information indicating print authority is added from an information processing apparatus connected via communication means;
Print data storage means for storing print data received by the print data receiving means;
Authentication information receiving means for receiving authentication information from an image forming apparatus connected via the communication means;
Authentication means for authenticating the printing authority in the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving means;
Display information storage means for storing at least one display information to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus;
Display information selection means for selecting display information corresponding to a result of authentication by the authentication means from display information stored in the display information storage means;
Print data acquisition means for acquiring, from the print data stored in the print data storage means, print data to which the same identification information as the authentication information authenticated by the authentication means is added;
A print management apparatus comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit display information selected by the display information selection unit or print data acquired by the print data acquisition unit to the image forming apparatus. The display information selection means includes
The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the authentication unit cannot authenticate printing authority of the print data in the authentication information, display information indicating that the authentication information could not be authenticated is selected. The display information selection means includes
The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the authentication unit cannot authenticate the authentication information because the authentication information is not registered, display information indicating that the identification information is not registered is selected. The display information selection means includes
2. The display information indicating that the print data does not exist when the print data acquisition unit cannot acquire print data to which the same identification information as the authentication information is added. Print management device. The display information selection means includes
The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the authentication unit determines that the image forming apparatus cannot be used, display information indicating that the image forming apparatus cannot be used is selected. When an image forming apparatus that prints the print data is specified in the print data,
The display information selection means includes
When the authentication unit does not match the designated image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus that is the transmission source of the identification information, the designated image forming apparatus and the image that is the transmission source of the identification information The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein display information indicating that there is a mismatch with the forming apparatus is selected. The display information selection means includes
The print management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the transmission unit transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus, display information indicating that the authentication information has been authenticated is selected. Print data storage processing for receiving print data to which identification information indicating print authority is added from an information processing apparatus connected via communication means, and storing the received print data in the print data storage means;
An authentication information receiving process for receiving authentication information from an image forming apparatus connected via the communication means;
An authentication process for authenticating the printing authority in the received authentication information;
A display information selection process for selecting display information corresponding to the authentication result from at least one display information transmitted to the image forming apparatus stored in the display information storage unit;
Print data acquisition processing for acquiring print data to which the same identification information as the authenticated authentication information is added from print data stored in the print data storage means;
A print management program for causing a computer to execute the transmission processing for transmitting the selected display information or the acquired print data to the image forming apparatus. The display information selection process includes:
9. The print management program according to claim 8, wherein if the print authority of the print data in the authentication information cannot be authenticated, display information indicating that the authentication information could not be authenticated is selected. The display information selection process includes:
9. The print management program according to claim 8, wherein if the identification information cannot be authenticated because the authentication information is not registered, display information indicating that the authentication information is not registered is selected. The display information selection process includes:
9. The print management program according to claim 8, wherein when print data to which the same identification information as the authentication information is added cannot be acquired, display information indicating that the print data does not exist is selected. The display information selection process includes:
9. The print management program according to claim 8, wherein when it is determined that the image forming apparatus cannot be used, display information indicating that the image forming apparatus cannot be used is selected. When an image forming apparatus that prints the print data is specified in the print data,
The display information selection process includes:
When the designated image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus that is the transmission source of the identification information do not match, the designated image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus that is the transmission source of the identification information are 9. The print management program according to claim 8, wherein display information indicating mismatch is selected. The display information selection process includes:
9. The print management program according to claim 8, wherein when the print data is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, display information indicating that the authentication information has been authenticated is selected.

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