JP2009223610A - Print system, printer, and control method of printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user-friendly print system capable of authentication printing while reducing the user's labor required for printing, and to provide a printer and a control method of a printer. <P>SOLUTION: In authentication printing, a printer 4 receives print data corresponding to the name of an authenticated user from a printer server 3 which accumulates print data for authentication printing with user information set thereto. When password information for confidential printing is set to the print data for authentication printing received from the print server 3, a controller 43 of the printer 4 invalidates the setting of confidential printing to the print data and permits printing by an print engine 40 without requiring password input. The user authentication is not required in addition to the authentication by password input, so that user-friendliness can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system, a printing apparatus, and a control method for a printing apparatus that perform authenticated printing that provides a printing function to an authorized user who has been authenticated.

  Conventionally, print data from a host computer is stored in a print server in association with user information. When a printer is recognized as a legitimate user by user authentication using an IC card or the like, the print data of the corresponding user is printed. An authentication printing system that provides a printing function to an authenticated user by receiving from a server and performing printing is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). With this authentication printing, for example, it is possible to prevent the printing function from being used by an unauthorized user who does not have the authority to use.

  In addition, when a password is set for the print data generated by the host computer and the printer receives the print data with the password set, the print data is printed after the user who instructed printing inputs the password on the printer side. There is also known a printer having a confidential printing function for controlling to be performed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). According to the confidential printing function, for example, a third party steals the print result output from the printer after the user instructs printing from the host computer until the printer receives the print result. It is possible to prevent the resulting information from leaking.

JP 2006-113797 A JP-A-8-83153

  However, when printing is performed by a printer having a confidential printing function, whether or not confidential printing is to be performed can be arbitrarily selected by the user by a printer driver on the host computer side. In the print system, there may occur a case where print data in which a password is set is stored in the print server as described in Patent Document 2. In this case, when the user is recognized as a legitimate user by the user authentication and the printer receives the print data from the print server, a password is set in the received print data. Therefore, the user is authenticated by using an IC card or the like. In spite of the fact that it has already been done, it becomes necessary to further authenticate by entering a password. For this reason, it is necessary for the user to receive authentication twice (that is, user authentication using an IC card and authentication using a password) in order to use the printing function, which increases the labor required for printing. There is a problem that it becomes inconvenient.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

  Application Example 1 A host device that generates print data for authentication printing in which user information is set, and the print data for authentication printing are received from the host device, and the print data for authentication printing is stored. A server, and a printing device that performs authentication printing by receiving print data for authentication printing corresponding to user information that has undergone user authentication from the server and permitting printing according to the received print data. The host device has a function of generating confidential printing print data in which password information for confidential printing that requests password input before printing is executed, and the printing device includes: If password information is set in the print data for authentication printing received from the server, the confidential print setting for the print data Printing system and performs printing as invalid.

  Application Example 2 Receives the print data for authentication printing corresponding to the user information subjected to user authentication from the server that stores the print data for authentication print in which the user information is set, and receives the received print data The printing device that performs the authentication printing by permitting the printing conforming to the above, and password information for confidential printing that requires password input before printing is set in the print data for authentication printing received from the server. A printing apparatus comprising: permission means for permitting printing when the setting of confidential printing for the print data is invalid, and printing means for performing printing according to the permitted print data.

  Application Example 3 Receives the print data for authentication printing corresponding to the user information subjected to user authentication from the server that stores the print data for authentication print in which user information is set, and the received print data Is a method of controlling a printing apparatus that performs authentication printing by permitting printing in accordance with the above, and password information for confidential printing that requires password input before printing is included in the print data for authentication printing received from the server. A printing apparatus control method, comprising: setting a confidential print setting for the print data as invalid and permitting printing when the print data is set.

  According to these configurations, the print data received from the server after user authentication is allowed to be printed as confidential printing is invalid even if password information is set. Printing results can be obtained without entering a password. Therefore, the user does not need to perform the user authentication and the authentication by the password input redundantly, and the time required for the password input is reduced, so that the convenience for the user is improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an authentication printing system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the authentication printing system 1 includes a host computer (host device) 2, a print server (server) 3, and a printer (printing device) 4, and each device of the authentication printing system 1 includes , And are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

  Note that the authentication printing system 1 has a printing function for preventing an unauthorized user from using the printing function, and from the printer until the printer receives the printing result after instructing the printing. A confidential printing function is provided for preventing information on the printing result from leaking as a third party steals the output printing result. In authenticated printing, print data generated by the host computer 2 is temporarily stored in the print server 3, and then the user receives user authentication using an ID card or the like on the printer 4 side and is in front of the printer 4. This is a printing method in which the printer 4 receives print data from the print server 3 and performs printing when the user is authenticated as a regular user (see the flow of print data at the time of authenticated printing in FIG. 1). Confidential printing is a printing method in which the host computer 2 transmits print data with a password to the printer 4, and the printer 4 performs printing after the user inputs a correct password on the printer 4 side (confidential printing in FIG. 1). (See Print data flow when printing.) Hereinafter, each device constituting the authentication printing system 1 will be described.

  First, the host computer 2 will be described. The host computer 2 is a personal computer to which a display device such as a display and an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard and a mouse are connected. The host computer 2 includes an application 20 and a printer driver 21. The application 20 is software such as document creation software, and performs processing for generating data to be printed based on user operations, processing for transferring the data to the printer driver 21, and the like. The printer driver 21 generates print data for the printer 4 to perform printing from data to be printed received from the application 20 based on an operation from the user, or transmits the print data to the print server 3 or the printer 4. The processing to do is performed.

  Here, the data structure of the print data generated by the printer driver 21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the print data PD includes job information in which information for managing the job, such as a job start declaration, the number of copies to be printed, color printing / monochrome printing, and the like are described in order from the top data. The data structure includes drawing information describing print contents in accordance with a predetermined page description language and job information describing information such as a job end declaration for managing the end of the job.

  When the authentication printing is set to be valid by a user operation on the printer driver 21 or the like, the user information is set in the job information together with the flag setting that the authentication printing is valid (see FIG. 2), and the confidential printing is performed. If it is set to valid, password information is set in the job information together with a flag setting indicating that confidential printing is valid (see FIG. 3). The printer driver 21 normally generates print data PD according to the settings for authentication printing and confidential printing. That is, when the authentication print is set, the print data PD including the user information shown in FIG. 2 is generated and the print data PD is transmitted to the print server 3. On the other hand, if it is set to perform confidential printing, print data PD including password information shown in FIG. 3 is generated, and the print data PD is transmitted to the printer 4.

  Next, the print server 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the print server 3 includes a registered user database 30 in which user information on authorized users who are permitted to use the printer 4 is registered, and print data that stores print data PD received from the host computer 2. And a buffer 31. The print server 3 compares the user information received from the printer 4 with the user information registered in the registered user database 30, and among the print data PD stored in the print data buffer 31, the authorized user A process of transmitting print data PD corresponding to the authenticated user information to the printer 4 is performed.

  Next, the printer 4 will be described. The printer 4 includes a print engine (printing means) 40, an operation unit 41, a card reader 42, and a controller (permission means) 43 that controls the configuration thereof.

  The print engine 40 includes a charging unit, an exposure unit, a photoreceptor, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a fixing unit, a toner cartridge, and the like. The photoreceptor is a drum having a cylindrical conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and rotatable about a central axis. The photosensitive member is charged by the charging unit, and thereafter, the latent image is formed by the exposure unit and the latent image is developed by using the developing unit. The developed toner image is transferred to a print medium such as paper by a transfer unit. Then, the fixing unit fixes the transferred toner image on the print medium, whereby an image is formed on the print medium, and printing by the print engine 40 is performed. That is, the print engine 40 of this embodiment performs printing by electrophotographic image formation. Of course, the printing method of the print engine is not limited to the electrophotographic method, and other printing methods such as an ink jet method and a thermal transfer method may be used.

  The operation unit 41 includes a display panel 410 such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL display, and operation buttons 411 for receiving user operations.

  The card reader 42 is a part that reads an ID card for user authentication, and performs a process of transferring user information read from the ID card to the controller 43.

  The controller 43 includes a CPU 430, a ROM 431, a RAM 432, a communication I / F 433, an engine I / F 434, a panel I / F 435, and an internal I / F 436.

  The ROM 431 is a memory in which various programs for controlling the printer 4 are stored in advance, and the RAM 432 is used as a reception buffer for storing received print data PD, an internal buffer for storing band data, a working memory, and the like. It is memory. The CPU 430 is a part that controls various processes performed in the printer 4, and by executing a program stored in the ROM 431, a process for receiving print data PD, a user authentication process, a password input authentication process, It controls processing for controlling printing by the print engine 40, processing for controlling the operation unit 41, and the like.

  The communication I / F 433 is an interface part that is communicably connected to the host computer 2 and the print server 3 via a network, and performs a process of receiving print data PD from the host computer 2 or the print server 3.

  The engine I / F 434 is a part that controls the interface between the controller 43 and the print engine 40. When printing is performed by the print engine 40, the image data stored in the RAM 432 is read at a predetermined timing and converted into image data. After performing a predetermined process, a process of outputting to the print engine 40 is performed. The engine I / F 434 includes a memory for temporarily storing data, a decompression unit, a screen processing unit, and the like. For image data read from the RAM 432, decompression of compressed data, dot data Perform screen processing to convert to. The engine I / F 434 having these functions is composed of, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

  The panel I / F 435 is an interface connected to the operation unit 41, and performs processing for outputting a display signal to the display panel 410 of the operation unit 41, processing for inputting an operation signal by a user operation to the operation button 411, and the like. . The internal I / F 436 is an interface part to which the card reader 42 is connected, and performs processing for acquiring user information of the ID card read by the card reader 42 from the card reader 42.

  When performing authentication printing in the authentication printing system 1 described above, first, based on a user operation for specifying authentication printing, confidential printing, or the like, the printer driver 21 of the host computer 2 has a data structure corresponding to the specified printing. Print data PD is transmitted. In the case of authenticated printing, the print data transmission destination is the print server 3, and in the case of confidential printing, the print data transmission destination is the printer 4.

  Here, since the setting for enabling / disabling confidential printing in the host computer 2 is performed based on a user operation on the printer driver 21, the authentication printing is effectively specified, and the confidential printing is additionally enabled. Sometimes. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, password information is further set to the authentication print data PD for which user information is set, together with a flag for enabling confidential printing. That is, the print data PD output to the print server 3 at the time of authentication printing includes the case where the password information in which confidential printing is disabled is not included as shown in FIG. 2, and the confidential printing as shown in FIG. May contain password information that is enabled.

  In the authentication printing system 1 of this embodiment, when the host computer 2 generates print data in which user information and password information are set as shown in FIG. 4, that is, password information is further added to the print data for authentication printing. If it has been set, there is a feature in controlling the print data to be permitted to execute without invalidating the password authentication by disabling the confidential print setting for the print data. . Hereinafter, a process at the time of authentication printing in the authentication printing system 1 will be described in detail according to a flowchart.

  After the print data PD of FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 transmitted to the print server 3 is stored in the print data buffer 31 of the print server 3, the user tries to use the printer 4 on the printer 4 side. When an operation for causing the card reader 42 to read the possessed ID card is performed, the card reader 42 reads the user information of the ID card, and the processing of FIG. 5 is started.

  When the process is started, the CPU 430 of the printer 4 performs user authentication (step S100). Here, the CPU 430 acquires the user information read from the ID card via the internal I / F, and further transmits the user information to the print server 3 via the communication I / F 433, whereby user authentication is transmitted to the print server 3. Ask. On the print server 3 side, by comparing the user information received from the printer 4 with the user information registered in the registered user database 30, it is determined whether or not user information that matches the received user information is registered. It is determined whether or not the user information is the user information, and the determination result is returned to the printer 4.

  Next, the CPU 430 of the printer 4 causes the card reader 42 to read the ID card based on the received determination result, and determines whether or not the user who intends to use the printer 4 is a regular user (step S110). ). If it is determined that the user is a legitimate user (step S110: Yes), the user logs in to the print server 3 with the authenticated user name of the legitimate user (step S120), and print data PD having user information corresponding to the logged-in user is obtained. And received from the print server 3 (step S130). As described above, the print data PD received here is the print data PD for which password information is not set as shown in FIG. 2, or the print data PD for which password information is set as shown in FIG. Data PD.

  Next, the CPU 430 analyzes the description of the job information of the received print data PD, and inputs the setting information indicating the validity / invalidity of confidential printing, password information, the number of copies, and the print data PD (here, the print data PD). The submission destination information indicating the server 3) is stored in the job management area secured on the memory area of the RAM 432. Specifically, regarding the setting of confidential printing, confidential printing is enabled when password information is included in the received print data PD, and confidential printing is disabled when password information is not included. When the print job is registered in this way (step S140), the processing in FIG. 5 is terminated, and then the processing in FIG. 6 is started. On the other hand, if it is determined that the user is not a legitimate user as a result of the user authentication (step S110: No), the process shown in FIG. 5 is performed after notifying the user of an authentication error or the like without receiving the print data PD from the print server 3. Exit.

  Next, processing when the printer 4 performs printing according to the received print data will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6 is performed after registering the job of the print data PD (see FIGS. 2 and 4) received from the print server 3, or from the host computer 2 with the print data PD for confidential printing (see FIG. 3). It starts after receiving and registering the job.

  When the processing of FIG. 6 is started, the CPU 430 determines whether or not the received print data PD job is for authenticated printing (step S200). Here, it is determined whether the print data PD is a print job received from the print server 3 in accordance with the registered print job submission destination information. If the print data PD is received from the print server 3, the authentication print is performed. (Step S200: Yes), the user who is going to use has already been authenticated as a legitimate user, so it is determined that further authentication with a password is unnecessary, and the password information is deleted from the print data PD. (Step S210). As a result, the confidential print setting is invalidated for the print data PD, and the setting is changed so as not to require password input before printing. Note that the method of invalidating confidential printing is not limited to this. For example, for a print job registered in the job management area, the confidential printing setting is invalidated by switching the confidential printing valid / invalid flag. It may be.

  After deleting the password information or determining that the authentication printing is not performed in step S200 (step S200: No), the process proceeds to step S220, and the CPU 430 expands the drawing information of the print data PD into a bitmap image. Band data is generated by partitioning a bitmap image for each band having a predetermined height.

  Next, the CPU 430 refers to the information about the print job registered in the job management area and determines whether password information is set (step S230). If the print data PD received in the process of FIG. 6 is the confidential print data PD received from the host computer 2, the password information is set because the password information is registered in the job management area. Is determined (step S230: Yes), and the generated band data is temporarily stored in the internal buffer of the RAM 432 (step S240).

  Next, the CPU 430 causes the display panel 410 to display a password input screen that prompts the user to input a password via the panel I / F 435 (step S250). Then, it is determined whether or not the password input by the user operation on the operation button 411 matches the password information of the print job registered in the job management area (step S260). If the input password does not match the registered password information (step S260: No), a password input error is notified, and the process returns to step S250 to prompt the user to input the password again. If the input password matches the registered password information (step S260: Yes), the CPU 430 permits printing of the registered print job, and the band data stored in the internal buffer is By outputting to the print engine 40 via the engine I / F 434, printing by the print engine 40 is executed (step S270).

  On the other hand, when the print data received from the host computer 2 is print data PD for authentication printing that does not include password information (see FIG. 2), and the received print data includes print data PD that includes password information (see FIG. 4). If the password information has been deleted in step S230, since the password information is not set in the job management area in the determination in step S230, it is determined that the confidential printing setting is invalid (step S230: No), the CPU 430 permits printing of the registered print job. In this case, the band data generated in step S220 is output to the print engine 40 via the engine I / F 434, whereby printing by the print engine 40 is executed (step S280). When printing is performed in step S270 or S280, the processing in FIG. 6 is terminated.

  As described above, in the authentication printing system 1, password information for confidential printing is set in the received print data during authentication printing in which the printer 4 receives the print data PD from the print server 3 after user authentication. However, by changing the confidential print setting to an invalid one, printing according to the print data is performed without the user performing a work of inputting a password. As a result, when the user tries to perform authentication printing by a user operation performed on the host computer 2 side, for example, when the user has instructed authentication printing and confidential printing by mistakenly setting password information In addition, a print result can be obtained by user authentication using an ID card without performing a password input operation. In this way, regardless of whether or not password information is set in the print data PD for authentication printing generated by the host computer 2, a print result can be obtained by performing authentication once using an ID card. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user by inputting the password, thereby reducing the burden on the user and realizing the authentication printing system 1 excellent in user convenience.

  Of course, since the user authentication using the ID card is performed without the password authentication, it is possible to prevent information from leaking to the third party from the print result.

  Although one example of the embodiment has been described above, the following modifications may be made.

  (Modification 1) In the above-described embodiment, the printer 4 communicates with the print server 3 to perform user authentication. However, the printer 4 has a registered user database, and without accessing the print server 3, User authentication may be performed inside the printer. The authentication server for performing user authentication provided with the registered user database and the print server provided with the print data buffer may be configured as separate systems.

  (Modification 2) In the above embodiment. Although user authentication using an ID card is performed, the user authentication method is not limited to this, and user authentication is performed using user information such as passwords, fingerprints, and irises set in advance for each user. You may do it.

  (Modification 3) In the above embodiment, the printer as an example of the printing apparatus has been described. However, the printing apparatus may be a multifunction machine having a printing function and a scanner function, or a fax machine.

The figure which showed the structure of the authentication printing system which concerns on a present Example. The figure which showed the data structure of the print data in authentication printing. The figure which showed the data structure of the print data in confidential printing. The figure which showed the data structure of the print data in which password information was set in authentication printing. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing when receiving print data for authentication printing. The flowchart which showed the flow of the process at the time of performing printing.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Authentication printing system, 2 ... Host computer as host apparatus, 3 ... Print server as server, 4 ... Printer as printing apparatus, 20 ... Application, 21 ... Printer driver, 30 ... Registered user database, 31 ... Print data Buffer, 40 ... Print engine as printing means, 41 ... Operation unit, 42 ... Card reader, 43 ... Controller as permission means, 410 ... Display panel, 411 ... Operation button, 430 ... CPU, 431 ... ROM, 432 ... RAM 433 ... Communication I / F, 434 ... Engine I / F, 435 ... Panel I / F, 436 ... Internal I / F.

Claims (3)

A host device that generates print data for authentication printing in which user information is set;
A server that receives the print data for authentication printing from the host device and stores the print data for authentication print;
A printing system comprising: a printing device that performs authentication printing by receiving print data for authentication printing corresponding to user information that has undergone user authentication from the server, and allowing printing according to the received print data Because
The host device has a function of generating print data for confidential printing in which password information for confidential printing that requests password input before printing is executed,
When the password information is set in the print data for authentication printing received from the server, the printing apparatus performs printing with the confidential print setting for the print data being invalid. . The authentication print data corresponding to the user information subjected to user authentication is received from the server that stores the print data for authentication print in which user information is set, and printing according to the received print data is permitted. A printing apparatus for performing authentication printing,
If password information for confidential printing that requires password input before printing is set in the print data for authentication printing received from the server, the confidential printing setting for the print data is printed as invalid. Permission means to allow
And a printing unit that performs printing according to the permitted print data. The authentication print data corresponding to the user information subjected to user authentication is received from the server that stores the print data for authentication print in which user information is set, and printing according to the received print data is permitted. A method of controlling a printing apparatus that performs authentication printing,
If password information for confidential printing that requires password input before printing is set in the print data for authentication printing received from the server, the confidential printing setting for the print data is printed as invalid. A method for controlling a printing apparatus.

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