JP2009238122A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve security in a network printing system. <P>SOLUTION: A secured printing system spools a print job in a host system after starting print, authenticates in a printing device, transmits the print job after completion of the authentication, and carries out printing. When the printing device fails in the authentication or falls in time-out without performing the authentication, the device transmits an authentication result to the host, whereby the host can promptly eliminate the print job after completion of the authentication. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system in which a plurality of users share a printer connected on a network.

  In recent years, printers with enhanced security functions for print jobs have begun to spread. As a security function in a printer, when a user executes printing on a host machine, a print job is transmitted from the host machine to the printing apparatus and stored in a storage device in the printing apparatus. Here, the user generally moves to the installation location of the printing apparatus, inputs a personal identification number or the like on the printing apparatus, performs user authentication, and starts printing upon successful authentication.

  On the other hand, when the user of the host machine issues a print instruction, the print job is spooled in a storage device in the host machine, and user information and print job specifying information are managed in a server on the network or in the print device. A configuration is known in which a print job is transmitted from a host machine to a printing apparatus and printing is performed when the user completes authentication on the printer apparatus after that (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent) Reference 2).

JP 2005-242735 A JP-A-5-143253

  However, in the case of Patent Document 1, the print job spooled in the host machine is held in the storage device in the time host, such as when the user fails in authentication or when authentication is not executed for a long time after printing is started. As a result, the risk of unauthorized access from outside increases.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes that a print job in a storage device is deleted when authentication fails several times or when a time-out occurs. However, this is the case where the print job is stored in the printing apparatus, and there is no mention of the print job on the host side, and the same applies to the operation from the authentication failure or timeout occurrence until the print job is deleted.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the risk of unauthorized access by shortening the time for spooling a print job to a storage device in a host machine as much as possible, and to further improve the security of a print job in network printing. And

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to the present invention, in a printing system in which a host machine and a printing apparatus are connected via a network, the host machine spools a print job in a storage device and also prints user information and a password for instructing printing. Number is transmitted to the printing apparatus, and the printing apparatus performs authentication processing based on the received user information and personal identification number. If the authentication is successful, an authentication success response command is transmitted to the host machine, and the authentication fails. If the authentication fails, a authentication failure response command is sent to the host machine. If the host machine receives the authentication success response command, the host machine stores the authentication failure response command. A print job corresponding to the user information and password in the apparatus is transmitted to the printing apparatus, and the authentication failure response command is transmitted. When the print job is received, the print job corresponding to the user information and the personal identification number in the storage device is deleted, and the print device prints when the print job is received from the host machine. .

  Also, during authentication processing of the printing apparatus, if authentication information is not input even after a lapse of a certain period of time after receiving user information and a personal identification number, an authentication failure response command is transmitted to the host machine. It is characterized by that.

  In addition, the printing apparatus has a table that holds the number of authentication failures for each user, and when the authentication fails for a certain number of times for the same user, the number of authentication failures for each user is incremented, and the user of the user When receiving information, the information processing apparatus has a determination unit that determines whether or not the number of authentication failures by user exceeds a specified value. If the number of authentication failures exceeds the specified value, an authentication failure response command is always transmitted to the host machine. It is characterized by.

  The time for the print job to spool to the storage device in the host machine is shortened, and the risk of unauthorized access can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, a host machine and a printing apparatus that are embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a security printing system according to the present invention.

  The host machine 100 is a general-purpose personal computer having a network communication function, and is connected to the printing apparatus 200 via a network.

  The host machine 100 includes an application (software) 101, a display unit 102 such as a display, a security printing printer driver 103, and a storage device 104. The storage device 104 includes a print job control unit 105, a command transmission / reception unit 106, a print job generation unit 107, a print job deletion unit 108, a print job transmission unit 109, and a print job management table 110.

  The printing apparatus 200 includes an authentication control unit 201, a command transmission / reception unit 202, a job authentication management table 203, a user authentication management table 204, an authentication timer 205, a real-time clock 206, an operation unit 207, a print job reception unit 210, and a storage device 211. A printing control unit 212 and a printing unit 213. The operation unit 207 includes a display unit 208 and an input unit 209.

  The host machine 100 generates a document or image data created by using the application (software) 101 in its own machine as a print job by the security print compatible printer driver unit 103, and stores the print job in the storage device 104. At the same time, the information is registered in the print job management table 110. At the same time, an authentication request command is issued to the printing apparatus 200.

  The printing apparatus 200 receives the authentication request command transmitted from the host machine 100, registers it in the job authentication management table 203, executes user authentication using the operation unit 207, and if the authentication is successful, the host machine 100 Returns an authentication success response to If authentication fails, an authentication failure response is returned to the host machine 100, and the number of authentication failures in the user authentication management table 204 is counted up. If the number of failures exceeds the specified value, an acceptance rejection flag is set in the user authentication management table 204, and thereafter, an authentication request from that user is rejected. On the other hand, when the authentication result is transmitted from the printing apparatus 200, the host machine 100 reads the print job in the storage device 104 and transmits it to the printing apparatus 200 in the case of a successful authentication response, and executes printing. On the other hand, if an authentication failure response is received, the print job in the storage device 104 is deleted, and the print process is terminated.

  In performing security printing, it is necessary to perform some settings in advance in the printing apparatus 200. Using the operation unit 207 of the printing apparatus 200, various setting items are selected and set from the security printing menu. When this setting menu is selected, it is necessary to request input of a personal identification number known only to the security administrator and succeed in the authentication.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of the security print menu in this embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a case where there are four setting items.

  The first setting item is “authentication timeout time”, which is the time from when the printing apparatus 200 receives the authentication request command to when authentication is actually started. If this time is exceeded, it is determined that the authentication has failed. To do.

  The second setting item is “input time-out time”. After authentication starts, the authentication timer 205 counts the time until input from the user in the state of waiting for the input of the password, and this input time-out time is exceeded. If it is, it is determined that the authentication has failed.

  The third setting item is “job authentication failure count”. If the password registered in the job authentication management table 203 and the password entered by the user from the operation unit 207 do not match, it is re-entered. When the number of times exceeds the set number, it is determined that the authentication has failed.

  The fourth setting item is “number of user authentication failures”. When the authentication from one user ID fails continuously, if the number exceeds the set number of times, thereafter, from the user ID Disapprove of authentication.

  In order to cancel this, it is necessary to select “cancel acceptance rejection flag” in the same menu and clear the acceptance rejection flag on the user authentication management table 204.

  Next, a security printing control method of the host machine 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an implementation procedure on the host system side of the present invention.

  When an application on the host machine 100 creates a document or an image and gives an instruction to start secure printing, the application 101 sends a document or an image to the print job generation unit 107 in the printer driver 103 for security printing. Image data and its password are sent. The print job generation unit 107 generates a print job from the received document or image data and stores it in the storage device 104 (step 10: represented as S10, and so on). At the same time, the print job control unit 105 registers the user ID, job number, personal identification number, head address storing the print job, and data size in the print job management table 110 (S11). Next, the command transmission / reception unit 106 transmits an authentication request command (user ID, job number, password) to the printing apparatus 200 (S12).

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the print job management table 110 in this embodiment.

  A job number and a user ID are distinguished, and a password, a print job head address, and a print job data size are further stored in each data area.

  After the authentication in the printing apparatus 200 is completed, the host machine 100 receives a response command indicating success or failure of authentication in the command transmission / reception unit 106 (S13). It is determined which authentication command is used (S14), and when the host machine 100 receives an authentication success response command at the command transmission / reception unit 106 after the end of authentication in the printing apparatus, the print job control unit 105 displays the print job. From the management table 110, the head address and data size in the storage device 104 storing the print job of the corresponding user ID and job number are read, and the print job in the storage device 104 is transmitted to the print job transmission unit 109. The print job transmission unit 109 reads out the print job from the storage device 104 and transmits it to the printing device 200 (S15).

  On the other hand, when an authentication failure response command is received in S14, the print job control unit 105, based on the print job management table 110, stores the print job with the corresponding user ID and job number in the storage device 104. The head address and data size are read, the print job deletion unit 108 is instructed to delete the print job in the storage device 104, and the user is notified through the display unit 102 that the print job has been deleted due to authentication failure (S16). ).

  Next, a security printing control method of the printing apparatus 200 will be described. FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are flowcharts illustrating an implementation procedure on the printing apparatus side of the present invention. In addition, the circle A and the circle B in FIG. 3-1 follow the circle A and the circle B in FIG. 3-2, respectively.

  In the printing apparatus 200, when the command transmission / reception unit 202 receives an authentication request command from the host machine 100 (S20), it checks whether the acceptance refusal flag on the user authentication management table 204 is “1” (S21). In the case of 1 ′, an authentication failure response command is transmitted to the host and the process is terminated (S22). On the other hand, if it is not “1”, the time when the command is received from the real-time clock 206 is read (S23) as the command reception time, and is registered in the job authentication management table 203 together with the user ID, job number, and password ( S24).

  Here, examples of the job authentication management table 203 and the user authentication management table 204 are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively. The job authentication management table 203 shown in FIG. 5 is distinguished by a user ID and a job number, and each data stores a personal identification number, the number of job authentication failures, and a command reception time. In addition, the user authentication management table illustrated in FIG. 6 stores the number of user authentication failures and an acceptance refusal flag for each user ID.

  After the process in S24, the command transmission / reception unit 202 issues an authentication start instruction to the authentication control unit 201. The authentication control unit 201 activates the authentication timer 205 and waits for an authentication start input from the user (S25).

  If an authentication start input from the user is made before the authentication timer 205 times out (S26), the authentication timer 205 is stopped at that time, and the user ID and job number input from the user are changed to the job authentication management. It is checked whether it exists in the table 203 (S27), and if it exists, it proceeds to a password confirmation process (S30 process in FIG. 3-2). On the other hand, if it does not exist, that fact is displayed on the display unit 208 in the operation unit 207, the authentication timer 205 is restarted, and the state returns to the authentication start input waiting state (S25).

  On the other hand, if the authentication start input from the user is not made before the authentication timer 205 times out in S 26, the current time is read from the real-time clock 206, and the print registered in the job authentication management table 203 is performed. The elapsed time from the job command reception time is measured (S28).

  Next, it is checked whether or not an authentication timeout time set in advance by the user has been exceeded (S29). If there is no print job exceeding the set authentication time-out time, the authentication timer 205 is restarted and the process returns to the authentication start input waiting state (S25). On the other hand, if there is a print job that exceeds the set authentication timeout period, an authentication failure response command is issued to the host that issued the print job authentication request command (S40 in FIG. 3-2).

  At this time, the number of consecutive authentication failures with the user ID is read from the user authentication management table 204, and “1” is added (S41). If the number exceeds the number of user authentication failures set in advance by the user, it is confirmed (S42). If the number of user authentication failures has not been exceeded, it is re-registered in the table as it is. On the other hand, if the number of user authentication failures has been exceeded, the acceptance refusal flag for the corresponding user ID in the user authentication management table 204 is set to ‘1’ (S43).

  Next, a password confirmation process when the user ID and the job number exist in the job authentication management table 203 in S27 will be described.

  The personal identification number corresponding to the user ID and job number and the number of job authentication failures are read from the job authentication management table 203 (S30). The authentication control unit 201 activates the authentication timer 205 again and waits for a password input (S31). Here, it is confirmed whether or not a password has been input before the authentication timer 205 times out (S32). If the password has been input before the timeout, the password read from the job authentication management table 203, The personal identification number input by the user through the input unit 209 in the operation unit 207 is compared (S33).

  As a result of the comparison (S34), if they match, it is determined that the authentication is successful, and an authentication success response command is issued to the host machine 100 that has issued the authentication request command for the print job (S35). Then, the number of user authentication failures in the user authentication management table 204 is reset to “0” (S36). Thereafter, the print job transmitted from the host machine 100 is received by the print job receiving unit 210 and stored in the storage device 211, and printing is performed by the print control unit 212 and the printing unit 213 (S37).

  On the other hand, if the passwords do not match in S34, the number of job authentication failures is read from the job authentication management table 203, and "1" is added to the number of job authentication failures (S38).

  At this time, it is determined whether the updated number of failed job authentications exceeds the number of failed authentications n (see FIG. 7) set in advance by the user (S39).

  If the updated number of failed job authentications does not exceed the number of failed authentications n, the authentication timer 205 is activated and the process returns to a password input waiting state (S31). On the other hand, if the number of authentication failures n has been exceeded, it is determined that the authentication has failed, and an authentication failure response command is issued to the host that issued the print job authentication request command (S40). At that time, the number of user authentication failures from the user ID is read from the user authentication management table 204, and “1” is added (S41).

  Here, it is determined whether or not the updated number of user authentication failures exceeds the number of user authentication failures m set in advance by the user (see FIG. 7) (S42). If the updated user authentication failure count does not exceed the user authentication failure count m, the updated user authentication failure count is re-registered in the user authentication management table 204. On the other hand, if the user authentication failure count m is exceeded, the acceptance refusal flag of the user authentication management table 204 is set to '1' (S43).

  In S32, if the authentication timer 205 times out while waiting for the input of the personal identification number, “1” is added to the number of job authentication failures in the job authentication management table 203 for the target user ID (S38). It is determined whether or not the number of failed job authentications after the update exceeds the number n of job authentication failures set in advance by the user (S39). If not exceeded, the authentication timer 205 is activated, and the process returns to the password input waiting state (S31). On the other hand, if the number of job authentication failures n has been exceeded, it is determined that authentication has failed, and an authentication failure response command is issued to the host machine 100 that issued the print job authentication request command (S40). At that time, the number of times of user authentication failure with the user ID is read from the user authentication management table 204, and "1" is added (S41). The updated number of user authentication failures and the number of user authentication failures m are compared (S42). If the updated user authentication failure count does not exceed the user authentication failure count m, it is re-registered in the user authentication management table 204 as it is. On the other hand, if it exceeds, the acceptance refusal flag of the user authentication management table 204 is set to '1' (S43).

  In order to cancel the acceptance refusal flag, the “user acceptance refusal” in the security print menu is used by using the security administrator password registered in advance in the printing apparatus 200 from the operation unit 207 in the printing apparatus 200. It is necessary to select “Release Flag” and clear the authentication failure count and acceptance refusal flag in the user authentication management table 204 (set to “0”).

  As described above, in this embodiment, it is determined that the authentication has failed. (1) After the printing apparatus receives the authentication start request command transmitted from the host machine, the authentication work by the user is started. When the time is monitored and authentication does not start after a certain period of time. (2) In the authentication operation, the personal identification number received from the host machine is compared with the personal identification number directly input from the operation panel by the user, and if they do not match, the user is requested to input again. When there is a continuous disagreement. (3) This is a case where the user is not input even after a predetermined time has elapsed while waiting for the input of a personal identification number from the user.

  In addition to deleting a print job in the host machine, if a print job is deleted due to an authentication failure, the number of authentication failures for each user is registered in the authentication management table in the printing device, and the number is counted each time authentication fails. I will do it. If the authentication is successful, the number of failures so far is cleared, but if the number of failures has reached a certain number, an acceptance rejection flag in the authentication management table is set. If this flag is set, the next time the print request is received from the user, the flag is checked. If the flag is set, an authentication failure response command is sent to the host machine, and the print job in the host machine is deleted. Printing from the host is not accepted until the flag is cleared. In such a state, the number of failures and the print rejection flag in the authentication management table can be cleared only by the security administrator of the printing apparatus.

  If the authentication is successful and printing can be performed before the number of authentication failures reaches the specified number of times for setting the flag, the number of authentication failures for the host is cleared at that time.

  To execute the above authentication timeout time, authentication failure count, PIN input waiting timeout time, authentication failure count setting for print rejection flag setting, and authentication failure count and print rejection flag clear function on the authentication management table Can be made by inputting a personal identification number known only to the security administrator of the printing apparatus to the printing apparatus.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to hold a print job in the printing apparatus before the apparatus authentication is completed, as compared with a printing apparatus having a conventional security printing function. Security printing can be realized without increasing the capacity of the apparatus. Further, since the print job is not transmitted when the authentication fails, it is possible to suppress an increase in the amount of extra traffic on the network.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the whole structure of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the implementation procedure by the side of the host system of this invention. It is the flowchart (1) which showed the implementation procedure by the side of the printing apparatus of this invention. It is the flowchart (2) which showed the implementation procedure by the side of the printing apparatus of this invention. It is an example of a print job management table in the embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of the job authentication management table in the Example of this invention. It is an example of the user authentication management table in the Example of this invention. It is an example of the security printing menu in the Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  100 is a host machine, 101 is an application, 102 is a display unit, 103 is a printer driver for secure printing, 104 is a storage device, 105 is a print job control unit, 106 is a command transmission / reception unit, 107 is a print job generation unit, and 108 is print Job deletion unit 109 109 Print job transmission unit 110 Print job management table 200 Printing apparatus 201 Authentication control unit 202 Command transmission / reception unit 203 Job authentication management table 204 User authentication management table 205 Is an authentication timer, 206 is a real-time clock, 207 is an operation unit, 208 is a display unit, 209 is an input unit, 210 is a print job reception unit, 211 is a storage device, 212 is a print control unit, and 213 is a printing unit.

Claims (3)

In a printing system where the host machine and printing device are connected via a network,
The host machine spools the print job in the storage device and transmits the user information and the personal identification number instructed to print to the printing device,
The printing apparatus performs an authentication process based on the received user information and personal identification number. If the authentication is successful, an authentication success response command is transmitted to the host machine. If the authentication fails, the authentication is performed again. If authentication fails continuously, send an authentication failure response command to the host machine,
When the host machine receives the authentication success response command, the host machine transmits a print job corresponding to the user information and password in the storage device to the printing device, and when the authentication failure response command is received. , Deleting the print job corresponding to the user information and password of the storage device,
The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus performs printing when the print job is received from the host machine.   During authentication processing of the printing apparatus, if there is no authentication information input even after a lapse of a certain period of time after receiving user information and a password, an authentication failure response command is transmitted to the host machine. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein:   The printing apparatus has a table that holds the number of authentication failures for each user, and when the authentication fails for the predetermined number of times for the same user, the number of authentication failures for each user is incremented, and the user information of the user is stored. When received, it has a determination means for determining whether or not the number of user-specific authentication failures exceeds a specified value, and if it exceeds, an authentication failure response command is always transmitted to the host machine. The printing system according to claim 1 or 2.

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