JP2011091509A - Image forming apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prohibit escape from restriction of department management by changing a file into an electronic file once, by transmitting the electronic file to other devices, and by input of the electronic file again for printing as a printer print function when the restricted number of sheets of a copy print function is reached in the department management for managing the number of sheets for each of the copy print function for copying a document read by a scanner and the printer print function for performing print by input of the electronic file from other devices in an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A tag indicating the department management is added to the electronic file read by the scanner. For the electronic file with the tag, the number of sheets is managed as the copy print function even in the case of input from other devices. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for preventing printing by using a hole in the number limit in an image forming apparatus that limits the number of sheets by a department management function.

  In some image forming apparatuses having a department management function and an image transmission function, the copy function and the printer printing function are separately limited in number of sheets. In the image forming apparatus, when the copy function has reached the limit number of copies but the printer print function has not reached the limit number, for example, after the user scans a document with a scanner, the transmission function is used to send to an arbitrary destination. When an image is transmitted in an arbitrary file format and an image forming apparatus tries to print the transmitted image again with the image forming apparatus, the printer printing function has not reached the limit number, and printing is possible, which is a loophole in the department management function.

  As a conventional technique, in a print server for transmitting a print job from a client connected to a network to a printing apparatus and its print control method, in order to be able to issue a print instruction without inserting the password data of the printing apparatus into the job, If the identification data included in the print job is valid, the print server has a method of embedding password data for using the printing apparatus in the print job to enable output on the printing apparatus (see Patent Document 1). ).

  However, this method cannot prohibit printing using the above-mentioned number-limited loophole.

JP 2000-047843 A

  The problem to be solved is that an image forming apparatus having a department management function and an image transmission function has a copy function and a printer print function. This is because it is impossible to prohibit printing by escaping from the number management of the department management by counting as a printer printing function by returning to the image forming apparatus once transmitted to another apparatus.

  An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a scanner that reads a document and converts it into an electronic file, a transmission function unit that transmits the electronic file to another device, an electronic file converted by the scanner, and an electronic device that is input from another device. A printing unit that prints a file, a copy printing function that reads with the scanner and prints for copying in the printing unit, and a printer printing function that prints an electronic file input from the other device in the printing unit; The number of prints is counted for each of the printers, a number management unit that sets and manages an upper limit number of prints for each group, and when the number of prints counted by the number management unit reaches the upper limit number of prints, the copy print A print control unit that prohibits the printer printing function, and a tag that adds a tag indicating the group to the electronic file converted by the scanner. An adder; and a tag analyzer that reads and analyzes a group of tags when the tag is added to the electronic file input from the other device. The electronic file to which is added is counted and managed as the copy printing function.

  An image forming program of the present invention includes a scanner that reads a document and converts it into an electronic file, a transmission function unit that transmits the electronic file to another device, an electronic file converted by the scanner, and an electronic device that is input from the other device A printing unit that prints a file; a copy printing function that reads a computer of an image forming apparatus having the scanner with the scanner and performs printing for copying in the printing unit; and an electronic file that is input from the other device. The number of printed sheets is counted for each of the printer printing functions that perform printing in step S, and a number management unit that manages by setting an upper limit number of prints for each group, and the number of prints counted by the number management unit reaches the upper limit number of prints. In this case, the copy print function or the print control means for prohibiting the printer print function and the power converted by the scanner are used. Function as tag adding means for adding a tag indicating the group to the file, and tag analyzing means for reading and analyzing the tag group when the tag is added to the electronic file input from the other device The number management means counts and manages the electronic file to which the tag is added as the copy printing function.

  An image forming apparatus and an image forming program according to an embodiment of the present invention temporarily store a file in another apparatus when the copy function has reached the limit number in the apparatus having the copy number limit and the printer print function. It is possible to prohibit printing from returning to the image forming apparatus after being transmitted and counting as a printer printing function to escape from the number management of department management.

1 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart for tag addition in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart for printing an electronic file in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus 101 includes functional units such as a scanner 111, an image processing unit 113, a printing unit 115, a transmission function unit 117, a USB interface 119, a department management unit 121, and a communication unit 131.

  The department management unit 121 includes functional units such as a tag addition unit 123, a tag analysis unit 125, a number management unit 127, and a print control unit 129.

  The image forming apparatus 101 is connected to a PC (Personal Computer) 201 (another apparatus) and another image forming apparatus B301 (another apparatus) that are external terminal apparatuses from a communication unit 131 via a network.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 101 includes a computer (not shown) that executes a program such as an image forming program. The computer has a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), and a random access memory (RAM). The CPU is an arithmetic processing unit that executes processing described in a program. The ROM is a non-volatile memory that stores programs and data in advance. The RAM is a memory that temporarily stores the program and data when the program is executed and uses it as a work area. The image forming program is loaded from the ROM to the RAM and executed by the CPU, whereby the computer and other hardware of the image forming apparatus 101 function as each functional unit.

  Each functional unit will be described below.

  The scanner 111 is an image reading device that reads an original and converts it into an electronic file.

  The image processing unit 113 can print an electronic file read by the scanner 111 and converted, an electronic file written in PDL (page description language) for printing, and the like by the printing unit 115. Therefore, data conversion (specifically, conversion into bitmap data) is performed.

  The printing unit 115 includes a print engine, receives the image data (bitmap data) converted by the image processing unit 113, and performs printing on a sheet.

  The transmission function unit 117 transmits an electronic file of a document read by the scanner 111, an electronic file acquired from the USB memory 151 via the USB interface 119, an electronic file acquired from the PC 201 or the like to another image forming apparatus B301. (Other devices), a PC 201 (other devices), a USB memory 151 (other devices), and the like. At the time of transmission, transmission via the network is performed via the communication unit 131. Also, the data is transmitted to the USB memory 151 connected via the USB interface 119. A tag is added when the file is transmitted. Details of tag addition will be described in the section of each functional unit of the department management unit 121 described later.

  The USB interface 119 connects to other devices through the USB. In this embodiment, a USB memory 151 is connected.

  The department management unit 121 manages the paper consumed by the image forming apparatus 101 for each group, and counts and records which group (department) consumes how many sheets. In addition, a limited number of sheets per unit time (for example, every month) is provided in advance, and if the number of sheets consumed within the unit time exceeds the limited number of sheets, further printing is prohibited. In particular, the coefficient may be continued until the reset is performed without setting the unit time.

  The department management unit 121 can set a different limit number for the copy function and the printer printing function when managing the limit number for each group (department). In this case, the copy function is to scan a document using a scanner and copy and print the document. Also, the printer print function performs printing by transmitting print data from the PC 201 or the like. In addition, printing by transfer from the image forming apparatus B301 or transfer of an electronic file from the USB memory also has a printer printing function.

  The main department management unit 121 prohibits the use of the printer printing function to escape the limit on the number of copies when the number of copies of the copy function reaches the limit. More details will be described in the items and flowcharts of the following functional units.

  The tag addition unit 123 converts information (tag) such as a department ID and a unique ID (serial number) possessed by the image forming apparatus at the time of format conversion when an image read using a scanner is converted into an arbitrary format and transmitted. ) Is added.

  There are the following patterns for setting the additional information for each specific file format.

<TIFF>
Set the character string of serial number + department ID in Artist tag (Code: 315 (hex 0x013B)). This tag is a tag that holds an image creator name.

<JPEG>
Set the serial number + department ID string in the COM marker (Code: FFFE). This marker is a marker representing a comment.

<PDF>
Set the serial number + department ID string in the Author key. This key is a key representing the image creator.

  Other than the method described above, the tag (marker key) to be similarly held and the character string to be set may be different.

  The tag analysis unit 125 determines whether or not the tag added by the tag addition unit 123 is added to the electronic file, and if so, analyzes and reads the serial number and department ID.

  The number management unit 127 manages the number limit in department management. For each of the copy function and the printer print function, a limit number is set for each group (department), and the number of prints of the function of the group is counted for each print.

  When the above printer printing function is direct printing (printing an electronic file in the USB memory 151) or printing via a printer driver (printing by transferring an electronic file from the PC 201 or the image forming apparatus B301), the above-described tag is added. When the file is transmitted, it is determined that printing is performed by the copy function of the group corresponding to the ID of the tag, and the number of prints of the function is counted.

  When the print control unit 129 determines in the number management unit 127 whether the number of prints for each function in each managed group has reached the limit, the print control unit 129 determines that the limit has been reached. Any further printing of the same function of the same group is prohibited.

  The communication unit 131 has a network interface, and communicates with each other by connecting to the PC 201, which is an external terminal device, another image forming apparatus B301, and the like.

[flowchart]
The operation of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation during document reading. The operation flow will be described below.

  S11: The scanner 111 of the image forming apparatus reads an original and creates an electronic file.

  S13: Based on the user's selection input, the scanner 111 prints the read original on the printing unit 115 for copying, or uses the transmission function unit 117, and uses other devices (USB memory 151, PC 201, other It is determined whether the data is transmitted to the image forming apparatus B301). In the case of printing, the operation proceeds to S15. In the case of transmission, the operation proceeds to S19.

  S15: In the case of printing, the number management unit 127 determines whether or not the number of prints of the group in the copy function is within the limited number. If it is within the limit, the operation proceeds to S17. If the limit is exceeded, the operation proceeds to S23.

  S17: The document read in S11 by the copy function is printed by the printing unit 115 for copying.

  S19: Since transmission is selected in S13, the tag adding unit 123 adds a tag including the department ID of the operation executor to the electronic file created in S11 so that the file is recognized as a copy function later. .

  S21: The transmission function unit 117 transmits the file to a designated transmission destination.

  S23: The print control unit 129 displays a warning that printing cannot be performed because the department file limit has been exceeded.

  Next, the operation when an electronic file is input from another apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

  S31: The image forming apparatus 101 receives an input of an electronic file from another apparatus (USB memory 151, PC 201, or another image forming apparatus B301).

  S33: The tag analysis unit 125 determines whether a tag for counting as a department ID and a copy function is added to the electronic file. If the tag exists, the operation proceeds to S35. If not, the operation proceeds to S37.

  S35: Since there is a tag, the number management unit 127 counts the electronic file as printing by the copy function.

  S37: Since there is no tag, the number management unit 127 counts the electronic file as printing by the printer printing function.

  S39: The number management unit 127 determines whether the electronic file is within the number limit for the function specified in S35 or S37. If it is within the number limit, the operation proceeds to S41. If the number limit is exceeded, the operation proceeds to S43.

  S41: Since the number is the limit, the printing unit 115 executes printing.

  S43: The print control unit 129 warns that the limit number has been exceeded.

  Through the above series of operations, even for an electronic file generated by a scanner, the number of sheets is counted as a copy function, and printing is prohibited when the limit number has been reached.

[Effect of Example]
The image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment of the present invention enables the following.

  If the copy function has reached the limit, once the original is scanned and converted to an electronic file format, and the electronic file is printed using the printer printing function, the printing is regarded as a copy function. Printing is prohibited.

  As described above, it becomes possible to close the loophole of the limited number of department management, and the department management can be executed more strictly.

[Others]
In the flowchart of FIG. 2, a tag is added when the original is read by the scanner. Alternatively, a tag may be added when the electronic file is read from the USB memory 151 and transmitted using the transmission function. .

  In the present exemplary embodiment, a method of prohibiting an attempt to escape the limit number of electronic files to which a tag is added by the image forming apparatus 101 only when the electronic file is returned to the image forming apparatus 101. Take. The above operation is performed by determining whether the serial number in the tag matches the serial number of the image forming apparatus.

  In this case, when the electronic file is transmitted to another image forming apparatus B301, even if the image forming apparatus B301 has the same function as the image forming apparatus 101, the serial number is different. In order to perform the management by the department management method managed by, the tag generated by the image forming apparatus 101 attached to the electronic file is ignored.

  However, when the image forming apparatus is used as a group, the image forming apparatuses in the group perform the same setting for the handling of the tag, and transfer the electronic file to different image forming apparatuses in the group. However, a method of applying the same department management policy as in the case of a single unit is also possible. In this case, the above operation can be performed by using the group ID number instead of the serial number.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Image forming apparatus 111 Scanner 113 Image processing part 115 Printing part 117 Transmission function part 119 USB interface 121 Department management part 123 Tag addition part 125 Tag analysis part 127 Number management part 129 Print control part 131 Communication part 151 USB memory (other apparatus)
201 PC (Personal Computer) (other devices)
301 Image forming apparatus B (other apparatus)

Claims (5)

A scanner that reads an original and converts it into an electronic file;
A transmission function unit for transmitting the electronic file to another device;
A printing unit that prints the electronic file converted by the scanner and the electronic file input from another device;
The number of printed sheets is counted for each of a copy printing function that is scanned by the scanner and printed for copying in the printing unit, and a printer printing function that prints an electronic file input from the other apparatus in the printing unit. A number management unit that manages the upper limit number of prints for each group, and
When the number of prints counted by the number management unit reaches the upper limit number of prints, the copy print function or a print control unit that prohibits the printer print function;
A tag adding unit for adding a tag indicating the group to the electronic file converted by the scanner;
A tag analysis unit that reads and analyzes the tag group when the tag is added to the electronic file input from the other device, the number management unit includes the tag An image forming apparatus that counts and manages electronic files as the copy printing function. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The other apparatus to which the transmission function unit transmits the electronic file is an external terminal device or a memory device connected via an interface. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The image forming apparatus, wherein the tag adding unit adds the tag to an electronic file transmitted to another device by the transmission function unit. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The tag adding unit adds a serial number for identifying the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the number management unit counts as the copy printing function when a serial number of an electronic file input from the other apparatus matches a serial number of the image forming apparatus. A scanner that reads an original and converts it into an electronic file;
A transmission function unit for transmitting the electronic file to another device;
A copy unit that prints an image formed by a computer of an image forming apparatus having an electronic file converted by the scanner and an electronic file input from another device, and prints for copying by the print unit; A number management unit that counts the number of prints for each of the function and a printer print function that prints an electronic file input from the other device in the printing unit, and sets a maximum number of prints for each group; and
When the number of prints counted by the number management unit reaches the upper limit number of prints, the copy print function or a print control means for prohibiting the printer print function;
Tag adding means for adding a tag indicating the group to the electronic file converted by the scanner;
When the tag is added to the electronic file input from the other device, function as tag analysis means for reading and analyzing the group of the tag,
The image forming program, wherein the number management means counts and manages the electronic file to which the tag is added as the copy printing function.

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