JP2012159950A - Printing system, printer driver, printer and printing program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve both protection of confidential data and reduction of time for printing appropriately in a secure printing.SOLUTION: The printing system is configured to include as below. A printer 2 executes printing of an authenticated secure printing job among secure printing jobs associated with predetermined authentication information. A personal computer 3 configures a security level for a secure printing job, transmits data of the secure printing job to the printer 2 according to the security level. The personal computer 3, when the security level is high, transmits printing data to the printer 2 so that ratio of printing data which is transmitted in advance of authentication of a secure printing job becomes smaller compared with the case when the security level is low. The printer 2, when there is non-received data among the printing data at the time the printing job was successfully authenticated, receives the non-received data from the personal computer after the successful authentication to execute printing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system having a secure printing function, a printer driver, a printer, and a printing program.

  In general, a printer is connected to a network and shared by a large number of users. In this case, however, a situation in which a printed document can be seen by others is increased. It is necessary to prevent a highly confidential document from being seen by others when it is output by a printer. Therefore, secure printing has been proposed in which a password is added to a print job by a printer driver, and when the password is input by the printer and authentication is established, printing of the print job is executed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-6-103008

  However, if the print job is transmitted to the printer in advance from the time when the print job is generated in the personal computer or the like until the password is input in the printer, the print data is saved in the printer storage. In that case, if the storage of the printer is stolen, confidential data may be leaked. As a countermeasure, it is conceivable that the print data is not transmitted to the printer until the password is input by the printer as in Patent Document 1, and the print data is transmitted to the printer after the authentication is established. Then, printing can be executed without saving the print data in the storage as much as possible, and the risk of leakage of confidential data can be reduced. However, in that case, since the print data is transmitted to the printer after the user inputs the password to the printer, the time until the printing is actually completed becomes long, and the convenience for the user is lowered.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to suitably achieve both confidential data protection and printing time reduction in secure printing.

  A printing system according to the present invention includes a printer that executes printing of a secure print job that has been authenticated among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information, and a level setting device that sets a security level of the secure print job And a data transmission device that transmits the data of the secure print job to the printer based on the security level. When the security level is high, the data transmission device has a security level of Compared to the case of a low level, the print data is transmitted to the printer in such a manner that the ratio of data to be transmitted in advance before authentication is established in the print data of the secure print job is reduced. If there is unreceived data among the print data when authentication is established, The unreceived data is configured to perform printing by receiving from said data transmitting device after.

  The printer driver according to the present invention is a printer driver that is executed by an information processing apparatus connected to a printer that executes printing of a secure print job for which authentication has been established among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information. The level setting process for setting the security level of the secure print job and the security level set by the level setting process are high compared to the case where the security level is low. Print data transmission processing for transmitting the print data to the printer in such a manner that the ratio of data transmitted in advance before authentication is established in the print data of the secure print job is reduced to the information processing apparatus. Let it run.

  The printer according to the present invention is a printer that executes printing of a secure print job for which authentication has been established among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information, and can determine the security level of the secure print job Registration means for receiving the additional print information and registering the additional print information, and when the security level of the secure print job is high, the security level is lower than when the security level is low. Print control means for receiving and printing the print data in such a manner that the ratio of the data received in advance of the secure print job before the authentication is established is reduced.

  The printing program according to the present invention includes a printer that executes printing of a secure print job that has been authenticated among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information, a server connected to the printer, and the server And a level recognition process for recognizing a security level of the secure print job set by the client, and a level recognition process. When the recognized security level is a high level, the ratio of data to be transmitted in advance before authentication is established in the print data of the secure print job, compared to the case where the security level is a low level. Send the print data to the printer before authentication is established An authentication before sending process, if there is untransmitted data of the print data at the time of authentication satisfied, to perform the post-authentication transmitting process of transmitting the unsent data after authentication is established to the printer, to the server.

  According to the above printing system, printer driver, printer, and printing program, during secure printing with a high security level, the pre-authentication data reception rate in the printer (the data that the printer receives in advance before authentication is established among the print data) Therefore, the print data of a print job with a high security level is not easily stored in the storage of the printer, and the risk of leakage of confidential data can be suitably reduced according to the security level. In addition, during secure printing with a low security level, the pre-authentication data reception rate increases, so the time for the printer to receive print data after authentication is established can be reduced, and the time from establishment of authentication to completion of printing can be shortened. it can. Therefore, it is possible to suitably achieve both confidential data protection and printing time reduction in secure printing.

  As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to suitably achieve both confidential data protection and printing time reduction in secure printing.

1 is a block diagram of a printing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the printer shown in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram of the personal computer shown in FIG. It is drawing explaining the format of the data transmitted from the personal computer shown in FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a printing operation when a security level is “high” in the printing system shown in FIG. 1. 2 is a flowchart of a printing operation when the security level in the printing system shown in FIG. 1 is “low”. 2 is a flowchart of a printing operation when a security level is “medium” in the printing system shown in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram of the printing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the personal computer shown in FIG. It is a block diagram of the server shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a printing operation when the security level in the printing system shown in FIG. 8 is “high”. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a printing operation when the security level in the printing system shown in FIG. 8 is “low”. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a printing operation when the security level is “medium” in the printing system shown in FIG. 8.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the printer 2 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the personal computer 3 shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of personal computers 3 (information processing apparatuses) connected to each other via a network N such as a LAN, and a plurality of personal computers 3 connected to the network N. And a shared printer 2. In the printing system 1, a secure print job in which a password (authentication information) is associated and a security level is set is generated by the personal computer 3, and the secure print job that has been authenticated is printed by the printer 2.

  The printer 2 includes a display unit 11, an operation unit 12, a primary storage unit 13, a secondary storage unit 14, a job registration unit 15, an encryption / decryption processing unit 16, a communication input / output unit 17, and a print control unit 18. Yes. The display unit 11 is a display device or the like that provides a display screen to the user. The operation unit 12 is a button, a touch panel, or the like for the user to perform an input operation. The primary storage unit 13 is a storage device (for example, a volatile memory) that loses stored data when the power supply of the printer 2 is shut down. The secondary storage unit 14 is a storage device (for example, a storage such as a hard disk) that retains stored data even when the power of the printer 2 is shut down. The job registration unit 15 registers and manages print jobs received from the personal computer 3. The encryption / decryption processing unit 16 encrypts data stored in the secondary storage unit 14 among the data related to the secure print job received from the personal computer 3, and decrypts the encrypted data. The communication input / output unit 17 is an interface for communicating with the personal computer 3 via the network N. The print control unit 18 controls normal printing in which a security level is not set and secure printing in which a security level is set.

  The personal computer 3 includes a display unit 21, an operation unit 22, a storage unit 23, a level setting unit 24, a correction unit 25, a waiting time determination unit 26, a communication input / output unit 27, and a print control unit 28. The storage unit 23 includes a printer. The driver is installed. That is, various printing functions using the printer 2 in the personal computer 3 are executed by reading the installed printer driver. The display unit 21 is a display device that provides a display screen to the user. The operation unit 22 is a keyboard, a mouse, and the like for a user to perform an input operation. The storage unit 23 is a storage device such as a memory and a hard disk. The level setting unit 24 selects and sets the security level of the secure print job from a plurality of levels (for example, “high”, “medium”, and “low”). The correction unit 25 corrects the security level set by the level setting unit 24 according to the print data amount of the secure print job generated by the personal computer 3 and the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2.

  Specifically, when the security level set by the level setting unit 24 is “medium” and “low” and the print data amount is less than the first threshold value X1, the correction unit 25 sets the security level to one level. Correct to raise. Further, when the security level set by the level setting unit 24 is “low” and the print data amount is less than the second threshold value X2 (X2 <X1), the correction unit 25 increases the security level by two levels. Correct as follows. The correction unit 25 does not correct the security level when the security level set by the level setting unit 24 is “medium” or “low” and the print data amount is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1.

  Further, when the security level set by the level setting unit 24 is “medium” or “low” and the print data amount is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1, the correction unit 25 communicates with the printer 2 to perform primary storage. Information on the free capacity of the unit 13 is acquired. Then, the correction unit 25 corrects the security level to be increased by one step when the free space is less than the predetermined threshold value X3, and does not correct the security level when the free space is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value X3.

  The waiting time determination unit 26 calculates communication traffic of the network N, and determines (predicts) a waiting time from the establishment of authentication, which will be described later, until the printer 2 starts printing for each security level. The communication input / output unit 27 is an interface for communicating with the printer 2 via the network N. The print control unit 28 controls normal printing in which a security level is not set and secure printing in which a security level is set. In this embodiment, the personal computer 3 serves as both a level setting device that sets the security level of the secure print job and a data transmission device that transmits the data of the secure print job to the printer based on the security level.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the format of data transmitted from the personal computer 3 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the print job data 30 transmitted from the personal computer 3 to the printer 2 includes a print additional information (header information) area including a job number, job name, password, security level, and the like, and print data (image). Data) area. The job number is a serial number for specifying a print job. The job name is a name for displaying a job list on the display unit 11 of the printer 2, and a name of a file that has been printed on the personal computer 3 or a registered name of the personal computer 3 can be used. As the password, a password set by the user for each print job on the personal computer 3 or a password preset for each personal computer 3 can be used. The security level is a security level (for example, “high”, “medium”, “low”, etc.) set by the level setting unit 24 for each secure print job. In the case of a normal print job that is not secure printing, null is assigned to the security level column of the print additional information.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a printing operation when the security level in the printing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is “high”. Hereinafter, description will be made along the flowchart of FIG. 5 with reference to the configuration of FIGS. When the user operates the operation unit 22 while looking at the display unit 21 of the personal computer 3 and requests print settings for a certain file (step A1), the print control unit 28 causes the display unit 21 to display a print setting screen (step A2). . At that time, the personal computer 3 determines, for each security level, a waiting time from the authentication establishment described later to when printing is started by the printer 2 by the waiting time determination unit 26, and the waiting time for each security level is set as the print setting screen. (Step A3).

  When the user operates the operation unit 22 and designates a security level “high” on the print setting screen, the level setting unit 24 sets the print job as a secure print job with a security level “high” (step A4). ). When the user finally operates the operation unit 22 to give a secure print instruction, the print control unit 28 transmits only the print additional information without transmitting print data (image data) of the secure print job. Transmit to the printer 2 (step A5: pre-authentication transmission process).

  The printer 2 registers the received additional print information in the job registration unit 15 (step B1). The user moves from the personal computer 3 to the printer 2, operates the operation unit 12 of the printer 2, displays a job list on the display unit 11, selects a secure print job to be printed from among them, and inputs a password. (Step B2). If the input password matches the password of the print additional information registered in the job registration unit 15, the printer 2 determines that authentication has been established for the secure print job (step B3). When the authentication is established, the print control unit 18 of the printer 2 transmits a request signal including the job number of the secure print job to the personal computer 3 that generated the secure print job (step B4).

  The personal computer 3 searches for the secure print job of the job number included in the received request signal (step A6), and transmits a response signal including the job number of the secure print job and the print data (image data) to the printer 2. (Step A7 :: Post-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “high”, the personal computer 3 does not transmit the print data (image data) of the secure print job in advance before the authentication is established, and the entire print data (image data) is established after the authentication is established. Send to printer 2. The print data received by the printer 2 is stored in the primary storage unit 13, converted into pixel data for printing by the print control unit 18, and printed on paper (step B5). After the printing is completed, the job registration unit 15 normally stores the job number, job name, printing date and time, number of printed sheets, and the like as history information in the secondary storage unit 14, but the secure level is “high”. In the case of a print job, the job name is deleted from the history information because the print contents are not guessed by a third party (step B6).

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the printing operation when the security level in the printing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is “low”. Hereinafter, description will be made along the flowchart of FIG. 6 with reference to the configuration of FIGS. Steps A1 to A3 in FIG. 6 are the same as A1 to A3 in FIG. When the user operates the operation unit 22 to designate “low” as the security level on the print setting screen, the level setting unit 24 sets the print job as a secure print job with the security level “low” (step A11). . As described above, the correction unit 25 determines the security level set by the level setting unit 24 according to the print data amount of the secure print job generated by the personal computer 3 and the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2. Is corrected (step A12).

  Specifically, when the print data amount is less than the first threshold value X1, the correction unit 25 corrects the security level to “medium” and moves to “II” in the flowchart of FIG. When the print data amount is less than the second threshold value X2 (X2 <X1), the correction unit 25 corrects the security level to be “high” and moves to “I” in the flowchart of FIG. However, the correction unit 25 does not correct the security level when the print data amount is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1. Further, the correction unit 25 increases the security level to “medium” when the amount of print data is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1 and the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2 is less than the predetermined threshold value X3. And move to “II” in the flowchart of FIG. However, when the free space is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value X3, the security level is not corrected. The first threshold value X1 and the second threshold value X2 are appropriately set according to the communication speed in the printing system. Further, the predetermined threshold value X3 may be set in consideration of not only the free space itself but also a comparison between the free space and the print data amount (for example, the print data has a data amount that is half or more of the free space). Good.

  When the security level is not corrected in step A12, when the user finally operates the operation unit 22 to give a secure print instruction, the print control unit 28 stores all data of the secure print job. Transmit to the printer 2 (step A13 :: pre-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “low”, the personal computer 3 transmits not only the print additional information but also all print data (image data) to the printer 2 before the authentication is established.

  The printer 2 registers the received print additional information in the job registration unit 15 and stores the print data in the primary storage unit 13 and / or the secondary storage unit 14 (step B11). At this time, the print data is preferentially stored in an area reserved for primary storage of the print data in the primary storage unit 13 and is stored in the secondary storage unit 14 when the area is insufficient. That is, whether the print data is stored in the primary storage unit 13 or the secondary storage unit 14 is appropriately determined according to the situation such as the data amount of the print job or the print job amount already accumulated in the printer 2. Change. Then, the encryption / decryption processing unit 16 encrypts the print data stored in the secondary storage unit 14 without encrypting the print data stored in the primary storage unit 13.

  When the user inputs the password of the secure print job with the printer 2 (step B2) and authentication is established (step B3), the print control unit 18 of the printer 2 stores the print data of the secure print job in the primary storage unit 13 and / or The data is read from the secondary storage unit 14, converted into pixel data for printing, and printed on paper (step B12). At this time, if the print data is encrypted and stored in the secondary storage unit 14, the print data is decrypted by the encryption / decryption processing unit 16.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the printing operation when the security level in the printing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is “medium”. Hereinafter, description will be made along the flowchart of FIG. 7 with reference to the configuration of FIGS. Steps A1 to A3 in FIG. 7 are the same as A1 to A3 in FIG. When the user operates the operation unit 22 and designates the security level “medium” on the print setting screen, the level setting unit 24 sets the print job as a secure print job with the security level “medium” (step A11). . As described above, the correction unit 25 determines the security level set by the level setting unit 24 according to the print data amount of the secure print job generated by the personal computer 3 and the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2. Is corrected (step A22).

  Specifically, when the print data amount is less than the first threshold X1, the correction unit 25 corrects the security level to be “high” and moves to “I” in the flowchart of FIG. However, the correction unit 25 does not correct the security level when the print data amount is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1. Further, the correction unit 25 increases the security level to “high” when the print data amount is equal to or larger than the first threshold value X1 and the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2 is less than the predetermined threshold value X3. To “I” in the flowchart of FIG. However, when the free space is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value X3, the security level is not corrected.

  If the security level is not corrected in step A22, when the user finally operates the operation unit 22 to give a secure print instruction, the print control unit 28 prints additional information on the secure print job. Is transmitted to the printer 2 together with a part of the print data (step A23: pre-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “medium”, the personal computer 3 transmits not only the print additional information but also a part of the print data (image data) to the printer 2 before the authentication is established.

  The printer 2 registers the received print additional information in the job registration unit 15, and stores the received partial print data in the primary storage unit 13 and / or the secondary storage unit 14 (step B21). At this time, since the print data received in advance is a part of all the print data, there is a high possibility that the print data is stored in the primary storage unit 13 without being stored in the secondary storage unit 14. Moreover, even if it is stored in the secondary storage unit 14, only a part of the entire print data (image data) is stored.

  When the user inputs the password of the secure print job with the printer 2 (step B2) and authentication is established (step B3), the print control unit 18 of the printer 2 sends a request signal including the job number of the secure print job to the secure print job. The print job is transmitted to the generated personal computer 3 (step B22). The personal computer 3 searches for the secure print job of the job number included in the received request signal (step A24), and includes the job number of the secure print job and the remaining print data that has not been transmitted in step A23. A response signal is transmitted to the printer 2 (step A25: post-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “medium”, the personal computer 3 transmits in advance only a part of the print data of the secure print job before the authentication is established, and the remaining unreceived data that the printer 2 has not received. Is transmitted to the printer 2 after the authentication is established. Then, the printer 2 reads a part of the print data received in advance before the authentication is established to the primary storage unit 13, and the remaining print data received after the authentication is established for the part of the print data is a primary storage unit. 13 is complemented, and is converted into pixel data for printing by the print control unit 18 and printed on paper (step B23).

  According to the configuration described above, during secure printing with a high security level, the pre-authentication data reception rate of the printer 2 (the proportion of print data received in advance before authentication is established) becomes small. Print data of a high print job is not easily stored in the secondary storage unit 14 such as the storage of the printer 2, and the risk of leakage of confidential data can be suitably reduced according to the security level. In addition, during secure printing with a low security level, since the pre-authentication data reception rate increases, the time for receiving print data after the authentication is established is reduced, and the time from the establishment of authentication to the completion of printing can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to suitably achieve both confidential data protection and printing time reduction in secure printing.

  Also, during secure printing with a low security level, all print data of a secure print job is transmitted to the printer 2 in advance before authentication is established, so even if the personal computer 3 is shut down or has a problem during printing after authentication, The printer 2 can continue printing independently. Also, during secure printing with a high security level, the print data of the secure print job is not transmitted at all before the authentication is established, so that the risk of leakage of confidential data can be sufficiently suppressed.

  Furthermore, since the print data stored in the secondary storage unit 14 that retains the stored data after the shutdown is encrypted, the risk of leakage of confidential data due to theft or the like can be further reduced. In addition, since the print data stored in the primary storage unit 13 that loses the stored data after the shutdown is not encrypted, it is possible to perform printing at high speed without the need for decryption processing. Therefore, it is possible to more suitably achieve both confidential data protection and printing time reduction in secure printing.

  Further, when the print data amount of the secure print job is less than the threshold values X1 and X2, the security level is set so as to reduce the pre-authentication data reception rate compared to the case where the print data amount is greater than or equal to the threshold values X1 and X2. It is corrected. That is, when the data amount of the secure print job is small, even if the pre-authentication data reception rate is lowered, the time for the printer 2 to receive the print data after the authentication is established does not become so long. The data protection function can be further improved.

  Further, when the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2 is less than the predetermined threshold value X3, the security level is set so as to reduce the pre-authentication data reception rate compared to the case where the free capacity is equal to or greater than the threshold value X3. It is corrected. That is, when the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2 is small, the amount of data to be transmitted to the printer 2 in advance before the authentication is established is reduced, so that the deterioration of the access function to the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2 is suppressed. This makes it possible to maintain a smooth printing process.

  In addition, since the waiting time from the authentication establishment until the printer 2 starts printing is displayed on the print setting screen for each security level, when the user tries to input the security level of the secure print job to the personal computer 3, Since it is possible to refer to the waiting time from when the authentication is established until when printing is actually started, the convenience of the user can be improved.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a printing system 50 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the personal computer 51 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the server 52 shown in FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same structure as 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the printing system 50 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of personal computers 51 (level setting devices) that are clients connected to a network N such as a LAN, and a server 52 ( Data transmission device) and a printer 2 connected to a network N via a server 52 and shared by a plurality of personal computers 51. In the printing system 50, a secure print job in which a password (authentication information) is associated and a security level is set is generated by the personal computer 51 and transmitted to the server 52, and the secure print job for which authentication has been established is printed by the printer 2. Executed.

  The personal computer 51 includes a display unit 21, an operation unit 22, a storage unit 23, a level setting unit 24, a waiting time determination unit 26, a communication input / output unit 27, and a print control unit 61, and a predetermined printer driver is stored in the storage unit 23. Installed. The server 52 includes a storage unit 71, a job registration unit 72, a correction unit 73, a communication input / output unit 74, and a print control unit 75, and a predetermined print program is installed in the storage unit 71.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a printing operation when the security level in the printing system 50 shown in FIG. 8 is “high”. Hereinafter, description will be made along the flowchart of FIG. 11 with reference to the configurations of FIGS. Steps C1 to C4 in FIG. 11 are substantially the same as steps A1 to A4 in FIG. When the user operates the operation unit 22 of the personal computer 51 to give a secure print instruction with a security level “high”, the print control unit 61 prints all of the additional print information and print data (image data) of the secure print job. Are transmitted to the server 52 (step C5).

  The server 52 registers the received print additional information in the job registration unit 72, recognizes that the security level is “high”, and stores the received print data in the storage unit 71 (step D1). Then, the print control unit 75 of the server 52 does not transmit the print data (image data), but transmits only the print additional information to the printer 2 (step D2: pre-authentication transmission process). The printer 2 registers the received additional print information in the job registration unit 15 (step E1). Then, the user moves from the personal computer 51 to the printer 2 and operates the operation unit 12 of the printer 2 to display a job list on the display unit 11, selects a secure print job to be printed from the list, and sets a password. Input (step E2). If the input password matches the password of the print additional information registered in the job registration unit 15, the printer 2 determines that authentication is established for the secure print job (step E3). When the authentication is established, the print control unit 18 of the printer 2 transmits a request signal including the job number of the secure print job to the server 52 (step E4).

  The server 52 searches for the secure print job having the job number included in the received request signal (step D3), and transmits a response signal including the job number of the secure print job and print data (image data) to the printer 2. (Step D4: Post-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “high”, the server 52 does not transmit the print data (image data) of the secure print job to the printer 2 before the authentication is established, and the print data (image data) after the authentication is established. Are all transmitted to the printer 2. The print data received by the printer 2 is stored in the primary storage unit 13, converted into pixel data for printing by the print control unit 18, and printed on paper (step E5). After the printing is completed, the job registration unit 15 deletes the job name from the history information because the print content is not guessed by a third party in the case of a secure print job with a security level of “high” (step E6). .

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the printing operation when the security level in the printing system 50 shown in FIG. 8 is “low”. Hereinafter, description will be made along the flowchart of FIG. 12 with reference to the configurations of FIGS. Steps C1 to C3 in FIG. 12 are the same as C11 to C3 in FIG. When the user operates the operation unit 22 and designates a security level “low” on the print setting screen, the level setting unit 24 sets the print job as a secure print job with a security level “low” (step C11). . When the user operates the operation unit 22 of the personal computer 51 to give a secure print instruction with a security level “low”, the print control unit 61 prints all of the additional print information and print data (image data) of the secure print job. Are transmitted to the server 52 (step C12).

  The server 52 registers the received print additional information in the job registration unit 72, recognizes that the security level is “low”, and stores the received print data in the storage unit 71 (step D11). Similar to the correction unit 25 of the first embodiment, the correction unit 73 corrects the security level according to the print data amount of the secure print job and the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2 (step D12). If the security level is not corrected in step D12, the print control unit 75 of the server 52 transmits all data of the secure print job to the printer 2 (step D13: pre-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “low”, the server 52 transmits not only the print additional information but also all print data (image data) to the printer 2 before the authentication is established.

  The printer 2 registers the received print additional information in the job registration unit 15, and stores the print data in the primary storage unit 13 and / or the secondary storage unit 14 (step E11). When the user inputs the password of the secure print job with the printer 2 (step E2) and authentication is established (step E3), the print control unit 18 of the printer 2 stores the print data of the secure print job in the primary storage unit 13 and / or The data is read from the secondary storage unit 14, converted into pixel data for printing, and printed on paper (step E12).

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a printing operation when the security level in the printing system 50 shown in FIG. 8 is “medium”. Hereinafter, description will be made along the flowchart of FIG. 13 with reference to the configurations of FIGS. Steps C1 to C3 in FIG. 13 are the same as C11 to C3 in FIG. When the user operates the operation unit 22 and designates the security level “medium” on the print setting screen, the level setting unit 24 sets the print job as a secure print job with the security level “medium” (step C21). . When the user operates the operation unit 22 of the personal computer 51 to give a secure print instruction with a security level of “medium”, the print control unit 61 prints all of the additional print information and print data (image data) of the secure print job. Are transmitted to the server 52 (step C12).

  The server 52 registers the received print additional information in the job registration unit 72, recognizes that the security level is “medium”, and stores the received print data in the storage unit 71 (step D21). Similar to the correction unit 25 of the first embodiment, the correction unit 73 corrects the security level according to the print data amount of the secure print job and the free capacity of the primary storage unit 13 of the printer 2 (step D22). If the security level is not corrected in step D22, the print control unit 75 of the server 52 transmits the print additional information of the secure print job together with a part of the print data to the printer 2 (step D23: Pre-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “medium”, the server 52 transmits not only the print additional information but also a part of the print data (image data) to the printer 2 before the authentication is established.

  The printer 2 registers the received print additional information in the job registration unit 15, and stores the received partial print data in the primary storage unit 13 and / or the secondary storage unit 14 (step E21). When the user inputs the password of the secure print job with the printer 2 (step E2) and authentication is established (step E3), the print control unit 18 of the printer 2 sends a request signal including the job number of the secure print job to the server 52. Transmit (step E22). The server 52 searches for the secure print job of the job number included in the received request signal (step D24), and includes the job number of the secure print job and the remaining print data that has not been transmitted in step D23. A response signal is transmitted to the printer 2 (step D25: post-authentication transmission process). That is, when the security level is “medium”, the server 52 transmits in advance only a part of the print data of the secure print job before the authentication is established, and transmits the remaining data to the printer 2 after the authentication is established. . Then, the printer 2 reads a part of print data received in advance before the authentication is established to the primary storage unit 13, and the remaining print data received after the authentication is established in the part of the print data on the primary storage unit 13. And the print control unit 18 converts the pixel data for printing and prints it on paper (step E23).

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the authentication process is performed by the printer 2, but may be performed by the personal computer 3, 51 or the server 52. If the security level is higher than a predetermined level, the data to be transmitted to the printer 2 may be encrypted. Further, the encryption / decryption processing unit 16 may increase the encryption strength as the security level increases. Further, when the print data is stored in the secondary storage unit 14, the print data may be divided into a plurality of storage areas and stored. The security level options that can be set by the level setting unit 24 may be limited according to the authority of the user who generates the print job.

(Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, in the case of a secure print job with a security level of “high”, the job name is deleted from the history information because the print contents are not guessed by a third party (step E6, step B6). Even information other than the job name may be deleted for information whose print content can be estimated. Further, instead of deleting the job name, the job name may be changed to a name that cannot be estimated. If the job name is completely deleted, it may be effective to change the job name without deleting it, for example, when it affects a print management system (for example, a charging management system).

  The printer according to the present invention may be configured as long as it forms an image on a recording medium. For example, forms such as an ink jet printer, a laser printer, a multi-function machine, a facsimile machine, and a copier are also included.

  As described above, the printing system, the printer driver, the printer, and the printing program according to the present invention have an excellent effect that it is possible to suitably achieve both confidential data protection and printing time reduction in secure printing. It is beneficial to apply widely to a printing apparatus or the like having a printing function.

1,50 Printing system 2 Printer 3,51 Personal computer (level setting device, data transmission device, information processing device)
13 Primary storage unit 14 Secondary storage unit 15 Job registration unit (registration means)
16 Encryption / Decryption Processing Unit 18 Print Control Unit (Print Control Unit)
24 level setting unit 25 correction unit 26 waiting time determination unit 52 server (data transmission device)

Claims (11)

A printer that executes printing of a secure print job for which authentication has been established among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information;
A level setting device for setting a security level of the secure print job;
A data transmission device that transmits data of the secure print job to the printer based on the security level,
When the security level is high, the data transmission device transmits data that is transmitted in advance before the authentication is established, among the print data of the secure print job, compared to the case where the security level is low. The print data is transmitted to the printer so that the ratio of
The printing system is configured to execute printing by receiving the unreceived data from the data transmitting apparatus after the authentication is established, when there is unreceived data among the print data when the authentication is established.   When the security level is high, the data transmission device transmits the secure print job print data after the authentication is established without transmitting the print data to the printer before the authentication is established, while the security level is low. In this case, the print system according to claim 1, wherein all print data of the secure print job is transmitted in advance to the printer before authentication is established. The printer includes a primary storage unit that loses stored data when the printer is shut down, a secondary storage unit that retains stored data even when the printer is shut down, and encrypts the print data received from the data transmission device. Encryption processing means for converting to
3. The printing according to claim 1, wherein the encryption processing unit encrypts the print data stored in the secondary storage unit without encrypting the print data stored in the primary storage unit. system.   The data transmission device is in a state in which the ratio is reduced when the print data amount of the secure print job is less than a predetermined threshold, compared to the case where the print data amount is equal to or greater than the threshold. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the print data is transmitted to the printer.   The data transmission device may be configured to correct the ratio to be smaller when the free space of the memory of the printer is less than a predetermined threshold as compared to when the free space is equal to or larger than the threshold. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein print data is transmitted to the printer. A printer driver that is executed by an information processing apparatus connected to a printer that executes printing of a secure print job for which authentication has been established among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information,
Level setting processing for setting a security level of the secure print job;
When the security level set in the level setting process is high, it is transmitted in advance before authentication is established in the print data of the secure print job, compared to when the security level is low. Print data transmission processing for transmitting the print data to the printer in such a manner that the ratio of data to be kept is small;
A printer driver that causes the information processing apparatus to execute   In the print data transmission process, when the security level is high, the print data of the secure print job is transmitted in advance after the authentication is established without being transmitted in advance before the authentication is established, while the security level is low. The printer driver according to claim 6, wherein all the print data of the secure print job is transmitted in advance before authentication is established.   When the print data amount of the secure print job is less than a predetermined threshold value, a correction process for correcting the ratio to be smaller than that in the case where the print data amount is equal to or greater than the threshold value is performed as the information processing. The printer driver according to claim 6, further causing the apparatus to execute the printer driver. A waiting time determination process for determining, for each security level, a waiting time from when authentication is established until printing is started by the printer;
Before the level setting process, a waiting time display process for displaying the waiting time for each security level determined in the waiting time determination process,
The printer driver according to claim 6, further causing the information processing apparatus to execute. A printer that executes printing of a secure print job for which authentication has been established among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information,
Registration means for receiving print additional information capable of determining a security level of the secure print job and registering the print additional information;
Compared to the case where the security level of the secure print job is high, compared to the case where the security level is low, the data of the print data of the secure print job received in advance before authentication is established. Print control means for receiving and printing the print data such that the ratio is reduced; and
Equipped with a printer. Printing comprising a printer that executes printing of a secure print job that has been authenticated among secure print jobs associated with predetermined authentication information, a server connected to the printer, and a client connected to the server A printing program executed on the server of the system,
Level recognition processing for recognizing the security level of the secure print job set by the client;
When the security level recognized in the level recognition process is high, it is transmitted in advance before authentication is established in the print data of the secure print job, compared to when the security level is low. A pre-authentication transmission process for transmitting the print data to the printer before authentication is established so that the ratio of data to be kept is small;
If there is untransmitted data among the print data when authentication is established, post-authentication transmission processing for transmitting the untransmitted data to the printer after authentication is established;
A print program for causing the server to execute.

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