JP4332307B2 - Printing apparatus and font data management method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a font data management method for receiving a character code from, for example, a host and printing characters from font data corresponding to the character code.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, font data is built into the printing device in a valid format, that is, a format that can be used as it is. When the font and character code are specified from the host, the printing device displays the character code corresponding to the character code specified from the font data. Print. Since fonts, particularly Japanese kanji fonts, are generally expensive, the number of fonts built in when a printing apparatus is sold is generally about 2 to 5 fonts. For this reason, a user who needs a font other than the pre-installed font needs to purchase an optional font. In order to incorporate the option font in the printing apparatus, the user has to download the option font purchased from the host to the printing apparatus using the utility software for the option font.
[0003]
In addition, the number of printing apparatuses in which option fonts can be installed is determined by a license agreement corresponding to the price. For this reason, the utility software for option fonts must also manage fonts such as whether or not option fonts have been downloaded to the printing device and how many printing devices are allowed to download option fonts. It was.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the OS environment of the host computer is various, and it is a great burden for manufacturers to develop utility software that supports all OS environments for option fonts. In addition, since a host is always required to download optional fonts, a dealer salesman or serviceman who sells printing devices can borrow optional users' hosts to add optional fonts. Must have a computer. In this case, restrictions on the use of computers are quite strict in general companies, etc. In addition, in order to connect your own computer to the user's printing device, the system must be stopped or connected, etc. There was also a problem that it was difficult for dealer salesmen and servicemen to sell option fonts.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and enables a simple and quick font management by enabling operations such as addition, deletion, and prohibition of addition of optional fonts without using a host computer. And a font management method.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
[0007]
A printing apparatus for obtaining and printing a character image corresponding to a character code from font data,
Dark Storage means for storing the encoded font data;
Displays a list of enabled fonts based on the font data stored in the storage means, and corresponds to the font selected from the list if the password entered for the font selected from the list is correct Do Dark An enabling means for decrypting the encoded font data and bringing it into an enabled state;
The activated font data is Delete An invalidation means for returning to the invalidated state;
By a privileged operation, each font has been decrypted and validated by the validation means. Status Setting means for setting to an activation prohibition state that cannot be set, or an activation permission state that can be decrypted and made into an enabled state by the validation means.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0020]
<Configuration of printing device>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0021]
In FIG. 1, an external host computer 2 is connected to a printing apparatus main body 1 indicated by a broken line via a connector (not shown), and a font designation command, a character code, a paper discharge command, etc. from the host computer 2 Is received and printed out.
[0022]
In the main body 1 of the printing apparatus, the CPU 3 loads the execution program stored in the hard disk drive 8 on the RAM 6 in accordance with the control procedure of the boot program stored in the boot ROM 5, and the apparatus 1 in accordance with the control procedure of the loaded execution program. Perform overall control. In addition to controlling the entire device, the execution program acquires outline data and bitmap data corresponding to the input character code from the specified font data, and places it as a character image of the specified size at the specified position. Rendering processing is also performed. The reception buffer 4 stores received data such as a font designation command, a character code, and a paper discharge command from the host computer 2. The boot ROM 5 stores a boot program. The boot program loads the above-described initial operation of the CPU 3 and the execution program stored in the hard disk drive 8 onto the RAM 6 and causes the CPU 3 to execute it. A control procedure to be downloaded to the drive 8 is realized. The RAM 6 functions as a storage area for the execution program of the CPU 3 and a work area when executing the execution program. The output unit 7 visualizes the image data by an electrophotographic process. The hard disk drive 8 stores the above-described execution program, invalid fonts to be described later, validated fonts, and data used for font management. The operation panel 9 is used for, for example, an instruction for enabling, disabling, disabling or enabling the font, which will be described later. The NVRAM 10 stores a unique machine ID assigned to each printing apparatus 1. The machine ID is set at factory initialization and cannot be changed thereafter.
[0023]
<Font status>
Next, the state of fonts stored in the hard disk drive 8 in advance will be described.
[0024]
Within the hard disk drive 8, four directories logically named / Program, / Data, / InvalidFont, and / ValidFont are created, and the execution program and font are valid or invalid, respectively. This is an area in which data used by an execution program used for font management, such as whether or not (hereinafter abbreviated as management data), invalid fonts, and valid fonts are stored as files. Execution programs, management data, and invalidated fonts are stored in the / Program of the hard disk drive 8 via the reception buffer 4 from the host computer 2 when the device is initialized (factory initialization) in the production process at the factory. , / Data, / InvalidFont directory. In addition to this, some fonts that can be used immediately after shipment may be downloaded, but these are stored in the area / ValidFont in an activated state without being encrypted. The management data indicates that the state of these fonts is “validated”. In addition, the font status includes “invalidated”, “invalidated to enable”, and “allowed to enable”.
[0025]
These font states have the following meanings: “Invalidation valid” indicates that the font corresponding to the state is encrypted and cannot be decrypted and validated as it is. “Validation permission” indicates that the corresponding font is encrypted but can be decrypted and validated by inputting a valid password. “Validated” indicates that the corresponding font is held in a plain text state and can be used for printing. “Invalidated” indicates that the corresponding font has been validated once, but has been invalidated and cannot be used at present. However, a password is not required to enable a font in the “invalidated” state.
[0026]
The font invalidation and validation process will be described with reference to FIG.
[0027]
The font data file has a font information section 11 such as a font name and a font glyph section 12 in a bitmap or outline format. The font font glyph unit 12 is encrypted by invalidation described later, but the information unit 11 is not encrypted.
[0028]
When the font data is downloaded from the host computer 2 to the printing apparatus 1 at factory initialization, the font glyph unit 12 is encrypted by the host computer, and the invalid font is stored as the encrypted font glyph unit 13. Stored in the area (/ InvalidFont). In this embodiment, a general PGP encryption method is used as the encryption method of the public key method as the encryption method, and a combination of the font name and the machine ID stored in the NVRAM 10 is used as the encryption key. Since the decryption key uniquely determined from the encryption key serves as a password as described later, the decryption key is a secret key. The password, which is the decryption key, is input to the user or the like using the operation panel 9, and the font glyph portion 13 encrypted using the input password as the decryption key is decrypted, and the directory for the activated font The font can be validated by storing the decrypted font glyph part 14 in (/ ValidFont). The decoded font stored in the valid font directory (/ ValidFont) can be used by the execution program. At this time, the entered password and font state (in this case, “validated” state) are stored in the management data storage unit (/ Data) in association with the font. The association with the font may use an identifier or the like, or an area may be determined for each font in advance.
[0029]
When authenticating using a decryption key as a password, the simplest method is to download and store the decryption key corresponding to each font when the font data is encrypted and downloaded. When a password is input, it is checked against the stored decryption key. In addition, in order to further enhance the security of the decryption key, a predetermined pattern is encrypted using the same key as the encryption key for the font, and both the equality and the encryption are stored for the predetermined pattern. It is also possible to put it in place. In this method, the encrypted password is first decrypted using the input password as the decryption key, and if the decrypted pattern matches the plaintext pattern, the password is authenticated as valid. Become. At this time, by making the predetermined pattern common to each font, it is only necessary to hold one plaintext pattern. In this method, the predetermined pattern is not specially prepared, and the font data itself can be used as the predetermined pattern. In this case, since the data stored as plaintext is only for authentication, only a small part of the font data is sufficient.
[0030]
Even when the password is authenticated and the font is decrypted and validated in this way, the encrypted font is stored in the area (/ InvalidFont) as it is. When an invalidation instruction is received for the activated font from the operation panel 9, the font instructed to be invalidated is selected from the font files stored in the directory for the activated font (/ ValidFont). The file is deleted. By doing so, the font from which the activated font file is deleted returns to the invalidated state. At that time, the state of the font stored in the management data storage (/ Data) is updated to “invalidated”.
[0031]
When re-enabling a disabled font, a password has already been registered in the management data storage (/ Data), so using that password allows you to enter the font without entering the password again. Can be activated.
[0032]
<Enable / Disable Font Operation / Processing>
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a font validation processing procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention. This processing program is stored in the hard disk drive 8 or the boot ROM 5, and is processed by the CPU 3 according to the processing content. In the flowchart, the upper hollow hexagonal block indicates the start point of the loop, and the lower hollow hexagonal block indicates the end point of the loop. The conditions described in the hexagonal block indicate loop repetition conditions. In either case, if the repetition condition is not satisfied, the process branches to the next step after the end point of the loop. Further, when the condition described at the end point of the loop is satisfied, the process is repeated from the start point of the corresponding loop.
[0033]
In FIG. 3, when the user selects / instructs “validate font” from the operation panel 9 (FIG. 7), the font that can be activated as shown in FIG. 8 from the font file stored in the hard disk drive 8 is displayed. Is displayed on the operation panel 9 (step S8). A font to be activated is selected by the user from the operation panel 9, and a password is requested and entered for a font whose password is not registered in the hard disk 8 (step S4, FIG. 9). If the password is entered, it is checked whether the password is correct (step S5). If the password is not correct, a message to that effect is displayed on the operation panel 8 (step S7, FIG. 10). If the password is correct, the fact that the font has been selected is displayed on the operation panel 8 (step S6, FIG. 8). By repeating steps S2 to S8, a font is selected, and by instructing “start activation” from the operation panel 8, the activation of the selected font is started.
[0034]
When the start of the font activation is instructed, the above-described font activation processing is performed on the selected font (step S10, step S11, step S12), and the decoded font file is stored in the hard disk drive 8. At the same time, the valid font state is registered in the hard disk drive 8 (step S13). By performing steps S9 to S14 for all the selected fonts, the font validation is completed. While the font is being validated, a message indicating that the font validation process is being performed is displayed on the operation panel 8 or the like (FIG. 11).
[0035]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a font invalidation processing procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention. This processing program is stored in the hard disk drive 8 or the boot ROM 5, and is processed by the CPU 3 according to the processing content.
[0036]
From the font state stored in the hard disk drive 8, a list of fonts that can be invalidated is displayed on the operation panel 9 (step S23). The display screen is almost the same as in FIG. 8, but the character string “validated” is replaced with “invalidated”. The user selects a font to be invalidated from the operation panel 9 (step S24), and displays that the font is selected on the operation panel 8 (step S25). By repeating steps S22 to S26, font selection is performed, and by instructing the start of font invalidation from the operation panel 8, the font invalidation is started.
[0037]
When the start of the font invalidation is instructed, the above-described font invalidation processing is performed on the selected font (step S28), and the decrypted font file for the selected font is deleted from the hard disk 8. The font state is registered as invalid in the hard disk drive 8 (step S29). By performing steps S27 to S30 for all the selected fonts, the font invalidation is completed. While the font is invalidated, a message indicating that the font invalidation process is being performed is displayed on the operation panel 8 or the like.
[0038]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a font validation prohibiting process procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention. This processing program is stored in the hard disk drive 8 or the boot ROM 5, and is processed by the CPU 3 according to the processing content.
[0039]
A list of fonts that can be disabled from the font states stored in the hard disk drive 8 is displayed on the operation panel 9 (step S43). The display screen is almost the same as that in FIG. 8, but the character string “validation” is replaced with “validation prohibited”. The user selects a font to be disabled from the operation panel 9 (step S44), and displays that the font has been selected on the operation panel 8 (step S45). By repeating steps S42 to S46, font selection is performed, and by instructing the font activation prohibition start from the operation panel 8, the font activation prohibition is started.
[0040]
When the start of the font prohibition is instructed, it is checked whether the selected font is enabled by checking the font state stored in the hard disk drive 8 (step S48). In the converted state, the font invalidation process is performed on the selected font in the same manner as in step S28 described above (step S49). Then, the font state is registered in the hard disk drive 8 as being prohibited from being activated (step S50). By performing steps S47 to S51 for all the selected fonts, the font validation prohibiting process ends. While the font activation is prohibited, a message indicating that the font activation prohibition process is in progress is displayed on the operation panel 8 or the like.
[0041]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a font validation permission processing procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention. This processing program is stored in the hard disk drive 8 or the boot ROM 5, and is processed by the CPU 3 according to the processing content. A list of fonts that can be validated is displayed on the operation panel 9 from the font states stored in the hard disk drive 8 (step S63). The user selects a font for which activation is permitted from the operation panel 9 (step S64), and displays that the font has been selected on the operation panel 8 (step S64). By repeating step S62 to step S66, the font is selected, and by instructing the start of the font activation permission from the operation panel 8, the font activation permission is started.
[0042]
When instructed to start font activation permission, the font state is registered in the hard disk drive 8 as activation permission (step S68). By performing steps S67 to S69 for all the selected fonts, the font validation permission process is completed. While the font activation is permitted, the operation panel 8 or the like displays that the font activation permission is being processed.
[0043]
By the above procedure, the “validation prohibited” state can be transited only to the “validation permitted” state by the validation permission operation / process. In addition, the “validation permitted” state can be changed to the “validation prohibited” state by the activation prohibiting operation / process, or can be transitioned to the “validated” state by the enabling operation / process accompanied by the password input. Further, the “validated” state can be changed to “invalidated” by the invalidation operation / process, or can be transited to the “validation prohibited” state by the invalidation operation / process. Further, from the “invalidated” state, a transition can be made to an “validated” state by an enabling operation / process without password input, or to an “invalidated” state by an enabling prohibition operation / process.
[0044]
By managing the font state in four parts in this way, for example, the following operation becomes possible. At the time of factory shipment, a font that is not allowed to be used is encrypted, and the state is set to “validation enabled”. When the user receives permission to use the optional font, the corresponding store is notified of the corresponding password. The user can use the permitted option font by inputting the password in the procedure described later. Thereafter, the user can disable or re-enable the font according to the user's own needs.
[0045]
Prohibiting the use of an arbitrary font is to delete the password of the font stored from the operation panel 9 to prohibit the activation of the font, and to store a data storage unit used by an execution program such as data used for font management. This can be done by storing the font status as prohibition of activation in (/ Data). Therefore, it has been activated once by enabling the operation of enabling permission, or the operation of enabling permission and the prohibiting operation as a privileged operation that only allows the engineer of the store, not the user. Even for a font, by performing an activation prohibition operation on the font, even a user who knows the password cannot validate the font and cannot use it.
[0046]
In addition, permitting the use of a font that has been prohibited from being arbitrarily used is that the font status stored in the management data storage unit (/ Data) is permitted by prohibiting the validation of the font stored from the operation panel 9. This is possible by storing it as an enabling permission.
[0047]
In this way, even if the use permission of the option font is given to the printing apparatus, the subsequent use can be restricted by a store or the like, and the option font can be managed by the printing apparatus alone. it can.
[0048]
Further, according to an operation from the operation panel 9 or an operation from the host computer 2, a list of fonts and passwords in the “validated” or “invalidated” state is printed from the output unit 7, or the operation panel 9 can also be displayed. By doing so, it is possible to manage a list of already purchased fonts and their passwords.
[0049]
In addition, when the user enables / disables / enables / enables fonts, the hard disk drive displays a list of fonts to be enabled / disabled / disabled / enabled. Since the display panel 9 is used to refer to data indicating the state of each font stored in the management data storage unit 8 (/ Data directory), each operation can be easily performed even when the user operates. Can be done.
[0050]
[Modification of the above embodiment]
In the above printing apparatus, the execution program, the file used by the execution program such as data used for font management, and the invalidated font are transferred from the host computer 2 to the // When downloading to the directory of Program, / Data, / InvalidFont, the password for enabling the font by including the password corresponding to the arbitrary font in the data used for font management in advance Input can be made unnecessary.
[0051]
Alternatively, the file used by the execution program such as the execution program, data used for font management, and the invalidated font are respectively received from the host computer 2 via the reception buffer at the time of factory initialization via the / Program, / Data of the hard disk drive 8. , / InvalidFont When downloading to the directory of / InvalidFont, it is possible to prohibit the activation of the font by prohibiting the activation of an arbitrary font state in the data used for font management in advance.
[0052]
[Other embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, an output unit that visualizes an image according to a known electrophotographic process is used as a print output unit. However, the output unit is not limited to the electrophotographic process, and is an inkjet method including a bubble jet method. The present invention can also be applied to other output units.
[0053]
In the above embodiment, PGP encryption is used as the encryption method, but other encryption methods may be used. However, it goes without saying that an encryption method that is not easily deciphered is preferable.
[0054]
In the above embodiment, the combination of the font name and the device ID is used as the encryption key (public key), and the decryption key (secret key) corresponding to the encryption key is used as the password. As long as it is uniquely determined by the ID and is unique, it may be independent of encryption / decryption. In that case, the encryption does not depend on the machine, and the necessity of performing the encryption at the time of downloading is eliminated. In addition, even the encryption key / decryption key method as in the above embodiment may be a mechanism in which the host computer side encrypts each machine in advance and simply downloads it.
[0055]
In the above embodiment, the execution program is stored in the hard disk drive, but may be stored in the ROM.
[0056]
In the above embodiment, the files used by the execution program such as data used for font management are stored in the hard disk drive, but may be stored in the ROM.
[0057]
In the above embodiment, the decryption process is performed at that time in response to an instruction from the operation panel. However, only the password may be stored, and decryption may be performed when necessary. With this configuration, invalidated fonts can be stored in ROM, and necessary fonts can be validated on RAM when the power is turned on. Large-capacity nonvolatile memory such as hard disk drives and flash ROMs This makes it possible to implement the present invention without storage.
[0058]
In the above-described embodiment, the user performs the process of enabling the activation of the fonts that are prohibited from being enabled and disabled, but only the administrator who manages the printing apparatus or the service person who performs the maintenance of the printing apparatus. It is possible to hide a part of the function by using the password that is known.
[0059]
In the above-described embodiment, the process of enabling, disabling, enabling and disabling the font, and enabling the enabling of the prohibited font are performed as the start of activation, the start of disabling, the start of disabling the activation, and the activation, respectively. Although it was started by instructing the start of permission, what can be processed in a short time, such as validation permission, can be performed when a font is selected.
[0060]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing apparatus capable of performing font management such as font addition, deletion, and prohibition of addition without using a host computer.
[0061]
Further, by setting so that the font cannot be validated, font data licensed in a certain device cannot be used in a certain device and can be used in another device.
[0062]
Further, when validating a font, the right of the font can be protected without being illegally used by using a unique password for the type of font and each printing apparatus.
[0063]
In addition, by storing a unique password for the font type and individual printing device used to activate the font, it is possible to eliminate the need to enter the password when installing the font. Become.
[0064]
In addition, by storing the font type used for enabling the font and a unique password for each printing device in the main body of the printing device, a list of passwords required for font installation and the corresponding font types Can be printed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a font invalidation / validation process according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a font validation procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a font invalidation procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for prohibiting font activation in an embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a font validation permission procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows a screen form of the operation panel 9 for instructing a font activation menu display in the embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows a screen form of the operation panel 9 for selecting a font to be activated and instructing the start of the font activation in an embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a screen form of the operation panel 9 for inputting the password of the font to be activated in the embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a screen form of the operation panel 9 displayed when the input password is not correct according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a screen form of the operation panel 9 showing that font validation is performed in an embodiment according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Printer body
2 ... Host computer
3 ... CPU device
4 ... Receive buffer
5 ... Boot ROM
6 ... RAM
7 ... Print output section
8 ... Hard disk drive
9 ... Operation panel
10 ... NVRAM
11. Font information part of font data
12 ... Font glyph part of original font data before invalidation
13: Font glyph part of encrypted and invalid font data
14: Font glyph part of the decoded and validated font data

Claims (12)

A printing apparatus for obtaining and printing a character image corresponding to a character code from font data,
A storage means for storing font data which is encrypted,
Displays a list of enabled fonts based on the font data stored in the storage means, and corresponds to the font selected from the list if the password entered for the font selected from the list is correct and enabling means for encrypted has been activated already state by decoding the font data are to,
An invalidating means for deleting the activated font data and returning it to the invalidated state;
The privileged operations, set to enable disabled state that can not be activated already state by decoding by said enabling means for each font, is decoded by the enable means, to enable already state And a setting means for setting to an enabled permission state. The password is uniquely determined corresponding to the font type and each printing device, and the validation means validates the font data of the type corresponding to the password for the printing device in which the correct password is input. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 . When the uniquely determined password is entered, the entered password is stored, and the validation means does not enter the password when validating the font data corresponding to the stored password. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the font data is validated. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising means for deleting the stored password. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising means for printing a list of font types corresponding to the stored password. In the printing apparatus, a printing method for obtaining and printing a character image corresponding to a character code from font data,
A step of displaying means of the printing device, stored in the storage unit, displays a list of font based on the font data being encrypted,
It said enabling means of the printing device, if the password entered for the font that is selected from the list is correct, effective and decodes the font data that is encrypted corresponding to the font that is selected from the list Kasumi An activation process to make
Invalidating means of the printing device, and disable step of returning disabled Kasumi observed state to delete font data to the enable haze observed state,
The setting unit of the printing apparatus sets the disabled state in which the font cannot be decrypted and made into an enabled state by privileged operation by the privileged operation, or the validation step printing method characterized by having a setting step of decoded is set to enable authorization state may be enabled of already state by. The password is uniquely determined corresponding to the type of font and each printing device, and in the validation step, the type of font data corresponding to the password is validated for the printing device in which the correct password is entered. The printing method according to claim 6 . When the uniquely determined password is input, the input password is stored, and when the font data corresponding to the stored password is enabled in the enabling step, no password is input. 8. The printing method according to claim 7 , wherein the font data is validated. The printing method according to claim 8 , further comprising a step of deleting the stored password by the deleting unit of the printing apparatus. 9. The printing method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of printing a list of font types corresponding to the stored password by the printing unit of the printing apparatus. A computer program for realizing each means according to any one of claims 1 to 5 by a computer. The computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program according to claim 1 1.

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