JP4803080B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is a printing system including a host device and a printing device connected via a network, and a printing device that performs authentication printing using a portable recording medium such as an IC card or a portable device such as a mobile phone, And a printing method.

  Today, computer networks are widely used. For example, a printing system is used in which a printing apparatus is connected to a network such as a LAN (local area network) and print data is supplied from a host device such as a personal computer (PC) to perform printing processing. Has been. In such a system, the host device and the printing apparatus are often installed at a remote location, and when printing a confidential document, there is a concern that the printed material may be read by another person.

Therefore, for example, a method of performing authentication printing using an IC card has been proposed. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of performing authentication printing by placing an IC card on the host device side and placing an IC card on the printing apparatus side and confirming a UID (Unique Item Identification) read from the IC card.
JP 2000-182187 A

  However, in the case of the above-mentioned IC card authentication printing, a reading device (card reader) for reading data from the IC card is also required on the host device side. A card reader is required, and its introduction cost is high.

  Accordingly, the present invention eliminates the need for installing a card reader for each host device, and associates a UID of a portable recording medium or portable device with a personal identification number obtained by calculation to enable confidential printing. And a printing method.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, according to the first aspect, in the printing apparatus connected to the host device via the network, reading means for reading the information of the solid identification number from the portable recording medium or the portable device, and reading by the reading means calculating the PIN on the basis of the individual identification number, a first storage means for storing the individual identification number corresponding to the dark license number in correspondence with dark license number, and informing means for informing the security code, the A second storage unit that receives the print data to which the personal identification number is added from a host device and stores the print data; and the first storage unit when the information of the individual identification number is read by the reading unit. And retrieves the information of the personal identification number corresponding to the individual identification number, retrieves the second storage means based on the information of the personal identification number, and prints corresponding to the personal identification number. Can be achieved by providing a search means for reading over data, a printing device having a printing means for performing printing processing of the print data read based on the search result.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculation of a personal identification number based on the solid identification number is performed using a specific parameter. it can.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the personal identification number added to the print data is a personal identification number notified by the notification means. Can be achieved by providing.

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing method in a printing apparatus connected to a host device connected via a network, a reading process of reading information on a solid identification number from a portable recording medium, Based on the individual identification number read by the reading process, a personal identification number is calculated, and the personal identification number corresponding to the personal identification number is stored in association with the personal identification number, and the personal identification number is notified. A notification process, a second storage process for receiving the print data to which the personal identification number is added from the host device, and storing the print data; and the first storage when the information of the individual identification number is input The personal identification number stored by the processing is searched, the personal identification number information corresponding to the individual identification number is read out, and the second storage processing is performed based on the read personal identification number information. Search for print data stored by be attained by providing a search process for reading the print data corresponding to dark security number, a printing method for the printing process for the print data read based on the search result.

  According to the present invention, confidential printing data created by a host device can be printed while ensuring confidentiality on the printing device without installing a costly card reader for each host device. The present invention provides a printing apparatus that can be used.

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

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a printing system using the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  In the figure, a terminal device 1 (1a, 1b, 1c) is a host device such as a personal computer (PC), and is connected to the printing device 2 via a LAN (Ethernet (registered trademark)). On the other hand, the printing apparatus 2 incorporates an IC card reader as a reading apparatus for acquiring a solid identification number (UID) from the IC card 3.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the printing apparatus 2 connected to the host device 1. As shown in the figure, the printing apparatus 2 includes a print control unit 5, a print data storage unit 6, a data transfer unit 7, a printer engine 8, a UID information control unit 9, and the like. The UID information control unit 9 includes an IC card. A reader 10, an operation button 11, and a display unit 12 are connected. Further, an image memory 13 and a UID-password correspondence table 14 described later are connected to the print control unit 5.

  The print control unit 5 controls the entire printing process of the printing apparatus 2 of this example, and performs processing according to a program stored in a ROM (not shown). The print data storage unit 6 stores print data transmitted from the host device 1. The UID information control unit 9 performs a PIN code calculation process, which will be described later, based on the UID information read from the IC card 3 via the IC card reader 10. Further, the UID information read from the IC card 3 is supplied to the print control unit 5.

  The UID-code number correspondence table 14 is a table for registering the correspondence between the UID information of the IC card 3 and the code number obtained as a result of calculation processing by the UID information control unit 9. On the other hand, the image memory 13 is a memory for expanding bitmap data obtained as a result of command analysis of print data, and the data transfer unit 7 outputs the data expanded in the image memory to the printer engine 8.

The operation button 11 and the display unit 12 are installed, for example, on the operation panel of the printing apparatus 2, and an operation signal based on the operation of the operation button 11 is output to the UID information control unit 9 and displayed via the UID information control unit 9. The signal is output to the display unit 12.
The IC card 3 stores a solid identification number (UID) used in this example, and is, for example, a non-contact type IC card.

  Hereinafter, the processing of this example will be described.

  3 and 4 are flowcharts for explaining the processing of this example. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the UID information control unit 9, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the processing operation of the print control unit 5.

  First, the user performs registration processing of the IC card 3 in advance before performing printing processing. That is, the registration process of the individual identification number (UID) unique to the IC card 3 and the personal identification number corresponding to the UID is performed in the UID-personal identification number correspondence table 14 in the printing apparatus 2.

  In this process, first, the operation button 11 of the printing apparatus 2 is operated to set the printing apparatus 2 to the “IC card registration mode”. Specifically, an operation signal based on the operation of the operation button 11 by the user is sent to the UID information control unit 9 to shift to the “IC card registration mode” (step (hereinafter referred to as S) 1 is Y (YES)). .

  Next, the IC card 3 is put on the IC card reader 10, and the UID information recorded on the IC card 3 is read by the IC card reader 10 (S2). This UID information is sent to the UID information control unit 9.

  Next, the UID information control unit 9 uses an internal parameter, performs arithmetic processing based on the UID information, and calculates a personal identification number composed of, for example, four digits (S3). For example, the code number is calculated by dividing the UID information by 16 bits, adding all of them, obtaining a 16-bit numerical value from the time information at that time, and further subtracting the decimal number of the added numerical value. A 4-digit number is used as a password. In this case, time information is used as an internal parameter.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the calculated password is already registered in the UID-password number correspondence table 14 (S4). Here, if it has already been registered in the UID-password combination table 14 (Y in S4), the internal parameter for calculating the password is changed (S5). On the other hand, if it is not registered in the UID-PIN correspondence table 14 (S4 is N (NO)), the UID and the calculated PIN are registered in the UID-PIN correspondence table 14 (S6).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the UID-password number correspondence table 14. For example, n pieces of password number information linked to the UID are registered. For example, each information of the identification number # 1 of the IC card having the UID # 1, the identification number # 2 of the IC card having the UID # 2,. Are registered in the UID-PIN table 14.

  Next, the newly registered password is displayed on the display unit 12 (S7). For example, when the code number #n of the IC card having the UID #n is registered in the UID-code number correspondence table 14, “UID # 1... Password number # 1” is displayed.

  Thereafter, the user presses the confirmation button, which is one of the operation buttons 11, to end the display of the personal identification number on the display unit 12 (Y in S8, S9). If the confirmation button is not pressed for a certain time from the start of display (S8 is N, S10 is Y), the display of the personal identification number is automatically terminated (S9).

  By the display process, the user stores the password displayed on the display unit 13 and then inputs the password when performing print processing using the host device 1.

  Next, after setting a personal identification number in the printing apparatus 2 by the above processing, the user's printing processing will be described.

  First, the user creates print data in accordance with the application, adds a personal identification number to the created print data, and transmits the print data to the printing apparatus 2. At this time, the personal identification number added to the print data is the personal identification number displayed and stored on the display unit 12 of the printing apparatus 2 by the above-described processing.

  When the print data is input (S11 is Y), the printing apparatus 2 stores the input print data in the print data storage unit 6 (S12). Thereafter, the print control unit 5 waits for notification of the UID supplied from the UID information control unit 9 (N in S13).

  After performing print data transmission processing from the host device 1, the user faces the printing device 2 and places the IC card 3 on the printing device 2 (IC card reader 10). However, after performing the print data transmission process from the host device 1, the user does not need to immediately go to the printing apparatus 2, but goes to the printing apparatus 2 to give a print instruction when desiring to obtain a printed matter.

  When the IC card 3 is tapped and the UID information is read, the IC card reader 10 notifies the print control unit 5 of the read UID information via the UID information control unit 9 (S14, S15 (see FIG. 3)). ).

  When the print control unit 5 receives the UID information from the UID information control unit 9 (S13 is Y), the print control unit 5 searches for a personal identification number based on the UID (S16). That is, the print control unit 5 searches the UID-password correspondence table 14 based on the notified UID, and reads the corresponding password. Here, when the corresponding personal identification number is retrieved, the print data of the personal identification number is retrieved from the print data storage unit 6 (Y in S17, S18).

  For example, in the case of the above-described # 1 IC card 3, the password number # 1 is retrieved from the UID-password number correspondence table 14, and the print data to which the password number # 1 is added is read from the print data storage unit 6. In the case of the above-described # 2 IC card 3, the code number # 2 is retrieved from the UID-code number correspondence table 14, and the print data to which the code number # 2 is added is read from the print data storage unit 6.

  Next, when the print data is read from the print data storage unit 6 (Y in S19), command analysis is performed on the print data, and for example, bitmap data corresponding to the print data is developed in the image memory 13. Thereafter, the data transfer unit 7 outputs the bitmap data to the printer engine 8 and performs a printing process on the recording medium (S20). If print data corresponding to the personal identification number cannot be detected (N in S19), the process returns to waiting for the first print data reception.

  As described above, according to this example, by simply placing the IC card 3 on the printing apparatus 2, it is possible to confirm a pre-registered personal identification number and perform confidential printing, and the cost increases for each host device. There is no need to install a card reader or the like, and confidential printing can be performed.

  Further, since the personal identification number is automatically calculated and set corresponding to the UID information, the personal identification number can be easily changed. If the password is changed once or every predetermined number of times, the password can be changed periodically. In this case, since it is automatically performed by management of the printing apparatus 2, there is no possibility that the password is issued twice.

  In this example, instead of the printing apparatus 2 configured as described above, a multifunction machine (hereinafter, referred to as MFP (multifunction printer / multifunction printer)) may be used. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which replaces with IC card 3 and uses portable apparatuses, such as a mobile telephone and PDA (personal digital assistant) which memorize | store UID.

  Further, in the above example, when the user outputs the printed matter, the printing process is performed only by reading the IC card 3 into the IC card reader 10 of the printing apparatus 2, but the IC card 3 is read into the IC card reader 10. At this time, it may be configured such that the input of a password is requested and the printing process is performed only when the passwords match.

  In the above example, the deletion of the UID and the password registered in the UID-password number correspondence table 14 is not described. However, the UID and password information registered once may not be deleted. In addition, it may be configured to be automatically deleted by one printing process, or may be configured to be automatically deleted upon completion of a preset number of printings or after a certain period of time.

  In the case of completion of the preset printing number or automatic deletion of the UID and personal identification number after a certain period of time, the host device 1 may add the printing number or time information to the print data.

  In the description of this example, the shift to the “IC card registration mode” is performed by button operation, but may be configured by another means such as voice recognition or input of biometric information.

It is a figure explaining the whole structure of the printing system of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of a printing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart for describing print processing according to the present exemplary embodiment. 6 is a flowchart for describing print processing according to the present exemplary embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of a UID-code number correspondence table.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a, 1b, 1c ... Terminal device 2 ... Printing device 3 ... IC card 5 ... Print control part 6 ... Print data storage part 7 ... Data transfer part 8 ... Printer Engine 9 UID information control unit 10 IC card reader 11 Operation button 12 Display unit 13 Image memory 14 UID-PIN correspondence table

Claims (4)

In a printing device connected to a host device via a network,
Reading means for reading the information of the solid identification number from a portable recording medium or portable device;
Calculating the PIN on the basis of the individual identification number read by said read means, first storage means for storing in correspondence with the individual identification number of dark card numbers and corresponding dark card number,
An informing means for informing the personal identification number;
Second storage means for receiving the print data to which the personal identification number is added from the host device and storing the print data;
When the information of the solid identification number is read by the reading means, the first storage means is searched, the information of the personal identification number corresponding to the solid identification number is read, and the second information based on the information of the personal identification number is read out. Search means for searching the storage means and reading out the print data corresponding to the personal identification number;
Print processing means for performing print processing of the print data read based on the search result;
A printing apparatus comprising:   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the code number based on the solid identification number is calculated using a specific parameter.   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the code number added to the print data is a code number notified by the notification unit. In a printing method in a printing apparatus connected to a host device connected via a network,
A reading process for reading information of a solid identification number from a portable recording medium;
Calculating the PIN on the basis of the individual identification number read by said read process, a first storage processing for storing the individual identification number corresponding to the dark license number in correspondence with dark card number,
A notification process for notifying the personal identification number;
A second storage process for receiving the print data to which the personal identification number is added from the host device and storing the print data;
When the information of the individual identification number is input, the personal identification number stored by the first storage process is searched, the information of the personal identification number corresponding to the solid identification number is read, and the information on the read personal identification number is A search process for retrieving the print data stored in the second storage process and reading the print data corresponding to the personal identification number;
Print processing for print data read based on the search results;
A printing method characterized in that: