KR20070021030A - Method and system for monitoring data transferred from image forming apparatus to external device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a system for monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device. The method for monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device includes: The external device in the image forming apparatus by transmitting to the device, transmitting a copy of information and data related to the user's job to a storage device with limited access from the user, and outputting a copy of the information and data related to the job to the administrator. For all digital information transmitted to the network, the digital information itself and the contents related to the information can be monitored or tracked, thereby improving security.

Description

Method and system for monitoring data transferred from image forming apparatus to external device

1 is a block diagram illustrating a connection between a multifunction apparatus and a server computer in a monitoring system for data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of a system for monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart of a method of controlling distribution of data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling distribution of data transmitted from an multifunction apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a method for monitoring data, and more particularly, to a method and system for monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device and a method for controlling distribution of such data.

Tracking digital information from image forming devices is very important for today's enterprise. Examples of the image forming apparatus include a scanner, a printer, a copy machine, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction device having two or more functions thereof. Today, users use image forming devices to distribute digital information. For example, an image forming apparatus scans a document and transmits the document to a printer, workstation, or copier. Such an external device may not be in the office where the document was scanned or may be remote. Similarly, the image forming apparatus can receive digital information from local and remote devices. Today's enterprise customers need not only to track digital information exiting and entering the office, but also to track the distribution of digital information within the office.

In general, control such as tracking and logging of digital information is achieved by various forms such as personal identification numbers and user authentication. Typical methods of controlling digital information include e-mail progress recording, user authentication, and device usage history. But none of these methods can meet the needs of today's enterprise customers. For example, e-mail progress records as part of an e-mail system suffer from the problem of tracking digital information in e-mail form. User authentication simply tracks users of copiers, printers, or other office equipment, and has the problem of not being able to track the digital information itself that has been scanned, printed, or copied. Finally, device usage history records track job information, user information, size of digital information, and usage time, but there are still incomplete problems in tracking digital information itself.

The present invention provides a method and system for monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device that can monitor or track digital information itself with respect to all digital information transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the external device. To provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling distribution of data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device, which selectively distributes information transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the external device.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device, the method comprising: transmitting data generated as a result of a user's operation to the external device; Transmitting the information related to the user's work and a copy of the data to a storage device having limited access from the user; And outputting a copy of the information and the data to an administrator.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitoring system for data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device, the image forming apparatus transmitting data generated as a result of a user's operation to the external device; A storage device for storing a copy of the data and information related to the user's work; And an output device for outputting a copy of the information and the data to an administrator, wherein the image forming apparatus transmits the copy of the information and the data to the storage device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling distribution of data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device, the method comprising: transmitting data generated as a result of a user's operation to the external device; Determining whether to perform logging of the task based on information related to the task of the user; And selectively transmitting the copy of the information and the data to a storage device with limited access from a user according to the determination result.

In a network computing environment, an image forming apparatus is usually shared by a plurality of users. Different users using the same image forming apparatus may have different uses, statuses, and security levels. It is therefore desirable to limit or monitor the ability of a user to distribute information that may be confidential. For example, one user's copy job is saved, and another user's copy job is not saved. In another form, tasks completed for a particular time of day are stored, while tasks completed for another time of day are not saved. For example, a completed task or a task with other suspicious characteristics may be stored at a time after working hours. Alternatively, IT administrators can choose whether to enable or disable the monitoring feature by task type. For example, the IT administrator selects whether to operate the monitoring function according to the types of jobs such as printing, copying, faxing, and e-mail transmission available to the user of the image forming apparatus.

The system and method according to the present invention store in the storage device a copy of the data to be transmitted to the external device created by the image forming apparatus. The storage device may be present in the image forming apparatus or in a location away from the image forming apparatus. The image forming value may transmit a copy of the data to a storage device spaced apart from the image forming apparatus via a direct connection or a network.

The user's access to a copy of the data stored on the storage device may be restricted by the IT administrator. The user can access the storage device, but can only read or other appropriate restriction methods can be used. This feature is convenient when a user incorrectly submits a job or cannot find the data that was sent.

A temporary copy of the data to be transmitted to the storage device may be stored in the first storage device inside the image forming apparatus. The temporary copy is sent over the network to a second storage device. This transmission may occur periodically or randomly. For example, periodic transmissions can occur in one day or one week periods. When the first storage device is full, transmission to the second storage device may occur. Random transmission to the second storage device may occur based on a preset rule. For example, a copy of data associated with a particular user or external device can be immediately sent to the second storage device. When this transfer occurs, the IT administrator can be instructed to examine the data.

Not all copies of the data may be stored on the storage device. For example, a copy of the data generated by the scanning job may be stored in the storage device, and a copy of the data generated by the fax transmission may not be stored in the storage device. Alternatively, a copy of some kind of data may be stored in a storage device in the image forming apparatus, and a copy of another kind of data may be stored in a storage device spaced apart from the image forming apparatus.

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

Examples of the image forming apparatus include a scanner, a printer, a copy machine, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction device having two or more functions thereof. In the following embodiments, a multifunction device will be described as an example of an image forming apparatus.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a connection between an image forming apparatus and a server computer in a monitoring system for data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The IT administrator selects the multifunction apparatus 120 in the server computer 110 to set an environment related to the monitoring of data transmitted from the multifunction apparatus to the external device. When a plurality of multifunction devices performs the data management method according to the present invention, the IT administrator may select a group of multifunction devices. For example, the IT administrator selects one or more multifunction devices by entering an IP address or hostname associated with the selected multifunction device 120. The IT administrator may set an environment for a group of multifunction devices or a plurality of multifunction devices in a single environment setting at the server computer 110.

The all-in-one 120 can communicate with software residing on the server computer 110 to download preferences. The software enables the IT administrator to set up an environment of the multifunction apparatus 120.

Software for setting an environment related to data management of the multifunction apparatus 120 may be embedded in the multifunction apparatus 120 instead of the server computer 110. At this time, the IT administrator sets an environment related to data management through the control panel of the multifunction apparatus 120. The control panel of the multifunction apparatus 120 interfaces the IT manager with the software.

Server computer 110 may use one or more operating systems. For example, you can use Microsoft Windows, Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, Linux, Red Hat, Caldera, Debian, Mandrake, Slackware, TurboLinux, and SuSE.

When the configuration is downloaded from the multifunction apparatus 120, the multifunction apparatus 120 may monitor a user task according to the downloaded configuration. The all-in-one 120 may store a copy of the user's work in a storage device and limit the type and time of the work performed by the user.

The user selects one or more external devices for the transfer of data. External devices include multifunction devices, copiers, fax machines, workstations, PCs, PDAs, and the like.

If the external device is a printer, the external device or group of external devices generally supports one or more printer languages. The all-in-one 120 can scan a document and transmit the scanned data in a printer language compatible with an external device. The scanned data may be stored in the storage device in the same printer language as the one used for transmission to the external device or in another printer language. The scanned data may be stored on the storage device using a format different from the printer language data file sent to the specific external device. For example, the data may be stored in PDF, Microsoft Word, or other suitable data file format.

The multifunction apparatus 120 may generate the same copy as the data transmitted to the external device and transmit the same copy to the storage device. In order to store the same copy of the data, a storage device of sufficient capacity is required. In addition, sufficient system bandwidth is required to transfer the same copy of the data between the multifunction apparatus 120 and the storage device. For example, identical copies of data such as e-mails, faxes, copies or other digital images are transmitted and stored in storage.

The multifunction apparatus 120 may generate a compressed copy of data transmitted to an external device and transmit the compressed copy to the storage device. For this purpose, suitable compression techniques can be used, for example special purpose microchips used to perform the compression function. For example, a JPEG compression microchip or JPEG compression integrated custom ASIC produced by Texas Instruments may be used. The compression may be performed following data transmission to an external device or in parallel with data transmission to an external device. When the compressed copy is sent to the storage device, the compressed copy is stored on the storage device.

Also, a combination of identical copy generation and compressed copy generation may be used. The choice of whether to create the same copy or the compressed copy may be based on the kind of job of generating the data to send to the external device, for example. The job types include copying, scanning, printing, faxing, e-mail, and the like. For example, data usually due to a small amount of e-mail job is created with the same copy, and data due to a large amount of scanning job is usually a compressed copy. Furthermore, the IT administrator can make a choice about whether to create the same copy or a compressed copy based on the user, the nature of the data, the user's usage time, the amount of available storage device, and the like.

The all-in-one 120 may allow a user to input user information, such as code or other identification information, into the all-in-one 120. For example, the code may be the last four digits of the user's social security number. The user information is used to select a preset environment in the multifunction apparatus 120 or to determine a preference related to the user's work. The preset environment setting may be based on the identity of a specific user. The all-in-one 120 may determine a preference for the user based on a predetermined rule. These rules may be based on the user's position in the enterprise, time of use, external device, features associated with the use of the user or multifunction device 120, and the like.

2 is a block diagram of a system for monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2, a system according to the present embodiment includes a server computer 110, a multifunction device 120, a storage device 230, one or more external devices 240, 250, and 260, and an output device 270. do. Three external devices are shown for convenience.

The external devices 240, 250, and 260 may each be image forming apparatuses according to the present invention. In this case, copies of data transmitted from the external devices 240, 250 and 260 to other devices are stored in the storage device 230. Can be preserved. For convenience, the multifunction apparatus 120 will be described as a reference.

When the user performs a job such as copying, scanning, faxing, or e-mail in the multifunction printer 120, the multifunction printer 120 may generate data according to the job and transmit the data to an external device.

The multifunction apparatus 120 may transmit information related to the user's work and a copy of the data to the storage device 230. The information may be, for example, user information, a type of a job, a date and time of a job, a form of data, and the like. The type of job can be, for example, copying, scanning, faxing, e-mail.

The multifunction apparatus 120 may receive user information from a user through a user interface of the multifunction apparatus 120. In addition, it may be determined whether to allow transmission of the data to an external device based on the user information. More specifically, since the authority is set differently according to user information of the user performing the task, when the user wants to transmit data to an external device, the authority may be allowed or disallowed according to the authority. On the other hand, if the data is not allowed to be transmitted to the external device, the information related to the user's work and the data may or may not be transmitted to the storage device 230.

The all-in-one 120 may be an external device to transmit data when viewed in another multi-function device. A suitable type of network bus 280, such as Ethernet or Token-Ring, may be used with the MFP 120, server computer 110, storage device 230, output device 270, multiple computers ( Not shown) and the external devices 240, 250, and 260. On the network bus 270, there is one or more multifunction devices that transmit jobs to and receive jobs from other devices. These devices can communicate with each other using technologies such as Hi-Speed USB 2.0, IEEE-1284 Parallel (Standard), 10/100 Base-TX, or 802.11b Wireless LAN.

The all-in-one 120 can scan and print a document. The all-in-one 120 can include a processor and a memory, which can be the same as the storage device 230 or can be another storage device.

When the multifunction printer 120 functions as a printer, various techniques and features for printing text and pictures may be used. The multifunction apparatus 120 may use one or more printer languages such as Hewlett Packard's Printer Control Language 6 (PCL), IBM ProPrinter, Epson, PostScript variants 1,2,3, and Printer Job Language (PJL).

The all-in-one 120 may be set to the required security, storage, compression, preservation functions. Once the IT administrator has set up the multifunction device 120's environment, the security function is maintained and the user is not affected by using the multifunction device 120. The all-in-one 120 can determine preferences based in part on the user and certain rules associated with the user.

The storage device 230 may receive and store a copy of the information and the data from the multifunction apparatus 120.

The storage device 230 may be in the form of a mass storage device that is easily accessible from the CPU of the multifunction apparatus 120. The storage device 230 may be spaced apart or locally connected to the multifunction apparatus 120.

Although one storage device 230 is illustrated in FIG. 2, the storage device 230 may have a plurality of storage devices 230. The storage device may be present in the all-in-one 120 or spaced apart from the all-in-one 120. Two or more multifunction devices may include a storage device, and one or more storage devices may receive data from two or more multifunction devices. When a storage device exists in the multifunction device, the multifunction device may receive data from another multifunction device and store the data.

The storage device 230 may include random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), multi-bank dynamic random access memory (MDRAM), Synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) Flash memory, hard disk, and optical disk.

The storage device 230 is preferably a storage device with limited access from a user. For example, a user's access to a copy of data stored in storage 230 may be restricted by the IT administrator. Alternatively, the user can access the storage device, but can only read or other appropriate restriction methods can be used. This feature is convenient when a user incorrectly submits a job or cannot find the data that was sent.

Management of copies of information and data stored in storage 230 may follow methods similar to those commonly used, such as current control or security protocols used in email systems. For example, data stored in the storage device 230 may be backed up every predetermined period and may be irradiated for a predetermined period if necessary. A maximum capacity for the information stored or stored in the storage device 230 may be specified. When the maximum capacity is reached, the oldest information may be overwritten.

The output device 270 may output the copy of the information and the data stored in the storage device 230 so that an administrator can monitor or manage the information. The output device 270 includes any device that displays information or data on a screen or outputs a result, such as a print or a print, such as a server computer, a personal computer (PC), a workstation, or a printer. The server computer 110 may perform the function of the output device 270, or the storage device 230 may have an output device. If the storage device is present in the all-in-one 120, the all-in-one 120 may have an output device.

The system stores all digital information transmitted from one or more multifunction devices 120, records and preserves progress, and an administrator can monitor or manage the digital information. The system is compatible with various types of information. The system may perform storage and preservation of information at the device level. Once the environment is set up, the system can be conveniently implemented at the user level with minimal supervision by an IT administrator or other employee.

Administrator passwords, device configuration controls, and remote access can be implemented to improve overall system security.

The data to be transmitted to the external device may be stored in the storage device 230 in various options including the same copy, the compressed copy, a combination of the same copy and the compressed copy, and the like. These settings can be selected according to the available system resources. For example, storing the same copy of data on storage 230 may require high levels of system performance as well as additional storage to store.

3 is a flowchart of a method for monitoring data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

A description with reference to FIG. 2 is as follows. Additional steps may be added below, one or more steps may be omitted, or the order of each step may be reversed. Furthermore, two or more steps can be combined into one. Although omitted below, the above description of the monitoring system for data transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the external device shown in FIG. 2 also applies to the method according to the following embodiments. The same applies to FIGS. 4 and 5.

In operation 310, the user inputs user information into the multifunction apparatus 120. The all-in-one 120 may allow a user to input user information, such as code or other identification information, into the all-in-one 120. The code may be a user ID. In addition, biometric data such as voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, pupil recognition or facial recognition may be used with or in place of the user information. The user information is used to select a preset environment setting in the multifunction apparatus 120 or to determine an environment setting related to the user's work. The preset environment setting may be based on a user's position or the like.

In operation 320, the multifunction apparatus 120 generates data according to a user's work. The user wants to transfer the data to an external device such as another multifunction printer, copier, printer, workstation, PDA, or the like. The user may select an external device to which data is to be transmitted.

In operation 330, the multifunction apparatus 120 determines whether to allow the data to be transmitted to the external device based on the user information. More specifically, since the authority is set differently according to the user information of the user performing the task, when the user wants to transmit data to an external device, the authority is not allowed or allowed according to the authority.

If it is determined in step 330 that the transmission to the external device is allowed, the flow proceeds to step 340 to transmit the data to the external device, and if it is determined that the transmission is not allowed, in step 380 a message indicating that the transmission is not allowed is output.

In operation 350, the multifunction apparatus 120 transmits the information related to the job and a copy of the data to the storage device 230. The information related to the job may be, for example, user information, a type of job, a date and time of the job, a form of data, and the like. The type of job can be, for example, copying, scanning, faxing, e-mail.

In operation 360, the storage device 230 stores the information and a copy of the data.

In operation 370, the output device 270 outputs a copy of the data and the information related to the job. Step 370 may be performed only at the request of an administrator or a predetermined user.

4 is a flowchart of a method of controlling distribution of data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Steps 410, 420, and 430 are the same as steps 310, 320, and 340 of FIG. 3, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

In operation 440, the multifunction apparatus 120 determines whether to log the task based on the information related to the task of the user.

The information related to the job may be, for example, user information, a type of job, a date and time of the job, a form of data, and the like. The IT administrator may preset the environment of the multifunction apparatus 120 with respect to the determination criteria. For example, logging may be performed for a task completed for a certain time of day, and logging may not be performed for a task completed for another time of day. For example, logging may be performed for jobs completed after work hours or for other suspicious features. Depending on the type of work, logging can be determined independently. For example, whether or not security logging is performed depends on the type of job such as print, copy, fax, or e-mail.

According to the user information, the environment of the multifunction apparatus 120 regarding logging of a job may be set differently. That is, the degree or grade of logging is set in relation to the user's information. That is, based on the user information input to the multifunction apparatus 120, the multifunction apparatus 120 determines whether to perform logging for a job started by a user related to the user information.

Different logging users have different purposes. The company or organization can selectively control the distribution of information from the multifunction device by granting or denying authority to the user based on the user information input to the multifunction device or related information. For example, the user information may identify a department code associated with a person given a security level or access information thereof.

If it is determined in step 440 that the logging of the job is to be performed, the process proceeds to step 450, and the multifunction apparatus 120 transmits the information related to the job and a copy of the data to the storage device 230 and logs the job. If not determined, the procedure is terminated.

In operation 460, the storage device 230 stores the information and a copy of the data.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling distribution of data transmitted from the multifunction apparatus to an external device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

When the user starts a job such as scanning, copying, faxing, e-mail, etc. in the multifunction apparatus 120, in operation 510, the multifunction apparatus 120 generates data according to the job. The user wishes to send the job to an external device such as another multifunction printer, copier, printer, workstation, PDA, or the like. The user selects an external device to which data is to be transmitted.

In operation 520, the multifunction apparatus 120 determines whether to log the task based on information related to the task of the user. Operation 520 is substantially the same as operation 440 of FIG. 4.

If it is determined in step 520 that the operation is not logged, the process proceeds to step 570 to transmit data to the external device.

If it is determined in step 520 that logging of the job is performed, the process proceeds to step 530 to determine the format of the copy of the data. The format of the copy may be the same as or different from the format of the data of data to be transmitted to the external device.

The all-in-one 120 checks the external device selected by the user to determine the correct printer language. For each external device, the multifunction apparatus 120 checks the printer driver of the external device. The server computer 110 converts the data file into a language or format supported by an external device. For example, the data file of the document scanned by the multifunction apparatus 120 may be converted to PCL for the external device 240 and PostScript for the external device 250.

In step 540, it is determined whether the format of the data to be transmitted to the external device is different from the format of the copy. The copy may be stored in the storage device 230 in a format different from the data transmitted to the external device. For example, the copy is stored in the storage device 230 in PDF, Microsoft word, or other format, and transmitted to the external device in PostScript format.

If it is determined in step 540 that the format of the data to be transmitted to the external device is different from the format of the copy, the flow proceeds to step 550.

In operation 550, the multifunction apparatus 120 processes the complex data. In more detail, the multifunction apparatus 120 converts data to be transmitted to an external device to generate the copy, and processes the data in two or more formats, a format of data to be transmitted to the external device and a format of the copy. In this way, the data sent to the external device and the copy sent to the storage device 230 are sent in a different format.

If it is determined in step 540 that the format of the data to be transmitted to the external device is not different from the format of the copy, the flow proceeds to step 580.

In operation 580, the multifunction apparatus 120 processes the common data. In more detail, the copy is created in the same format as the data type to be transmitted to the external device.

In operation 550 or 580, the copy may be compressed to generate a compressed copy.

In operation 560, the copy of the data is transmitted to the storage device 230. At this time, information related to the user's work may be transmitted together. The information may be, for example, user information, a type of a job, a date and time of a job, a form of data, and the like. The type of job can be, for example, copying, scanning, faxing, e-mail. The information may be in the same format as the copy or in another format. For example, a copy of the data may be in PDF format and the information may be in Word format.

In step 570, the multifunction apparatus 120 transmits the data to an external device.

Meanwhile, the above-described embodiments of the present invention can be written as a program that can be executed in a computer, and can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that operates the program using a computer-readable recording medium. In addition, the structure of the data used in the above-described embodiment of the present invention can be recorded on the computer-readable recording medium through various means.

The computer-readable recording medium may be a magnetic storage medium (for example, a ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, etc.), an optical reading medium (for example, a CD-ROM, DVD, etc.) and a carrier wave (for example, the Internet). Storage medium).

So far I looked at the center of the preferred embodiment for the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

According to the present invention, a digital copy of all digital information transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device by transmitting and storing a copy of data related to a job and data transmitted to an external device to a storage device with limited access and outputting it to an administrator. The ability to monitor or track the information itself and related content has the effect of improving security. In addition, there is an effect that can control the distribution of digital information by selectively transmitting to the storage device based on the information related to the job. Furthermore, there is an effect of preserving digital information transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the external device.

Claims (5)

In the monitoring method of data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device, Transmitting data generated as a result of a user's work to the external device; Transmitting the information related to the user's work and a copy of the data to a storage device having limited access from the user; And Outputting the information and a copy of the data to an administrator. The method of claim 1, Receiving user information from a user in the image forming apparatus; And Determining whether to allow transmission of the data to an external device based on the user information. In the monitoring system for data transmitted from an image forming apparatus to an external device, An image forming apparatus which transmits data generated as a result of a user's work to the external device; A storage device for storing a copy of the data and information related to the user's work; An output device for outputting a copy of said information and said data to an administrator, And the image forming apparatus transmits the information and a copy of the data to the storage device. The method of claim 3, And the image forming apparatus receives user information from a user and determines whether to allow transmission of the data to an external device based on the user information. In the method for controlling the distribution of data transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the external device, Transmitting data generated as a result of the user's work to the external device; Determining whether to perform logging of the task based on information related to the task of the user; And Selectively transmitting said copy of said information and said data to a storage device with limited access from a user in accordance with said determination result.

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