TW201333810A - Method for controlling printing of protected digital document and system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for controlling printing of protected digital document which is protected by a DRM system, the DRM system including a server module executed on a server and a client executing a client module which communicates With the server module via communication network, the client has a non-volatile memory for the total number of times a document has been printed out, the method comprising the steps of: (a) the client executing the printing procedure; (b) the client module deciding whether the client has privilege to print the document; (c) if it is yes in step (b), recounting the total number of times the document has been printed; (d) printing our the document and updating the total number of times into the non-volatile memory.

Description

Print control method and system for electronic file

The invention relates to a printing control system and method for a document, thereby tracking and recognizing whether other files of the same document are copied by a unique number and a file of the same document.

In order to solve the problem of copyright infringement, digital rights management (DRM) related technologies are widely used in various fields. The so-called digital copyright management is mainly used to control the illegal distribution of digital files on the Internet, so that only users authorized by the author can operate the digital information according to the scope and duration of the author's original consent. Authorized users cannot operate even access to digital files.

However, if the file is generally protected by digital copyright management, if the user can perform the printing, the user can print the file, and then copy the file in a large amount by photocopying, and then arbitrarily distribute the file. Users can even use the camera, photography, image capture or other methods to obtain the content of the file, and then distribute the content of the file arbitrarily. As a result, strict digital rights management can not prevent documents from being arbitrarily distributed, and the rights of the authors of the documents suffer.

When a protected confidential file allows the user to print, it usually limits the number of times the user prints. However, after the user prints, he can copy and copy many of the printed materials by photocopying.

In view of the above-mentioned technical deficiencies, the present invention provides a system and a file printing control method, which is desired to print a unique tracking number or code of a file through dynamic watermark printing, thereby tracking and identifying. Whether other identical files are copied from this numbered text.

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to track and recognize whether other identical files are copied from the same text that is uniquely numbered or encoded.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the electronic document printing control method of the present invention is protected by a digital copyright management system, and the system comprises: a server module, which is executed by a digital copyright management servo. a client executing a client module and communicating with the server module via a communication network, the client having a non-volatile memory for storing a file to be printed The number of times; this method includes the following steps: (a) the client executes the printing program; (b) the client module determines whether the client can print; (c) if the client can print the file, recalculate The total number of times this file is printed by the client; (d) when the file is printed, the total number of times is updated to the non-volatile memory.

In order to solve the above technical problem, a system for executing a print control method for an electronic file, the electronic file is protected by a digital copyright management server, comprising: a server module executed on the digital copyright a client, executing a client module, communicating with the server module via a communication network, the client having a non-volatile memory for storing a file to be printed The number of times; wherein the client module controls whether a file is allowed to be printed, and each time the client module prints the file, the number is incremented by one and recorded in the non-volatile memory.

Other detailed features and characteristics of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the following methods or embodiments of the end system and the scope of the claims.

The protected electronic document referred to below in this creation is the broadest printable electronic material or information, which may contain any printable information file carrying information such as words, equations, images, graphics, animations, etc.

The recipient or client referred to herein below may be, for example but not limited to, a client computer, such as a desktop, a portable computer, a web server, or a handheld communication system, such as a smart phone, having a network The connection authentication function can receive or transmit a protected electronic file. For example, an iPod, iPad, iPhone or other brand of personal computer or server, etc., belongs to the terminal used by the receiver or the client. The digital copyright management server referred to below in this creation may be a general-purpose server on which a digital copyright management module or software is installed and executed.

1 is a functional block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a print control system of the present authoring document. In this embodiment, the print control system of the file is applied to the client 13, so that when the client 13 prints the protected electronic file, the predetermined traceable information is dynamically printed for later tracking.

The system for executing the print control method of the electronic file includes a server module 110 executing on the digital copyright management server 11; a client 13 executing a client module 131 via a communication network 15 is in communication with the server module 110. The client 13 has a non-volatile memory 133 for storing the total number of times a file is printed. The client module 131 controls whether a file is allowed to be printed on the printer 17, and each time the client module 131 prints the file 111, the total number of times is increased by one, and the record is updated to be non-volatile. Sex memory 133.

The non-volatile memory 131 can be a hard disk or a flash memory or a solid state disk (SSD), and can be fixed or portable.

The number of times the file 111 is printed is forcibly printed at a certain position of the file.

The number of times the file 111 is printed is displayed on the file as a watermark.

The number of times the file 111 is printed is displayed on the file in an encoded manner. The manner of encoding can be, for example, a one-dimensional barcode.

In this embodiment, the server 11 can be connected to the client 13 via the communication network 15, as shown in FIG. The server 11 can change the usage information and the print format via the communication network 15. Communication network 15 can be a local area network, an intranet, an Internet, a wireless telecommunications network, a public switched telephone network, or other similar communication network.

2 is a flow chart showing a method of the system for performing the printing control of an electronic file by the system of FIG. 1.

The printing control method comprises the following steps: (a) the client 13 executes the printing process; (b) the client module 131 determines whether the client 13 can print; (c) if the client 13 can print the A file 111 recalculates the total number of times the file is printed by the client; (d) when the file 111 is printed, the total number of times is updated in the non-volatile memory 133.

When step (b) is performed, the step of determining whether the total number of times has exceeded a predetermined value is included. If it is exceeded, this printing action is not allowed.

The number of times the file 111 is printed is forcibly printed at a certain position of the file.

The number of times the file 111 is printed is displayed on the file as a watermark.

The number of times the file 111 is printed is displayed on the file in an encoded manner. The encoding method can be a one-dimensional barcode method.

As shown in FIG. 3, the printout of the electronic file 111 includes the code of the document, the printer information, the print time, and the total number of prints. The printer information may include, but is not limited to, the company name, the user's computer name, and/or the IP address corresponding to the computer system.

Since the present invention uses the information related to the user (client) to dynamically print the total number of times the file is printed, if the user further photocopys and distributes the file, the copyright owner can use the relevant usage information and columns. Print the coded data to find out who is distributing the file. Thereby, it is possible to deter the user who wants to maliciously distribute the file.

From the above description of the process and system, it can be known that the intended purpose of the creation can be achieved and achieve the desired effect.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration and description Other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

(a), (b), (c), (d). . . step

111. . . Electronic document

11. . . Digital copyright management server

110. . . Servo terminal module

13. . . Client

131. . . Client module

15. . . Communication network

133. . . Non-volatile memory

17. . . Printer

Figure 1 discloses a system of an embodiment;

Figure 2 discloses the flow of the embodiment;

Figure 3 discloses an embodiment of a printed electronic file format.

17. . . Printer

111. . . Electronic document

11. . . Digital copyright management server

110. . . Servo terminal module

13. . . Client

131. . . Client module

15. . . Communication network

133. . . Non-volatile memory

Claims (11)

A printing control method for an electronic file, the electronic file being protected by a digital copyright management system, the system comprising a server module executed on a digital copyright management server, the system comprising a client Executing a client module, communicating with the server module through a communication network, the client having a non-volatile memory for storing a total number of times a file is printed, the method includes the following Steps: (a) the client executes the printing process; (b) the client module determines whether the client can print; (c) if the client can print the file, recalculate the file by the client The total number of prints; (d) print the file and update the total number of times in the non-volatile memory. The method of claim 1, wherein when step (b) is performed, (b1) is included to determine whether the total number of times has exceeded a predetermined value. The method of claim 1, wherein the total number of times the file is printed is forcibly printed at a location of the file. The method of claim 3, wherein the total number of times the file is printed is displayed on the file in a watermark manner. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory is a hard disk or a flash memory or a solid state disk (SSD). The method of claim 3, wherein the total number of times the file is printed is encoded on the file. A control system for an electronic file, the electronic file being protected by a digital copyright management server, comprising: a server module executed on the digital copyright management server; and a client executing a client module The group communicates with the server module through a communication network, the client has a non-volatile memory for storing a number of times a file is printed; wherein the client module controls whether printing is allowed A file, and each time the client module prints the file, increments the number by one and records it in non-volatile memory. The system of claim 7, wherein the non-volatile memory is a hard disk or a flash memory or a solid state disk (SSD). The system of claim 7, wherein the number of times the file is printed is forcibly printed at a location of the file. The system of claim 9, wherein the number of times the file is printed is displayed on the file in a watermark manner. The system of claim 9, wherein the number of times the file is printed is encoded on the file.