JP5544532B2 - Printer control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer control device.

  Patent Document 1 does not require the troublesome task of storing a password and inputting it into a printing apparatus, prevents the possibility of being printed in accordance with the password of another person, and has confidential printing with high confidentiality. It is described to do. For this reason, in the printer of Patent Document 1, the password and the telephone number received from the portable terminal via the local interface match the password and the telephone number added to the print job received from the personal computer via the network. In this case, the execution of the print job is permitted.

  Patent Document 2 describes that the confidentiality of printed matter in confidential printing is further improved. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, a print job is generated by the client terminal and spooled in the HDD, and the print job number and the IP address of the client terminal are output to the flash memory as print information. Print information is acquired from the flash memory and a print job identified by the print job number of the print information is received from the print jobs spooled in the HDD of the client terminal specified by the IP address of the print information. Printing is described. As a result, since the user carries the flash memory and moves to the printer side to receive the print job, the confidentiality can be improved as compared to the case where the print job is transmitted to the printer in advance, and the output destination The printer can be changed more flexibly.

  In Patent Literature 3, when a client terminal executes printing, a confidentiality that allows a client terminal to transmit a print job after the user has moved to the printer terminal without transmitting the print job to the printer terminal immediately. It is described that it provides a printing system that is high in user convenience and high in convenience. Therefore, in Patent Document 3, print job location information is obtained by causing a mobile terminal to acquire print job authentication data from a client terminal using electronic mail, and causing the authentication device to acquire data without contact from the mobile terminal. It is described that the exchange of the stored storage medium and the installation work of the storage medium become unnecessary. Further, as means for acquiring data from the portable terminal to the authentication device in a non-contact manner, the authentication data for print job is set as two-dimensional barcode data, and the two-dimensional barcode displayed on the display screen of the portable terminal is provided in the authentication device. It is described that it is read using a bar code reader.

JP 2002-163094 A JP 2005-324497 A JP 2008-192051 A

  In recent years, printers including single-function printers and multi-function printers are required to have confidentiality, convenience, and power saving.

One aspect of the present invention is a control device that is installed at a position that secures output from a printer on a one-to-one basis . The control device includes a first interface connected to the host device via a communication network, a second interface connected to the power plug, a third interface communicating with the printer to be authenticated locally, and a local authentication target. A fourth interface to which the power line of the printer is connected, and an authentication target print job transmitted from the host device via the first interface so as to designate and output the authentication target printer via the communication network. There is an authentication function for authenticating execution by providing authentication information at a close distance of the control device, and in the authentication function, there is an authentication target print job specifying the authentication target printer in the vicinity of the authentication target printer, and against the printer via a fourth interface only when the execution of the authentication object of a print job is authenticated It has a power control function for starting the power supply, and a virtual host function that provides authentication object of a print job via the third interface by the authentication of the authentication function to the authentication target printer.

  If the control device is registered with a print job or information for identifying the print job, authentication information provided at a short distance, for example, non-contact IC card information mounted on an authentication card or mobile phone, ID and A print job is executed only when the execution of the print job is authenticated by authentication information based on password key input, voice identification, biometric information identification, etc., and it is possible to suppress printing by unauthenticated people and taking out printed materials. , The confidentiality of the printed output can be maintained. Furthermore, since the printer that executes the print job is specified from the host device, both conditions of knowing the printer that executes the print job and obtaining the authentication information for executing the print job Only when the condition is satisfied, the print job is executed, and the confidentiality can be further improved.

  Further, by starting (resuming) the power supply to the printer when the print job is authenticated, the printer (printer main body) can be restarted by authentication even if the printer (printer body) is completely stopped. Therefore, standby power generated in the printer can be suppressed. Further, in this control apparatus, power supply to the printer is started using an authentication mechanism and procedure for enhancing the confidentiality of the print job. Therefore, the standby power of the printer can be further reduced with a simple configuration while maintaining user convenience and output confidentiality. Further, when the authentication is not performed and when there is no print job to be authenticated, the printer is not activated, so that the power consumption can be further reduced. Further, if authentication is not performed, the printer will not be activated, and print job information will not be provided to the printer. For this reason, by ensuring the security of the control device, it is possible to suppress the leakage of confidential information on the local printer side.

  An example of the virtual host function is a print server function, which may receive a print job from a server or a host device (client terminal) connected via a communication network such as a LAN and transmit it to a printer.

  The control device further receives the print job as a printer from the first storage for temporarily storing the print job, the second storage for temporarily storing the printer status, and the host device. It is desirable to have a virtual printer function for transmitting Even if a server machine for print management is not separately prepared, it is possible to provide a control device that has confidentiality and convenience and can suppress power consumption of the printer.

  The control apparatus preferably further has a function of canceling the print job after a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the print job. In addition to knowing the printer that executes the print job and obtaining the authentication information for executing the print job, the confidentiality can be further improved by adding a time factor. The authentication information is not limited to information for identifying the user of the host device, and it is possible to assign the authentication information to a third party, together with identification information such as a printer location or ID. The confidentiality of the output from the printer can be secured by transmitting the valid time by e-mail or the like. Furthermore, by canceling the print job, it is possible to prevent the first storage from becoming full of print jobs.

  The control device preferably further has a function of feeding back the status of the print job to the host device. Printing can be retried by returning spool data when the third party outputs the data as scheduled, when the third person does not output the data, or when the data is not output.

The control device is an independent control device arranged outside the printer. The function described above can be added to the printer simply by connecting an existing printer to the control device.

A plurality of authentication target printers and a plurality of control devices provided corresponding to each of the plurality of authentication target printers, each of the plurality of control devices from each of the plurality of authentication target printers By constructing a system that is installed at a position where output is secured and each of a plurality of control devices and each of a plurality of authentication target printers are connected via a third interface and a fourth interface , In addition, it is possible to provide a system that can reduce power consumption of the printer.

The printer control method includes the following steps.
1. Authenticating the execution of an authentication target print job transmitted from the host device via the communication network so as to designate and output the authentication target printer by providing authentication information in the vicinity of the authentication target printer.
2. The power supply to the authentication target printer is started only when there is an authentication target print job specifying the authentication target printer in the vicinity of the authentication target printer and the execution of the authentication target print job is authenticated. .

This control method may further include the following steps.
3. Canceling a print job after a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the print job.
4). The print job status is fed back to the host device.

The figure which shows the outline | summary of the system containing a printer and SPB. The block diagram which shows schematic structure of SPB. The flowchart which shows the process of SPB.

  FIG. 1 shows an outline of a system in which several printers are connected via a LAN and / or the Internet. The system 1 includes a communication network such as the Internet and a LAN 2 that connects devices such as a plurality of printers, personal computers (PCs), and servers and enables data communication with each other. Further, the system 1 includes a PC 5 that is connected to the LAN 2 and serves as a host device (client terminal) for the printer, and a plurality of print stations 6 a, 6 b, and 6 c that are connected so as to be able to communicate with the PC 5 via the LAN 2. These print stations 6a, 6b, and 6c may be stations that provide services for printing to a plurality of users at different locations that are separated from each other. These print stations 6a, 6b and 6c are stations for providing different printing services depending on the printers 11, 12 and 30, for example, monochrome printing, color printing, copying, etc., at a close distance. Also good.

  The print station 6a includes a single-function printer (hereinafter referred to as SFP) 11 having a limited function for printing and an independent control device 20 capable of performing power control of the SFP 11. The control device 20 includes a function for preventing information leakage as will be described later, and is hereinafter referred to as a secure print box (SPB) 20. The SFP 11 is connected to the LAN 2 via the SPB 20, and power for the SFP 11 is also supplied via the SPB 20.

  The print station 6b includes not only a printing function but also a composite type printer (hereinafter referred to as a multifunction peripheral or MFP) 12 having a scanner function, a copy function, and the like, and an SPB 20. The MFP 12 is connected to the LAN 2 via the SPB 20, and power for the MFP 12 is also supplied via the SPB 20. The print station 6c includes a printer 30 having a built-in printer section 31 having an MFP function and a control section 32 having an SPB function.

  In this system 1, first, the user 8 designates a printer that the user 8 desires to output from an application running on the PC 5 that is the host device, and performs printing. For example, the user 8 performs printing by designating the printer 11 of the print station 6a. The SPB 20 of the print station 6a is a control device that controls the printer (SFP) 11 of the print station 6a at the upper level, includes a function as a virtual printer, and receives a print job 51 supplied from the PC 5 instead of the printer 11. . The data transmitted from the PC 5 as the print job 51 includes information for authenticating the person who is permitted to output, in this case, information 51 a for authenticating the user 8. The SPB 20 supplies the latest status of the printer 11 such as the remaining amount of printing paper and the remaining amount of toner to the PC 5 instead of the printer 11.

  When the transmission of the print job 51 is completed in the PC 5, the user 8 moves to the print station 6a. In the print station 6a, the SPB 20 is installed near the SFP 11 in a position where the correspondence between the SPB 20 and the SFP 11 connected thereto is clear, and the user 8 who operates the SPB 20 can reliably acquire the output from the SFP 11. ing. In the print station 6a, the user 8 presses a user authentication card or terminal, for example, a mobile phone (mobile terminal) 8t with a non-contact IC card function against the access point 29a of the SPB 20. The SPB 20 recognizes the user 8 as an authorized output person of the print job 51 based on the authentication information 51 a of the print job 51 and the identification information obtained from the mobile phone 8 t.

  When the output of the print job 51 is authenticated, the SPB 20 supplies power to the SFP 11 via the power line 15 and activates the SFP 11. Further, the SPB 20 sends a print job 51 acquired in advance from the PC 5 to the SFP 11 via the communication line 16 such as the USB standard instead of the PC 5, and the SFP 11 executes the print job 51. The user 8 can surely obtain the printout 59 output from the SFP 11 and the confidentiality included in the printout 59 is maintained. The SFP 11 automatically shuts down after an appropriate time has elapsed after executing the print job 51, and the SPB 20 then stops supplying power to the SFP 11. Therefore, unless the SFP 11 is in a special situation such as being continuous with the previous print job, the print job 51 is present, and when the output is authenticated, the SPB 20 is supplied with power and becomes operational. For this reason, standby power consumption of the SFP 11 can be reduced.

  The user 8 can also output the print job 52 from the PC 5 with another user as an output person. For example, the print job 52 attached with the authentication information 52 a is transmitted to the printer (MFP) 12 with the user 9 as the output person. The SPB 20 of the print station 6b provides the address and virtual service (virtual printer function) as the MFP 12 to the PC 5, and acquires the print job 52 and the authentication information 52a. The user 8 instructs the print terminal 6b that has sent the print job 52 to the mobile terminal 9t of the user 9 via the base station 3 by mail or the like.

  The user 9 goes to the instructed print station 6b and brings a medium having information for recognizing the user 9, such as an IC card 9c, close to the access point 29a of the SPB 20 of the print station 6b. When the SPB 20 of the print station 6b recognizes the user 9 as an authorized output person of the print job 52, power is supplied to the MFP 12 and the MFP 12 is activated (reactivated). When the MFP 12 becomes ready, the SPB 20 provides a virtual host service (virtual host function) instead of the PC 5 and executes the print job 52 in the MFP 12. Therefore, the output of the print job 52 is double protected by the physical position information of the print station (printer) to be output and the authentication of the authorized output person 9, and even if one of the information leaks, the print job 52 52 secrets can be maintained.

  The SPB 20 cancels the print job 52 when the time designated by the PC 5 has elapsed. With this function, the output of the print job 52 is triple protected by the physical position information of the print station (printer) to output, the authentication of the authorized output person 9 and the permitted printable time. The Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary accumulation of print jobs in the SPB 20.

  Similarly to the above, in the MFP 12, the print job 52 is registered in the SPB 20 of the print station 6b, and power is not supplied unless the output is permitted. Therefore, the power consumption of the MFP 12 can be reduced. The printer 30 having the built-in SPB function 32 can output a print job in the same procedure. The SPB 20 provided as an independent device (unit, box) for the SFP 11 and the MFP 12 simply connects the power supply system and the communication system to the existing SFP 11 and MFP 12 via the SPB 20. Security can be improved and power consumption can be further reduced.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the SPB 20 supplied separately from the printer. The SPB 20 is a control device that locally controls the connected printers 11 and 12 or the printer section (printer body) 31. In the vicinity of the printer 11 or 12, the SPB 20 can definitely grasp the controlling printer without the user being confused with the relationship with the printer 11 or 12, and further, the recording medium output from the printer 11 or 12 can be recorded. Installed in a position where it can be secured. The SPB 20 is installed at a position where the user can monitor the output (printout, printing paper) of the printer 11 or 12 or can be picked up as soon as it is output. Typically, the SPB 20 is disposed adjacent to the connected printer 11 or 12. The SPB 20 may be attached to the housing of the printer 11 or 12 by an appropriate method such as an adhesive tape or a bolt and nut.

  The SPB 20 includes a LAN interface 21 for communicating with a device connected to the LAN 2 via the LAN 2 and a higher-level communication network to which the LAN 2 is connected, for example, a device connected to the Internet. The SPB 20 further receives a virtual printer function (virtual printer function) for receiving print jobs 51 and 52 supplied from the PC 5 via the LAN 2 instead of the printer 11 to which the SPB 20 is connected (hereinafter, the SFP 11 will be described as an example). Printer unit) 22 and a storage 23 for temporarily storing the received print jobs 51 and 52. Hereinafter, the print job 51 will be described as a representative. The storage 23 is preferably a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or a hard disk so as to cope with troubles such as a momentary power interruption. In order to ensure the confidentiality of the print job 51 due to theft of the SPB 20 or the like, it is also effective to employ a volatile memory such as a RAM. Further, in the storage 23, the print job 51 may be held as encrypted data.

  The virtual printer function 22 acquires information (authentication information) 51 a for permitting the output of the print job 51 together with the print data of the print job 51 from the PC 5. The authentication information 51a includes information for identifying a user who is permitted to output, information for authenticating the user, a password set for each user or job, and the like. The virtual printer function 22 further includes a function of notifying the PC 5 of the status of the SFP 11 acquired by the virtual PC function 28 described later and stored in the storage 23, such as the ink amount, the set paper size, and the amount.

  The SPB 20 further has a function 25 for canceling the print job 51 after a predetermined time from the reception of the print job 51 stored in the storage 23 or after a set time from the PC 5 when the print job 51 is received. Including. It is possible to prevent the print job 51 from being held in the SPB 20 for a long period of time and the security from being lowered. Also, the confidentiality of the print job 51 can be improved by setting a limited time during which the print job 51 can be output. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent unoutput jobs from accumulating in the storage 23.

  The SPB 20 further includes a function 24 that feeds back the status of the print job 51 stored in the storage 23 to the PC 5 or the requester of the print job 51. For example, the function 24 feeds back to the PC 5 that the print job 51 has been output in a permitted state, or that the print job 51 has not been output and has been canceled due to time up (time over). When the print job 51 is canceled, the spool of the print job 51 can be saved in a spool server connected to the PC 5 or the LAN 2 so that the print job 51 can be executed again.

  The SPB 20 includes an authentication function (authentication unit) 29 that authenticates the output of the print job 51 stored in the storage 23 by inputting predetermined information. If the information 51a for identifying the print job 51 is registered in the SPB (control device) 20, the authentication function 29 authenticates the execution of the print job 51 based on the authentication information provided at a close distance such as the access point 29a. To do. The authentication information includes an authentication card, contactless IC card information mounted on a mobile phone, ID and password key input, voice identification, biometric information identification, and the like, and the access point 29a is suitable for inputting such information. Can be used. The access point 29a is, for example, a magnetic sensor, RF, keyboard, touch sensor, microphone, fingerprint authentication device, or the like. The authentication function 29 may have a function of acquiring information necessary for authentication from a user management server or the like via the LAN 2 based on the authentication information 51a stored in the storage 23.

  The SPB 20 further includes a power control function (power control unit) 27 for turning on / off the power supplied to the SFP 11, an interface 27a for connecting the power line 15 of the SFP 11, and an interface 27b for connecting to a power plug such as an office. Including. When the authentication function 29 authenticates the output of the print job 51, the power control function 27 supplies power to the SFP 11 and activates the SFP 11. In addition, the power control function 27 cuts off the power supply to the SFP 11 after the SFP 11 executes the print job 51 and then stops or stops the SFP 11 and completely stops the power consumption of the SFP 11.

  The SPB 20 further includes a virtual PC function (virtual PC unit) 28 that causes the SFP 11 to execute the print job 51, and an interface 28 a for communicating with the SFP 11. The virtual PC function 28 is, for example, a print server function. The authentication function 29 authenticates the output of the print job 51, the SFP 11 is activated (reactivated), and a command indicating that the SFP 11 is ready is returned to the SPB 20. After that, the print job 51 data (spool data) stored in advance in the storage 23 is supplied to the SFP 11 via the communication line 16 connected to the interface 28a to perform printing. The interface 28a may be a serial interface such as USB or Ethernet (registered trademark), or may be a parallel interface. Furthermore, the virtual PC function 28 acquires the status 56 of the SFP 11 and updates the information stored in the storage 23 while the SFP 11 is activated. The virtual PC function 28 may acquire data of the print job 51 from a spool server or the like connected to the LAN 2 via the LAN 2 and supply the data to the SFP 11.

  These functions 22, 24, 25, and 27 to 29 of the SPB 20 may be supplied by hardware or may be supplied by a program (application program) executed by the CPU. Typical hardware of the SPB 20 includes a storage 23 and a memory as a program recording medium, a processor such as a CPU for realizing the above functions by downloading the program, and a peripheral device.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing of the SPB 20. If there is an access from the host device (PC, client terminal) 5 at step 71, the virtual printer function 22 receives the print job 51 instead of the SFP 11 at step 72. In step 73, the print job 51 and authentication data (authentication information) 51 a are stored in the storage 23 from the PC 5. The virtual printer function 22 returns the print end to the PC 5, and the PC 5 ends the print.

  In step 74, the authentication function 29 of the SPB 20 installed in the vicinity of the SFP 11 acquires the authentication information of the portable terminal 8t or the like close to the access point 29a, and outputs it from the SFP 11 via the LAN (communication network) 2 from the PC 5. The execution of the print job 51 transmitted as described above is authenticated. When the authentication function 29 authenticates the output of the print job 51, in step 75, the power control function 27 starts supplying power to the SFP 11 and activates the SFP 11. In step 76, the virtual PC function 28 of the SPB 20 sends the print job 51 to the SFP 11, and the SFP 11 executes the print job 51.

  If the authentication is not performed in step 74 and the time set in step 77 elapses, the cancel function 25 cancels the print job 51 in step 78. In step 79, the feedback function 24 feeds back a status such as successful output and cancellation of the print job 51 to the PC 5. The cancel function 25 may include a schedule management function. One of the schedule management functions is to limit a time zone in which power can be supplied to the SFP 11. For example, it is possible to accept authentication information only during business hours (from 9:00 to 17:00, etc.), do not accept authentication outside the time zone, and the SFP 11 is not turned on, so that a print job is not executed. . It is possible to prevent secret leaks at night, etc. outside business hours. Canceling the print job 51 may cancel the reserved print job 51 based on the elapsed time in the printable time zone based on the schedule management function.

  Since the output of the print job 51 can be locally authenticated by using the SPB 20 in this way, the print job 51 is performed only when it is authenticated in the vicinity of a printer, for example, the SFP 11, and printing by a person who does not obtain authentication, Take-out of printed materials can be suppressed, and confidentiality of printed output can be maintained. Further, in the system 1, a printer that executes the print job 51 is designated from the PC 5. For this reason, the print job 51 is executed only when both the conditions of knowing the printer that executes the print job 51 and acquiring the authentication information for executing the print job are satisfied. , Can further improve confidentiality.

  The SPB 20 starts (restarts) power supply to the printer when the print job 51 is authenticated. For this reason, when the print job 51 is not executed, the printer (printer body) can be completely stopped, and the power consumption of the printer can be reduced to zero. Therefore, in this system 1, the power supply to the printer is started using the authentication mechanism and procedure for increasing the confidentiality of the print job 51 in each print station 6a, 6b and 6c. Therefore, the standby power of the printer can be further reduced with a simple configuration while maintaining the convenience of the user and the confidentiality of the printout. When the user is not authenticated and there is no print job 51 to be authenticated, the printer does not start even if the user performs an authentication procedure. Therefore, the power consumption of the printer can be further reduced. Further, if authentication is not performed, the printers 11, 12, and 30 of the print stations 6 a, 6 b, and 6 c do not start up, and the print job 51 information is not provided to the printer side. For this reason, by ensuring the security of the SPB 20 or the SPB function 32, it is possible to suppress a security leak on the local printer side.

  The SPB 20 may be built in the printer 30, but by providing it as a control device independent of the printer, a security function and a power saving function are added to the existing printers 11 and 12. It becomes possible to do. In particular, by adopting the SPB 20 with the built-in storage 23, it is possible to construct a system 1 that can suppress the occurrence of an information leakage accident with a simple configuration without introducing an expensive device such as a spool server that takes time to adjust the system. .

1 system, 6a, 6b, 6c print station 11, 12, 30 printer 20 secure print box (SPB, control device)

Claims (5)

A control device installed at a position to secure output from the authentication target printer on a one-to-one basis with respect to the authentication target printer ,
A first interface connected to the host device via a communication network;
A second interface connected to the power plug;
A third interface for communicating with the authentication target printer locally;
A fourth interface to which the power line of the authentication target printer is locally connected;
When there is an authentication target print job transmitted from the host device via the first interface so as to designate and output the authentication target printer, the control device executes the authentication target print job. An authentication function that authenticates by providing authentication information at a close range of
In the authentication function, only when the authentication target print job specifying the authentication target printer exists in the vicinity of the authentication target printer and the execution of the authentication target print job is authenticated . A power control function for starting power supply to the authentication target printer via the interface 4 ;
And a virtual host function that provides the authentication target print job to the authentication target printer via the third interface by authentication of the authentication function. The first storage for temporarily storing the authentication target print job according to claim 1;
A second storage for temporarily storing a status of the authentication target printer;
A control apparatus further comprising: a virtual printer function that receives the authentication target print job as the authentication target printer and transmits the status to the host device.   3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a function of canceling the authentication target print job after a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the authentication target print job.   4. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a function of feeding back the status of the print job to be authenticated to the host device. Multiple printers to be authenticated,
5. The control device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of control devices provided corresponding to each of the plurality of authentication target printers ,
Each of the plurality of control devices is installed at a position for securing an output from each of the plurality of authentication target printers, and each of the plurality of control devices and each of the plurality of authentication target printers is configured to A system connected through three interfaces and the fourth interface .

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