JP2004167958A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To limit a user of using a printer by a simple structure in the printer connectable to a network. <P>SOLUTION: A data acquiring section 37 of the printer 3 reads an identification information (ID) of a user who is allowed to use the printer from a memory medium attached to an external memory driving device (not shown in the figure) and the user ID is managed by an ID information managing section 34. When a user ID of a user requesting the use of the printer from a client is received through the network by a communication section 39, an authentication processing section 33 verifies the received user ID with the managed user ID to authenticate the user ID. When they are not matched with each other, a control section 31 cuts the connection of the network. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer which can be connected to a client computer via a network, and which limits a user who uses the printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a plurality of personal computers and a printer are connected via a network, and the printer is shared by the plurality of personal computers. When a plurality of personal computers share a printer in this way, any user of the personal computer can use the printer, and depending on the form of use, the printer can be used exclusively, or a large amount of printing is indeterminate. It may not be used in the preferred usage form, such as improper use. Therefore, print management such as limiting the users who use the printer or limiting the printable amount (the number of print sheets) for each user has been performed.
[0003]
Heretofore, it has been pointed out that all inventions relating to printers for restricting users have complicated and sophisticated techniques for restricting the use of printers, and there is a problem in terms of cost and the like when used in a printer. Therefore, recently, there has been a tendency to develop a network printer system in which the use of a printer is appropriately and inexpensively and appropriately restricted without using a complicated and advanced technology as much as possible, and the usability is improved.
[0004]
As such a network printer system, there is a printer user restriction system including a client computer connected to a network, a printer device, and a user restriction server. More specifically, the user restriction server uses the printer device. The printer device stores the IP address of the client computer to which access is permitted as an access control list in the access control list storage unit.
[0005]
In addition, an access control function is provided for controlling permission / rejection of access to a client computer that issues a print request based on whether or not the IP address of the client computer is registered in the access control list. Prior to making a print request to the printer device using the client computer, the user restriction server issues a print permission / inhibition determination request specifying the printer device with the user name as a key. If the user is registered as an available user in the user management table in response to the determination request, the printer requests the printer to additionally register the IP address of the client computer used by the user in the access control list, and Plug the user's client computer It is permitted to connect to the printer apparatus printing.
[0006]
When the printing process of the client computer with the additionally registered IP address is completed, this IP address is deleted to prevent the IP address from being registered in a printable state forever (see Patent Document 1).
[0007]
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2002-63008 (paragraphs (0045) to (0052), (0056), (0058), FIGS. 2 and 5)
[0008]
However, even in the printer user restriction system described above, a user restriction server having an access control list changing unit and the like is provided, and inquiries as to whether or not printing is possible by a user name and an IP address before the server connects to the printer, Since a series of processing such as permission issuance of access right by the printer device is required, the configuration as a printer user restriction system is still large and the operation is complicated.
[0009]
Although not described in Patent Document 1, in a client computer and a printer of a network printer system, printer connection information such as a printer driver, a network address, and the like, which are specific to a user and a client computer whose use is restricted, are recorded individually. Since the information is recorded and handled on a medium, the handling of the information is troublesome, or the information is transmitted and received via a network, and thus the information may be leaked.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to limit users who use a printer device with a simple configuration when a plurality of client computers share the printer device via a network. The purpose of the present invention is to make the handling of information mounted on a computer easy and secure.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer apparatus connectable to a client computer via a network, wherein the means for storing identification information of a user who is permitted to use the printer apparatus, and receiving the user identification information from the client computer. Means for controlling a network connection between the client computer and the printer device based on a comparison between the user identification information stored in the storage means and the user identification information received by the reception means. Device.
[0012]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the printer device according to the first aspect, further comprising a unit that reads the user identification information from the storage unit that stores the user identification information or writes the connection information of the printer device to the storage medium. A printer device characterized by the following.
[0013]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer device according to the first or second aspect, the means for reading the user identification information or writing the connection information includes the storage means in a detachable manner. is there.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, a print network system to which a printer device according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected will be described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network printing system. In FIG. 1, a client computer 2 and a printer device 3 as document creation processing devices are connected to a network 1 such as a LAN or the Internet. The client computer 2 and the printer device 3 include an IC card reader for reading and writing various information stored in a storage medium such as an IC card, a flexible disk, and a mobile phone (not shown), a flexible disk drive, and a mobile phone, respectively. External storage drive devices 2a and 3a such as telephone cables are detachably connected to a connection device (not shown) provided in the client computer 2 and the printer device 3.
[0015]
Although FIG. 1 shows only one client computer 2, a plurality of client computers are connected, and a connection with the printer device 3 is established via the network 1 by an operation from each of them. The document data created by the client computer 2 may be shared by the printer device 3 and printed.
[0016]
Next, the configurations of the client computer and the printer will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the client computer and the printer.
In the client computer 2, the control unit 21 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like (not shown). The control unit controls the entire client computer, and the screen display / input unit 22 displays an instruction for the user on a liquid crystal display panel (not shown). An interface for instructing a client computer of a user's request by operating a mouse or a touch panel. The printer device connection processing unit 23 uses the printer device connection information managed by the printer device connection information management unit 25 to control the printer driver. Printer connection processing such as installation of the printer and port setting.
[0017]
The ID information management unit 24 stores and manages the client identification information read by the data acquisition unit 27 in a hard disk device (not shown). The printer device connection information management unit 25 stores and manages printer device connection information such as a printer driver and a network address read by the data acquisition unit 27 in the hard disk.
[0018]
The data acquisition unit 27 reads, from the storage medium of the external storage drive 2a, printer identification information stored therein, such as client identification information, printer driver, and network address. The communication unit 28 communicates with the printer device 3 via the network 1 and transmits user identification information and print data of a user who intends to perform printing with the printer device 3.
[0019]
In the printer device 3, the control unit 31 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like (not shown), like the client computer 2. A control unit for controlling the entire printer device, and a screen display / input unit 32 provide an instruction to the user. This interface is displayed on a liquid crystal display panel (not shown), and instructs a printer device to request a user by operating a mouse or a touch panel. The authentication processing unit 33 collates the user identification information transmitted from the client computer 2 with the user identification information read from the storage medium of the external storage driving device 3a by the data acquisition unit 37 described later, and determines whether or not they are the same. Is determined (authentication).
[0020]
The ID information management unit 34 stores the user identification information, client identification information, and user information, which will be described later, acquired by the data acquisition unit 37 in a hard disk device (not shown) or the like. The printer device connection information management unit 35 stores and manages the printer device connection information such as the printer driver and the network address read by the data acquisition unit 37 in the hard disk.
[0021]
The data acquisition unit 37 reads the user identification information stored by a separate means from the storage medium of the external storage driving device 3a, and prints the printer device connection information such as the printer driver and network address of the printer device 3 itself. Is written to the storage medium. The communication unit 38 communicates with the client computer 2 via the network 1 and receives print data. The storage medium of the external storage drive 3a stores client identification information and user information to which an identifier for identifying an administrator or a general user is added, which is stored by a separate means.
[0022]
Each operation of the above-described client computer and printer device and the operation of the network system will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the printer device. This operation is performed as an operation before performing a printing operation in response to a request from a client computer.
In FIG. 3, when this operation is started, the control unit 31 of the printer device 3 accesses the recording medium of the external storage driving device 3a (step S (hereinafter, abbreviated as S) 31) and stores the data from the recording medium there. The user identification information is read (S32). The read user identification information is stored in the hard disk device (S33). Further, the printer device connection information for connecting the client computer 2 to the printer device 3 is written on the recording medium (S34), and this processing is ended.
[0023]
When a network connection is started between the printer device 3 having completed such an operation and the client computer 2, the printer device 3 operates as follows.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the printer device at the time of network connection. To be described with reference to FIG. 4, the printer device 3 receives the user identification information as a print request from the client computer 2 through the communication unit 38 (S41). Then, the user identification information received by the authentication processing unit 33 is compared with the user identification information already stored in the hard disk device (S42), and it is determined whether or not they are the same (authentication) (S43). In the same case, the network with the client computer 2 is maintained, and the printer device 3 performs a normal response such as confirmation of the client based on the client identification information to the request transmitted from the client computer 2, and receives the print data to perform printing. Perform (S44). If it is not authenticated that the collated user identification information is the same, the network connection with the client computer 2 is disconnected without responding to the client computer 2 (S45).
[0024]
Further, the operation of the client computer 2 for making a print request to the printer through a network connection will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing this operation. In the client computer 2, the control unit 21 first connects to the recording medium of the external storage drive 2a (S51), and the client identification information stored from the recording medium is The printer device connection information and the user information to which the identifier for identifying the administrator or the general user is added are read (S52). The read information is stored in the hard disk device (S53). Subsequently, a connection process with the printer device is performed based on the stored printer device connection information (S54), and this process ends.
[0025]
The client computer 2 of the present embodiment can maintain a normal network connection with the printer device 3 in a state where the user identification information is not transmitted, and transmit a message or the like via the network.
FIG. 6 is an operation flow diagram when the client computer is connected to the network. To explain according to FIG. 6, the user operates the client computer 2 from a touch panel (not shown), for example, by touching a key for performing network communication, to establish a network connection. When the start is instructed, the control unit 21 of the client computer 2 determines that the touch is for performing network communication, that is, an instruction to start a network connection, and communicates with the communication unit 39 of the printer device 3 via the communication unit 29. Then, a network is started up, network connection is started, and a state of waiting for a print request to the printer device 3, that is, waiting for input of user identification information is established.
[0026]
Here, when the user inputs his / her user identification information from the touch panel operation unit for a print request, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the user identification information has been input (S61). If it has been input (S61, YES), the user identification information is transmitted to the printer 3 via the network 1 (S62). When the user identification information is not input (S61, NO), the network connection is maintained as it is, and a necessary message or the like is transmitted. When the user identification information is transmitted, the connection maintenance or disconnection processing of the network connection described with reference to FIG.
[0027]
According to the present embodiment, when the printer device 3 receives print data via the network in response to a request from the client computer 2 and performs printing, the network connection is turned on / off by authenticating the user identification information, and the user is connected. Since the restriction is imposed, the user can be restricted with a simple configuration. In addition, the user identification information can be read from the storage medium storing the user identification information and the client identification information, and the printer connection information can be written to the storage medium. Moreover, the storage medium is detachable from the external storage drive of the printer. Therefore, by removing this storage medium from the printer device 3 and mounting it on the client computer 2, the client identification information and the printer connection information can be read, and the handling of the information becomes easy and safe. Further, the client computer 2 manages the users according to the user classification based on the user information provided with an identifier for identifying a manager of a company or a business office or a general employee based on the user information stored in the hard disk. Can be.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the invention, when the printer receives print data via the network and performs printing in response to a request from the client computer, the user is restricted by controlling the network connection by authenticating the user identification information. The user can be restricted with a simple configuration.
Advantageous Effects According to Claim 2: The user identification information can be read from the storage device in which the user identification information and the client identification information are stored, and the printer connection information can be written in the storage device.
Since the storage device is detachable from the external storage drive of the printer device, by detaching the storage device from the printer device and mounting it on a client computer, the computer can read the printer connection information. And the handling of information becomes easy and secure.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a print network system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a client computer and a printer device.
FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the printer device.
FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart when the printer device is connected to a network.
FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of the client computer.
FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart when a client computer is connected to a network.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... LAN
2 Client computer 3 Printer device 4 External storage drive 21 Control unit 22 Drawing display / user input unit 23 Printer device connection processing unit 24 ID information management unit 25 Printer device connection information management unit 27 Data Acquisition unit 28 Communication unit

Claims (3)

A printer device connectable to a client computer via a network, wherein the storage device stores identification information of a user who is permitted to use the printer device, a device that receives user identification information from the client computer, A printer device comprising: means for controlling a network connection between a client computer and the printer device based on a comparison between the stored user identification information and the user identification information received by the receiving means. 2. The printer device according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit that reads user identification information from a storage unit that stores the user identification information or writes connection information of the printer device to the storage medium. 3. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the means for reading the user identification information or writing the connection information includes the storage means in a detachable manner.

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