Printer and printing system capable of high secret printing

• US 20020032703A1
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Gassho, Kazuhito, Shiohara, Susumu, Tsurumaki, Haruo
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/527
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen

Abstract

When a printer (30) prints a printing job of confidential printing which is a kind of printing of secret documents, even if the printer (30) itself is set to hold printing job data after printing, the printing job data are deleted without being held in a hard disk (32) after printing. Consequently, secrecy on the occasion of printing with some secret such as confidential printing can be heightened.

Claims

1. A printer, comprising:

a set portion in which whether or not a received printing job is held as printing job data in an auxiliary memory device even after printing of the received printing job is completed is set not for each printing job but comprehensively, this comprehensive setting being allowed to be performed from a client via a network;

a judging portion which judges whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not; and

a selective holder which

refrains from holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even if the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed, when the judging portion judges that the printing job is set to have some secret, and

holds the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device when the judging portion judges that the printing job is not set to have some secret and the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed.

2. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storing portion which temporarily stores the received printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device;

a reader which reads the printing job data from the auxiliary memory device on the occasion of printing; and

an executor which executes printing based on the printing job data read by the reader.

3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the selective holder changes the status of the printing job data stored in the auxiliary memory device before printing to a status indicating data in a holding state after printing when the printing job is held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device after printing is completed, and

deletes the printing job data stored in the auxiliary memory device when the printing job is not held in the auxiliary memory device after printing is completed.

4. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary memory device is composed of a hard disk contained in the printer.

5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the judging portion judges whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not by confirming whether this printing job is confidential printing or not.

6. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the judging portion judges whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not by confirming whether setting is performed so that printing is started after a user inputs at least a password when the printing job is printed.

7. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the secret of the printing job is set for each printing job.

8. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the secret of the printing job is set for each connection established between the printer and the client.

9. A printer controlling method, comprising the steps of:

performing comprehensive setting for a set portion from a client via a network, whether or not a received printing job is held as printing job data in an auxiliary memory device even after printing of the received printing job is completed being set not for each printing job but comprehensively in the set portion;

judging whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not;

refraining from holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even if the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed when it is judged that the printing job is set to have some secret in the step of judging; and

holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device when it is judged that the printing job is not set to have some secret in the step of judging and the set portion is set so that the printing job is held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed.

10. The printer controlling method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

temporarily storing the received printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device;

reading the printing job data from the auxiliary memory device on the occasion of printing; and

executing printing based on the printing job data being read in the step of reading.

11. The printer controlling method according to claim 10,

wherein the status of the printing job data stored in the auxiliary memory device before printing is changed to a status indicating data in a holding state after printing when the printing job is held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device after printing is completed, and

wherein the printing job data stored in the auxiliary memory device is deleted when the printing job is not held in the auxiliary memory device after printing is completed.

12. The printer controlling method according to claim 9, wherein the auxiliary memory device is composed of a hard disk contained in the printer.

13. The printer controlling method according to claim 9, wherein in the step of judging, whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not is judged by confirming whether this printing job is confidential printing or not.

14. The printer controlling step according to claim 9, wherein in the step of judging, whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not is judged by confirming whether setting is performed so that printing is started after a user inputs at least a password when the printing job is printed.

15. The printer controlling method according to claim 9, wherein the secret of the printing job is set for each printing job.

16. The printer controlling method according to claim 9, wherein the secret of the printing job is set for each connection established between the printer and the client.

17. A program which causes a printer to execute the steps of:

performing comprehensive setting for a set portion from a client via a network, whether or not a received printing job is held as printing job data in an auxiliary memory device even after printing of the received printing job is completed being set not for each printing job but comprehensively in the set portion;

judging whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not;

refraining from holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even if the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed when it is judged that the printing job is set to have some secret in the step of judging; and

holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device when it is judged that the printing job is not set to have some secret in the step of judging and the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed.

18. A record medium on which a program is recorded, the program causing the printer to execute the steps of:

performing comprehensive setting for a set portion from a client via a network, whether or not a received printing job is held as printing job data in an auxiliary memory device even after printing of the received printing job is completed being set not for each printing job but comprehensively in the set portion;

judging whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not;

refraining from holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even if the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed when it is judged that the printing job is set to have some secret in the step of judging; and

holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device when it is judged that the printing job is not set to have some secret in the step of judging and the set portion is set so that the printing job is held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed.

19. A printing system in which a plurality of clients and at least one printer are connected via a network,

wherein the client comprises a transmitter which sets a printing job to have some secret and transmits the printing job to the printer via the network, and

wherein the printer comprises:

a set portion in which whether or not a received printing job is held as printing job data in an auxiliary memory device even after printing of the received printing job is completed is set not for each printing job but comprehensively, this comprehensive setting being allowed to be performed from the client via the network;

a judging portion which judges whether the received printing job is set to have some secret or not; and

a selective holder which

refrains from holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even if the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed when the judging portion judges that the printing job is set to have some secret, and

holds the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device when the judging portion judges that the printing job is not set to have some secret and the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed.

20. A method for controlling a printing system in which a plurality of clients and at least one printer are connected via a network, comprising the steps of:

performing comprehensive setting for a set portion from the client via the network, whether or not a received printing job is held as printing job data in an auxiliary memory device even after printing of the received printing job is completed is set not for each printing job but comprehensively in the set portion;

setting the printing job to have some secret and transmitting the printing job from one of the clients to the printer via the network;

judging whether the printing job received in the printer is set to have some secret or not;

refraining from holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even if the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed when it is judged that the printing job is set to have some secret in the step of judging; and

holding the printing job as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device when it is judged that the printing job is not set to have some secret in the step of judging and the set portion is set so that the printing job is still held as printing job data in the auxiliary memory device even after printing is completed.