Method and system for real-time control of document printing

• US 20030009672A1
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Finjan, Inc. (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Inventors: Goodman, Daniel I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/126 Character encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method for real-time control of document printing, including intercepting a print request for an original document by a user, obtaining print information corresponding to the original document, in response to the intercepting, the print information including an address for a print server, re-issuing the print request by a server computer, and sending the print request and the print information to the print server. A system is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for real-time control of document printing, comprising:

intercepting a print request for an original document by a user;

obtaining print information corresponding to the original document, in response to said intercepting, the print information including an address for a print server;

re-issuing the print request by a server computer; and

sending the print request and the print information to the print server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the print information to a document management system; and

requesting the document from the document management system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the print information includes access control data and further comprising authenticating the user'"'"'s print request for the original document based on the access control data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the print information includes watermark data and further comprising watermarking the original document based on the watermark data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the print information includes a list of permissible printers and further comprising restricting the printer at which the original document can be printed, based on the list of permissible printers.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising logging the user'"'"'s print request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the print information includes document print options selected by the user.

8. A method for real-time control of document printing, comprising:

in response to a request by a client computer to print an original document,

obtaining document print information corresponding to the original document;

generating a modified document comprising embedding the document print information within the original document; and

sending the modified document to a print server.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the document print information includes watermark information, and further comprising watermarking the original document based on the watermark information embedded within the modified document.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the document print information includes a list of permissible printers, and further comprising restricting the printer at which the original can be printed to a printer listed in the list of permissible printers embedded within the modified document.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the document print information includes access control data, and further comprising authenticating a user requesting to print the original document, based on the access control data embedded within the modified document.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said generating further comprises encrypting the original document.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said generating further comprises encrypting at least a portion of the document print information.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a document management system for storing the collection of original documents, and wherein said server computer further comprises a transmitter for sending print information specific to the original document to said document management system, and wherein said request generator re-issues the print request to said document management system.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the print information includes access control data and further said server computer further comprises an access controller authenticating the client computer'"'"'s print request for the document based on the access control data.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the print information includes watermark data and further comprising a document watermarker for watermarking the original document based on the watermark data.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the print information includes a list of permissible printers and further comprising a printer access controller for restricting the printer at which the document can be printed, based on the list of permissible printers.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising an event logger for logging the print request.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the print information includes print options selected by the user.

14. A system for real-time control of document printing, comprising:

an administrative tool for specifying document-specific print information for a collection of original documents;

a server computer comprising;

an interceptor for intercepting a print request for an original document;

a print control processor for obtaining print information specific to the original document; and

a request generator for re-issuing the print request; and

a client computer comprising;

a request generator for issuing a print request for an original document;

a transmitter for sending the print request and print information specific to the original document to said server computer.

21. A system for real-time control of document printing, comprising:

a data storage for providing document print information corresponding to an original document;

a document generator for obtaining document print information corresponding to an original document and for generating a modified document by embedding the document print information within the original document, in response to a request by a user to print the original document; and

a transmitter for sending the modified document to a print server.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the document print information includes watermark information, and further comprising a document watermarker for watermarking the original document based on the watermark information embedded within the modified document.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the document print information includes a list of permissible printers, and further comprising a printer access controller for restricting the printer at which the original can be printed to a printer listed in the list of permissible printers embedded within the modified document.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the document print information includes access control data, and further comprising an access controller for authenticating the user request to print the original document, based on the access control data embedded within the modified document.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein said document generator further comprises an encrypted for encrypting the original document.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said encrypter encrypts at least a portion of the document print information.

30. The print server of claim 29 further comprising a post-check module for dynamically updating print permission.

31. The print server of claim 29 wherein said pre-check module comprises a logger for logging print job information.

32. The print server of claim 29 wherein said pre-check module comprises a DRM module for applying digital rights management.

33. The print server of claim 29 wherein said pre-check module comprises a print options dialogue filter for defining a print options dialogue.

34. The print server of claim 33 wherein said print options dialogue filter comprises a back-end interface for ascertaining user attributes from a back-end system.

35. The print server of claim 33 wherein said print options dialogue filter comprises a back-end interface for ascertaining document attributes from a back-end system.

36. The print server of claim 33 wherein said print options dialogue filter filters a list of printers.

37. The print server of claim 29 further comprising a watermark module for dynamically applying at least one watermark to a document at run-time.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising a dynamically updating print permission.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein said dynamically processing print information comprises logging print job information.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein said dynamically processing print information comprises applying digital rights management.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein said dynamically processing print information comprises defining a print options dialogue.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said defining a print options dialogue comprises ascertaining user attributes from a back-end system.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein said defining a print options dialogue comprises ascertaining document attributes from a back-end system.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein said defining a print options dialogue comprises filtering a list of printers.

46. The method of claim 38 further comprising dynamically applying at least one watermark to a document at run-time.

48. The document management system of claim 47 wherein said user account manager generates at least one user account for at least one trusted print server, through which the at least one print server can login and request an original document.

49. The document management system of claim 48 wherein said user account manager enables the at least one trusted print server to login with at least one username.

27. A method for real-time control of document printing, comprising:

intercepting a print request for an original document by a user;

obtaining print information corresponding to the original document, in response to said intercepting; and

logging the print request and at least a portion of the print information.

28. A system for real-time control of document printing, comprising:

an interceptor for intercepting a print request for an original document by a user;

a print control processor for obtaining print information corresponding to the original document, in response to the intercepting; and

a print event logger for logging the print request and at least a portion of the print information.

29. A print server comprising:

a pre-check module for dynamically processing print information at run-time;

a document requester for requesting a document to be printed from a document management system;

a format processor for converting a document from a native format to an internal format; and

a print module for delivering content to be printed to a print spool.

38. A method for serving documents to a printer, comprising:

dynamically processing print information at run-time;

requesting a document to be printed from a document management system;

converting a document from a native format to an internal format; and

delivering content to be printed to a print spool.

47. A document management system with secure printing, comprising:

a document manager for managing a storage of original documents;

a user account manager for managing at least one user account, for at least one user having at least partial access to the original documents;

an interceptor for intercepting a print request for an original document; and

a print control processor for obtaining print information specific to the original document.

50. A method for secure printing within a document management system, comprising:

managing a storage of original documents;

managing at least one user account, for at least one user having at least partial access to the original documents;

intercepting a print request for an original document; and

obtaining print information specific to the original document.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein said managing at least one user comprises generating at least one user account for at least one trusted print server, through which the at least one trusted print server can login and request an original document.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said managing at least one user comprises enabling the at least one trusted print server to login with at least one username.