Method and apparatus for encrypted print processing

• US 20060050879A1
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Hiroko
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G09C 3/08 the connections being electrical

Abstract

According to a print controller of this embodiment, when a part of print data is specified to be encrypted, a client 102 determines functions supported by a printer 104. If the printer 104 is capable of handling partial encryption, the client 102 encrypts the specified portion, specifies the portion by PDL commands or XML tags, and sends the print data to the printer. The printer 104 decrypts it and then prints it out. Meanwhile, in the case of a printer 151 which does not support partially encrypted printing, printing is terminated, or the print data is sent to the printer 151 after replacing the portion specified to be encrypted with a different character string.

Claims

1. A print controller comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires document data;

an identification unit that identifies data to be encrypted, from the document data acquired by the acquisition unit;

an encryption unit that encrypts the data identified by the identification unit; and

a sending unit that sends the data encrypted by the encryption unit to an image forming apparatus, wherein the identification unit identifies data specified by specification information as an encryption target.

2. The print controller according to claim 1, further comprising detection unit that, if information included in the document data and information registered in advance in the print controller as specification information correspond to each other, detects the information included in the document data as the specification information.

3. The print controller according to claim 1, further comprising job generation unit that encrypts key information used by the encryption unit for encryption and generating a print job including the encrypted key information and the data encrypted by the encryption unit,

wherein the sending unit sends the print job generated by the job generation unit.

4. The print controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit that determines whether or not the image forming apparatus is capable of handling partially encrypted data; and

a confirmation unit that, if it is determined by the determination unit that the image forming apparatus is not capable of handling partially encrypted data, confirms whether or not to continue print processing of partially encrypted print data from a user.

5. The print controller according to claim 3, wherein the job generation unit generates a print job after excluding a portion specified by the specification information if continuation is confirmed by the confirmation unit.

6. The print controller according to claim 3, wherein the job generation unit encrypts the key information with a public key of the image forming apparatus.

7. The print controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit that inputs specification information into the print controller; and

a determination unit that determines whether or not information included in document data and the specification information inputted by the input unit correspond to each other,

wherein if it is determined by the determination unit that the information included in the document data and the specification information inputted by the input unit correspond to each other, data specified by the corresponding specification information is identified as an encryption-target portion by the identification unit.

8. The print controller according to claim 7, wherein the input unit inputs the specification information via a user interface of a printer driver.

9. The print controller according to claim 7, wherein the input means inputs the specification information via a user interface of an application.

10. A print controller comprising:

a confirmation unit that confirms whether or not to continue print processing of document data including data specified by specification information from a user; and

a print data generation unit that generates print data after excluding data specified by the specification information if continuation of the print processing is confirmed by the confirmation unit and terminating generation of print data based on the document data if non-continuation is confirmed.

11. The print controller according to claim 10, wherein print data is generated after replacing the data specified by the specification information with a predetermined character string if continuation of the print processing is confirmed by the confirmation unit.

12. The print controller according to claim 10, wherein the document data is XML data, and the specification information is tag information described by XML data.

13. A print controller comprising:

a first encryption unit that, if a printing apparatus capable of interpreting document data generated by an application is selected as an output destination, encrypting the document data;

an input unit that, if a printing apparatus incapable of interpreting document data generated by an application is selected as the output destination, inputs the document data to a printer driver from the application;

a generation unit that executes the printer driver based on the document data inputted by the input unit to generate print data;

a second encryption unit that encrypts the print data generated by the generation unit; and

a sending unit that sends the document data encrypted by the first encryption unit or the print data encrypted by the second encryption unit.

14. The print controller according to claim 13, further comprising:

a determination unit that determines whether a printing apparatus capable of interpreting the document data has been selected as the output destination or a printing apparatus incapable of interpreting the document data has been selected as the output destination with the use of information acquired by a printer driver; and

a decision unit that decides whether the document data should be encrypted and sent to the printing apparatus or the application should input the document data into the printer driver without encrypting the document data, based on the result of the determination by the determination unit.

15. The print controller according to claim 14, wherein the determination unit makes the determination with the use of information acquired by the application from the printer driver.

16. The print controller according to claim 14, wherein the information acquired by the printer driver is any one of a port name, a driver name, and a model name corresponding to a printing apparatus selected as the output destination, and information indicating encryption capability of the printing apparatus.

17. A print controller comprising:

an acquisition means for a printer driver to acquire print data for which encrypted printing has been specified, from an application;

a determination unit that determining whether or not an output destination set for the print data acquired by the acquisition unit is capable of encrypted printing by executing the printer driver; and

a notification unit that, if the determination unit determines that the output destination of a print job is not capable of encrypted printing, notifying the determination result to the application from the printer driver.

18. A printing control method comprising:

an acquisition step of acquiring document data;

an identification step of identifying data to be encrypted, from the document data acquired by the acquisition step;

an encryption step of encrypting the data identified by the identification step; and

a sending step of sending the data encrypted by the encryption step to an image forming apparatus;

wherein

the identification step identifies data specified by specification information as an encryption target.

19. The printing control method according to claim 18, further comprising a detection step of, if information included in the document data and information registered in advance in the print controller as specification information correspond to each other, detecting the information included in the document data as the specification information.

20. The printing control method according to claim 18, further comprising a job generation step of encrypting key information used by the encryption step for encryption and generating a print job including the encrypted key information and the data encrypted by the encryption step;

wherein

the sending step sends the print job generated by the job generation step.

21. The printing control method according to claim 18, further comprising:

a determination step of determining whether or not the image forming apparatus is capable of handling partially encrypted data; and

a confirmation step of, if it is determined by the determination step that the image forming apparatus is not capable of handling partially encrypted data, confirming whether or not to continue print processing of partially encrypted print data from a user.

22. The printing control method according to claim 20, wherein the job generation step generates a print job after excluding a portion specified by the specification information if continuation is confirmed by the confirmation step.

23. The printing control method according to claim 20, wherein the job generation step encrypts the key information with a public key of the image forming apparatus.

24. The printing control method according to claim 18, further comprising:

an input step for inputting specification information into the print controller; and

a determination step of determining whether or not information included in document data and the specification information inputted by the input step correspond to each other;

wherein

if it is determined by the determination step that the information included in the document data and the specification information inputted by the input step correspond to each other, data specified by the corresponding specification information is identified as an encryption-target portion by the identification step.

25. The printing control method according to claim 24, wherein the input step inputs the specification information via a user interface of a printer driver.

26. The printing control method according to claim 24, wherein the input step inputs the specification information via a user interface of an application.

27. A printing control method comprising:

a confirmation step of confirming whether or not to continue print processing of document data including data specified by specification information from a user; and

a print data generation step of generating print data after excluding data specified by the specification information if continuation of the print processing is confirmed by the confirmation step and terminating generation of print data based on the document data if non-continuation is confirmed.

28. The printing control method according to claim 27, wherein print data is generated after replacing the data specified by the specification information with a predetermined character string if continuation of the print processing is confirmed by the confirmation step.

29. The printing control method according to claim 27, wherein the document data is XML data, and the specification information is tag information described by XML data.

30. A printing control method comprising:

a first encryption step of, if a printing apparatus capable of interpreting document data generated by an application is selected as the output destination, encrypting the document data;

an input step of, if a printing apparatus incapable of interpreting document data generated by an application is selected as the output destination, inputting the document data to a printer driver from the application;

a generation step of executing the printer driver based on the document data inputted by the input step to generate print data;

a second encryption step of encrypting the print data generated by the generation step; and

a sending step of sending the document data encrypted by the first encryption step or the print data encrypted by the second encryption step.

31. The printing control method according to claim 30, further comprising:

a determination step of determining whether a printing apparatus capable of interpreting the document data has been selected as the output destination or a printing apparatus incapable of interpreting the document data has been selected as the output destination with the use of information acquired by a printer driver; and

a decision step of deciding whether the document data should be encrypted and sent to the printing apparatus or the application should input the document data into the printer driver without encrypting the document data, based on the result of the determination by the determination step.

32. The printing control method according to claim 31, wherein the determination step makes the determination with the use of information acquired by the application from the printer driver.

33. The printing control method according to claim 31, wherein the information acquired by the printer driver is any one of a port name, a driver name, and a model name corresponding to a printing apparatus selected as the output destination, and information indicating encryption capability of the printing apparatus.

34. A printing control method comprising:

an acquisition step of a printer driver acquiring print data for which encrypted printing has been specified, from an application;

a determination step of determining whether or not an output destination set for the print data acquired by the acquisition step is capable of encrypted printing by executing the printer driver; and

a notification step of, if the determination step determines that the output destination of a print job is not capable of encrypted printing, notifying the determination result to the application from the printer driver.

35. A program recorded in a computer-readable medium, comprising the codes of:

an acquisition step of acquiring document data;

an identification step of identifying data to be encrypted, from the document data acquired by the acquisition step;

an encryption step of encrypting the data identified by the identification step; and

a sending step of sending the data encrypted by the encryption step to an image forming apparatus;

wherein

the identification step identifies data specified by specification information as an encryption target.

36. A program recorded in a computer-readable medium, comprising the codes of:

a confirmation step of confirming whether or not to continue print processing of document data including data specified by specification information from a user; and

a print data generation step of generating print data after excluding data specified by the specification information if continuation of the print processing is confirmed by the confirmation step and terminating generation of print data based on the document data if non-continuation is confirmed.

37. A program recorded in a computer-readable medium, comprising the codes of:

a first encryption step of, if a printing apparatus capable of interpreting document data generated by an application is selected as the output destination, encrypting the document data;

an input step of, if a printing apparatus incapable of interpreting document data generated by an application is selected as the output destination, inputting the document data to a printer driver from the application;

a generation step of executing the printer driver based on the document data inputted by the input step to generate print data;

a second encryption step of encrypting the print data generated by the generation step; and

a sending step of sending the document data encrypted by the first encryption step or the print data encrypted by the second encryption step.

38. A printer driver program recorded in a computer-readable medium, comprising the codes of:

an acquisition step of acquiring print data for which encrypted printing has been specified, from an application;

a determination step of determining whether or not an output destination set for the print data acquired by the acquisition step is capable of encrypted printing; and

a notification step of, if the determination step determines that the output destination of a print job is not capable of encrypted printing, notifying the determination result to the application.