IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20120033245A1
• Filed: 06/22/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurahashi, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4045 Managing the interface to the data source, e.g. choosing an interface for data reception
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4095 Secure printing computer driven secure printing G06F3/1238
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently

Abstract

Provided are an image forming apparatus capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus and a mobile terminal, and a control method of controlling the image forming apparatus. Wireless communication is enabled between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus owing to receipt of print data and account information, which is for placing the image forming apparatus in a state in which wireless communication is possible, from the information processing apparatus. After wireless communication is enabled, the image forming apparatus receives authentication information from the mobile terminal and, if this authentication information corresponds to the account information, start printing based upon the print data received from the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus and a mobile terminal, comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive print data and account information, which is for placing the image forming apparatus in a state in which wireless communication is possible, from the information processing apparatus;

an authentication information reception unit configured to receive authentication information from the mobile terminal after the state in which wireless communication is possible is established by receipt of the account information by the reception unit; and

a print control unit configured to start printing based upon the print data in a case where the authentication information received by the authentication information reception unit corresponds to the account information.

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

a holding unit configured to correlate and hold the account information and an address of the mobile terminal; and

a transmitting unit which, in a case where the account information received by the reception unit is being held in the holding unit, transmits an address of the image forming apparatus, with specific information attached thereto, to the mobile terminal having the address corresponding to the account information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not authentication information received by the authentication information reception unit corresponds to the account information; and

a pairing unit configured to pair the image forming apparatus and the mobile terminal in a case where the determination unit has determined that the authentication information received by the authentication information reception unit corresponds to the account information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus perform communication based upon the Bluetooth standard.

5. A control method of controlling an image forming apparatus capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus and a mobile terminal, comprising:

a reception step of receiving print data and account information, which is for placing the image forming apparatus in a state in which wireless communication is possible, from the information processing apparatus;

an authentication information reception step of receiving authentication information from the mobile terminal after the state in which wireless communication is possible is established by receipt of the account information in the reception step; and

a print control step of starting printing based upon the print data in a case where the authentication information received in the authentication information reception step corresponds to the account information.