System and method for ensuring secure transfer of a document from a client of a network to a printer
First Claim
1. A printing control system for ensuring one or more users of a network (such as a LAN:
- local area network, or a WAN;
wide area network) secure access to a print job designated to said one or more users of said network, and said printing control system comprising;
(a) a client station of a first plurality of client stations for designating said print job to said one or more users, said print job defining a document containing user readable information and defining a header containing document access information, (b) a spool connected to said client station for spooling of said document and substituting said document in said print job with a spooled document, (c) a job database connected to said spool for receiving said spooled document and said header from said client station, said job database defining a document table and a user table and storing said spooled document in said document table and storing said header in said user table, (d) a printer communication unit of a second plurality of printer communication units for receiving user identifying data input by said one or more users to said printer communication unit said printer communication unit comprising a front-end module for identifying said one or more users of said network and a control unit for providing an interface for a print engine and a server to a printer, said front end module comprising an iris scanner and/or a fingerprint reader for identifying said one or more users at said front-end module and/or a card reader for reading card information from a card such as a credit card, a library card, a health insurance card, a driving licence card, a passport card, a membership card, a company identity card or an institutional identity card, said card information including information such as card user name, card user ID, card user credit, card user'"'"'s access rights, card user'"'"'s server address, card user identifying number, card issuing date, card identity number, digital signature of one or more of said client station of said first plurality of client stations or any combination thereof, and wherein said card utilizes electronic storage techniques, electro-magnetic storage techniques, magnetic storage techniques, magneto-optic storage techniques, optic storage techniques or any combination thereof for storing of said card information, (e) a server managed by a network administrator and interconnecting said printer communication unit to said job database for establishing said one or more users in said user table enabling said one or more users access to said network, for validating said one or more users on the basis of said user identifying data input to said printer communication unit against user information stored in said user table, and for ensuring said user identifying data and said user information provide said one or more users access to said spooled document, (f) a printer connected to said printer communication unit for receiving said spooled document from said job database and having a request input for receiving a print request from said one or more users and communicating said print request to said server, and (g) a print engine interconnecting said job database and said printer communication unit for compiling of said spooled document to be communicated to said printer through said printer communication unit, said print engine receiving said spooled document from said document table in said job database.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and method for ensuring secure transfer of a document from a client of a network to a printer. That is providing a system and method enabling safe printing of a print job by securing a transmission of the print job through a network to a printer and only releasing the print job to a user designated by a client of the system and method to access the print job. Further, the present invention provides a system and method for distributing a document to a plurality of users while maintaining a secure transfer of information from the transmitting client to the plurality of users. Additionally, the present invention provides a system and method performing controlled discriminatory user access to a printer connected in a network by identifying users at the printer.
154 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A printing control system for ensuring one or more users of a network (such as a LAN:
- local area network, or a WAN;
wide area network) secure access to a print job designated to said one or more users of said network, and said printing control system comprising;(a) a client station of a first plurality of client stations for designating said print job to said one or more users, said print job defining a document containing user readable information and defining a header containing document access information, (b) a spool connected to said client station for spooling of said document and substituting said document in said print job with a spooled document, (c) a job database connected to said spool for receiving said spooled document and said header from said client station, said job database defining a document table and a user table and storing said spooled document in said document table and storing said header in said user table, (d) a printer communication unit of a second plurality of printer communication units for receiving user identifying data input by said one or more users to said printer communication unit said printer communication unit comprising a front-end module for identifying said one or more users of said network and a control unit for providing an interface for a print engine and a server to a printer, said front end module comprising an iris scanner and/or a fingerprint reader for identifying said one or more users at said front-end module and/or a card reader for reading card information from a card such as a credit card, a library card, a health insurance card, a driving licence card, a passport card, a membership card, a company identity card or an institutional identity card, said card information including information such as card user name, card user ID, card user credit, card user'"'"'s access rights, card user'"'"'s server address, card user identifying number, card issuing date, card identity number, digital signature of one or more of said client station of said first plurality of client stations or any combination thereof, and wherein said card utilizes electronic storage techniques, electro-magnetic storage techniques, magnetic storage techniques, magneto-optic storage techniques, optic storage techniques or any combination thereof for storing of said card information, (e) a server managed by a network administrator and interconnecting said printer communication unit to said job database for establishing said one or more users in said user table enabling said one or more users access to said network, for validating said one or more users on the basis of said user identifying data input to said printer communication unit against user information stored in said user table, and for ensuring said user identifying data and said user information provide said one or more users access to said spooled document, (f) a printer connected to said printer communication unit for receiving said spooled document from said job database and having a request input for receiving a print request from said one or more users and communicating said print request to said server, and (g) a print engine interconnecting said job database and said printer communication unit for compiling of said spooled document to be communicated to said printer through said printer communication unit, said print engine receiving said spooled document from said document table in said job database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 24)
- local area network, or a WAN;
-
18. A printing control system for ensuring one or more users of a network (such as a LAN:
- local area network, or a WAN;
wide area network) secure access to a print job designated to said one or more users of said network, and said printing control system comprising;(a) a client station of a first plurality of client stations for designating said print job to said one or more users, said print job defining a document containing user readable information and defining a header containing document access information, (b) a spool connected to said client station for spooling of said document and substituting said document in said print job with a spooled document, (c) a job database connected to said spool for receiving said spooled document and said header from said client station, said job database defining a document table and a user table and storing said spooled document in said document table and storing said header in said user table, (d) a printer communication unit of a second plurality of printer communication units for receiving user identifying data input by said one or more users to said printer communication unit, said printer communication unit comprising a front-end module for identifying said one or more users of said network and a control unit for providing an interface for a print engine and a server to a printer, said front end module comprising an iris scanner and/or a fingerprint reader for identifying said one or more users at said front-end module and/or a card reader for reading card information from a card such as a credit card, a library card, a health insurance card, a driving licence card, a passport card, a membership card, a company identity card or an institutional identity card, said card information including information such as card user name, card user ID, card user credit, card user'"'"'s access rights, card user'"'"'s server address, card user identifying number, card issuing date, card identity number, digital signature of one or more of said client station of said first plurality of client stations or any combination thereof, wherein said user identifying data includes said card information and a first user pin code and wherein said user information stored in said user table includes system user name, system user ID, system user credit, system user'"'"'s access rights, system user'"'"'s server address, system user identifying number, system user PUK code, system user initiation date or any combination thereof, and a second user pin code, (e) a server managed by a network administrator and interconnecting said printer communication unit to said job database for establishing said one or more users in said user table enabling said one or more users access to said network, for validating said one or more users on the basis of said user identifying data input to said printer communication unit against user information stored in said user table, and for ensuring said user identifying data and said user information provide said one or more users access to said spooled document, (f) a printer connected to said printer communication unit for receiving said spooled document from said job database and having a request input for receiving a print request from said one or more users and communicating said print request to said server, and (g) a print engine interconnecting said job database and said printer communication unit for compiling of said spooled document to be communicated to said printer through said printer communication unit, said print engine receiving said spooled document from said document table in said job database.
- local area network, or a WAN;
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19. A printing control system for ensuring one or more users of a network (such as a LAN:
- local area network, or a WAN;
wide area network) secure access to a print job designated to said one or more users of said network, and said printing control system comprising;(a) a client station of a first plurality of client stations for designating said print job to said one or more users, said print job defining a document containing user readable information and defining a header containing document access information, (b) a spool connected to said client station for spooling of said document and substituting said document in said print job with a spooled document, (c) a job database connected to said spool for receiving said spooled document and said header from said client station, said job database defining a document table and a user table and storing said spooled document in said document table and storing said header in said user table, (d) a printer communication unit of a second plurality of printer communication units for receiving user identifying data input by said one or more users to said printer communication unit, said printer communication unit comprising a front-end module for identifying said one or more users of said network and a control unit for providing an interface for a print engine and a server to a printer, said front end module comprising an iris scanner and/or a fingerprint reader for identifying said one or more users at said front-end module and/or a card reader for reading card information from a card such as a credit card, a library card, a health insurance card, a driving licence card, a passport card, a membership card, a company identity card or an institutional identity card, said card information including information such as card user name, card user ID, card user credit, card user'"'"'s access rights, card user'"'"'s server address, card user identifying number, card issuing date, card identity number, digital signature of one or more of said client station of said first plurality of client stations or any combination thereof, wherein said card reader receives said card information from said card and communicates said card information to said server and said front-end module requests a first user pin code from said one or more users, (e) a server managed by a network administrator and interconnecting said printer communication unit to said job database for establishing said one or more users in said user table enabling said one or more users access to said network, for validating said one or more users on the basis of said user identifying data input to said printer communication unit against user information stored in said user table, and for ensuring said user identifying data and said user information provide said one or more users access to said spooled document, (f) a printer connected to said printer communication unit for receiving said spooled document from said job database and having a request input for receiving a print request from said one or more users and communicating said print request to said server, and (g) a print engine interconnecting said job database and said printer communication unit for compiling of said spooled document to be communicated to said printer through said printer communication unit, said print engine receiving said spooled document from said document table in said job database.
- local area network, or a WAN;
-
20. A printing control system for ensuring one or more users of a network (such as a LAN:
- local area network, or a WAN;
wide area network) secure access to a print job designated to said one or more users of said network, and said printing control system comprising;(a) a client station of a first plurality of client stations for designating said print job to said one or more users, said print job defining a document containing user readable information and defining a header containing document access information, (b) a spool connected to said client station for spooling of said document and substituting said document in said print job with a spooled document, (c) a job database connected to said spool for receiving said spooled document and said header from said client station, said job database defining a document table and a user table and storing said spooled document in said document table and storing said header in said user table, (d) a printer communication unit of a second plurality of printer communication units for receiving user identifying data input by said one or more users to said printer communication unit, said printer communication unit comprising a front-end module for identifying said one or more users of said network and a control unit for providing an interface for a print engine and a server to a printer, said front end module comprising an iris scanner and/or a fingerprint reader for identifying said one or more users at said front-end module and/or a card reader for reading card information from a card such as a credit card, a library card, a health insurance card, a driving licence card, a passport card, a membership card, a company identity card or an institutional identity card, said card information including information such as card user name, card user ID, card user credit, card user'"'"'s access rights, card users server address, card user identifying number, card issuing date, card identity number, digital signature of one or more of said client station of said first plurality of client stations or any combination thereof, (e) a server managed by a network administrator and interconnecting said printer communication unit to said job database for establishing said one or more users in said user table enabling said one or more users access to said network, for validating said one or more users on the basis of said user identifying data input to said printer communication unit against user information stored in said user table, and for ensuring said user identifying data and said user information provide said one or more users access to said spooled document, wherein said server establishes and validates said one or more users by identifying said user information in said user table on the basis of said user identifying data and by matching said first pin code with said second pin code or alternatively during first use of said card by matching said system user PUK code with an entered user PUK code and said server locating in said document table all print jobs designated for said one or more users and communicating titles of all print jobs designated for said one or more users to said front-end display enabling said one or more users to select a print job or a multiplicity of print jobs, (f) a printer connected to said printer communication unit for receiving said spooled document from said job database and having a request input for receiving a print request from said one or more users and communicating said print request to said server, and (g) a print engine interconnecting said job database and said printer communication unit for compiling of said spooled document to be communicated to said printer through said printer communication unit, said print engine receiving said spooled document from said document table in said job database.
- local area network, or a WAN;
-
22. A printing control system for ensuring one or more users of a network (such as a LAN:
- local area network, or a WAN;
wide area network) secure access to a print job designated to said one or more users of said network, and said printing control system comprising;(a) a client station of a first plurality of client stations for designating said print job to said one or more users, said print job defining a document containing user readable information and defining a header containing document access information, (b) a spool connected to said client station for spooling of said document and substituting said document in said print job with a spooled document, (c) a job database connected to said spool for receiving said spooled document and said header from said client station, said job database defining a document table and a user table and storing said spooled document in said document table and storing said header in said user table, (d) a printer communication unit of a second plurality of printer communication units for receiving user identifying data input by said one or more users to said printer communication unit, said printer communication unit comprising a front-end module for identifying said one or more users of said network and a control unit for providing an interface for a print engine and a server to a printer, said front-end module comprising a display for showing said one or more users accessible print jobs and operations menus, and comprising a keypad for providing an interface between said one or more users and said front-end module, (e) a server managed by a network administrator and interconnecting said printer communication unit to said job database for establishing said one or more users in said user table enabling said one or more users access to said network, for validating said one or more users on the basis of said user identifying data input to said printer communication unit against user information stored in said user table, and for ensuring said user identifying data and said user information provide said one or more users access to said spooled document, (f) a printer connected to said printer communication unit for receiving said spooled document from said job database and having a request input for receiving a print request from said one or more users and communicating said print request to said server, (g) a print engine interconnecting said job database and said printer communication unit for compiling of said spooled document to be communicated to said printer through said printer communication unit, said print engine receiving said spooled document from said document table in said job database, and wherein said server provides an opportunity for said one or more users to delete said spooled document from said one or more users'"'"' print job list, determine desired number of copies required of said spooled document, retaining printing of said spooled document in a draft version for a first price, view said spooled document on said display for a second price, print said spooled document on said printer for a third price and terminate further operations on said front-end module. - View Dependent Claims (23)
- local area network, or a WAN;
Specification