Printer server and print system and data receiving device and data sending/receiving system

• US 7,352,865 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shima, Toshihiro, Kojima, Teruhito, Gassho, Kazuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nalven; Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US10/500,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 380/258, 713/155, 709/203
• US Class Current: 380/258
• 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 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

From a printer, a print client previously acquires printer position information on the printer. For example, when trying to transmit print data to the printer, the print client generates print transmitting data by adding printer position information on the printer to the print data and transmits the print transmitting data. The printer which has received this print transmitting data prints the print data only when the printer position information contained in the print transmitting data coincides with printer position information at this point in time. Consequently, the security of the print transmitting data transmitted from the print client to the printer via a network is ensured.

Claims

1. A printer which processes print transmitting data, comprising:

a print transmitting data receiver which receives the print transmitting data;

a first printer position acquisition which acquires printer position information to specify a place where the printer is installed when the print transmitting data receiver has received the print transmitting data, this printer position information being regarded as first printer position information;

a judgment section which judges whether the print transmitting data matches the first printer position information;

a print executor which executes a print operation based on the print transmitting data when the judgment section judges that the print transmitting data matches the first printer position information and restricts the print operation based on the print transmitting data when the judgment section judges that the print transmitting data does not match the first printer position information;

a public key acquisition request receiver which receives a public key acquisition request transmitted from a print client;

a second printer position acquisition which acquires printer position information on the printer when the public key acquisition request receiver has received the public key acquisition request, this printer position information being regarded as second printer position information;

a public key generator which generates a public key with a first passphrase containing at least the second printer position information; and

a public key transmitter which transmits the public key generated by the public key generator to the print client which has transmitted the public key acquisition request, wherein

the print executor does not execute the print operation based on the print transmitting data when the judgment section judges that the print transmitting data does not match the first printer position information.

2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the judgment section generates a private key with a second passphrase containing at least the first printer position information acquired by the first printer position acquisition, judges that the print transmitting data matches the first printer position information when the print transmitting data has been decrypted with the private key, and judges that the print transmitting data does not match the first printer position information when the print transmitting data has not been decrypted with the private key.

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

an authentication information receiver which receives authentication information from the print client; and

an authentication information judgment section which judges whether the authentication information received by the authentication information receiver coincides with previously registered authentication information, wherein

the public key transmitter transmits the public key to the print client only when the two pieces of the authentication information coincide in the authentication information judgment section.

4. The printer according to claim 3, further comprising:

a device-specific information acquisition which acquires device-specific information which is information specific to the printer, wherein

the second passphrase used in the judgment section contains at least the first printer position information and the device-specific information, and

the first passphrase used in the public key generator contains at least the second printer position information and the device-specific information.

5. A control method of a printer which processes print transmitting data, comprising the steps of:

receiving the print transmitting data;

acquiring printer position information to specify a place where the printer is installed when the print transmitting data has been received, and regarding this printer position information as first printer position information;

judging whether the print transmitting data matches the first printer position information;

executing a print operation based on the print transmitting data when it is judged that the print transmitting data matches the first printer position information;

restricting the print operation based on the print transmitting data when it is judged that the print transmitting data does not match the first printer position information;

receiving a public key acquisition request transmitted from a print client;

acquiring printer position information on the printer when the public key acquisition request has been received and regarding this printer position information as second printer position information;

generating a public key with a first passphrase containing at least the second printer position information; and

transmitting the public key to the print client which has transmitted the public key acquisition request, wherein

in the step of restricting the print operation, the print operation based on the print transmitting data is not executed when it is judged that the print transmitting data does not match the first printer position information.

6. The control method of the printer according to claim 5, wherein in the step of judging whether the print transmitting data matches the first printer position information, a private key is generated with a second passphrase containing at least the first printer position information, it is judged that the print transmitting data matches the first printer position information when the print transmitting data has been decrypted with the private key, and it is judged that the print transmitting data does not match the first printer position information when the print transmitting data has not been decrypted with the private key.

7. The control method of the printer according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

receiving authentication information from the print client; and

judging whether the received authentication information coincides with previously registered authentication information, wherein

in the step of transmitting the public key, the public key is transmitted to the print client only when the two pieces of the authentication information coincide.

8. The control method of the printer according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

acquiring device-specific information which is information specific to the printer, wherein

the second passphrase contains at least the first printer position information and the device-specific information, and

the first passphrase contains at least the second printer position information and the device-specific information.