Printing service system and printing service program

• US 7,679,760 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakui, Masato, Omata, Masaki, Tawa, Kazutomo, Nomura, Hiroki, Inoue, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins; Twyler L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beckley; Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US10/829,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,154 Days
• Field of Search: 379/100.07, 379/100.04, 358/468, 358/407, 358/402, 358/404, 358/518, 358/1.18, 358/1.15, 358/403, 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/1.12, 705/2, 705/58, 705/51, 705/75, 705/73, 705/26, 705/71, 705/43, 705/64, 348/231.9, 348/552, 348/239, 348/231.3, 380/54, 709/206, 709/223, 715/839, 718/102, 382/233, 382/100, 400/61, 700/241, 434/350
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A printing service system is provided. A print terminal includes a data transmission and reception unit for transmitting and receiving image data to and from a server and a key input unit for inputting an address of a recipient authorized to print the image data. The server includes a data accumulation unit in which image data uploaded from the print terminal is accumulated for each ID, a code conversion unit for converting an ID and a password into a code, a mail output unit and a FAX output unit for transmitting the code to the address, and an image management unit for, when the print terminal returns the code to the ID and the password and transmits the ID and the password, performing authentication, reading the image data corresponding to the ID, and returning the image data to the print terminal.

Claims

1. A printing service system comprising:

a server; and

at least one print terminal connected to the server through a communication network, the print terminal including;

an image data input means for inputting image data;

an image data transmission means for transmitting the image data to the server; and

a destination input means for inputting an address of a recipient authorized to print the image data, and

the server including;

an image data reception means for receiving the image data transmitted by the image data transmission means;

an ID and password generation means for generating an ID and a password for authentication when the image data is received;

an image data accumulation means for accumulating the received image data in association with the ID;

a code conversion means for converting the ID and the password into a code for authentication at a time of printing the image data by the recipient, wherein information on the ID and the password is encrypted into the code;

a code transmission means for transmitting the obtained code to the address inputted by the destination input means; and

an image data returning means for, when the print terminal decodes the code to the ID and the password and transmits the ID and the password, performing authentication using the ID and the password and, if a positive authentication result is obtained, reading the image data corresponding to the ID from the image data accumulation means and returning the read image data to the print terminal.

2. A printing service system according to claim 1, wherein:

the address of the recipient is an e-mail address of the recipient; and

the code transmission means transmits the code by e-mail.

3. A printing service system according to claim 1, wherein:

the address of the recipient is a FAX number of the recipient; and

the code transmission means transmits the code by fax.

4. A printing service system according to claim 1, wherein the code is composed of one of a two-dimensional code and a barcode.

5. A printing service system according to claim 1, wherein:

the print terminal further includes;

a code reading means for reading the code;

a code decoding means for decoding the read code so as to return it into the ID and the password;

an image data acquiring means for transmitting the ID and the password to the server and receiving the image data corresponding to the ID returned by the image data returning means of the server; and

a print means for printing the received image data.

6. A printing service system according to claim 1, wherein the server includes a Web site showing an installation place of the print terminal.

7. A printing service system according to claim 3, wherein when transmitting the code by fax, the code transmission means attaches a map illustrating an installation place of the print terminal in the vicinity of an installation place of a facsimile machine on a recipient side.

8. A printing service system according to claim 1, wherein:

the print terminal further includes an attribute information input means for, when transmitting the image data to the server using the image data transmission means, inputting attribute information to be attached to the image data; and

the image data accumulation means of the server stores the attribute information together with the image data.

9. A printing service system according to claim 8, wherein the code transmission means of the server transmits the attribute information to the address of the recipient together with the code.

10. A printing service system according to claim 8, wherein the image data returning means of the server transmits the attribute information to the print terminal together with the image data.

11. A printing service system according to claim 1, wherein the server further includes a user management table in which the ID, the password, and an address of a user directory storing the image data in the image data accumulation means are stored in association with information about the address of the recipient.

12. A printing service system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a customer master that is provided for one of the server and the print terminal and stores a transmission history in association with a corresponding sender ID.

13. A printing service program stored on a computer readable medium for causing a computer to execute processing to translate instructions for displaying image data comprising the steps of:

transmitting image data from a print terminal to a server;

inputting an address of a recipient authorized to print the image data into the print terminal;

receiving by the server the image data transmitted from the print terminal in the image data transmission step;

generating an ID and a password for authentication by the server when receiving the image data;

accumulating by the server the received image data in association with the ID;

converting by the server the ID and the password into a code for authentication at a time of printing the image data by the recipient, wherein information on the ID and the password is encrypted into the code;

transmitting the code by the server to the address inputted in the address input step;

decoding by the print terminal the code so as to return it into the ID and the password and transmit the ID and the password to the server;

performing authentication by the server using the ID and the password obtained through decoding;

reading by the server, if a positive authentication result is obtained in the authentication step, the image data corresponding to the ID accumulated in the server in the image data accumulation step; and

returning by the server the read image data to the print terminal.