Security of printed documents through end user presence sensing

• US 7,791,747 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Roksz, Vaughn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Douglas Q
• Application Number:
  US11/104,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20060227371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.14, 358/1.1, 358/1.13, 358/402, 358/403, 358/426.02, 340/572.1, 340/5.81
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for improving the security of printed documents through end user presence sensing. In this regard, a system for improving the security of printed documents through end user presence detection can include a data store having records correlating end users with print jobs for a workgroup printer, presence detection circuitry disposed in proximity to the workgroup printer, and security management logic coupled to the data store and the presence detection circuitry. Notably, the security management logic can be programmed to determine when end users associated with print jobs recorded in the data store have not come into proximity of the workgroup printer.

Claims

1. A system for improving the security of printed documents through end user presence detection, the system comprising:

a data store having records correlating end users with print jobs for a workgroup printer;

presence detection circuitry disposed in proximity to said workgroup printer;

and, security management logic coupled to said data store and said presence detection circuitry and programmed to determine when end users associated with print jobs recorded in said data store have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said data store comprises a table correlating end users with print jobs, and a separate table correlating end users with end user identifiers disposed in corresponding presence detection transmitters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said presence detection circuitry is a radio frequency identification (RFID) detection system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said security management logic is programmed to notify end users associated with print jobs recorded in said data store when said end users have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer within a threshold period of time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said security management logic is disposed in a print server for said workgroup printer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said security management logic is disposed in a computing device coupled to a print server for said workgroup printer.

7. A method for improving the security of printed documents through end user presence detection, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving print job notifications in a workgroup printer from end user computing devices for end users who have requested print jobs from the workgroup printer in a data communications network;

associating said end users with corresponding ones of said requested print jobs;

detecting a presence of at least one of said end users in proximity to said workgroup printer; and

,

determining when individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said associating step comprises the step of writing a record in a data store correlating each received print job notification with a requesting end user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of sensing a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag in proximity to said workgroup printer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of transmitting a notification to said individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs who have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said transmitting step comprises the step of providing one of an electronic mail message, instant message and alert message displayed in a dialog box to said individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs who have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of logging instances when said individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer within a threshold period of time.

13. A computer readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for improving the security of printed documents through end user presence detection, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by a machine causes the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving print job notifications for end users who have requested print jobs from a workgroup printer in a data communications network;

associating said end users with corresponding ones of said requested print jobs;

detecting a presence of at least one of said end users in proximity to said workgroup printer;

and, determining when individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein said associating step comprises the step of writing a record in a data store correlating each received print job notification with a requesting end user.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein said detecting step comprises the step of sensing a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag in proximity to said workgroup printer.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of transmitting a notification to said individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs who have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein said transmitting step comprises the step of providing one of an electronic mail message, instant message and alert message displayed in a dialog box to said individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs who have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein said determining step further comprises the step of logging instances when said individual ones of said end users associated with said requested print jobs have not come into proximity of said workgroup printer within a threshold period of time.