Printing device capable of authorizing printing limitedly according to user level, printing system using the same and printing method thereof

• US 7,865,725 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: S-Printing Solution Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, In-sung
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US10/989,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20050120244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,239 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 5, 726/22, 726/17, 380277-279, 380/283, 380/44, 713/166
• US Class Current: 713/166
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• 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: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A printing device which authorizes a printing limitedly according to a user level, a printing system using the same and a printing method thereof. The printing device includes an interface part receiving a printing data requested by a user and a security level of the requested printing data; an authentication part determining whether to print the requested printing data based on the security level and a pre-stored user level of the user; a printing part printing the requested printing data; and a controller transmitting the requested printing data received through the interface part to the printing part if the authentication part permits the printing. Accordingly, even if a user obtains an access to the system, because the user has a limitation in using and printing the data depending on his/her position or job, the security of the data can be more effectively guaranteed.

Claims

1. A printing device to print data which requires security, comprising:

an interface part receiving a request to print data by a user and a security level of the data requested to be printed;

an authentication part to determine whether to permit a printing of the data requested to be printed based on whether a pre-stored user level of the user is higher than the security level of the requested data, the authentication part comprising a password processing part to randomly generate a password and transmit the password to the user, the password processing part to determine whether the generated password and a password inputted by the user and obtained by the interface part are equal to each other;

a printing part to print the data requested to be printed; and

a controller to transmit the data requested to be printed received through the interface part to the printing part if the authentication part permits the printing.

2. The printing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the authentication part comprises:

an authentication information storage part to store an authentication information including the user level; and

an authentication determination part to permit the printing if the user level stored in the authentication information storage part is higher than the security level.

3. The printing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein if the authentication determination part permits the printing and the password processing part determines that the passwords are equal to each other, the controller transmits the data requested to be printed received through the interface part to the printing part.

4. The printing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the password processing part comprises:

a password generator to randomly generate a password;

a password transmitter to transmit the generated password externally so that the user receives the password; and

a password comparator to determine whether the password generated by the password generator and the password inputted by the user are identical to each other.

5. The printing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the authentication part further comprises an authentication information management part to determine whether to register the user based on the inputted authentication information of the user, and if the user is determined to be registered, to store the authentication information of the user in the authentication information storage part.

6. A printing method of a printing device to print data which requires security, the printing method comprising:

receiving a print data request by a user and a security level of the data requested to be printed by the printing device;

determining whether to permit a printing with respect to the data requested to be printed based on whether a pre-stored user level of the user is higher than the security level of the requested data and by randomly generating a password, transmitting the generated password externally so that the user receives the password, and determining whether the generated password and a password inputted by the user and received by the printing device are identical to each other; and

printing the data requested to be printed if the printing is permitted.

7. The printing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the operation of determining whether to permit a printing with respect to the data requested to be printed based on the security level and a pre-stored user level of the user permits the printing if the user level is higher than the security level.

8. The printing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the operation of determining whether to permit a printing with respect to the data requested to be printed based on the security level and a pre-stored user level of the user comprises the operation of:

permitting the printing with respect to the data requested to be printed if the user level is higher than the security level and if the passwords are identical to each other.

9. The printing method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the operations of determining whether to register the user based on authentication information of the user inputted by the user, and if the user is determined to be registered, storing the authentication information.

10. A printing system comprising:

a file server to store therein data which requires security and a security level of the data;

a client to request the data stored in the file server to be printed; and

a printing device to receive the data requested to be printed from the file server and the security level of the data, and based on the security level and a pre-stored user level of the user, to determine whether to permit a printing of the data requested to be printed,

wherein the printing device includes an authentication part which determines whether to permit a printing with respect to the data requested to be printed based on whether the pre-stored user level is higher than the security level of the requested data, and by randomly generating a password, transmitting the generated password externally so that the user receives the password and determining whether the generated password and a received password inputted by the user through the client are identical to each other.

11. The printing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the printing device comprises:

a printing device interface part to receive the data requested to be printed and the security level of the data from the file server;

an authentication part to determine whether to permit a printing with respect to the data requested to be printed based on the security level and the pre-stored user level;

a printing part to print the data requested to be printed; and

a printing device controller, if the printing is permitted, to transmit the data requested to be printed received through the printing device interface part to the printing part.

12. The printing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the authentication part comprises:

an authentication information storage part to store therein authentication information including the user level corresponding the user who requests the printing; and

an authentication determination part to permit the printing if the user level stored in the authentication storage part is higher than the security level.

13. The printing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the file server comprises:

a storage part to store the data and the security level of the data;

a header inserting part to read out the data and the security level of the data from the storage part and to generate a data frame by inserting a header including the security level of the data to the data;

a file server interface part to receive the data frame and to transmit the data frame to the printing device; and

a file server controller to control the header inserting part to generate the data frame with respect to the data requested to be printed which is requested by the user through the client, and to apply the data frame generated by the header inserting part to the file server interface part.

14. A printing method of a printing system which comprises a file server storing data and security levels of the data, a client requesting data stored in the file server to be printed, and a printing device printing the data requested to be printed, the printing method comprising the operations of:

the client transmitting a request for printing to the file server;

the file server transmitting the data requested to be printed and the security level of the data to the printing device;

the printing device determining whether to permit a printing with respect to the data requested to be printed based on whether a pre-stored user level of the user is higher than the security level of the requested data and by randomly generating a password, transmitting the generated password externally so that the user receives the password, and determining whether the generated password and a received password inputted by the user through the client are identical to each other; and

if the printing is permitted, the printing device printing the data requested to be printed.

15. The printing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein, in the operation of the file server transmitting the data requested to be printed and the security level of the data to the printing device, the file server generates a data frame by inserting a header including the security level of the data requested to be printed to the data, and transmits the data frame to the printing device.

16. The printing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operation of the printing device determining whether to permit a printing with respect to the data requested to be printed based on the security level and a pre-stored user level of the user, permits the printing if the user level is higher than the security level.

17. The printing method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operation of the printing device determining whether to permit a printing with respect to the data to be printed based on the security level and a pre-stored user level of the user comprises the operation of:

permitting the printing with respect to the data requested to be printed if the user level is higher than the security level and if the passwords are identical to each other.

18. A printing device comprising:

an interface part to receive a request to print data by an external source and a security level of the data requested to be printed;

an authentication part to determine whether to permit a printing of the data requested to be printed based on whether a pre-stored level of the external source is higher that the security level of the requested data, the authentication part further comprises a password processing part which randomly generates a password and transmits the password to the external source, the password processing part determines whether the generated password and a password inputted by the external source and obtained by the interface part are equal to each other; and

a printing part to print the data requested to be printed.