Peripheral equipment and management method thereof

• US 7,884,954 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Endoh, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore; David K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dulaney; Benjamin O
• Application Number:
  US09/964,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,420 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.1, 713/182, 380/55
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• 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 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

When managing a job inputted via a network or a console according to a job management command issued likewise via the network or the console, peripheral equipment managed by a directory server connected via the network decrypts an access ticket included in the job, decrypts the access ticket included in the job management command, and manages the job according to the decrypted contents of the access ticket included in the job and the access ticket included in the job management command.

Claims

1. A method of controlling peripheral equipment connected to a network and managed by a directory server on the network, comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a print job issued from an information processing apparatus on the network together with a first access ticket issued from the directory server, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a storing step of storing the print job received in said first receiving step to a storing medium;

a first decrypting step of decrypting the first access ticket received together with the print job in said first receiving step;

a first control step of determining validity of the first access ticket received in said first receiving step based on the decrypting result of said first decrypting step and limiting execution of the print job received in said first receiving step;

a second receiving step of receiving a management command from an information processing apparatus on the network together with a second access ticket issued from the directory server, at timing independent of said first receiving step, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a second decrypting step of decrypting the second access ticket received together with the management command in said second receiving step; and

a second control step of determining validity of the second access ticket received in said second receiving step based on the decrypting result of said second decrypting step and limiting execution of the management command,

wherein in the case where the management command received in said second receiving step is one for deleting a specified print job stored in the storing medium, said second control step (a) obtains the decryption results of said first decrypting step for the first access ticket received together with the specified print job, (b) compares user information in the decryption results of said second decrypting step for the second access ticket received together with the management command for deleting the specified print job with user information in the obtained decryption results for the first access ticket, (c) limits execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second access ticket does not correspond to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket, and (d) enables execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second ticket corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the decrypting result of said first decrypting step includes information about permitted number of prints.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the case where the management command received in said second receiving step is one for displaying a list of jobs, said second control step changes a display form of the job list based on the decryption results of said second decrypting step.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium is enabled only if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second ticket corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.

5. Peripheral equipment connected to a network and managed by a directory server on the network, comprising:

a first receiving unit for receiving a print job issued from an information processing apparatus on the network together with a first access ticket issued from the directory server, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a storing unit for storing the print job received by said first receiving unit;

a first decrypting unit for decrypting the first access ticket received together with the print job by said first receiving unit;

a first control unit for determining validity of the first access ticket received by said first receiving unit based on the decrypting result of said first decrypting unit and limiting execution of the print job received by said first receiving unit;

a second receiving unit for receiving a management command from an information processing apparatus on the network together with a second access ticket issued from the directory server, at timing independent of said first receiving unit, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a second decrypting unit for decrypting the second access ticket received together with the management command by said second receiving unit; and

a second control unit for determining validity of the second access ticket received by said second receiving unit based on the decrypting result of said second decrypting unit and limiting execution of the management command,

wherein in the case where the management command received by said second receiving unit is one for deleting a specified print job stored in said storing unit, said second control unit (a) obtains the decryption results of said first decrypting unit for the first access ticket received together with the specified print job, (b) compares user information in the decryption results of said second decrypting unit for the second access ticket together with the management command for deleting the specified print job with user information in the obtained decryption results for the first access ticket, (c) limits execution of deleting the specified print job in said storing unit if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second access ticket does not correspond to the user information in the decryption results for the first ticket, and (d) enables execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second access ticket corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.

6. The peripheral equipment according to claim 5, wherein the decrypting result of said first decrypting unit includes information about permitted number of prints.

7. The peripheral equipment according to claim 5, wherein in the case where the management command received in said second receiving unit is one for displaying a list of jobs, said second control step changes a display form of the job list based on the decryption results of said second decrypting unit.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executed on a computer of peripheral equipment connected to a network and managed by a directory server on the network, the program causing the computer to execute a method comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a print job issued from an information processing apparatus on the network together with a first access ticket issued from the directory server, with the director server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a storing step of storing the print job received in said first receiving step to a storing medium;

a first decrypting step of decrypting the first access ticket received together with the print job in said first receiving step;

a first control step of determining validity of the first access ticket received in said first receiving step based on the decrypting result of said first decrypting step and limiting execution of the print job received in said first receiving step;

a second receiving step of receiving a management command from an information processing apparatus on the network together with a second access ticket issued from the directory server, at timing independent of said first receiving step, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a second decrypting step of decrypting the second access ticket received together with the management command in said second receiving step; and

a second control step of determining validity of the second access ticket received in said second receiving step based on the decrypting result of said second decrypting step and limiting execution of the management command,

wherein in the case where the management command received in said second receiving step is one for deleting a specified print job stored in the storing medium, said second control step (a) obtains the decryption results of said first decrypting step for the first access ticket received together with the specified print job, (b) compares user information in the decryption results of said second decrypting step for the second ticket received together with the management command for deleting the specified print job with user information in the obtained decryption results for the first ticket, (c) limits execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second access ticket does not correspond to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket, and (d) enables execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second access ticket corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.

9. A method of controlling peripheral equipment connected to a network and managed by a directory server on the network, comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a print job issued from an information processing apparatus on the network together with an access ticket issued from the directory server, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a storing step of storing the print job received in said first receiving step to a storing medium;

a first decrypting step of decrypting the access ticket received together with the print job in said first receiving step;

a first control step of determining validity of the access ticket received in said first receiving step based on the decrypting result of said first decrypting step and limiting execution of the print job received in said first receiving step;

an obtaining step of obtaining from the directory server, access information corresponding to a specified user;

an inputting step of inputting a management command from an operation panel of the peripheral equipment; and

a second control step of determining validity of the access information obtained in said obtaining step and limiting execution of the management command,

wherein in the case where the management command inputted in said inputting step is one for deleting a specified print job stored in the storing medium, said second control step (a) obtains the decryption results of said first decrypting step for the first access ticket received together with the specified print job, (b) compares user information in the access information with user information in the obtained decryption results for the first access ticket, (c) limits execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the access information does not correspond to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket, and (d) enables execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the access information corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium is enabled only if the comparison indicates that the user information in the decryption results for the second ticket corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.

11. Peripheral equipment connected to a network and managed by a directory server on the network, comprising:

a first receiving unit for receiving a print job issued from an information processing apparatus on the network together with an access ticket issued from the directory server, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a storing unit for storing the print job received by said first receiving unit;

a first decrypting unit adapted for decrypting the access ticket received together with the print job by said first receiving unit;

a first control unit for determining validity of the access ticket received by said first receiving unit based on the decrypting result of said first decrypting unit and limiting execution of the print job received by said first receiving unit;

an obtaining unit for obtaining from said directory server, access information corresponding to a specified user;

an operating panel for inputting a management command; and

a second control unit for determining validity of the access information obtained in said obtaining unit and limiting execution of the management command,

wherein in the case where the management command inputted by said operating panel is one for deleting a specified print job stored in said storing unit, said second control unit (a) obtains the decryption results of said first decrypting unit for the first access ticket received together with the specified print job, (b) compares user information in the access information with user information in the obtained decryption results for the first access ticket, (c) limits execution of deleting the specified print job in said storing unit if the comparison indicates that the user information in the access information does not correspond to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket, and (d) enables execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the access information corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executed on a computer of peripheral equipment connected to a network and managed by a directory server on the network, the program causing the computer to execute a method comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a print job issued from an information processing apparatus on the network together with an access ticket issued from the directory server, with the directory server being separate from the information processing apparatus;

a storing step of storing the print job received in said first receiving step to a storing medium;

a first decrypting step of decrypting the access ticket received together with the print job in said first receiving step;

a first control step of determining validity of the access ticket received in said first receiving step based on the decrypting result of said first decrypting step and limiting execution of the print job received in said first receiving step;

an obtaining step of obtaining from the directory server, access information corresponding to a specified user;

an inputting step of inputting a management command from an operation panel of the peripheral equipment; and

a second control step of determining validity of the access information obtained in said obtaining step and limiting execution of the management command,

wherein in the case where the management command inputted in said inputting step is one for deleting a specified print job stored in the storing medium, said second control step (a) obtains the decryption results of said first decrypting step for the first access ticket received together with the specified print job, (b) compares user information in the access information with user information in the obtained decryption results for the first access ticket, (c) limits execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the access information does not correspond to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket, and (d) enables execution of deleting the specified print job in the storing medium if the comparison indicates that the user information in the access information corresponds to the user information in the decryption results for the first access ticket.