Printing system

• US 7,908,485 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Fukazawa, Koshi, Maekawa, Yohei, Hibino, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): GERGISO, TECHANE
• Application Number:
  US11/808,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 700/235, 902/6, 709/228, 386/46, 380/270
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0043 Point to multipoint H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

An imaging system is provided with an authentication data storage that stores a plurality of pieces of authentication data in relationship to user IDs respectively representing owners of the plurality of communication devices. Further included is a reading system that reads out one of the plurality of pieces of the authentication data corresponding to a user ID if the user ID is transmitted from the external device in relationship to the image data, and a searching system searches for a communication device with which a connection authentication is established using the authentication data read out by the reading system within a predetermined communication area with respect to the imaging system. An imaging system forms an image represented by the image data transmitted in relationship to the user ID from the external device when the communication device is detected by the searching system.

Claims

1. A data management system, in which a plurality of printers, a document server and a database server having a database are connected to communicate with one another through a network, the data management system managing image data stored in the database, the image data stored in the database being processed by the printers,

wherein the database server comprises:

a data registration system that receives image data and recipient information representing a recipient who receives the image represented by the image data from an external device connected to the network and registers the image data with the database in relationship to the recipient information; and

a recipient information notifying system that notifies the plurality of printers of the recipient information registered with the database in relationship to the image data when the data registration system registers the received image data with the database in relationship to the received recipient information;

wherein each of the plurality of printers comprises;

a recipient information receiving system that receives the notification of the recipient information from the recipient information notifying system in the database server;

a judging system that judges as to whether the printer is capable of establishing wireless communication with a wireless external device, which is assigned with a user ID corresponding to the recipient information;

a notifier system that, when judgment is made that the printer is capable of establishing wireless communication with the wireless external device, notifies the wireless external device of presence of the image data in relationship with the user ID assigned to the wireless external device registered with the database;

a user ID obtaining system that obtains the user ID of the wireless external device, which is judged to be capable of establishing wireless communication with the printer, via the wireless communication;

an image data requesting system that transmits the user ID obtained by the user ID obtaining system and a request for the image data, to the database server when an image forming request is received from the wireless external device that is judged to be capable of establishing wireless communication with the printer, the image forming request including instructions to the printer to form the image and the user ID being registered with the database of the database server in relationship to the recipient information corresponding to the user ID;

wherein the database server further comprises;

a data transmission system that obtains the image data requested by the image data requesting system of the printer from the database and transmits the image data to the printer which transmitted the request for the image data in response to the image data request from the image data requesting system of the printer; and

wherein each of the plurality of printers further comprises;

an image data receiver system that receives the image data transmitted from the data transmission system of the database server; and

a printing system that prints the image according to the image data, which was requested by the image data requesting system of the printer and received in the image data receiver system,

wherein the document server is configured to select a communication method that transmits a receipt notification to the wireless external device based on a priority stored in a communication method database and a communication information stored in a recipient database.

2. The data management system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of printers further comprises a list obtaining system that obtains a list of image data registered with the database of the database server in relationship to the recipient information corresponding to the user IDs obtained by the user ID obtaining system from the database;

and

the notifier system transmits the list obtained by the list obtaining system to the wireless external device in a format displayable in the wireless external device.

3. The data management system according to claim 2,

wherein the image forming request from the wireless external device received in the image data requesting system is a request to form an image according to the image data selected by the wireless external device amongst the image data included in the list of image data.

4. A database server having a document server and a database to store image data and capable of communicating with a plurality of printers via a network, the image data being processed by the printers, comprising:

a data registration system that receives, from an external device connected to the network, image data and recipient information representing a recipient who receives the image represented by the image data and registers the received image data with the database in relationship to the received recipient information; and

a recipient information notifying system that notifies the plurality of printers of the recipient information registered with the database in relationship to the image data when the data registration system registers the received image data with the database in relationship to the received recipient information; and

a data transmitting system that searches the database to detect the image data registered in relationship to the recipient information corresponding to a user ID, which is assigned to an external wireless device, when a request for the image data, from one of the printers receiving the user ID from the external wireless device through the network, is received along with the user ID and transmits the detected image data to the one of the printers requesting for the image data,

wherein the document server is configured to select a communication method that transmits a receipt notification to the wireless external device based on a priority stored in a communication method database and a communication information stored in a recipient database.

5. The database server according to claim 4,

wherein the database includes a list of the image data registered with the database in relationship to the recipient information corresponding to the user IDs transmitted along with the request for the image data;

and

wherein the data transmitting system receives a request for sending the list of the image data from the one of the plurality of printers, which received the user ID from the external wireless device through the network, and transmits the list of image data registered with the database in relationship to the recipient information corresponding to the user ID to the one of the plurality of printers.