Patent ID: 8305647
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A printing device that prints out electronic document data having superimposed thereupon watermark information, wherein: the printing device is configured to receive electronic document data generated at a printing instruction issuing terminal remote from the printing device and operated by a printing instruction issuer who has issued an instruction for printing an electronic document, and to receive a print instruction issuer information to identify the print instruction issuer, from the printing instruction issuing terminal, the printing device further comprising: a document storage means for storing the electronic document data; an operating means co-located with the document storage means and configured to accept specific information of a print retriever who is to engage the printing device in processing for outputting the electronic document data stored at the document storage means onto paper as printed matter, based on a user operation; a watermark information superimposing means for generating a watermark information including the print instruction issuer information and the specific information of the print retriever having been accepted at the operating means co-located with the document storage means and superimposing the watermark information onto the electronic document data stored at the document storage means; and a printing means for outputting the electronic document data having the watermark information superimposed thereupon by the watermark information superimposing means onto paper as printed matter, wherein: the operating means waits in standby without accepting the specific information of the print retriever until after the electronic document data are transmitted from the printing instruction issuing terminal and the electronic document data are stored into the document storage means; if the specific information of the print retriever is not accepted within a predetermined length of time via the operating means, the electronic document data stored at the document storage means are discarded; and the watermark information superimposing means superimposes watermark information indicating the print instruction issuer information and the specific information of the print retriever over the electronic document data only after the operating means accepts the specific information.