Patent ID: 8203728
Filing Date: 2012-06-19
Classification: H04N,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A print device, comprising: a determination unit that determines whether or not attachment of a partial signature to print data of a document to be printed is permitted, the determination is made on the basis of attribute information of the print data using a character recognition process, a print data acquisition unit that acquires, when the determination unit determines that attachment of the partial signature to the print data of the document to be printed is permitted, the print data having a plurality of signature attachment areas defined thereon, each signature attachment area covering a different set of pages of the document to be printed each signature attachment area having electronic signature data produced therefore and attached thereto, the electronic signature data being produced by calculating a hash value of a part of the print data corresponding to a set of pages covered by the signature attachment area and encrypting the obtained hash value by means of a private key; a range data acquisition unit that acquires data indicative of a range of a print target area defined on the print data, the print target area being defined as one or more pages of the document to be printed; and a verification unit that verifies, before completion of acquisition of the print data by the print data acquisition unit, the electronic signature data attached to the signature attachment area containing at least a part of the print target area; wherein the print data includes page-unit electronic signature data assigned to a unit of one page, and sheet-unit electronic signature data assigned to a unit of one side of a sheet including a predetermined number of pages, the predetermined number being two or more; and wherein, at an initial stage of sequential acquisition of the print data by the print data acquisition unit beginning from a first page, the verification unit performs verification concerning each acquired page by verifying corresponding page-unit electronic signature data, and, while performing the verification of page-unit electronic signature data, when acquisition of data is completed for all pages included in one side of a sheet to be printed subsequent to a part of the print data concerning which verification of electronic signature data by the verifying unit is already performed, the verification unit performs verification concerning the one side of a sheet by verifying corresponding sheet-unit electronic signature data.