Patent ID: 8948383
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: G06F,G06K

Abstract:
1. A printing system comprising: a terminal includes a processor for sending print data; a plurality of printers for performing printing based on the print data; and a transfer device includes a processor for transferring, in response to a request from any one of the printers, the print data to the a requesting printer; wherein: each of the plurality of printers is given a decryption key, each of the transfer device and the terminal has an encryption key table indicating encryption keys corresponding to the decryption keys of the plurality of printers, the terminal includes a processor that controls a first transmitter configured to encrypt a first password entered by a user to obtain a first encrypted password, and when communication with the transfer device is possible, associate the print data with the first encrypted password to send the associated print data and first encrypted password to the transfer device, and when the communication is impossible, request the user to select any one of the plurality of printers, encrypt the first password by using an encryption key corresponding to the selected printer from the encryption key table to obtain a second encrypted password, and send the print data in association with a command to perform authentication print and the second encrypted password to the selected printer without via the transfer device, the transfer device includes a processor that controls a second transmitter configured to decrypt the first encrypted password to obtain the first password, encrypt again the first password by using an encryption key corresponding to a printer as a request source of the plurality of printers, to obtain a third encrypted password, and to send the third encrypted password and the print data to the printer as the request source, and each of the plurality of the printer printers includes a processor that controls: a requestor configured to, when user authentication of the user of the terminal is successful, request the print data from the transfer device, a decryptor configured to decrypt the second encrypted password or the third encrypted password to obtain the first password, and a printer configured to, if a second password entered by the user into the printer matches the first password obtained by decrypting the third encrypted password perform the printing based on the print data received from the transfer device, and configured to, if the second password matches the first password obtained by decrypting the second encrypted password, perform the printing based on the print data received from the terminal.