Abstract:
This invention provides a print control method of controlling a print job process. The method includes a control step of transmitting print job data for an execution of a print job to a printing apparatus connected to a network via the network, for controlling the print job process in the printing apparatus. The control step includes the step of suspending the print job process at a time of an initiation of the print job process such that the print job process can be resumed via user input to the printing apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a technology for executing highly secret printing by transmitting print jobs to a printing apparatus that is networked to a plurality of clients.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     In recent years, the sharing of a plurality of printers connected to the same network by a plurality of client systems has become increasingly common. At the same time, a printer having a so-called confidentiality function used for printing of confidential documents in such an environment has been proposed (e.g. Japanese Patent No. 3444514, JP-A-7-098691, JP-A-6-004238, JP-A-2003-039751, JP-A-2002-149366).  
         [0005]     However, it is commonly understood to persons with knowledge of the prior art that a hardware-based confidential printing function must be installed on the printer in order to execute so-called confidential printing. Specifically, this confidential printing function comprises an interface function used for PIN number input or a data storage area in which confidential printing jobs can stand by, for example.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention was devised in order to address this issue, and an object thereof is to provide a technology that enables highly secret documents to be printed using a simple system.  
         [0007]     This invention provides a print control method of controlling a print job process. The method includes a control step of transmitting print job data for an execution of a print job to a printing apparatus connected to a network via the network, for controlling the print job process in the printing apparatus. The control step includes the step of suspending the print job process at a time of an initiation of the print job process such that the print job process can be resumed via user input to the printing apparatus.  
         [0008]     According to the print controller of the present invention, because print job processing can be suspended at the time that processing of such print job is initiated such that the processing can be resumed via user input to the printing apparatus, printed documents can be obtained via prescribed user input to the printer. As a result, printed documents can be reliably obtained while limiting third party access thereto.  
         [0009]     The present invention may comprise a printing method, a print control method, a computer program, or a recording medium on which such program is recorded. Where the invention comprises a computer program or a recording medium on which such program is recorded, the program may comprise a program that controls the entire printing apparatus or a program that executes only the functions of the present invention. Furthermore, the recording medium may comprise any of various types of computer-readable media, including a flexible disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, opto-magnetic disk, IC card, ROM cartridge, punch card, printed matter on which a bar code or the like is imprinted, or an internal storage device for a computer (i.e., a memory such as a RAM or ROM) or an external storage device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is an explanatory drawing showing the basic construction of a printing system  1000  comprising an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an explanatory drawing showing the contents of the confidential printing process of the embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an explanatory drawing showing in a conceptual fashion the configuration of communication data including normal print job data in the embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is an explanatory drawing showing in a conceptual fashion the configuration of communication data including confidential print job data in the embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a graphical user interface screen that provides notification that preparation for confidential printing has been completed. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]     Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in the following sequence based on examples.  
         [0000]     A. Configuration of a printing system of embodiment of the invention  
         [0000]     B. Confidential printing process executed by embodiment of the invention  
         [0000]     C. Variations  
         [0016]     A. Configuration of Printing System of Embodiment of the Invention  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is an explanatory drawing showing the basic construction of a printing system  1000  comprising an embodiment of the present invention. This printing system  1000  includes three personal computers  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c  and four printers  200   a ,  200   b ,  200   c ,  200   d . These devices are all connected over a local area network LAN. All of the four printers  200   a - 200   d  have the identical configuration.  
         [0018]     The three personal computers  100   a - 100   c  can execute print processing with respect to any of the four printers  200   a - 200   d . In this environment, because a plurality of users can share a single printer, it may be anticipated that a confidential printed document could be accidentally be included in a different user&#39;s document or be mistakenly seen by a different user.  
         [0019]     B. Confidential Printing Process Executed by Embodiment of the Invention  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is an explanatory drawing showing the contents of a confidential printing process [executed according to] an embodiment of the present invention. The confidential printing process of this embodiment is a printing output process in which the possibility of a person other than the person carrying out the confidential printing process accessing the document is controlled. This confidential printing process is realized via the method described below.  
         [0021]     In step S 100 , the user carries out a printing mode setting operation. A printing mode setting operation comprises an operation that sets such matters as the print quality and whether confidential printing is to be performed. This operation is executed on a print mode setting screen that is displayed on the display  150   a  of the personal computer  100   a  but is not shown in the drawings. Here, it will be assumed that ‘confidential printing’ has been designated.  
         [0022]     In step S 200 , the user carries out a printing instruction operation on the personal computer  100   a . A printing instruction operation is an operation that commands a specified printer to perform printing output. When this operation is executed, if ‘confidential printing’ has not been designated, the normal print job data comprising a normal print job is sent to the printer, though this is not shown in the drawing. If ‘confidential printing’ has been designated, on the other hand, step S 210  is carried out.  
         [0023]     In step S 210 , the personal computer  100   a  transmits the job control language part of the print job data. In this embodiment, the job control language part is transmitted to the printer  200   a . The job control language part is the portion of the data used to control the printing of the print image data, comprising the number of prints to be made, for example.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is an explanatory drawing showing in a conceptual fashion the configuration of communication data that includes normal print job data JD in the embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 4  is an explanatory drawing showing in a conceptual fashion the configuration of communication data that includes confidential print job data in the embodiment of the present invention. Communication data is divided generally into a header and print job data. Print job data is further divided into a job control language part JD 1  and a print image data part JD 2 .  
         [0025]     The header includes the IP address of the personal computer  100   a  (the sender IP address), the port number that specifies the software in the personal computer  100   a  comprising the sender (the sender port number), the IP address of the printer  200   a  (the destination IP address) and the port number that specifies the software in the printer  200   a  comprising the recipient (the recipient port number).  
         [0026]     In this embodiment, because TCP/IP is used as the communication protocol, the communication data is normally transmitted in packets. Therefore, in actual practice, because a set of print job data is divided into packets, the header described above is attached to the beginning of each data packet sent separately.  
         [0027]     After transmission of the job control language part JD 1 , the personal computer  100   a  maintains the connection between itself and the printer  200   a  in a state in which the print image data part JD 2  can be transmitted at any time following transmission of the job control language part JD  1 .  
         [0028]     In step S 220 , the personal computer  100   a  begins to monitor the job list for the printer  200   a . This job list monitoring is continued until the number of remaining jobs becomes ‘1’, in order to detect the commencement of print processing for a confidential print job (step S 230 ).  
         [0029]     Since the connection between the personal computer  100   a  and the printer  200   a  is maintained even after the job control language part is sent, the commencement of print processing for a confidential print job can be detected by the remaining job number becoming ‘1’ because the confidential print job is the final remaining print job.  
         [0030]     In step S 240 , the personal computer  100   a  controls the printer  200   a  to shift it to the offline state. This change in state is effected, for example, by the personal computer  100   a  unicasting to the printer  200   a  an SNMP packet that includes a command that sets it to the offline state.  
         [0031]     In step S 300 , the personal computer  100   a  displays on the display  150   a  ( FIG. 1 ) of the personal computer  100   a  a graphical user interface screen ( FIG. 5 ) that, in response to confirmation of the offline setting described above, provides notification that preparation for confidential printing has been completed. From this, the user can see that a confidential print document (hereinafter a ‘confidential document’) can be obtained by executing on the printer  200   a  an operation to switch the printer  200   a  from the offline state to the online state.  
         [0032]     In this embodiment, the graphical user interface screen ( FIG. 5 ) requires password input. This requirement exists in order to prevent a third party from obtaining the confidential document where the confidential job is pending and the person who ordered the printing has left the area temporarily. Password input in this embodiment is carried out via input into the window  2  using a keyboard not shown and clicking the button  500 .  
         [0033]     However, a construction is preferred in which a finite time period (for example, three minutes) is set as the period during which print processing by the printer  200   a  is suspended. The reason for this is that, because other users cannot use the printer while print processing is suspended, where a person outputting a confidential document is to be absent for an excessively long time, it is preferable to open up the printer to other users. Furthermore, a construction is preferred wherein when the printer is to be made available to other users, i.e., after the prescribed finite time period has elapsed, the confidential print job is deleted in order to maintain confidentiality.  
         [0034]     In step S 400 , the user executes the online switching operation on the printer  400 . In step S 410 , the personal computer  100   a  checks at prescribed time intervals using SNMP, for example, to detect whether the online switching operation has been executed on the printer  200   a.    
         [0035]     In step S 420 , the personal computer  100   a  transmits to the printer  200   a  the print image data JD 2  ( FIG. 4 ) in response to the detection of an online (switching) operation. In step S 430 , the printer  200   a  resumes and completes print processing in accordance with the sent print image data JD 2 .  
         [0036]     In this way, the embodiment of the present invention enables print processing on a printer, on which no hardware-based or software-based confidential printing function is installed, to be controlled such that the possibility of a third party accessing a confidential document is minimized. As a result, printing of a confidential document can be safely carried out even in an environment in which a plurality of client systems share a plurality of printers connected to the same network.  
         [0037]     C. Variations  
         [0038]     The present invention is not limited to the embodiment and examples described above, and may be realized in various other forms within the essential scope of the invention.  
         [0039]     C-1. In the above embodiment, print processing was suspended by taking the printer offline, but a construction may be adopted in which, for example, the client system suspends print processing while keeping the printer in an online state, monitors the printer for a change in the printer&#39;s state from online to offline, and causes print processing to be resumed upon detecting such a change in state. Using this construction, because it cannot be determined externally that a confidential printing print job is being processed by the printer, confidentiality can be further protected. In addition, the risk of a third party unintentionally accessing a confidential document by setting the printer to an online state can be eliminated.  
         [0040]     A construction may be adopted in which user input is carried out using hardware installed on the printer for a different purpose, such as by using a card reader or USB memory used to collect printing fees.  
         [0041]     C-2. In the above embodiment, the commencement of print processing of a confidential print job is detected by the number of remaining jobs in a monitored printer job list becoming ‘1’, but a construction may be adopted in which, for example, the client system uses the names of the jobs in the job list to monitor whether or not the confidential job&#39;s turn for processing has arrived.  
         [0042]     C-3. In the above embodiment, print processing is suspended by sending only the print control data to the printer, but a construction may be adopted in which, for example, the client system includes in the print job data a control command to suspend print processing of the print job. In general, any construction of the present invention is acceptable so long as suspension of print job processing is executed at the outset of processing of a confidential document in such a way that printing may be resumed via user input.  
         [0043]     C-4. In the above embodiment, the printers had no hardware-based or software-based confidential printing function installed, but a confidential printing function based solely on software, for example, may be installed. If a software-based function is used, the present invention can be realized simply by updating the firmware.  
         [0044]     Specifically, the printer may have a construction in which, where a print job is transmitted with the specification of a particular port number or based on a particular protocol, for example, processing of the print job is suspended at the outset thereof such that it may be resumed via user input to the printer. With such a printer, the client system can carry out confidential printing simply through the use of a particular print protocol or port number.  
         [0045]     Finally, the present application claims the priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-094690 filed on Mar. 29th 2005, which are herein incorporated by reference.