Patent Publication Number: US-8526608-B2

Title: Printing system and printer with electronic signature capability and method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/399,521, filed Apr. 7, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,929,695, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 2005-65504, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jul. 19, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to a printing system and printer with an electronic signature capability. More particularly, the present invention relates to a printing system and printer with an electronic signature capability for printing security documents by using an electronic signature stored in a portable memory, and a method thereof. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     For documents, such as, legal agreements or commercial (business) transactions, manual signatures or stamped imprints are still broadly used. To facilitate work, sometimes a third party, such as a deputy, acting on behalf of a person authorized to execute signatures or stamp imprints, provides a seal or stamp of the authorized person to numerous documents. Unfortunately, excessive use of a seal or stamp to documents causes security problems if the deputy uses the seal or stamp recklessly. 
     On the other hand, most stamped imprints or seals are usually standardized for a specific type of form or document. Therefore, the stamped imprints or seals cannot be used for various forms or documents. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved printing system, printer, and method, with an electronic signature capability, that provides security measures for printing an electronic signature on various types of forms or documents. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of embodiments of the present invention is to address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a printing system and printer with an electronic signature capability and a method thereof, whereby stamping or executing a signature on numerous documents can be facilitated, and excessive stamping or signature execution can be prevented. 
     It is another object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a printing system and printer with electronic stamp or signature capability to run independently, regardless of the type of form or document used, and a method thereof. 
     To achieve the above objects and advantages, there is provided a printing system with an electronic signature capability, including a portable memory for storing an electronic signature. A memory interface is connected detachably to the portable memory. A printer receives the electronic signature from the memory interface, composing the received electronic signature with print data, and executing a print operation. 
     Preferably, the printing system further includes a user interface to which a printing system user inputs the printing attributes of the electronic signature. The printer composes the electronic signature with the print data by applying the printing attributes obtained from the user. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portable memory stores a password and the electronic signature encrypted with the password. The user interface obtains the password from the user. The printer compares the password received from the memory interface to the password input from the user interface, and composes the electronic signature with the print data and executes a print operation, if the passwords are alike. 
     Another aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides printer with an electronic signature capability, including a memory interface connected detachably to a portable memory storing an electronic signature. A composition unit receives the electronic signature from the memory interface, and composes the received electronic signature with print data. A printing unit prints the print data bearing the electronic signature. 
     Preferably, the printer further includes a user interface in which a printer user inputs the printing attributes of the electronic signature. The composition unit composes the electronic signature with the print data by applying the printing attributes obtained from the user. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portable memory stores a password and the electronic signature encrypted with the password. The user interface obtains the password from the user. The composition unit compares the password received from the memory interface to the password input from the user interface, and composes the electronic signature with the print data if the passwords are alike. 
     Still another aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an electronic signature printing method, including storing an electronic signature in a portable memory. The electronic signature is received from the portable memory, the electronic signature with print data is composed, and a print operation is executed. 
     Preferably, the method further includes obtaining the printing attributes of the electronic signature from the user. The composition of the electronic signature to the print data is executed by applying the printing attributes provided from the user, in the receiving of the electronic signature from the portable memory. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a password and the electronic signature encrypted with the password are stored. The password is obtained from the user. The password stored in the portable memory is compared to the password obtained from the user, the electronic signature is composed with the print data, if the passwords are alike, and the electronic signature is printed. 
     Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above aspects and other objects, features, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a printing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart explaining a printing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram for explaining a method of determining a position for electronic signature composition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The matters defined in the description such as a detailed construction and elements are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness. 
       FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a printing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The printing system with an electronic signature capability includes a printer  100 , memory interface  110 , and portable memory  120 . Additionally, the printing system may further include a user interface  130 . 
     The portable memory  120  includes a storage medium with portability, such as, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory stick using a USB interface, a ZIP drive, and the like. The portable memory  120  stores an electronic signature that prevents a third party from using the electronic signature without permission from the signature owner (that is, the user). In the event the user may accidentally lose the portable memory  120 , encrypting the electronic signature with a password is strongly recommended. As a result, the password is stored together with the electronic signature in the portable memory  120 . The electronic signature may be stored in an image file, for example, tagged image file format (TIFF), joint photographic experts group (JPEG), bit-mapped graphics format (BMP), and the like. 
     The memory interface  110  connects the portable memory  120  detachably to the printer  100 . If the USB memory stick is used as the portable memory  120 , the USB interface may be used as the memory interface  110 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the memory interface  110  is connected to be able to communicate with the printer  100 . To communicate with the printer, the memory may be connected directly to the printer  100 , or a host (not shown) of the user, which is connected to the printer  100  over a network, such as, a LAN, Internet, and the like. 
     The printer  100  receives from the memory interface  110  the electronic signature stored in the portable memory  120 . The printer  100  also composes the electronic signature with print data to be printed, and prints out the document bearing the electronic signature. 
     The user interface  130  receives, from the printing system, user printing attributes that the electronic signature possesses. In other words, the user interface  130  receives from the user information including a size of the electronic signature, position on the document where the electronic signature should be printed, and whether the user wants to print the electronic signature opaquely on the print data or as a watermark image. Similar to the memory interface  110 , the user interface  130  is connected to be able to communicate with the printer  100 . Thus, the user interface  130  may also be connected directly in the printer  100 , or placed at a host (not shown) of the user, which is connected to the printer  100  over a network. 
       FIG. 4  diagrammatically explains a method of determining a position for electronic signature composition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For example, the user interface  130  displays to the user a type of document  400  that is split, as shown in  FIG. 4 , and obtains from the user a preferred position of the electronic signature. When the user inputs a position, for example, position  9 , the electronic signature  410  is printed on the document at position  9 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     In detail, the printer  100  composes the electronic signature with the print data by applying the printing attributes of the electronic signature provided from the user interface  130 , and then executes a print operation. 
     Preferably, the user inputs a password to the user interface  130  to access the electronic signature. As described above, because the electronic signature has been encrypted with a password, and both electronic signature and password are stored in the portable memory  120 , the user needs to input the password to decrypt the encrypted electronic signature. 
     Here, the printer  100  receives the stored password in the portable memory  120  from the memory interface  110 . If the stored password received from the memory interface  110  and the password the user input through the user interface  130  are alike, the printer  100  composes the electronic signature stored in the portable memory  120  with the print data to be printed, and executes a print operation. 
     On the other hand, if the two passwords are not alike, the printer  100  prints the print data and does not print the electronic signature, or does not print the print data at all. 
       FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a printer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The printer  200  with an electronic signature capability includes a memory interface  210 , composition unit  240 , printing unit  250 , and portable memory  220 . Preferably, the printer  200  may further include a user interface  230 . 
     The portable memory  220  is a storage medium, with portability that stores an electronic signature. The portable memory  220  is attached to the printer  200  when the electronic signature needs to be printed on a document. In this instance, a third party can not use the electronic signature without permission from the signature owner (that is, the user). If the user may accidentally lose the portable memory  220 , a recommendation is made for to user to encrypt the electronic signature with a password, and store the password and electronic signature in the portable memory  220 . 
     The memory interface  210  connects the portable memory  220  detachably to the printer  200 . When using a USB memory stick as the portable memory  220 , a USB interface may be used as the memory interface  210 . 
     The composition unit  240  receives the electronic signature stored in the portable memory  220  from the memory interface  210 , and composes the electronic signature with print data. 
     The printing unit  250  prints the print data bearing the electronic signature. 
     The user interface  230  obtains printing attributes of the electronic signature from a printer user. Here, the printing attributes of the electronic signature include a size of an electronic signature, position where the electronic signature is to be printed, and whether the user wants to print the electronic signature opaquely on the print data or as a watermark image. At this time, the composition unit  240  composes the electronic signature with the print data using the printing attributes of the electronic signature input by the user interface  230 . 
     Preferably, the user inputs a password to the user interface  230 . As described above, since the electronic signature is encrypted with a password, and the electronic signature and password are stored in the portable memory  220  for security purposes, the user needs to input the password to decrypt the encrypted electronic signature. 
     Here, the composition unit  240  receives the password stored in the portable memory  220  from the memory interface  210 . If the password received from the memory interface  210  and the password the user input to the user interface  230  are alike, the composition unit  240  composes the electronic signature stored in the portable memory  220  with the print data to be printed. However, if the two passwords are not alike, the print data and not the electronic signature is printed, or the print data is not printed at all. 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart explaining a printing method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     In step S 300 , a password and an electronic signature encrypted with the password are stored in the portable memory  120 . As explained before, the portable memory  120  is a storage medium with portability, such as, a USB memory stick using USB interface, ZIP drive, and the like. Alternately, the user may store only the electronic signature in the portable memory  120 . By using the electronic signature stored in the portable memory  120 , a third party using the electronic signature without permission from the user can be prevented. If the user may accidentally lose the portable memory  120 , the user is strongly recommended to encrypt the electronic signature with a password, and store the password together with the electronic signature in the portable memory  120  for security purposes. The electronic signature may be stored in an image file, for example, TIFF, JPEG, BMP, and the like. The portable memory  120  may be connected to the printer  100  through the memory interface  110 . When using a USB memory stick as the portable memory  120 , the USB interface may be used as the memory interface  110 . In addition, the portable memory  120  can be connected at the host (not shown) of the printer user. 
     In step S 310 , the printer obtains the password and printing attributes of the electronic signature. 
     The printing attributes of the electronic signature include the size of an electronic signature, position where the electronic signature is to be printed, and whether the user wants to print the electronic signature opaquely on the print data or as a watermark image. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the printing system displays to the user a type of document  400  that is split, and obtains from the user a preference position of the electronic signature. When the user inputs the position, for example, position  9 , the electronic signature  410  is printed on the document at position  9 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     If the user has encrypted the electronic signature with the password and stored the password in the portable memory  120  in step S 300 , the printing system requests the user to input the password. As described above, for security purposes, the user inputs the password to decrypt the encrypted electronic signature. 
     In step S 320 , the printing system compares the password received from the portable memory  120  to the password obtained in step S 310 . At this time, the printer  100  receives the password stored in the portable memory  120  from the memory interface  110 . 
     If the two passwords are alike (S 320 : Y), the printing system receives the electronic signature from the portable memory  120 , composes the electronic signature with the print data by applying the printing attributes of the electronic signature obtained in step S 310 , and executes a print operation (S 330 ). 
     However, if the two passwords are not alike (S 320 : N), the print data is not printed, or the print data may be printed without the electronic signature. 
     According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the printing system and printer with an electronic signature capability, and the method thereof, the stamping or signature process on numerous documents can be facilitated. At the same time, excessive stamping or signature execution can be prevented. Moreover, the electronic signature of the exemplary embodiments can be executed on various types of forms or documents. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.