JP2005242793A - Printing system, document management apparatus, and document management method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately protect the secrecy of an electronic document and an electronic binder. <P>SOLUTION: Th printing system involves: preparing a PDF (Portable Document Format) from an electronic document group 201; adding printing control information to the prepared PDF; forming the self-extracting electronic binder 301 including the printing control information-added PDF for export. Thus, the electronic binder allowing printing (printing control) in only the printing system is formed even when externally exporting the electronic document group 201. Consequently, the security of important data for a customer is appropriately retained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system, a document management apparatus, and a document management method, and is particularly suitable for use in managing electronic documents.

  Companies are introducing document management systems to promote document reuse. Early products used to capture paper documents as images with a scanner, and register and save the captured images. Recently, however, there are many electronic documents created by personal computers, and such electronic documents can be registered and stored. Recently, an arbitrary page can be extracted from a plurality of registered electronic documents, compressed and archived, and bound as a binder to form one electronic document. This is called an electronic binder here. There is also document management software that can export this electronic binder as a self-extracting archive.

  Also, in the printing system, print control information such as the number of copies to be printed is held in a server or the like, the server is accessed during printing to check the print control information, and an electronic document is printed by the printer based on the print control information There are printing systems that control whether or not. (For example, patent document 1).

JP 2003-280879 A

However, these conventional document management and printing systems have the following problems.
In the conventional document management and printing system, it is impossible to restrict printing (printing control). In addition, even if it is not possible to restrict printing (printing control), as described above, in order to limit the number of printings, the server is inquired to acquire print permission information, so that the conventional document management and printing system Then, a server was essential. Therefore, a stand-alone printing machine or a printing system that orders printing from a POD (Print ON Demand) center cannot access the customer's server and cannot restrict printing. There was a problem.

  In this regard, there is a problem that it is not possible to easily order internal confidential document printing to an external POD center, and it is difficult to appropriately restrict printing of electronic documents and electronic binders. There is a problem that it is difficult to properly maintain the confidentiality of the binder.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to appropriately maintain the confidentiality of an electronic document or an electronic binder.

The printing system of the present invention is a printing system that holds and prints a plurality of electronic document files created on various applications, and relates to the printing of the plurality of electronic document files and the electronic document file. An electronic binder creating unit that creates an electronic binder including print control information; and a printing unit that extracts and prints the electronic document file according to the print control information.
The document management apparatus according to the present invention includes an electronic binder creating unit that creates an electronic binder that holds a plurality of electronic document files, an intermediate language creating unit that creates an intermediate language format from the electronic document file, and the intermediate language creating unit. Print control information related to printing restrictions of the electronic document file is added to the created intermediate language format, and the intermediate language format with the print control information added is included in the electronic binder created by the electronic binder creation means And an export means for exporting the electronic binder in a self-extracting format.

  The document management method of the present invention includes an electronic binder creating step for creating an electronic binder that holds a plurality of electronic document files, an intermediate language creating step for creating an intermediate language format from the electronic document file, and the intermediate language creating step. Print control information relating to printing restrictions of the electronic document file is added to the created intermediate language format, and the intermediate language format added with the print control information is included in the electronic binder created by the electronic binder creation step. And an export step for exporting the electronic binder in a self-extracting format.

The computer program of the present invention is created by an electronic binder creating step for creating an electronic binder that holds a plurality of electronic document files, an intermediate language creating step for creating an intermediate language format from the electronic document file, and the intermediate language creating step Added to the intermediate language format, the print control information related to the restriction of printing of the electronic document file, the intermediate language format added with the print control information is included in the electronic binder created by the electronic binder creation step, An export step of exporting the electronic binder in a self-extracting format is executed by a computer.
A computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention records the above-described computer program.

  According to the present invention, an electronic binder including a plurality of electronic document files and print control information is created, and the electronic document file is extracted and printed according to the print control information included in the electronic binder. Printing can be restricted by using the printing control information in the electronic binder, and the confidentiality of important customer data can be appropriately maintained.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing apparatus (document management apparatus) used when constructing a document management and printing system.
In FIG. 1, a CPU 1 executes document management and overall control of a printing system via a main bus 13. In an application operating in WINDOWS®, when the user drags and drops, the input / output device 12 takes in the electronic document into the system, and performs unified management of the taken-in electronic document. At that time, the document (electronic document file) is expanded on the RAM 6 according to the program stored in the ROM 5 and displayed on the display 3. The electronic document is stored in a folder or the like that is named and input by the user operating the keyboard 2 or the like. Note that the folder in which the electronic document is stored is stored in the hard disk 4 or the like.

When creating an electronic binder, the electronic binder creating unit 7 collects a plurality of electronic files stored on the system based on a user operation performed using the keyboard 2 or a mouse. At that time, the intermediate language generation unit 8 creates an intermediate language format such as PDF (Portable Document Format). Then, the print control information generation unit 9 embeds the print control information in the PDF.
When exporting an electronic binder to the outside, the self-extracting format creating unit 10 creates and exports an electronic binder (self-extracting format archive) described later.
Printing is controlled by the print control unit 11 in accordance with the print control information created by the print control information generation unit 9 and printed by an input / output device 12 such as a printer.

FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the electronic binder of the present embodiment and an electronic document bound therein.
The electronic document group 201 is archived (collected into one), and an electronic binder 202 is created. The electronic document group 201 is various application files. In general, there are various compression methods used when file compression is performed, but the compression used in the present embodiment is performed using an unspecified lossless compression algorithm.

  In FIG. 2, the file header 203 includes information about the electronic binder itself, information such as the creation date and time, and the address of each compressed electronic document included in the electronic binder 202. In this embodiment, the compressed electronic document can be accessed by referring to the address of each compressed electronic document.

  In order to make the compressed electronic document bound to the electronic binder 202 ready for processing by an application, the compressed electronic document in the electronic binder 202 is decompressed using a decompression algorithm corresponding to the compression format used at the time of compression. Processing is performed to create the electronic document 205.

FIG. 3 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a state when the self-extracting electronic binder is decompressed when the electronic binder 202 is exported to the outside.
The process up to archiving the electronic document group 201 and creating the electronic binder 202 is the same as that described with reference to FIG. When the electronic binder 202 is exported to the outside, it is exported as a self-extracting archive 301. Information necessary for self-decompression is stored in the file header 302 in the self-extracting archive 301. In addition to the file header 302, only the PDF 204 with print control information (of the original compressed electronic document). Instead, it is kept in a self-extracting archive 301. The PDF 204 with print control information is used for print control.
When the self-extracting archive 301 is executed, only the PDF 303 with print control information is extracted and extracted.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of processes from compression archive of the electronic document group 201 as the electronic binder 202 to printing.
FIG. 5 is a diagram conceptually showing an example of the series of processes.

First, an electronic binder is created.
In step S <b> 41, the electronic binder creation unit 7 (intermediate language generation unit 8) creates a PDF that combines the electronic documents from the electronic document group 201.
As shown in FIG. 5, a main window 501 is displayed on the display 3 of the information processing apparatus that constructs the document management and printing system. On the main window 501, a thumbnail 502 of the electronic document is displayed.

When adding a document to the electronic binder, the user uses a mouse or the like to drag and drop (Drag & Drop) the thumbnail 502 of the electronic document onto the electronic binder 503.
When creating a new electronic binder, the user designates a menu by holding the mouse on the thumbnail 502 of the electronic document. In accordance with such a user operation, the electronic binder creating unit 7 creates a new electronic binder.

  When the user double-clicks the electronic binder 503, a preview confirmation window 506 is displayed. The user can confirm the contents through the preview confirmation window 506.

In step S42, the electronic binder creation unit 7 (print control information generation unit 9) adds the print control information to the PDF.
FIG. 6 shows an example of the print control information.
The “printing permission” information and the “low-resolution printing permission” information are general in PDF.
The “print number limit” information and the “print expiration date” information are user special information and can be used only in this system.

In order to perform external printing control, “NO” is always set for “printing permission”. By doing so, printing by a general PDF viewer is prevented. In this system, the “print permission” information is ignored, and print control is performed using the “print limit” information and the “print expiry date” information.
The user decides and designates whether to permit preview for content confirmation by a general PDF viewer and whether to permit low-resolution printing.

  As an actual system movement, when the electronic document is dragged and dropped onto the electronic binder described in step S41, a print control information input dialog 601 as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed, and the designated information is PDF. Stored in

In step S43, the electronic binder creating unit 7 (self-extracting format creating unit 10) exports the electronic binder in a self-extracting format for printing with the system other than its own department.
The movement on the actual system will be described. When the electronic binder 503 is dragged and dropped outside the main window 501, a self-extracting electronic binder 504 including a PDF containing print control information is created.
This electronic binder 504 is the same as the electronic binder 301 shown in FIG.
When this execution format binder 504 is executed, the PDF 505 with print control information is extracted by self-decompression.

  Finally, in step S44, the print control unit 11 controls the input / output device 12 such as a printer based on the print control information, and the input / output device 12 such as a printer performs printing according to this control.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a PDF is created from the electronic document group 201, print control information is added to the created PDF, and a self-decompressing electronic binder 301 including the PDF with the print control information added is created. Thus, when the electronic document group 201 is exported to the outside, an electronic binder that can be printed (print control) only in the present system (information processing apparatus) can be realized. As a result, printing can be restricted in any system form such as a stand-alone system, and the security of important customer data can be appropriately maintained. In particular, even when exporting self-extracting document archives or when the server for obtaining print control information is not accessible, it is possible to control the print by the customer and maintain the security of the important documents of the customer appropriately. Can do.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above only in the operation during printing, and the other portions are the same. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS.

In the first embodiment described above, printing is disabled when printing is restricted by printing control information. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, when printing is performed according to the print control information in step S44 of FIG. An electronic watermark “printing prohibited” is put on the entire surface of the area 701. In order to put the digital watermark in the printed material 701, for example, as shown in FIG. 9A, the digital watermark is created by the digital watermark creation unit 92 in the electronic binder creation unit 91, and the created digital watermark is created. May be inserted into the self-extracting electronic binder to be exported by the self-extracting format creating unit 10.
As described above, the confidentiality of an electronic document or an electronic binder can be more appropriately maintained by adding an electronic watermark.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above only in the operation during printing, and the other portions are the same. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS.

In the first embodiment described above, printing is disabled when printing is restricted by printing control information. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, in the printing according to the printing control information in step S44, when the restriction is imposed, the printing is not impossible, for example, “printing prohibited”. An electronic stamp is placed in the printed material 801. In order to put the stamp into the printed matter 801, for example, as shown in FIG. 9B, the electronic stamp is created by the stamp creating unit 94 in the electronic binder creating unit 93, and the created electronic stamp is The self-extracting format creating unit 10 may insert the self-extracting format electronic binder to be exported.
As described above, by placing an electronic stamp such as a background pattern in a printed matter, the confidentiality of an electronic document or an electronic binder can be more appropriately maintained.

(Other embodiments of the present invention)
In order to operate various devices to realize the functions of the above-described embodiments, program codes of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments are provided to an apparatus or a computer in the system connected to the various devices. What is implemented by operating the various devices according to a program supplied and stored in a computer (CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus is also included in the scope of the present invention.

  In this case, the program code of the software itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and means for supplying the program code to the computer, for example, the program code are stored. The recorded medium constitutes the present invention. As a recording medium for storing the program code, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

  Further, by executing the program code supplied by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also the OS (operating system) or other application software in which the program code is running on the computer, etc. It goes without saying that the program code is also included in the embodiment of the present invention even when the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized in cooperation with the embodiment.

  Further, after the supplied program code is stored in the memory provided in the function expansion board of the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the CPU provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit based on the instruction of the program code Needless to say, the present invention includes a case where the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by performing part or all of the actual processing.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing apparatus for constructing a document management and printing system according to a first embodiment of this invention. FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the figure which showed the 1st Embodiment of this invention and showed an example of an electronic binder and the electronic document bound inside it. It is the figure which showed the 1st Embodiment of this invention and showed an example of the state when the electronic binder of a self-decompression type was decompress | decompressed. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a series of processes from compression archive using an electronic document group as an electronic binder to printing, according to the first embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a series of processes from compression archive using an electronic document group as an electronic binder to printing, according to the first embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the 1st Embodiment of this invention and showed an example of the printing control information in an electronic binder. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printed matter in which a second embodiment of the present invention is provided and a digital watermark of “printing prohibited” is put on the entire surface. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printed material on which a “printing prohibited” stamp is placed according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the 2nd and 3rd embodiment of this invention, and showed an example of the structure of the electronic binder preparation part.

Explanation of symbols

7 Electronic binder creation unit 8 Intermediate language generation unit 9 Print control information generation unit 10 Self-decompression format creation unit 11 Print control unit 201 Electronic document group 202 Electronic binder 203, 302 File header 204, 303 PDF with print control information
205 Electronic binder 301 Self-extracting archive 601 Print control information input dialog 701 Printed matter with digital watermark 801 Stamped printed matter

Claims (15)

A printing system for holding and printing a plurality of electronic document files created on various applications,
An electronic binder creating means for creating an electronic binder including the plurality of electronic document files and print control information related to restrictions on printing of the electronic document files;
A printing system comprising: a printing unit that retrieves and prints the electronic document file according to the printing control information.   The electronic binder creating unit creates an intermediate language format capable of including the print control information from the electronic document file, includes the print control information in the created intermediate language format, and includes the print control information. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a self-extracting electronic binder having a language format is created. The print control information includes print number limit information, print number limit information, and print expiration date information,
The printing unit retrieves and prints the electronic document file in accordance with the print control information within a limit range based on the print control information. If the print unit is out of the limit range, a digital watermark is added to the electronic document file. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein printing is additionally performed. The print control information includes print number limit information, print number limit information, and print expiration date information,
The printing unit retrieves and prints the electronic document file in accordance with the print control information within a limit range based on the print control information. If the print unit is outside the limit range, an electronic stamp is added to the electronic document file. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein printing is additionally performed.   The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate language format is a Portable Document Format (PDF). An electronic binder creating means for creating an electronic binder that holds a plurality of electronic document files;
Intermediate language creating means for creating an intermediate language format from the electronic document file;
The intermediate language format created by the intermediate language creation means is added with print control information related to printing restrictions of the electronic document file, and the intermediate language format with the print control information added is created by the electronic binder creation means. A document management apparatus comprising: an export unit that includes the electronic binder and exports the electronic binder in a self-extracting format.   The document management apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a printing unit that takes out and prints the electronic document file in accordance with print control information in the electronic binder exported by the export unit. The print control information includes at least one of print number limit information, print number limit information, and print expiration date information,
The printing unit retrieves and prints the electronic document file in accordance with the print control information within a limit range based on the print control information. If the print unit is out of the limit range, a digital watermark is added to the electronic document file. The document management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the document management apparatus is additionally printed. The print control information includes at least one of print number limit information, print number limit information, and print expiration date information,
The printing unit retrieves and prints the electronic document file in accordance with the print control information within a limit range based on the print control information. If the print unit is outside the limit range, an electronic stamp is added to the electronic document file. The document management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the document management apparatus is additionally printed. An electronic binder creating step for creating an electronic binder that holds a plurality of electronic document files;
An intermediate language creating step for creating an intermediate language format from the electronic document file;
The intermediate language format created by the intermediate language creation step is added with print control information related to printing restrictions of the electronic document file, and the intermediate language format with the print control information added is created by the electronic binder creation step. A document management method comprising: an export step of exporting the electronic binder in a self-extracting format.   11. The document management method according to claim 10, further comprising a printing step of taking out and printing the electronic document file in accordance with printing control information in the electronic binder exported by the exporting step. The print control information includes at least one of print number limit information, print number limit information, and print expiration date information,
In the printing step, the electronic document file is extracted and printed in accordance with the printing control information within a limit range based on the printing control information. When the printing step is outside the limitation range, a digital watermark is added to the electronic document file. The document management method according to claim 11, wherein printing is additionally performed. The print control information includes at least one of print number limit information, print number limit information, and print expiration date information,
In the printing step, the electronic document file is taken out and printed in accordance with the printing control information within a restriction range based on the printing control information. When the printing step is outside the restriction range, an electronic stamp is added to the electronic document file. The document management method according to claim 11, wherein printing is additionally performed. An electronic binder creating step for creating an electronic binder that holds a plurality of electronic document files;
An intermediate language creating step for creating an intermediate language format from the electronic document file;
The print control information is added to the intermediate language format created in the intermediate language creation step, the intermediate language format with the print control information added is included in the electronic binder created in the electronic binder creation step, and the electronic binder is included. A computer program for causing a computer to execute an export step of exporting in a self-extracting format.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the computer program according to claim 14 is recorded.

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