Printing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a printing device that can display print data based on accumulated print jobs, depending on the login status and mode. [Solution] The MFP10 has a first authentication mode that determines which functions are permitted for the logged-in user based on the authorization information in the authentication DB33. When the first authentication mode is on and the logged-in user is a user whose authorization information is registered in the authentication DB33, the MFP10 is configured to display jobs among the jobs 43A stored in the memory 15 that have the logged-in user's username 51 and job password 49 set as print job options to be printed to the user IF20, while jobs 43A that do not have the logged-in user's username 51 set are not displayed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus having a function of storing print jobs in a memory and starting printing upon input of a print instruction from a user.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a printing apparatus in which a print operator performs a printing operation of a print job after logging in to an image forming apparatus (for example, Patent Document 1, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described printing apparatus, documents corresponding to logged-in users are displayed in a list. On the other hand, the printing apparatus may have functions such as a storage function for print jobs and multiple security functions. Therefore, when displaying information related to stored print jobs according to the login state, a display according to the functions provided by the printing apparatus is required.

[0005] The present disclosure has been proposed in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a printing apparatus capable of executing display of print data based on stored print jobs according to the login state and mode.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The printing apparatus according to this disclosure comprises a printing engine, a network interface, a memory, a user interface, and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform a stored printing process, which, when multiple print data are stored in the memory, displays options corresponding to the multiple print data stored in the memory on the user interface, accepts an operation via the user interface to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and prints the selected print data, wherein the print data is print data based on a print job received via the network interface, and the print data based on a print job that identifies a user is configured to have user identification information indicating the user identified in the print job, and the print data based on a print job that identifies authentication information is configured to have user identification information corresponding to the authentication information identified in the print job, and the printing apparatus The controller can be set to a first authentication mode, the first authentication mode is a mode in which a login operation can be accepted via the user interface, and for a logged-in user who has logged into the printer through the login operation, the controller determines which functions of the printer are permitted to the logged-in user based on permission information indicating the permissions of the logged-in user, which is pre-set in the memory, and when the first authentication mode is set, if the first user, who is a user for whom the permission information is registered in the memory, is the logged-in user, the controller is configured to display options on the user interface for print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information, which is the user identification information indicating the first user, and the authentication information set, and not display options on the user interface for print data stored in the memory that does not have the first user identification information set. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the printing device described in this disclosure, when the first authentication mode is set, print data with the first user's identification information and authentication information set can be displayed in the login state of the first user whose authorization information is registered in memory. The display of print data based on accumulated print jobs can be performed according to the login state and mode. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the MFP in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the contents of a print job described in PJL. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the data stored in the authentication database. [Figure 4] Flowchart for displaying the standby screen. [Figure 5] A sequence diagram showing the state transitions of the user interface display screen when the first and second accumulated print icons are pressed. [Figure 6] Flowchart for the process of pressing the first accumulated print icon. [Figure 7] Flowchart for the process of pressing the second accumulated print icon. [Figure 8] Flowchart of the first storage and printing process. [Figure 9] Flowchart for the second storage and printing process. [Figure 10] Flowchart of the first storage printing process in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, an MFP10 of the first embodiment, which is an embodiment of the printing apparatus of this disclosure, will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the MFP10.

[0010] The MFP10 is a multifunction device equipped with printing, copying, and scanning capabilities. As shown in Figure 1, the MFP10 includes a CPU 12, memory 15, print engine 16, reading engine 17, user interface 20, and network interface 24. These components, including the CPU 12, are connected to each other and can communicate via a bus 11. The CPU 12 is an example of a controller.

[0011] Memory 15 is composed of various components such as RAM, ROM, NVRAM, HDD, and SSD. Memory 15 stores various programs, including the control program 31. The control program 31 is, for example, firmware that comprehensively controls each part of the MFP 10. The CPU 12 controls each device connected to the bus 11 by executing the control program 31. The control program 31 also includes an EWS (Embedded Web Server) program, which functions as a web server. By executing the EWS program, the CPU 12 can make the MFP 10 function as a web server. In addition, an authentication DB (abbreviation for database) 33 is built into memory 15 in this example. Note that in the following explanation, the MFP 10, which executes the control program 31 on the CPU 12, may be referred to simply by its device name. For example, the statement "MFP 10 accepts operation input to user IF 20" may mean "MFP 10 accepts operation input to user IF 20 by controlling user IF 20 through the execution of the control program 31 on the CPU 12."

[0012] Furthermore, the storage medium for the control program 31 and authentication DB 33 is not limited to the ROM, RAM, HDD, etc., built into the MFP10, but may be any storage medium that can be read by a computer. A storage medium that can be read by a computer is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the examples above, non-transitory media also include storage media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Non-transitory media are also tangible media. On the other hand, electrical signals that carry programs downloaded from servers on the internet are a type of computer-readable medium, which is a computer-readable signal medium, but they are not included in non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

[0013] The printing engine 16 prints an image onto a sheet (for example, recording paper or an OHP sheet). The printing engine 16 can be configured to print using an inkjet method or an electrophotographic method. The reading engine 17 is equipped with a reading sensor (CIS or CCD) that reads an image from the original document, and controls the reading sensor to read the image from the original document. The user interface 20 is equipped with, for example, a touch panel or push-button switches, and accepts user input and displays information to the user. The network interface 24 is, for example, a LAN interface and is connected to the PC 41 via the router 29. The communication connecting the MFP 10 and the PC 41 may be wired or wireless. The network connecting the MFP 10 and the PC 41 may be a LAN or a WAN.

[0014] In this embodiment, for example, multiple PCs 41 are connected to the router 29. The user operates the PC 41 to send a print job 43 from the PC 41 to the MFP 10. The MFP 10 executes the printing process based on the print job 43 received from the PC 41. Note that the device that sends the print job 43 to the MFP 10 is not limited to the PC 41, but may also be other information processing terminals such as smartphones or tablet terminals. Hereinafter, a print job 43 that includes a username 45 and a job password 49 will be referred to as job 43A, and a print job 43 that includes a username 45 but does not include a job password 49 will be referred to as job 43B. When referring to jobs 43A and 43B collectively, they will be referred to as print job 43. In addition, job 43A may be referred to as a "password-protected job".

[0015] Figure 2 shows a print job 43 written in PJL (Printer Job Language) as an example. As shown in Figure 2, for example, the header of print job 43 contains commands to set variables (such as JOB_NAME) in the following order: job name 47, username 45, job password 49, transmission time, and type of description language. Job name 47 is, for example, the name of print job 43 assigned by the printer driver running on PC 41. The printer driver running on PC 41 also sets the username used to log in to PC 41 as username 45 for print job 43 and sends it to MFP 10. Username 45 is an example of user identification information in this disclosure. Job password 49 is an example of authentication information in this disclosure. By analyzing the print job 43 shown in Figure 2, MFP 10 can determine whether username 45, job password 49, etc., are set for print job 43. Similarly, for printer languages ​​other than PJL, the setting status of username 45, etc., can be detected by determining the content defined in each language.

[0016] FIG. 3 shows an example of data stored in the authentication DB 33. As shown in FIG. 3, in the authentication DB 33, for example, a user name 51, a login password 52, a print authority flag 53, a scan authority flag 54, and a copy authority flag 55 are associated and registered as one record. The user name 51 is an example of the user identification information of the present disclosure and is identification information indicating a user who can log in to the MFP 10. In the authentication DB 33 of the present embodiment, five user names, namely, public user (PUBLIC), inoue, kato, hayashi, and minami, are registered as the user name 51. The public user means a user other than the users registered in the authentication DB 33 who can log in to the MFP 10, and is a concept that may also be called a guest user. The login password 52 is a password required for authentication when logging in with the associated user name 51. The user name 51 and the login password 52 are set, for example, by a system administrator who manages the MFP 10.

[0017] Furthermore, the print permission flag 53, scan permission flag 54, and copy permission flag 55 are flag values ​​that set whether or not to grant each user the right to execute the print, scan, and copy functions provided by the MFP10. For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, the username "inoue" has print and scan permissions, but does not have copy permissions. That is, when "inoue" logs into the MFP10 and becomes the logged-in user, the MFP10 basically executes processes related to the print and scan functions, but does not execute processes related to the copy function. Similarly, public users are also given the same permissions, so when the MFP10 is logged out and no one is logged in, it basically executes processes related to the print and scan functions, but does not execute processes related to the copy function. The MFP10 can accept settings for the authentication DB33 via the EWS. The system administrator operates a web browser on PC41 and accesses the MFP10's EWS. The EWS requests the web browser to return the administrator password and determines whether the returned password is the correct administrator password. If the correct administrator password is entered, EWS10 returns web page data indicating the configuration operation page to the web browser. The system administrator operates the user interface on PC41 and performs operations to configure the authentication database via the configuration operation page. MFP10 receives information from the web browser indicating the operations performed via the configuration operation page and configures the authentication database 33 based on the received information. That is, it stores each data in the authentication database 33 in memory 15. In addition, MFP10 also accepts operations via the web page provided by EWS to instruct whether to turn the authentication mode on or off, or whether to use the first authentication mode or the second authentication mode, and stores the configuration information in memory 15 according to the received operations. The authentication database 33 is used when the first authentication mode is on.

[0018] Furthermore, the authentication mode and the method of setting the authentication DB 33 are not limited to the method using the above-described WEB server. For example, the MFP 10 may store the setting information of the authentication mode and the authentication DB 33 in the memory 15 according to an operation input to the user IF 20. Also in this case, it is desirable that there is confirmation as to whether the operator is a correct administrator, such as input of the correct administrator password. Further, based on the instruction data received by a method other than the EWS or the instruction data stored in the USB memory attached to the MFP 10, the setting information of the authentication mode and the authentication DB 33 may be stored in the memory 15. Further, the MFP 10 may be enabled to receive operation inputs via the EWS or the user IF 20 when instructed to permit reception of operation inputs by the instruction data received by a method other than the EWS or the instruction data stored in the USB memory attached to the MFP 10. Also, the data items of the authentication DB 33 shown in FIG. 3 are an example. For example, when the MFP 10 has a FAX function, the authentication DB 33 may have a flag value for granting the execution authority of the FAX function. Alternatively, the authentication DB 33 may have a value that substantially limits the execution of the function, not limited to the information of permission or non-permission of the function, for example, a value for limiting the number of printed sheets for each user. The print authority flag 53, the scan authority flag 54, and the copy authority flag 55 of the authentication DB 33 are an example of the authority information of the present disclosure.

[0019] The MFP10 determines whether to store a received print job 43 based on the data set in the header of the received print job 43, the data stored in the authentication DB33, and the setting information related to the function for executing the second storage print processing shown in Figure 9 (hereinafter referred to as the second storage print processing function). For example, it determines whether to store the print job 43 by considering numerous conditions, such as whether the second storage print processing function is on or off, whether the authentication mode is on or off, whether it is the first authentication mode or the second authentication mode, whether the username 45 included in the print job 43 is registered in the authentication DB33, whether it is a username with printing privileges, and whether the print job 43 includes a job password 49. The MFP10 stores the print jobs 43 that it has determined to store. Specifically, the MFP10 generates print data in raster format, for example, based on the print job 43, associates the generated print data with the data set in the header of the received print job 43, and stores it in memory 15. "Storage" can also be rephrased as "memory." In other words, the print data is set with the data configured in the header of the received print job 43. Note that the data associated with the print data may be in a different format from the header of the print job 43. External memory, such as a USB memory or HDD attached to the MFP10, may also be used to store the print data. For convenience, from now on, memory 15 will be used as a concept that includes external memory. Also, from now on, for convenience, the term "print job" may refer to the print data stored in memory 15. Furthermore, instead of generating print data based on print job 43, print job 43 itself may be stored as print data.

[0020] The MFP10 determines whether to print or discard print jobs that are not intended for storage, based on the data set in the header of the received print job 43, the data stored in the authentication DB 33, and the setting information related to the second storage print processing function. The MFP10 prints the print data based on the print jobs 43 that it has determined to print. The MFP10 discards print jobs 43 that it has determined to discard, without performing either storage or printing. Note that each determination does not have to be based on all of the data set in the header of the received print job 43, the data stored in the authentication DB 33, and the setting information related to the second storage print processing function, but may be based on at least one of them. Also, the conditions for determining whether a print job 43 is intended for storage or discard are not limited to the above conditions. The MFP10 may also determine whether a print job 43 is intended for storage by substituting the on / off conditions for the function that executes the first storage print processing shown in Figure 8 with any of the above conditions, or by combining them with the above conditions.

[0021] Next, the standby screen display process executed by MFP10 will be described. Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the standby screen display process. For example, when MFP10 is powered on, executes the control program 31 and starts the system, and displays the standby screen to the user IF20, it executes the process shown in Figure 4. Note that the conditions for executing the process in Figure 4 are not limited to the conditions for displaying the standby screen at startup. For example, MFP10 may execute the process shown in Figure 4 when it hides the user IF20 in power-saving mode and then displays it again. Alternatively, MFP10 may execute the process shown in Figure 4 when it returns the display of the user IF20 to the standby screen after executing some function such as the printing function.

[0022] Furthermore, the flowcharts in this application (Figures 4, 6-9) and the sequence diagrams described later (Figure 5) basically represent the processing of the CPU 12 in accordance with the instructions written in the control program 31. That is, processes such as "judgment," "display," and "selection" in the following explanation represent the processing of the CPU 12. The processing by the CPU 12 also includes hardware control. In addition, "data" in this application is represented by a bit sequence that can be read by a computer. Data with the same substantial meaning but different formats shall be treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in this application. In addition, "to instruct" is a concept that indicates outputting information to the other party that is giving an instruction. Information that indicates giving an instruction may also be simply referred to as "instruction." In addition, in the judgment processing by the MFP 10, "when A is B" means "when it is determined that A is B."

[0023] First, in step 11 of Figure 4 (hereinafter simply referred to as S), the MFP10 determines whether the authentication mode is on or off based on the configuration information stored in memory 15. If the authentication mode is on (S11: YES), the MFP10 determines which mode is set (S13). If the first authentication mode is set (S13: First authentication mode), the MFP10 determines whether the second storage print processing function is on or off (S17). The first authentication mode is a mode in which login authentication is performed using the authentication DB 33. The first authentication mode is also a mode in which the functions permitted to the logged-in user are determined based on the authentication DB 33. If the second storage print processing function is on (S17: YES), the MFP10 executes S19.

[0024] In S19, the MFP10 determines whether the list display function of the second stored print processing function is turned on, based on the setting information for the second stored print processing function stored in memory 15 (S19). The second stored print processing function is a function that prints the jobs among the stored print jobs 43 for which the username 45 of the logged-in user is set. As will be described later, when the second stored print processing function is turned on, the second stored print processing shown in Figure 9 can be executed depending on other conditions. The list display function is a function that displays a list of print jobs 43 stored in memory 15 and prints the print job 43 selected by operation via user IF22. The list display function is an example of the logged-in user data list mode in this disclosure. Similar to the setting information for the authentication mode, the MFP10 stores the setting information for the second stored print processing function in memory 15 according to the operation by the system administrator received via EWS. Operation by the system administrator may also be received via user IF20. Furthermore, setting information may be stored in memory 15 based on instruction data received by methods other than EWS or instruction data stored in a USB memory attached to MFP10. Also, if MFP10 is instructed to allow acceptance of operation input regarding setting information for the second storage print processing function by instruction data received by methods other than EWS or instruction data stored in a USB memory attached to MFP10, it may be possible to accept operation input via EWS or user IF20.

[0025] If the list display function is turned on (S19:YES), MFP10 displays the second stored print icon on the standby screen (S21) and terminates the process shown in Figure 4. On the other hand, if the second stored print processing function is turned off in S17 (S17:NO), MFP10 displays the first stored print icon on the standby screen (S15) and terminates the process shown in Figure 4.

[0026] Figure 5 shows the state transitions of the user IF20 display screen. The MFP10 displays function icons 65 for selecting functions such as copy and scan, and a second storage print icon 63 on the standby screen 61. Note that the standby screen 61 indicates a logout state where no one is logged in. In other words, the MFP10 displays a public user in the user display field 67 of the standby screen 61.

[0027] On the other hand, if the list display function is turned off (S19:NO), in S15, the MFP10 displays the first stored print icon 73 on the user IF20's standby screen 71 (see Figure 5) and terminates the process shown in Figure 4. The standby screen 71 is the same as the standby screen 61, except that it displays the first stored print icon 73.

[0028] Furthermore, in S13, if the second authentication mode is set (S13: Second Authentication Mode), the MFP10 determines whether or not the user is logged in (S23). The second authentication mode is a mode in which authentication is performed using an authentication server. The authentication server referred to here is, for example, an Active Directory® server. As shown in Figure 1, for example, an authentication server 44 is connected to the router 29. The authentication server 44 centrally manages information such as hardware resources on the connected network and the users who use those hardware resources. Specifically, for example, the authentication server 44 manages usernames and passwords that can use the hardware resources. For convenience, in the case of the second authentication mode, authentication using the authentication server 44 will be referred to as login authentication, the operation to receive authentication using the authentication server 44 will be referred to as a login operation, being authenticated will be referred to as being logged in, the authenticated state will be referred to as the logged-in state, and the unauthenticated state will be referred to as the logout state. In the second authentication mode, the MFP10 will not accept any operations other than login operations at the user IF20 until authentication by the authentication server 44 is successful. If the MFP10 is not logged in (S23:NO), it displays a login acceptance screen 69 (see Figure 5) to the user IF20 (S25). Upon receiving the username and password via the login acceptance screen 69, the MFP10 requests login authentication from the authentication server 44 using the entered username and password. If the login authentication is successful (S23:YES), the MFP10 proceeds to S17, where it displays either the first stored print icon 73 or the second stored print icon 63 on the standby screen (S15 or S21), depending on whether the second stored print processing function or the list display function is on or off, and then terminates the process shown in Figure 4. Note that the control details for the second authentication mode described above are just an example.

[0029] Therefore, if the MFP10 is logged out in the second authentication mode (S23:NO), it displays the login acceptance screen 69 to the user IF20 and does not perform the list processing or display (hereinafter referred to as "list display") of jobs 43A and 43B as shown in Figure 6 and later. This makes it possible to restrict the display of accumulated print jobs 43 and the printing of displayed print jobs 43 until authentication by the authentication server 44 is completed in the second authentication mode.

[0030] When the first authentication mode is set, if the user display field 67 is touched on the logout standby screen 61 or standby screen 71, the MFP10 displays a list of usernames 51 registered in the authentication DB 33 (not shown) on the user IF 20 and accepts the selection of a user to log in. When a username 51 is selected, the MFP10 displays a screen (not shown) for entering the login password 52 for the selected username 51. If the entered login password matches the login password 52 (the password of the selected user) registered in the authentication DB 33, the MFP10 determines that authentication was successful and enters a logged-in state with the user of the selected username 51 logged in. The MFP10 displays the login standby screen 61A or standby screen 71A after login, with the username of the successfully logged-in user displayed in the user display field 67 (in Figure 5, the username "inoue" is used as an example).

[0031] Furthermore, even when the second authentication mode is set, the MFP10 may, instead of executing S23 and S25, execute S17 to S21 as in the first authentication mode to display the logout standby screen 61 or standby screen 71. When the user display field 67 is touched on standby screen 71, it may execute a process equivalent to S25 to enter the logged-in state, and then display the login standby screen 61A or standby screen 71A. Note that if the second stored print processing function is on and the list display function is off, upon successful login authentication, all print jobs stored in memory 15 with the same username 45 as the logged-in user's username 51 will be printed. If the logged-in user does not have print privileges, printing is not required.

[0032] Next, the process of pressing the first stored print icon, which is executed when the first stored print icon 73 is pressed, will be explained with reference to Figure 6. When the MFP 10 detects that the first stored print icon 73 has been pressed, in S31 it determines whether the authentication mode is on, and if it is on (S31: YES), it determines whether the user is logged in (S33). If the MFP 10 is logged in in either the first or second authentication mode (S33: YES), and if there is a job 43A among the print jobs 43 stored in memory 15 that has a job password 49 set and the same username 45 as the username 51 of the logged-in user (S35: YES), the MFP 10 performs a list process on the relevant job 43A (S39), and then executes the first stored print process (S41). The list process referred to here is, for example, the process of creating a list of target print jobs 43 and storing it in memory 15. Hereafter, for convenience, print jobs with the same username 45 as the logged-in user's username 51 will be referred to as "the logged-in user's print job." That is, job 43A, which has a job password 49 set and the same username 45 as the logged-in user's username 51, is both the logged-in user's print job and a password-protected job.

[0033] Furthermore, if the authentication mode is off (S31: NO) or if the authentication mode is on but the user is logged out (S33: NO), the MFP10 determines whether or not a job 43A with a job password 49 set, i.e., a password-protected job 43A, is stored in memory 15 (S43). Note that, as described above, if the second authentication mode is configured not to accept any user operations other than login until the user is logged in, then if the second authentication mode is set, the first stored print icon 73 cannot be operated until the user is logged in. Therefore, a negative determination will not be made in S33. If the MFP10 finds that a password-protected job 43A is stored (S43: YES), it lists all password-protected jobs 43A (S45) and then executes S41. Furthermore, if MFP10 is logged in and no password-protected job 43A belonging to the logged-in user is stored in memory 15 (S35:NO), or if authentication mode is off, or if authentication mode is on but the user is logged out, and no password-protected job 43A is stored in memory 15 (S43:NO), MFP10 displays a message to user IF20 indicating that there are no print jobs 43 to display in the list (S47), and terminates the process shown in Figure 6.

[0034] Next, the process for pressing the second stored print icon 63, which is executed when the second stored print icon 63 is pressed, will be explained with reference to Figure 7. When the MFP 10 detects that the second stored print icon 63 has been pressed, if the user is logged in (S51:YES), it determines whether or not the logged-in user's print job 43 is stored in memory 15 (S53). If it is stored (S53:YES), the MFP 10 performs a list process on the logged-in user's print job 43 (S55), and then executes the second stored print process (S57).

[0035] Furthermore, if MFP10 is logged out (S51: NO) and has accumulated password-protected jobs 43A (S59: YES), it performs a list process on the password-protected jobs 43A accumulated in memory 15 that have the username 45 of an unregistered user set (S61). If MFP10 is in first authentication mode, it performs a list process on the password-protected jobs 43A of the accumulated print jobs 43 that have the username 45 not registered in the authentication DB 33. If MFP10 is in second authentication mode, it performs a list process on the password-protected jobs 43A of the accumulated print jobs 43 that have the username 45 not registered in the authentication server 44. When MFP10 executes S61, it performs the first accumulated print process (S63). Furthermore, if the MFP10 is logged in and no print jobs 43 for the logged-in user are stored (S53:NO), or if the user is logged out and no password-protected jobs 43A are stored in memory 15 (S59:NO), the MFP10 displays a message to the user IF20 indicating that there are no print jobs 43 to display in the list (S65), and terminates the process shown in Figure 7.

[0036] Next, the first storage print process (S41, S63) in Figures 6 and 7 will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 8. When the MFP10 starts the first storage print process, it displays all the usernames 45 set in the jobs included in the list created by the list process (S71). If the user is logged in, in S39 of Figure 6, only the password-protected jobs 43A of the logged-in user are listed, so in S71, the user selection screen 81 showing only the username of the logged-in user will be displayed (in the illustrated example, only the username "inoue" is displayed).

[0037] On the other hand, if the user is logged out, the MFP10 displays a list of usernames 45 set for each of the print jobs 43 listed in S45 of Figure 6, that is, the usernames 45 set for each of the accumulated password-protected jobs 43A, on the user selection screen 81. Alternatively, if the MFP10 processes the list in S61 of Figure 7 while logged out, it displays a list of usernames 45 of unregistered users among the accumulated password-protected jobs 43A that are not registered in the authentication DB 33, on the user selection screen 81. Note that the user selection screen 81 in Figure 5 shows an example where only the username "inoue" is displayed, but if multiple usernames 45 are detected, the user selection screen 81 will display multiple usernames 45, for example, usernames 45 of registered users such as "inoue" and "hayashi," and usernames 45 of unregistered users not registered in the authentication DB 33, such as "horita."

[0038] When MFP10 receives a user name 45 from among those displayed on the user selection screen 81 in S71 (S73), it displays a password reception screen 83 (see Figure 5) to receive a job password 49 and accepts the job password 49 (S75). When MFP10 receives the job password 49 on the password reception screen 83, it determines whether there is a password-protected job 43A with a job password 49 that matches the job password received in S75 among the password-protected jobs 43A with the user name 45 selected in S73 (S77). Note that if S41 is executed after S39 in Figure 6, even if S71 is executed, the user names displayed on the user selection screen 81 will be limited to the username of the logged-in user. For this reason, in this case, MFP10 may display the password reception screen 83 (S75) assuming that the username of the logged-in user has been selected, without displaying the user selection screen 81 (S71).

[0039] If MFP10 finds that there are password-protected jobs 43A with a matching job password 49 (S77: YES), it displays a list of password-protected jobs 43A with matching job passwords 49 on the job list screen 85 (see Figure 5) (S79), and accepts the selection of a password-protected job 43A to be printed from the job list screen 85 (S81). The job list screen 85 also displays the job name 47 that was stored in memory 15 in association with the print job 43 at the time of storage. In other words, if there are multiple password-protected jobs 43A with a job password 49 that matches the job password entered in S75 among the password-protected jobs 43A of the username 45 selected in S73, MFP10 will display all matching password-protected jobs 43A on the job list screen 85. When a password-protected job 43A is selected (S81), MFP10 displays a message such as "Do you want to print?" to the user IF20 and accepts the print command (S83). If the authentication mode is off (S85:NO) or if the authentication mode is on but in second authentication mode (S85:YES, S87:NO), MFP10 executes printing of the selected password-protected job 43A (S89). MFP10 displays the print start screen 87 and starts printing, completing the process shown in Figure 8 (Figure 6 or Figure 7).

[0040] Furthermore, if the first authentication mode is on (S85:YES, S87:YES), MFP10 determines in S81 whether the user with username 45, which is set in the password-protected job 43A selected in S81, has print privileges in the authentication DB33 (S91). If print privileges are granted (S91:YES), MFP10 executes printing (S89). If print privileges are not granted (S91:NO), it displays a message indicating a privilege error to user IF20 (S93) and terminates the process. Note that if S63 in Figure 7 is executed, a password-protected job 43A belonging to an unregistered user will be selected. In this case, MFP10 will make a positive determination in S91 (S91:YES) only if print privileges are granted to the public user in the authentication DB33, and will print the selected password-protected job 43A.

[0041] Therefore, when the first authentication mode is on, if any user is the logged-in user (S39), the MFP10 does not list the username 45 of a user whose authorization information is not registered in the authentication DB33 (an example of a third user in this disclosure) (S71). Also, when the first authentication mode is on, if any user is the logged-in user, the MFP10 does not list the password-protected job 43A of a user whose authorization information is not registered in the authentication DB33 (S79). This helps to prevent accidental operation and improves security.

[0042] Next, the second storage print process (S57) in Figure 7 will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 9. In the following explanation, the same reference numerals will be used for the same content as in the first storage print process described above, and their explanations will be omitted as appropriate. When the MFP10 starts the second storage print process, it displays a list of print jobs 43A and 43B from the stored print jobs 43 that were listed in S55, that is, the jobs 43A and 43B for which the username 45 of the logged-in user at the time of execution of S55 is set (S101). The MFP10 accepts the selection of the print job 43 to be printed on the job list screen 85 (S81), accepts the print command (S83), and executes processing for the selected print job 43 in the same way as the first storage print process (S85~S93). Furthermore, if the print job 43 selected in S81 of Figure 9 is a password-protected job 43A with a job password 49 set, the MFP10 may accept the job password 49 and execute printing only if the job password 49 matches, similar to the first stored print process.

[0043] Next, the first storage print process of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 10. In the following description of Figure 10, the same reference numerals will be used for parts that are the same as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. When a user name 45 displayed on the user selection screen 81 in Figure 5 is selected by the MFP 10 of the second embodiment (S73), the MFP 10 displays the print job 43 for the selected user name 45, that is, the password-protected job 43A for the selected user name 45 from the stored password-protected jobs 43A (S121). Similar to the job list screen 85 in Figure 5, the MFP 10 accepts the selection of the password-protected job 43A to be printed from the displayed list of jobs (S123) and accepts the job password 49 for the selected password-protected job 43A (S75). If the MFP10 finds that the job password 49 of the selected password-protected job 43A matches the job password 49 received in S75 (S125: YES), it accepts the final print command (S83) and performs printing in the same manner as in the first embodiment (from S85 onwards). If the job passwords 49 do not match, the MFP10 displays an error (S95).

[0044] As described above, each of the embodiments yields the following effects. In each embodiment, the display of print data based on the accumulated print jobs 43 can be performed according to the login status and mode. Furthermore, with the first storage printing process of the first embodiment shown in Figure 8, password-protected jobs 43A whose job passwords 49 match can be printed all at once. On the other hand, with the second storage printing process of the second embodiment shown in Figure 10, password-protected jobs 43A can be selected and printed individually. Furthermore, when the first authentication mode is on, if any user (an example of the first user in this disclosure) is the logged-in user (S31:YES, S33:YES), the MFP10 will not display in the list any print jobs 43 that are set to the username 45 of a registered user (the second user in this disclosure) who is a different user from the logged-in user but whose authorization information is registered in the authentication DB33. This prevents other registered users' print jobs 43 from being selected and printed by only listing the password-protected jobs 43A of the logged-in user. In addition, by preventing other people's print jobs 43 from being printed, the occurrence of information leakage through printing is suppressed, and security is improved. Furthermore, if the first authentication mode is on and the user is logged out (S31:YES, S33:NO), the MFP10 displays a list of password-protected jobs 43A for all users registered in the authentication DB33 (S45, S71). This allows each registered user to print by entering the job password 49 if they are logged out. Furthermore, if the first authentication mode is on and the user is logged out (S31:YES, S33:NO), the MFP10 displays a list of password-protected jobs 43A belonging to users not registered in the authentication DB33 (an example of a third user in this disclosure) (S45, S71). As a result, if the user is logged out, an unregistered user can print by entering the job password 49. Furthermore, if the first authentication mode is off and the user is logged out (S11:NO, S33:NO), the MFP10 will list password-protected jobs 43A for both registered and unregistered users in the authentication DB33 (S45, S71). This allows both registered and unregistered users to print by entering the job password 49 when the first authentication mode is off and the user is logged out. Furthermore, if the first authentication mode is on and the user is logged in (S31:YES, S33:YES), the MFP10 displays a list of password-protected jobs 43A for the logged-in user, accepts the job password 49 set for the selected password-protected job 43A (S75), accepts the operation to select the password-protected job 43A to be printed (S81), and if the user of the password-protected job 43A has print permission (S91:YES), it executes printing (S89). On the other hand, if the MFP10 is in the second authentication mode and the user is logged in (S23:YES), it prints regardless of the print permission of the user of the password-protected job 43A (S87:NO, S89). Thus, in the first authentication mode, printing is performed according to print permission, and in the second authentication mode, printing is performed according to authentication by the authentication server 44. Furthermore, if the first authentication mode is ON and the list display function is OFF (S19: NO), the MFP10 displays password-protected job 43A for the logged-in user and executes printing according to the print permissions (S39, S91). On the other hand, if the first authentication mode is ON, the list display function is ON (S19: YES), and the user is logged in (S51: YES), the MFP10 lists print jobs 43 (jobs 43A, 43B) with the logged-in user's username 51 set (S55). Thus, if the list display function is OFF and the user is logged in, only password-protected job 43A for the logged-in user is listed, and if the list display function is OFF and the user is logged in, the MFP10 lists print jobs 43 with the logged-in user's username 51 set. Furthermore, when the first authentication mode is ON, the list display function is OFF, and the user is logged out (S13:YES, S19:NO, S33:NO), the MFP10 lists all password-protected jobs 43A for all users (S45) and prints them according to the print permissions. On the other hand, when the first authentication mode is ON, the list display function is ON, and the user is logged out (S13:YES, S19:YES, S51:NO), the MFP10 does not list registered users in the authentication DB33, but it does list password-protected jobs 43A for unregistered users (S61). Then, when the MFP10 selects a password-protected job 43A for an unregistered user, it executes printing if the public user has print permissions (S91:YES). According to this, when the list display function is ON and the user is logged out, if the public user has print permissions, an unregistered user can print a password-protected job 43A with their username set in it while logged out.

[0045] It goes without saying that the contents of this disclosure are not limited to the embodiments described above, and various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in various forms, not limited to printing apparatuses, and can be implemented in the form of a printing control method for controlling a printing apparatus, a computer program for realizing the functions of the apparatus or the method, a recording medium on which the computer program is stored, and so on. Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the above embodiments, the login authentication information in this disclosure may consist of numbers only, letters only, or a combination of numbers and letters. Also, authentication using the authentication information in this application may be authentication using information on an authentication card, biometric authentication such as fingerprints, etc. Furthermore, although the MFP10 is equipped with a user interface 20 such as a touch panel to accept login operations, it may also be configured to allow login operations by other means. For example, the MFP10 may decide whether to allow login based on data received from a mobile terminal. The user may perform the login operation by entering a username 51 and login password 52 on a mobile terminal and sending them to the MFP10. In this case, the wireless interface of the MFP10 that performs communication with the terminal device is an example of the user interface of this disclosure.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a CPU 12 that executes a predetermined program is used as the controller of this disclosure, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the controller may be configured with dedicated hardware such as an ASIC. Also, the controller may be configured to operate by using a combination of software processing and hardware processing. Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses an MFP10, which is a multifunction printer, as the printing device of this disclosure, it is not limited to this. The printing device of this application may also be a printer device that has only a printing function. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 10 MFP (Printer Function), 12 CPU (Controller), 15 Memory, 16 Print Engine, 20 User Interface, 24 Network Interface, 33 Authentication Database (Authority Information), 43 Print Job, 44 Authentication Server, 45 Username (User Identification Information), 49 Job Password (Authorization Information), 53 Print Permission Flag (Authority Information), 54 Scan Permission Flag (Authority Information), 55 Copy Permission Flag (Authority Information).

Claims

1. Printing engine and Network interface and Memory and User interface and Controller and A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned controller, When multiple print data are stored in the memory, the system is configured to display options corresponding to the multiple print data stored in the memory on the user interface, accept an operation via the user interface to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and print the selected print data, thereby executing a stored print process. The aforementioned print data is The print data is based on a print job received via the network interface, and the print data based on the print job that identifies a user is configured to have user identification information indicating the user identified in the print job, and the print data based on the print job that identifies authentication information is configured to have user identification information corresponding to the authentication information identified in the print job. The aforementioned printing apparatus, It is possible to set it to the first authentication mode. The first authentication mode is, This mode allows login operations to be accepted via the user interface, and for a user who has logged into the printing device through the login operation, it determines which functions of the printing device are permitted to the logged-in user based on permission information indicating the user's authority, which is pre-set in the memory. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set, if the first user, who is a user whose authorization information is registered in the memory, is the logged-in user, the printing device is configured such that, in the stored print processing, for print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information, which is the user identification information indicating the first user, and the authentication information set, a selection is displayed on the user interface, and for print data stored in the memory that does not have the first user identification information set, a selection is not displayed on the user interface.

2. The aforementioned controller, The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the first authentication mode is set, if the first user is a logged-in user, the printing apparatus is configured in the memory to not display options on the user interface for print data among the print data stored in the memory that has a second user identification information set, which is user identification information indicating a second user who is a different user from the first user and whose authorization information is registered in the memory.

3. The aforementioned controller, The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the first authentication mode is set, if the first user is a logged-in user, the storage printing process is configured such that, with respect to the print data stored in the memory, the options are not displayed on the user interface for print data in which a third user identification information indicating a third user for whom the authorization information is not registered in the memory and the authentication information is set.

4. The aforementioned controller, The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the first authentication mode is set, if the user is logged out and not logged in, the storage printing process is configured to display a selection on the user interface for either the print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information and the authentication information set, or the print data that has the second user identification information and the authentication information set.

5. The aforementioned controller, The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the first authentication mode is set, if the user is logged out and not logged in, the storage printing process is configured to display options on the user interface for the print data stored in the memory that has the third user identification information and the authentication information set.

6. The aforementioned controller, The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the first authentication mode is not set and the user is logged out, the apparatus is configured to display options on the user interface for any of the print data stored in the memory, including the print data to which the first user identification information and the authentication information are set, the print data to which the second user identification information and the authentication information are set, and the print data to which the third user identification information and the authentication information are set.

7. The aforementioned printing apparatus, It is possible to set it to the second authentication mode. The second authentication mode is, This mode allows login operations to be accepted via the user interface, and authenticates the user specified by the login operation as a logged-in user by communicating with the authentication server via the network interface. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set, if the first user is a logged-in user, in the stored print process, for print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information and authentication information set, a selection is displayed on the user interface; for print data stored in the memory that does not have the first user identification information set, a selection is not displayed on the user interface; the user interface accepts an operation to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding selection is displayed; the user interface accepts an operation to input the authentication information set in the selected print data; and, based on the authorization information, if the printing function among the functions provided by the printing device is permitted to the first user, the selected print data is printed. When the second authentication mode is set, and authentication by the authentication server is successful and the first user is a logged-in user, the printing device according to claim 3 is configured to, in the stored print processing, display options on the user interface for print data stored in the memory that have the first user identification information and the authentication information set on them, and not display options for any of the print data, whether the second user identification information and the authentication information set on them or the third user identification information and the authentication information set on them, and accept an operation to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and if the user interface accepts an operation to input the authentication information set on the selected print data, then print the selected print data.

8. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set, if the user is logged out and not logged in, in the stored print process, for any of the print data stored in the memory, including the print data with the first user identification information and authentication information set, the print data with the second user identification information and authentication information set, and the print data with the third user identification information and authentication information set, a choice is displayed on the user interface. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in the second authentication mode, when the user is logged out and not logged in, the user identification information and the print data in which the authentication information is stored in the memory are configured not to display any options on the user interface.

9. The aforementioned printing apparatus, It is possible to set it to login user data list mode. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set but the login user data list mode is not set, if the first user is a logged-in user, in the stored print process, for print data stored in memory that has the first user identification information and authentication information indicating the first user set, a selection is displayed on the user interface; for print data stored in memory that does not have the first user identification information set, a selection is not displayed on the user interface; and if the operation to select print data to be printed from the print data for which the corresponding selection is displayed is accepted, and if the operation to input the authentication information set in the selected print data is accepted via the user interface, the selected print data is printed. When the first authentication mode and the login user data list mode are set, if the first user is a logged-in user, in the stored print process, for the print data stored in the memory on which the first user identification information is set, a selection is displayed on the user interface, and for the print data on which the second user identification information is set and the print data on which the third user identification information is set, no selection is displayed, and the user is allowed via the user interface to select the print data to be printed from among the print data on which the corresponding selection is displayed, and if the printing function among the functions provided by the printing device is permitted to the first user based on the authorization information, the selected print data is printed, as described in claim 3.

10. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set but the login user data list mode is not set, and the user is logged out, the stored print process shall, among the print data stored in the memory, display the options on the user interface for any of the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the first user identification information and authentication information are set, the second user identification information and authentication information are set, and the third user identification information and authentication information are set. The user interface accepts an operation to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed. The user interface also accepts an operation to input the authentication information set in the selected print data. Furthermore, based on the authorization information, if the printing function among the functions of the printing device is permitted for the user indicated by the user identification information set in the selected print data, the selected print data shall be printed. When the first authentication mode and the login user data list mode are set, if the user is logged out, in the stored print process, for print data stored in memory that has either the first user identification information or the second user identification information set, the options are not displayed on the user interface, and for print data that has the third user identification information set, the options are displayed, and the user is allowed via the user interface to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and the printing device is configured to print the selected print data if, based on the authorization information, the printing function among the functions of the printing device is permitted to the public user who is logged out.

11. The printing device can be set to a second authentication mode. The second authentication mode is, This mode allows login operations to be accepted via the user interface, and authenticates the user specified by the login operation as a logged-in user by communicating with the authentication server via the network interface. The aforementioned controller, When the second authentication mode is set, if authentication by the authentication server is successful and the first user is the logged-in user, in the stored print process, for the print data stored in the memory to which the first user identification information is set, the options are displayed on the user interface, but for the print data to which the second user identification information is set and the print data to which the third user identification information is set, the options are not displayed. The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the second authentication mode is set, if the user is logged out and not logged in, the stored print process is not executed until authentication by the authentication server is successful, and the options are not displayed for any of the print data, including the print data to which the first user identification information is set, the print data to which the second user identification information is set, and the print data to which the third user identification information is set.

12. Printing engine and Network interface and Memory and User interface and Controller and A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned controller, When multiple print data are stored in the memory, the user interface displays options corresponding to the multiple print data stored in the memory, the user interface accepts an operation to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and the selected print data is printed; this is the stored print processing. Configured to be executable, The aforementioned print data is The print data is based on a print job received via the network interface, and the print data based on the print job that identifies a user is configured to have user identification information indicating the user identified in the print job, and the print data based on the print job that identifies authentication information is configured to have user identification information indicating the authentication information identified in the print job. The aforementioned printing apparatus, It is possible to set to a first authentication mode, the first authentication mode being a mode in which login operations can be accepted via the user interface, and for a logged-in user who has logged into the printing device through the login operation, the mode determines which functions of the printing device are permitted to the logged-in user based on permission information indicating the permissions of the logged-in user, which is pre-set in the memory. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set, if the first user, who is a user whose authorization information is registered in the memory, is the logged-in user, then in the stored print process, for the print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information, which is the user identification information indicating the first user, and the authentication information set, a selection is displayed on the user interface, and for the print data stored in the memory that does not have the first user identification information set, a selection is not displayed on the user interface. When the first authentication mode is not set, and the user is logged out, the system is configured to display options on the user interface for any of the print data stored in the memory, including the print data in which the first user identification information and authentication information are set, the print data in which the second user identification information and authentication information are set, and the print data in which the third user identification information and authentication information are set. The second user identification information is, User identification information indicating a second user who is a user whose permission information is registered in the memory and who is a different user from the first user, The third user identification information is, A printing device, which is user identification information indicating a third user, a user whose permission information is not registered in the memory.

13. Printing engine and Network interface and Memory and User interface and Controller and A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned controller, When multiple print data are stored in the memory, the user interface displays options corresponding to the multiple print data stored in the memory, the user interface accepts an operation to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and the selected print data is printed; this is the stored print processing. Configured to be executable, The aforementioned print data is The print data is based on a print job received via the network interface, and the print data based on the print job that identifies a user is configured to have user identification information indicating the user identified in the print job, and the print data based on the print job that identifies authentication information is configured to have user identification information indicating the authentication information identified in the print job. The aforementioned printing apparatus, It is possible to set it to the first authentication mode or the second authentication mode. The first authentication mode is, This mode allows login operations to be accepted via the user interface, and for a user who has logged into the printing device through the login operation, it determines which functions of the printing device are permitted to the logged-in user based on permission information indicating the user's authority, which is pre-set in the memory. The second authentication mode is, This mode allows login operations to be accepted via the user interface, and authenticates the user specified by the login operation as a logged-in user by communicating with the authentication server via the network interface. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set, if the first user, who is a user whose authorization information is registered in the memory, is the logged-in user, then in the stored print process, for print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information, which is the user identification information indicating the first user, and the authentication information set, a selection is displayed on the user interface; for print data stored in the memory that does not have the first user identification information set, a selection is not displayed on the user interface; the user interface accepts an operation to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding selection is displayed; the user interface accepts an operation to input the authentication information set in the selected print data; and, based on the authorization information, if the printing function among the functions provided by the printing device is permitted to the first user, the selected print data is printed. When the second authentication mode is set, and authentication by the authentication server is successful and the first user is the logged-in user, the stored print process is configured to display options on the user interface for the print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information and the authentication information set on it, and not display options for any of the print data that has the second user identification information and the authentication information set on it, or that has the third user identification information and the authentication information set on it, and to accept an operation to select the print data to be printed from the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and to accept an operation to input the authentication information set on the selected print data via the user interface, then print the selected print data. The second user identification information is, User identification information indicating a second user who is a user whose permission information is registered in the memory and who is a different user from the first user, The third user identification information is, A printing device, which is user identification information indicating a third user, a user whose permission information is not registered in the memory.

14. Printing engine and Network interface and Memory and User interface and Controller and A printing apparatus equipped with, The aforementioned controller, When multiple print data are stored in the memory, the user interface displays options corresponding to the multiple print data stored in the memory, the user interface accepts an operation to select the print data to be printed from among the print data for which the corresponding options are displayed, and the selected print data is printed; this is the stored print processing. Configured to be executable, The aforementioned print data is The print data is based on a print job received via the network interface, and the print data based on the print job that identifies a user is configured to have user identification information indicating the user identified in the print job, and the print data based on the print job that identifies authentication information is configured to have user identification information indicating the authentication information identified in the print job. The aforementioned printing apparatus, It is possible to set it to the first authentication mode or the login user data list mode. The first authentication mode is, This mode allows login operations to be accepted via the user interface, and for a user who has logged into the printing device through the login operation, it determines which functions of the printing device are permitted to the logged-in user based on permission information indicating the user's authority, which is pre-set in the memory. The aforementioned controller, When the first authentication mode is set but the login user data list mode is not set, if the first user, who is a user whose authorization information is registered in the memory, is the login user, then in the stored print process, for print data stored in the memory that has the first user identification information, which is the user identification information indicating the first user, and the authentication information set, a selection is displayed on the user interface; for print data stored in the memory that does not have the first user identification information set, a selection is not displayed on the user interface; and if the operation to select print data to be printed from the print data for which the corresponding selection is displayed is accepted, and if the operation to input the authentication information set in the selected print data is accepted via the user interface, then the selected print data is printed. When the first authentication mode and the login user data list mode are set, if the first user is a logged-in user, in the stored print process, for the print data stored in the memory to which the first user identification information is set, options are displayed on the user interface, and for the print data to which the second user identification information is set and the print data to which the third user identification information is set, no options are displayed, and the user is allowed to select the print data to be printed from among the print data to which the corresponding options are displayed via the user interface, and if, based on the authorization information, the printing function among the functions of the printing device is permitted to the first user, the selected print data is printed. The second user identification information is, User identification information indicating a second user who is a user whose permission information is registered in the memory and who is a different user from the first user, The third user identification information is, A printing device, which is user identification information indicating a third user, a user whose permission information is not registered in the memory.

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