Confidential Print Control Unit Prioritization Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

In image forming apparatuses, controlling confidential print jobs with multiple user designations and prioritization orders is challenging, leading to potential delays and confusion in document processing, as existing methods lack efficient prioritization and authentication mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

The method involves storing confidential job data in a storage device and executing print processing only after successful user authentication, with a confidential print control unit determining whether skip permission conditions are met for each user designation, allowing print processing based on prioritization orders and authentication success.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If confidential job data is stored and printed only after successful user authentication, then document security is improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedocument securityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary user authentication before executing the print job. The authentication process is initiated when the print job is received, and the job is held in a pending state until authentication succeeds. This ensures security is maintained while minimizing delays by starting the authentication process immediately rather than adding it as a post-processing step.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically manages the authentication process and job release without requiring manual intervention. When authentication succeeds, the system automatically releases and executes the print job. This reduces operational complexity by eliminating the need for operators to manually verify credentials or release jobs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple user designations with prioritization orders are supported, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of control increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidcontrol complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The submission destination is segmented into multiple user designations, each with a specific prioritization order. This allows the system to handle different users with different priority levels for the same print job. The segmentation enables flexible routing while maintaining clear control through the hierarchical priority structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of user identification from a single value to multiple values with associated priority levels. This allows the same print job to be directed to different users based on authentication results and priority settings, increasing adaptability while the structured parameter system keeps control complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If authentication is required for each user designation in prioritized order, then access control reliability is improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess controlVSAvoidoperational simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs authentication in advance according to the prioritization order before executing the print job. By pre-authenticating users in the predetermined priority sequence, the system ensures that the most appropriate authorized user is identified before printing begins, maintaining strict access control while streamlining the process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback on the authentication status and job execution progress. When a user is successfully authenticated, the system confirms this to the user and proceeds with the print job. This feedback mechanism simplifies operation by providing clear status information, reducing the perceived complexity despite the multi-step authentication process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11829660B2Print control method and image forming apparatus determines skip permission conditions to execute print processing for confidential job data

Publication Date: 2023.11.28 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

A print control method includes a confidential print control step. The confidential print control step includes determining whether skip permission conditions set in advance for each of the plurality of pieces of user designation data are satisfied when the submission destination designation data of the confidential job data requested to be executed includes a plurality of pieces of user designation data assigned with prioritization orders, thereby specifying the user designation data falling within a print permission range according to the prioritization orders, and executing confidential print control for the user designation data within the print permission range. The confidential print control step includes causing to execute the print processing for the confidential job data on the condition that the input authentication data by which the user authentication process is successful matches the data corresponding to the user designation data among the plurality of pieces of registration authentication data.