Image forming device and host terminal connected to the image forming device

Abstract

In an image forming device, an identification data input unit receives a first user-identification data which identifies a user of the image forming device and is inputted by the user. A data comparison unit detects whether the first user-identification data matches with a second user-identification data received from a host terminal before or after an image output request is received or concurrently with receipt of the image output request. A management information transmitting unit transmits an image output enabled state notice to the host terminal in response to the image output request when the first user-identification data matches with the second user-identification data. An image output unit receives image data transmitted by the host terminal in response to the image output enabled state notice, and outputs an image based on the received image data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when reading in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the printing procedure performed by a conventional image forming device which has a confidential output function.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of network connection of an image forming device and a plurality of host terminals in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the composition of the image forming device and the host terminal in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the image output procedure performed by the image forming device and the host terminal in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the image output procedure performed by the image forming device and the host terminal in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the image output procedure performed by the image forming device and the host terminal in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the image output procedure performed by the image forming device and the host terminal in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the image output procedure performed by the image forming device and the host terminal in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the image output procedure performed by the image forming device and the host terminal in an embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An image forming device to which one or a plurality of host terminals are connected, comprising: an identification data input unit receiving a first user-identification data which identifies a user of the image forming device and is inputted by the user;a data comparison unit detecting whether the first user-identification data received by the identification data input unit matches with a second user-identification data which is received from a host terminal before or after an image output request is received from the host terminal or concurrently with receiving of the image output request;a management information transmitting unit transmiting an image output enabled state notice to the host terminal in response to the image output request when it is detected by the data comparison unit that the first user-identification data matches with the second user-identification data; andan image output unit receiving image data which is transmitted by the host terminal in response to the image output enabled state notice from the management information transmitting unit, and outputting an image based on the received image data.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a processing state display unit displaying a state of the image forming device, wherein, when it is detected by the data comparison unit that the first user-identification data does not match with the second user-identification data, the processing state display unit displays a message indicating a mismatch of the first user-identification data.

3. The image forming device according to claim 2, wherein, after the message indicating a mismatch of the first user-identification data is displayed by the processing state display unit, the identification data input unit receives a reentry of first user-identification data, and the data comparison unit detects whether the first user-identification data which is the reentry received by the identification data input unit matches with the second user-identification data, and wherein, when it is detected by the data comparison unit that the first user-identification data which is the reentry received by the identification data input unit matches with the second user-identification data, the management information transmitting unit transmits an image output enabled state notice to the host terminal in response to the image output request, and when it is detected by the data comparison unit that the first user-identification data which is the reentry received by the identification data input unit does not match with the second user-identification data, the management information transmitting unit transmits an image output disabled state notice to the host terminal in response to the image output request.

4. The image forming device according to claim 3, wherein the identification data input unit is provided to restrict the number of reentrys of the first user-identification data that is received by the identification data input unit.

5. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein, when a second image output request is received from another host terminal during execution of an image output job by the image output unit in response to a first image output request received from one host terminal, the management information transmitting unit transmits an other-job in-progress state notice to said another host terminals, and, when the execution of the image output job in response to the first image output request is finished by the image output unit, the management information transmitting unit transmits an image-data-receiving enabled state notice to said another host terminal.

6. A host terminal which is connected to an image forming device and generates image data being transmitted to the image forming device, the image forming device comprising: an identification data input unit receiving a first user-identification data which identifies a user of the image forming device and is inputted by the user;a data comparison unit detecting whether the first user-identification data matches with a user-identification data which is received before or after an image output request is received or concurrently with receipt of the image output request;a management information transmitting unit transmiting an image output enabled state notice to the host terminal in response to the image output request when it is detected by the data comparison unit that the first user-identification data matches with the received user-identification data; andan image output unit receiving image data which is transmitted by the host terminal in response to the image output enabled state notice from the management information transmitting unit, and outputting an image based on the received image data,the host terminal comprising:an image output request input unit receiving a second user-identification data which identifies a user who transmits the image output request of the image data and is inputted by the user;an image output request transmitting unit transmitting the second user-identification data received by the image output request input unit, to the image forming device before or after the image output request is transmitted to the image forming device or concurrently with the transmission of the image output request; andan image-data transmitting unit transmitting the image data to the image forming device when the image output enabled state notice is received from the image forming device.

7. The host terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a processing state display unit displaying a job processing state of the image forming device, wherein, when at least one of an image output disabled state notice, an other-job in-progress state notice, and an image-data-receiving enabled state notice is received from the image forming device, the processing state display unit displays the contents of the received notice.

8. An image output system including an image forming device and one or a plurality of host terminals connected to the image forming device and generating image data being transmitted to the image forming device, the image forming device comprising:an identification data input unit receiving a first user-identification data which identifies a user of the image forming device and is inputted by the user;a data comparison unit detecting whether the first user-identification data matches with a user-identification data which is received before or after an image output request is received or concurrently with receipt of the image output request;a management information transmitting unit transmiting an image output enabled state notice to a host terminal in response to the image output request when it is detected by the data comparison unit that the first user-identification data matches with the received user-identification data; andan image output unit receiving image data which is transmitted by the host terminal in response to the image output enabled state notice from the management information transmitting unit, and outputting an image based on the received image data,each host terminal comprising:an image output request input unit receiving a second user-identification data which identifies a user who transmits the image output request of the image data and is inputted by the user;an image output request transmitting unit transmitting the second user-identification data received by the image output request input unit, to the image forming device before or after the image output request is transmitted to the image forming device or concurrently with the transmission of the image output request; andan image-data transmitting unit transmitting the image data to the image forming device when the image output enabled state notice is received from the image forming device.

9. A computer-readable recording medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform an image output method in an image forming device to which one or a plurality of host terminals are connected, the image output method comprising: receiving a first user-identification data which identifies a user of the image forming device and is inputted by the user;detecting whether the received first user-identification data matches with a second user-identification data which is received from a host terminal before or after an image output request is received from the host terminal or concurrently with receipt of the image output request;transmiting an image output enabled state notice to the host terminal in response to the image output request when it is detected that the first user-identification data matches with the second user-identification data; andreceiving image data which is transmitted by the host terminal in response to the image output enabled state notice, and outputting an image based on the received image data.

10. An image output method for use in an image forming device to which one or a plurality of host terminals are connected, the image output method comprising: receiving a first user-identification data which identifies a user of the image forming device and is inputted by the user;detecting whether the received first user-identification data matches with a second user-identification data which is received from a host terminal before or after an image output request is received from the host terminal or concurrently with receipt of the image output request;transmiting an image output enabled state notice to the host terminal in response to the image output request when it is detected that the first user-identification data matches with the second user-identification data; andreceiving image data which is transmitted by the host terminal in response to the image output enabled state notice, and outputting an image based on the received image data.