Claims
- 1. A printer comprising:
a printing mechanism for printing images; a cutter; a sensor suitable for sensing authentication characteristics of a document and outputting a sensor signal corresponding to the sensed characteristics; and a controller operable to
send authentication data representing the sensor signal to a server, cause the cutter to cut the document to invalidate the document, and send data representing completion of the invalidation of the document to the server.
- 2. The printer of claim 1, further comprising a network interface for coupling the printer to a network, wherein the controller operable to
send the authentication data to the server via the network, and send the data representing completion to the server via the network.
- 3. The printer of claim 2, wherein the controller is further operable to
receive an encoding data from the server via the network, encode the authentication data by using the encoding data, and send the encoded authentication data to the server via the network.
- 4. The printer of claim 3, wherein the controller is further operable to
in response to receiving a request for cancellation of the document from a user, send data representing the request for cancellation of the document to the server via the network, receive a request for the authentication data from the server via the network, cause the sensor to scan the document to obtain the authentication data in response to the request for the authentication data, receive a request to cut the document from the server via the network, and cut the document in response to the request to cut.
- 5. The printer of claim 4, wherein the printing mechanism includes a thermal transfer mechanism.
- 6. The printer of claim 1, further comprising:
an opening provided on the printer into which a user inserts the document; and a transport mechanism for transporting the document from the opening to the cutter.
- 7. The printer of claim 6, wherein the printer retains the document cut by the cutter within a housing of the printer.
- 8. The printer of claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from a group comprising a photo sensor, an ultraviolet light sensor, and a magnetic sensor.
- 9. A printer comprising:
means for printing images; means for cutting; means for sensing authentication characteristics of a document and outputting a sensor signal corresponding to the sensed characteristics; and means for
sending authentication data representing the sensor signal to a server, causing the cutter to cut the document to invalidate the document, and sending data representing completion of the invalidation of the document to the server.
- 10. A method for invalidating a document, comprising:
sensing authentication characteristics of the document; outputting a sensor signal corresponding to the sensed characteristics; sending authentication data representing the sensor signal to a server; causing a cutter to cut the document to invalidate the document; and sending data representing completion of the invalidation of the document to the server.
- 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
sending the authentication data to the server via a network, and send the data representing completion to the server via the network.
- 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
receiving an encoding data from the server via the network, encoding the authentication data by using the encoding data, and sending the encoded authentication data to the server via the network.
- 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
in response to receiving a request for cancellation of the document from a user, sending data representing the request for cancellation of the document to the server via the network, receiving a request for the authentication data from the server via the network, causing the sensor to scan the document to obtain the authentication data in response to the request for the authentication data, receiving a request to cut the document from the server via the network, and cutting the document in response to the request to cut.
- 14. The method of claim 10, further comprising transporting the document from an opening to the cutter, the opening being provided on a printer into which a user inserts the document.
- 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising retaining the document cut by a cutter within a housing of the printer.
- 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sensing is performed by at least one of a photo sensor, an ultraviolet light sensor, and a magnetic sensor.
- 17. A computer program product for invalidating a document, comprising:
a computer readable medium; and computer readable code stored in the computer readable medium for causing a computer to:
sense authentication characteristics of the document; output a sensor signal corresponding to the sensed characteristics; send authentication data representing the sensor signal to a server; cause a cutter to cut the document to invalidate the document; and send data representing completion of the invalidation of the document to the server.
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______. (Attorney Docket no. ALPSP013) for “PRINTER FOR PRINTING IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SERVER” (Miyano) filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.