Computer-based network printing system and method for providing a unique identifier to be input by a user

Abstract

A method and computer-based printing system enable a user of a computer to send an image file to a host computer and subsequently to a printer for printing while ensuring that the user is able to retrieve the printed document without other individuals having access to the printed document. More particularly, in response to receiving a print request from a user terminal, stores the image data with a unique job number, sends the job number to the terminal computer and this terminal computer displays the job number to the user. The user may then enter the displayed job number and password on an operation unit of any printer selected by the user, and in response, the host computer downloads the stored image data associated with the inputted job number to the selected printer and the selected printer prints the document. Other individuals are prevented from viewing the printed document because only the intended recipient (i.e., the user who originated print job) knows the user's password and job number and because the intended recipient is located at the printer and can “guard” the printed document from being viewed by other people.

1. A network print system comprising:
 a computer terminal having, 
 a processor,  
 a computer user interface, and  
 a computer display, said processor being configured to produce a print request message in response to information provided through said computer user interface, said print request message containing image data, and said print request message not uniquely identifying a device for printing said image data;  
   a plurality of printers communicatively coupled to said computer terminal, said plurality of printers each having a printer user interface with a data input device and a data display device; and    a host computer communicatively coupled to said plurality of printers and said computer terminal and configured to receive said print request message, said host computer having 
 a memory in which said image data is stored, and  
 a host computer processor configured to produce a job number associated with said print request message and send said job number to said computer terminal, wherein  
   said computer terminal being configured to display on said computer display an indication of said job number provided by said host computer,    said host computer processor being configured to recognize when said job number is input to a particular printer of said plurality of printers via said printer user interface and configured to, based on said job number input, associate said particular printer with said print request message and identify the particular printer as the printer for receiving the print request message, and provide said image data to said identified particular printer for printing so that a user can input said job number into any one of the plurality of printers in order to print the image data at the printer into which the user input the job number.    
     
     
       2. A network print system comprising:
 a computer terminal having, 
 a processor,  
 a computer user interface configured to receive a password entered by a user, and  
 a computer display, said processor being configured to produce a print request message containing image data and said password, said print request message not uniquely identifying a device for printing said image data;  
   a plurality of printers communicatively coupled to said computer terminal, said plurality of printers each having a printer user interface with a data input device and a data display device; and    a host computer communicatively coupled to said plurality of printers and said computer terminal, and configured to receive said print request message, said host computer having 
 a memory in which said image data and said password are stored, and  
 a host computer processor configured to produce a job number associated with said print request message, store said job number in said memory in association with said image data and said password, and send said job number to said computer terminal, wherein  
   said computer terminal being configured to display on said computer display an indication of said job number provided by said host computer, and    said host computer processor being configured to recognize when said job number and said password are input to a particular printer of said plurality of printers via said printer user interface and configured to, based on said job number input, associate said particular printer with said print request message and identify the particular printer as the printer for receiving the print request message and provide said image data to said identified particular printer for printing so that the user can input said job number and said password into any one of the plurality of printers in order to print the image data at the printer into which the user input the job number and said password.    
     
     
       3. A network print system comprising:
 a computer terminal having, 
 a processor,  
 a computer user interface, and  
 a computer display, said processor being configured to produce a print request message containing image data, said print request message not uniquely identifying a device for printing said image data;  
   a plurality of printers coupled to said computer terminal, each printer having 
 a printer user interface with a data input device and a data display device, and  
 a printer memory configured to hold a user password,  
   a host computer coupled to said plurality of printers and said computer terminal, and configured to receive said print request message, said host computer having 
 a host computer memory in which said image data is stored, and  
 a host computer processor configured to produce a job number associated with said print request message, store said job number in said host computer memory in association with said image data, and send said job number to said computer terminal, wherein  
   said computer terminal being configured to display on said computer display an indication of said job number provided by said host computer,    at least one of said host computer and said plurality of printers being configured to determine if an input data input through said printer user interface of a particular printer of said plurality of printers matches said job number, and if so, to associate said particular printer with said print request message, identify the particular printer as the printer for receiving the print request message and provide said image data to said particular printer,    each of said plurality of printers being configured to determine whether a password input via said printer user interface matches said password stored in said printer memory and if so printing a document corresponding to said image data so that a user can input said input data and a password into any one of the plurality of printers in order to print the image data at the printer into which the user input the input data and the password.    
     
     
       4. A secure method for printing a document in a network print system having a plurality of printers, comprising the steps of:
 receiving an image data at a first network terminal;    producing a print request message at said first network terminal and sending said print request message and said image data to a second network terminal, said print request message not uniquely identifying a device for printing said image data;    storing in memory said image data and an associated job number at said second network terminal;    sending a reply message to said first network terminal from said second network terminal, said reply message including said associated job number;    displaying said associated job number at said first network terminal;    receiving a local print request message at said second network terminal from a particular printer of said plurality of printers, said local request message having an input job number; and    comparing said input job number with said associated job number and if said input job number matches said associated job number, associating said particular printer with said print request message and identifying the particular printer as the printer for receiving the print request message, and printing from said identified particular printer a document corresponding to said image data so that a user can input said input job number into any one of the plurality of printers in order to print the image data at the printer into which the user input the input job number.    
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the storing step includes storing said image data and said associated job number at a host computer, said second network terminal comprising said host computer and at least one printer, said at least one printer having a printer user interface;    the step of receiving the local print request message at the second network terminal includes inputting the input job number on the printer user interface of any one of said at least one printer; and    the comparing step includes comparing at the host computer the input job number with the associated job number.    
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , wherein:
 said receiving an image data step includes receiving a password;    the producing a print request message step includes sending the password;    the storing step includes storing said password;    the step of receiving a local print request message includes receiving an input password; and    the comparing step includes comparing the password with the input password and printing the image data if said input password matches said password.    
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 storing an assigned password at the second network terminal;    inputting a local password at any one of said plurality of printers; and    comparing the local password with the assigned password, wherein    said step of printing from said any one of said plurality of printers comprises printing said document only if said local password matches said assigned password.    
     
     
       8. A secure network print system having a plurality of printers, comprising:
 means for receiving an image data at a first network terminal;    means for producing a print request message not uniquely identifying a device for printing said image data at said first network terminal and for sending said print request message and said image data to a second network terminal;    means for storing in memory said image data and an associated job number at said second network terminal;    means for sending a reply message to said first network terminal from said second network terminal, said reply message including said associated job number;    means for displaying said associated job number at said first network terminal;    means for inputting a local print request message at a particular printer of said plurality of printers, said local print request message having an input job number;    means for sending said local print request message to said second network terminal; and    means for comparing said input job number with said associated job number and if said input job number matches said associated job number associating said particular printer with said print request message and identifying the particular printer as the printer for receiving the print request message, and printing from said identified particular printer a document corresponding to said image data so that a user can input said input job number into any one of the plurality of printers in order to print the image data at the printer into which the user input the input job number.    
     
     
       9. A network host computer, comprising:
   an interface unit configured to communicatively couple the network host computer to a computer terminal and a plurality of printers, said interface unit being configured to receive print data from said computer terminal, said print data not uniquely identifying a printer for printing the print data;        a memory configured to store said print data; and        a processor configured to:      produce a job number associated with the print data received from the computer terminal,        recognize that said job number has been input to a user interface associated with a particular printer of said plurality of printers, and        associate said user interface with said print data and identify the user interface as the user interface for receiving the print data, and        provide said print data to said identified user interface for printing, wherein a user can input said job number into any one of a plurality of user interfaces in order to print the print data at the printer associated with the user interface into which the user input the job number.       
     
     
       10. The network host computer of  claim 9 , wherein said processor is further configured to send said job number to the computer terminal so that the job number can be displayed on the computer terminal. 
     
     
       11. The network host computer of  claim 9 , wherein
   said memory is configured to store said job number, and        said processor is configured to associate said user interface with said print data and identify the user interface as the user interface for receiving the print data by verifying that the job number input to the user interface associated with said particular printer matches said job number stored in said memory.     
     
     
       12. The network host computer of  claim 11 , wherein said processor is further configured to perform a secondary verification if said job number input to the user interface associated with said particular printer does not match said job number stored in said memory. 
     
     
       13. The network host computer of  claim 9 , wherein said processor is further configured to send an error message to said user interface when a job number input to said user interface associated with the particular printer does not match said job number stored in said memory. 
     
     
       14. The network host computer of  claim 9 , wherein said interface unit is further configured to receive a password from said computer terminal. 
     
     
       15. The network host computer of  claim 14 , wherein said processor is further configured to send said job number and password to the computer terminal so that the job number and password can be displayed on the computer terminal. 
     
     
       16. The network host computer of  claim 14 , wherein said processor is further configured to:
   associate said job number with said password and print data received from the computer terminal;        recognize that said job number and password have been input to said user interface associated with said particular printer of said plurality of printers;        associate said user interface with said print data and identify the user interface as the user interface for receiving the print data; and        provide said print data to said identified user interface for printing, wherein a user can input said job number and password into any one of a plurality of user interfaces in order to print the print data at the printer associated with the user interface into which the user input the job number.     
     
     
       17. The network host computer of  claim 14 , wherein
   said memory is configured to store said job number and password, and        said processor is configured to associate said user interface with said print data and identify the user interface as the user interface for receiving the print data by verifying that the job number and password input to the user interface associated with said particular printer matches said job number and password stored in said memory.     
     
     
       18. The network host computer of  claim 17 , wherein said processor is further configured to perform a secondary verification if said job number and password input to the user interface associated with said particular printer does not match said job number and password stored in said memory. 
     
     
       19. The network host computer of  claim 16 , wherein said processor is further configured to send an error message to said printer when a job number and password input to the user interface associated with said particular printer does not match said job number and password stored in said memory. 
     
     
       20. A network print system comprising:
   a user computer terminal configured to provide network access for a user;        a plurality of printers each associated with a user interface on which the user may enter data and view displayed information; and        a network host computer comprising:      an interface unit configured to communicatively couple the network host computer to said user computer terminal and said plurality of printers, said interface unit being configured to receive print data from said computer terminal, said print data not uniquely identifying a printer for printing the print data,          a memory configured to store said print data, and        a processor configured to:      produce a job number associated with the print data received from the computer terminal,        recognize that said job number has been input to the user interface associated with a particular printer of said plurality of printers,        associate said user interface with said print data and identify the user interface as the user interface for receiving the print data, and        provide said print data to said identified user interface for printing,          wherein a user can input said job number into any one of a plurality of user interfaces in order to print the print data at the printer associated with the user interface into which the user input the job number.     
     
     
       21. The network print system of  claim 20 , wherein said network host computer is configured to produce at least one of a letter and a number as said job number. 
     
     
       22. A method of printing on any one of a plurality of printers on a network, the method comprising:
   receiving print data from a computer terminal, the print data not uniquely identifying a printer for printing the print data;        producing a job number associated with the print data;        recognizing that said job number has been input to a user interface associated with a particular printer of said plurality of printers,        associating said user interface with said print data and identifying the user interface as the user interface for receiving the print data, and        providing said print data to said identified user interface for printing, wherein a user can input said job number into any one of a plurality of user interfaces in order to print the print data at the printer associated with the user interface into which the user input the job number.     
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein said producing a job number comprises producing an identifier comprising at least one of a number and a letter. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22 , wherein said recognizing comprises receiving said job number from a printer interface unit associated with said particular printer of said plurality of printers. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 22 , wherein said recognizing comprises receiving said job number from a printer controller associated with said particular printer of said plurality of printers. 
     
     
       26. A printer user interface comprising:
   a data input device,        a data display device,        an interface unit configured to communicatively couple a printer to a computer terminal, a host computer and a plurality of other printers; and        a processor configured to:      receive a job number input through said input device, the job number previously associated with print data by the host computer, the print data being sent by the computer terminal and not uniquely identifying a printer for printing said print data, and        send said job number to said host computer, which identifies the user interface that sent the job number as the user interface to receive the print data and provides the print data to the identified user interface, wherein a user can input said job number into any one of a plurality of user interfaces, in order to print the print data at the printer associated with the user interface into which the user input the job number.       
     
     
       27. The printer user interface of  claim 26 , wherein said processor is configured to receive at least one of a letter and a number as said job number. 
     
     
       28. The printer user interface of  claim 26 , wherein said processor is further configured to:
   receive a password and said job number input through said input device, the password and job number previously associated with said print data by the host computer; and        send said password and job number to said host computer, which identifies the user interface that sent the password and job number as the user interface to receive the print data and provides the print data to the identified user interface, wherein a user can input said password and job number into any one of a plurality of user interfaces in order to print the print data at the printer associated with the user interface into which the user input the password and job number.