Electronic apparatus that performs user authentication

• US 10,200,566 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku, Negussie
• Application Number:
  US15/822,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 437 Days
• Field of Search: 358 115, 358 112, 358 113, 709223
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00074 Indicating or reporting details of user-machine interface H04N1/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An electronic apparatus is obtained that suppresses a decrease in convenience to a legitimate user while reducing the possibility of unauthorized login. In the electronic apparatus, a user-interface unit displays a user-authentication screen, and detects operation for confirming a character string that is inputted in an input field. The user-authentication unit, when this operation is detected, executes user authentication based on the character string that is inputted in the input field and a pre-registered password. The user-authentication unit considers user authentication as having failed at least one time even though the character string is a correct password. The user-interface unit, (a) when the character string is not a correct password and user authentication has failed, clears the character string that is inputted in the input field. Then the user-interface unit monitors whether or not user operation of an operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected. The user-interface unit, (b) when user authentication has failed even though the character string is a correct password, does not clear the character string that is inputted in the input field. Then, the user-interface unit monitors whether or not user operation of an operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising a controller and a storage apparatus on which a program is stored, wherein the controller can execute the program to operate as:

a user-interface unit that displays a user-authentication screen having a password input field on a specified display apparatus, and detects user operation of an operation unit for confirming a character string that is inputted in the input field; and

a user-authentication unit that, when the user operation of the operation unit is detected, executes user authentication based on a character string that is inputted in the input field and a pre-registered password;

wherein

the user-authentication unit considers the user authentication as having failed at least one time even though the character string is a correct password; and

the user-interface unit, (a) when the user-authentication unit determines during the user authentication that the character string is not a correct password and that the user authentication has failed, clears the character string that is inputted in the input field, and monitors whether or not user operation of the operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected, and (b) when the user-authentication unit determines during the user authentication that the user authentication has failed even though the character string is a correct password, does not clear the character string that is inputted in the input field, and monitors whether or not user operation of the operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the user-authentication unit, (a) identifies a specified number of times of forced error judgment, and (b1) when the number of times that the inputted character string is continuously the correct password is equal to or less than the number of times of forced error judgment, considers the user authentication as having failed, and (b2) when the number of times that the inputted character string is continuously the correct password is greater than the number of times of forced error judgment, considers the user authentication as being successful.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when

the user-interface unit does not clear the character string that is inputted in the input field after the user-authentication unit determines during the user authentication that the user authentication has failed even though the character string is the correct password, and is monitoring whether or not user operation of the operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected, increases the number of times that the inputted character string is continuously a correct password by 1 when user operation of the operation unit is detected.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the user-interface unit does not clear the character string that is inputted in the input field after the user-authentication unit determines during the user authentication that the user authentication has failed even though the character string is the correct password, and is monitoring whether or not user operation of the operation unit or re-input of a character string in the input field is detected, clears the character string that is inputted in the input field when re-input of a character string in the input field is detected.