Server apparatus providing portable information terminal and image forming apparatus with cloud image processing service

• US 10,291,793 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawano, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hon, Ming Y
• Application Number:
  US15/602,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3215 using a plurality of channels network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/001 specially adapted for transmission via digital wireline networks H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00339 with an electronic or magnetic storage medium I/O device RFID or the like H04N1/00342
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2191 for simultaneous, independent access by a plurality of different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 : involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 : to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 : Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 : Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/006 : Using near field communication, e.g. an inductive loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 : Portable devices

Abstract

An image forming apparatus 176 capable of easy log-in to a desired cloud service includes a print engine communicable with a cloud server 170 for printing a print job received from cloud server 170, a reader/writer 174 capable of proximity communication with a portable terminal 172, and a log-in executing device receiving log-in information to cloud server 170 from portable terminal 172 through reader/writer 174, for executing the log-in process to cloud server 170 using the log-in information.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a display device;

a Central Processing Unit (CPU);

a memory; and

a printer that prints a print job received from a server;

wherein

the CPU communicates with the server through a network and executes a log-in process to said server;

while the CPU executes the log-in process to said server for a specific user and whereby said specific user is being logged-in to said server, said printer receives through the CPU a print job, which is transmitted from said server in response to a print instruction without print destination designation issued to said server from an information terminal logged-in to said server by a same user as said specific user, and forms an image based on the received print job;

in response to said image forming apparatus being logged-in to said server, said CPU displays on said display device an operation screen image that enables a selection of same functions as those of an operation screen image that provides an instruction to the server displayed on said information terminal, and receives a print instruction from said operation screen image displayed on said display device; and

said printer further receives, via the CPU, a print job, which is transmitted from said server in response to a print instruction received by said CPU on said operation screen image displayed on said display device.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the CPU communicates with an information terminal through proximity communication;

and

the CPU receives, from the information terminal logged-in to the server, log-in information to log in to the server, and executes a log-in process to the server using the log-in information.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the

log-in information received from the information terminal through the CPU includes access information about access to the server managing a user being logged-in to said server, and log-in information of a user logged-in to the server using the information terminal.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein as

long as a user who has logged in to the server through the CPU is being logged in to the server, the CPU prevents log-in by another user.