Multifunction machine and personal authentication method of multifunction machine

• US 20050152544A1
• Filed: 07/19/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kizawa, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00514 for individual users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0097 Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A multifunction machine and a personal authentication method are provided in which information is exchanged between the multifunction machine and a memory card by the RF-ID method. The multifunction machine reads identification information of a user from the memory card through a wireless wave without contact. The read identification information is send to a server to inquire whether the user is registered. A personal information table is obtained from the server, when the user is authenticated. The personal information table includes a customized menu and a training menu. The training menu includes setting information when the customized menu was selected in the immediately previous operation. The obtained customized menu and setting information of the training menu are displayed on a panel of the multifunction machine.

Claims

1. A multifunction machine, comprising:

a plurality of functions, including at least a printer function;

an information reader that reads identification information of a user from a memory card through a wireless wave;

a registration confirmation unit that sends the identification information read from the memory card to a server and inquires whether the user is registered; and

a display that displays a message indicating that the user is authenticated, when the user is registered.

2. The multifunction machine according to claim 1, further comprising a menu obtaining unit that obtains a customized menu of the user from the server, when the registration confirmation unit confirms that the user is registered,

wherein the display displays the customized menu obtained by the menu obtaining unit.

3. The multifunction machine according to claim 1, wherein the memory card stores a training menu corresponding to a customized menu stored in the server,

the training menu includes setting information that was set when a job regarding the customized menu was performed previously,

the information reader reads the training menu with the identification information, and

the display displays the setting information in the training menu in association with the customized menu.

4. The multifunction machine according to claim 1, wherein the memory card stores a training menu corresponding to a customized menu stored in the server,

the training menu includes setting information that was set when a job regarding the customized menu was performed previously,

the information reader reads the training menu with the identification information, and

when the setting information in the training menu is changed, the information reader stores changed setting information into the memory card.

5. The multifunction machine according to claim 3, further comprising a job controller that controls a job in accordance with the setting information in the training menu, when the job is related to a menu selected by the user from the customized menu displayed on the display.

6. The multifunction machine according to claim 5, wherein consumable information regarding the job is obtained, and the consumable information is managed per one of user and user'"'"'s division as a unit in accordance with the identification information.

7. The multifunction machine according to claim 1, wherein the server stores at least one personal information table, each personal information table including a customized menu for a user and a training menu, the training menu including at least setting information that was set when the customized menu was selected previously,

the multifunction machine further comprising a menu obtaining unit that obtains the personal information table of an authenticated user from the server,

wherein the display displays the customized menu and the setting information of the training menu included in the obtained personal information table.

8. The multifunction machine according to claim 7, wherein the display displays a message indicating a standard setting when the training menu does not exist, and

the display displays the setting information of the training menu when the training menu exists.

9. The multifunction machine according to claim 7, wherein, when the setting information of the training menu is changed, a changed content is reflected on the training menu stored in the server.

10. A personal authentication method in a multifunction machine, comprising:

reading identification information of a user from a memory card through a wireless wave;

sending the identification information read from the memory card to a server to inquire whether the user is registered; and

displaying a message indicating that the user is authenticated, when the user is registered.

11. A personal authentication method of a multifunction machine, comprising:

reading identification information of a user from a memory card through a wireless wave;

sending the read identification information to a server to inquire whether the user is registered;

obtaining, when the user is registered, a personal information table for the user from the server, the personal information table including at least a customized menu for the user and a training menu that includes setting information when the customized menu was selected previously; and

displaying the customized menu and the setting information of the training menu included in the obtained personal information table.

12. A multifunction machine comprising:

a plurality of functions including at least a printer function;

an information reader that reads identification information of a user from a memory card through a wireless wave;

a storage unit that stores personal information to identify at least one of an individual and a group;

an authentication unit that compares the identification information read from the memory card with the personal information stored in the storage unit to perform authentication; and

a display that displays a result of the authentication.

13. The multifunction machine according to claim 12, wherein the storage unit stores a customized menu in association with the personal information, and the display displays the customized menu for an authenticated user.

14. The multifunction machine according to claim 12, wherein the memory card stores a training menu corresponding to the customized menu stored in the storage unit,

the training menu includes setting information that is set when a job regarding the customized menu was executed previously, and

the display displays the setting information of the training menu in association with the customized menu.

15. The multifunction machine according to claim 12, wherein the memory card stores a training menu corresponding to the customized menu stored in the storage unit,

the training menu includes setting information that is set when a job regarding the customized menu was executed previously, and

when the setting information of the training menu is changed in a current job execution, changed setting information is stored into the memory card.

16. The multifunction machine according to claim 14, further comprising a job controller that controls a job in accordance with the setting information in the training menu, when the job regarding a menu selected by the user from the customized menu displayed on the display is executed.

17. The multifunction machine according to claim 16, wherein consumable information regarding the execution of the job is obtained, and the consumable information is managed per one of user and user'"'"'s division as a unit, in accordance with the identification information.

18. The multifunction machine according to claim 12, wherein the storage unit stores a personal information table that includes personal information to identify at least one of an individual and a group, a customized menu registered previously and a training menu including latest setting information for the customized menu, and

the display displays the customized menu and the setting information in the training menu for an authenticated user.

19. A personal authentication method for a multifunction machine, comprising:

reading identification information of a user from a memory card through a wireless wave;

performing personal authentication by comparing identification information read from the memory card with personal information of the user previously stored in the multifunction machine; and

displaying a result of the personal authentication.

20. A personal authentication method of a multifunction machine, comprising:

reading identification information of a user from a memory card through a wireless wave,

performing personal authentication by comparing the identification information read from the memory card with personal information of the user previously registered in the multifunction machine;

reading a customized menu previously registered for an authenticated user in the multifunction machine and a training menu including latest setting information for the customized menu; and

displaying the read customized menu and the setting information of the training menu.