Image processing apparatus and personal information management program

• US 20050204144A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizutani, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/796,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204144A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• 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 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• 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 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/442 using a biometric data reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display

Abstract

An image processing apparatus and a personal information management program are provided in which each user is permitted to perform the processing of user'"'"'s own personal information while preventing leakage of user'"'"'s personal information without disturbing the use of the apparatus by an infinite number of users to any substantial extent. The apparatus includes a user authentication section that acquires ID information to identify each user from among a plurality of users, and performs user authentication based on the ID information; an operation mode setting section that can selectively set, as an operation mode that sets a work environment for operation inputs, between an personal operation mode to permit each user to operate individually and a public operation mode to permit an indefinite number of users to operate; and a mode switching section that, when a user is authenticated in the user authentication section, switches the operation mode from the public operation mode into the personal operation mode for the authenticated user.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a user authentication section that acquires ID information to identify each user from among a plurality of users, and performs user authentication based on said ID information;

an operation mode setting section that can selectively set, as an operation mode that sets a work environment for operation inputs, between an personal operation mode to permit each user to operate individually and a public operation mode to permit an indefinite number of users to operate; and

a mode switching section that, when a user is authenticated in said user authentication section, switches said operation mode from said public operation mode into said personal operation mode for the authenticated user.

2. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mode switching section switches said operation mode from said personal operation mode into said public operation mode based on a prescribed condition with the state that a current operation mode is set-to said personal operation mode.

3. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein when ID information is not acquired for a period of time longer than a predetermined time in said user authentication section, said mode switching section switches said operation mode from said personal operation mode into said public operation mode with the state that a current operation mode is set to said personal operation mode.

4. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a human body detection section that detects a user located in the vicinity of said image processing apparatus, wherein when a human body has not been detected by said human body detection section for a period of time longer than a predetermined time, said mode switching section switches said operation mode from said personal operation mode into said public operation mode with the state that a current operation mode is set to said personal operation mode.

5. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a setting information acquisition section that acquires setting information associated with each user, wherein said operation mode setting section sets said personal operation mode based on said setting information associated with the user authenticated in said user authentication section.

6. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ID information cooperates with login IDs in a network that can be connected to said image processing apparatus, wherein said image processing apparatus further comprises a personal information processing section that performs the processing of personal information relevant to the users corresponding to said ID information existing on said network based on said ID information.

7. A personal information management program adapted to be stored in a computer-readable medium so as to perform the management of personal information in an image processing apparatus shared by a plurality of users, said personal information management program serving to make a computer execute:

a user authentication step that acquires ID information to identify each user from among a plurality of users, and performing user authentication based on said ID information;

an operation mode setting step that selectively sets, as an operation mode that sets a work environment for operation inputs, between an personal operation mode to permit each user to operate individually and a public operation mode to permit an indefinite number of users to operate; and

a mode switching step that, when a user is authenticated in said user authentication step, switches said operation mode from said public operation mode into said personal operation mode for the authenticated user.

8. A personal information management program as set forth in claim 7, wherein in said mode switching step, said operation mode is switched from said personal operation mode into said public operation mode based on a prescribed condition with the state that a current operation mode is set to said personal operation mode.

9. The personal information management program as set forth in claim 7, wherein in said mode switching step, when ID information is not acquired for a period of time longer than a predetermined time in said user authentication step, said operation mode is switched from said personal operation mode into said public operation mode with the state condition that a current operation mode is set to said personal operation mode.

10. The personal information management program as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a human body detection step for detecting a user located in the vicinity of said image processing apparatus, wherein in said mode switching step, when a human body has not been detected in said human body detection step for a period of time longer than a predetermined time, said operation mode is switched from said personal operation mode into said public operation mode with the state that a current operation mode is set to said personal operation mode.

11. The personal information management program as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a setting information acquisition step that acquires setting information associated with each user, wherein in said operation mode setting step, said personal operation mode is set based on said setting information associated with the user authenticated in said user authentication step.

12. The personal information management program as set forth in claim 7, wherein said ID information cooperates with login IDs in a network that can be connected to said image processing apparatus, wherein said personal information management program further comprises a personal information processing step that performs the processing of personal information relevant to the users corresponding to said ID information existing on said network based on said ID information.