Image processor

• US 20060101279A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Akita, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,132,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]

Abstract

A procedure for login in a case where a prescribed job is executed in an image processor is simplified. An image processor includes: input unit accepting an input of user authentication information from a user; user authentication unit performing user authentication by comparing the inputted user authentication information with the stored user authentication information to authorize execution of processing; and temporary ID generation unit generating an temporary ID if the user authentication is successful to store the temporary ID, being related to the user authentication information, wherein the input unit accepts an input of the temporary ID and the user authentication unit compares the inputted temporary ID with the stored temporary ID to thereby perform the user authentication and to authorize execution of the processing.

Claims

1. An image processor comprising:

an input unit accepting an input of user authentication information from a user;

a user authentication unit performing user authentication by comparing the inputted user authentication information with the stored user authentication information to authorize execution of processing; and

a temporary ID generation unit generating a temporary ID in a case where the user authentication is successful to store the temporary ID, being related to the user authentication information, wherein

the input unit accepts an input of the temporary ID and the user authentication unit compares the inputted temporary ID with the stored temporary ID to thereby perform the user authentication and to authorize execution of the processing.

2. The image processor according to claim 1, further comprising temporary ID determination unit determining effectiveness of the temporary ID.

3. The image processor according to claim 2, wherein the temporary ID generation unit, when generating a temporary ID and storing it, sets the number of effective times for the temporary ID to store the number of effective times into the user authentication information being related to the temporary ID, and

the temporary ID determination unit, when the number of times of authentication with the temporary ID exceeds the set number of effective times, renders the temporary ID invalid to delete the temporary ID from the stored user authentication information.

4. The image processor according to claim 2, wherein the temporary ID generation unit, when generating a temporary ID and storing it, sets an effective time from when the temporary ID is generated to store the effective time into the user authentication information being related to the temporary ID, and

the temporary ID determination unit renders the temporary ID the effective time of which expires invalid to delete the temporary ID from the stored user authentication information.

5. The image processor according to claim 2, wherein the input unit accepts an input of the user authentication information through a network,

the temporary ID generation unit, when generating the temporary ID and storing it, acquires a network session ID for an input through the network to store the network session ID for an input being related to the temporary ID into the user authentication information, and

the temporary ID determination unit, when the network session ID is rendered invalid, renders the related temporary ID invalid to delete the temporary ID from the stored user authentication information.

6. The image processor according to claim 2, wherein the temporary ID generation unit, when generating the temporary ID and storing it, stores effectiveness showing a state of “

effective”

or “

invalid”

of the temporary ID being related to the temporary ID into the user authentication information,

the temporary ID determination unit stores alteration in effectiveness of the temporary ID based on a command commanding alteration in effectiveness of the temporary ID.

7. The image processor according to claim 2, wherein the temporary ID determination unit, if a second user is using already the temporary ID in a case where the user succeeds in user authentication based on the user authentication information excluding the temporary ID, renders the temporary ID invalid not only to cause execution of processing by the second user to be stopped, but also to forcibly perform logout.

8. The image processor according to claim 2, wherein the temporary ID determination unit, if a second user is using already the temporary ID in a case where the user succeeds in user authentication with the temporary ID, renders the user authentication of the user invalid to notify the second user of use of the temporary ID by the user.

9. The image processor according to claim 2, wherein the temporary ID determination unit, in a case where the number of times of failures in user authentication with a temporary ID exceeds a prescribed number of times, renders all temporary IDs invalid to delete the temporary IDs from the stored user authentication information.

10. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein the temporary ID generation unit generates a temporary ID in a case where the user requests the temporary ID.

11. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein the temporary ID generation unit generates plural temporary IDs for the one piece of user authentication information to store the temporary IDs being related to the user authentication information.

12. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein the processing is a print job.

13. The image processor according to claim 12, wherein the print job is selected from storing job or secret job.

14. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein the image processor is a multiple function peripherals having at least one function selected from a group of copying function, scanning function, facsimileing function, and printing function.

15. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

accepting an input of user authentication information from a user;

comparing the inputted user authentication information with the stored user authentication information to thereby perform user authentication and to authorize execution processing; and

generating a temporary ID if the user authentication is successful to store the temporary ID being related to the user authentication information,

wherein the inputted temporary ID is compared with the stored temporary ID to perform user authentication and to thereby authorize execution of the processing, the user authentication information including the temporary ID.

16. The image processing method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of determining effectiveness of the temporary ID.

17. The image processing method according to claim 15, the processing is a print job.

18. The image processing method according to claim 15, the image processing method is performed on a multiple function peripherals having at least one function selected from a group of copying function, scanning function, printing function, and facsimileing function.

19. An image processing program for causing a computer to execute the steps of the image processing method according to claim 15.

20. A recording medium that is computer-readable and stores the image processing program according to claim 19.