Data storage device, data storage method, and program thereof

• US 20060227378A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mihira, Yoshiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method of storing data that is accessible by a specific user includes issuing authentication information for confirming that a user other than the specific user has a right to use a storage area that is temporarily available within a data processing device, obtaining a data registration request sent from a terminal operated by the other user and the authentication information issued, registering data sent from a terminal of the other user in the storage area that is temporarily available, when the authentication information obtained in the obtaining step is confirmed as valid, and storing data registered in the storage area that is temporarily available, in the storage area to which an access right is given to the specific user.

Claims

1. A data storage device that is accessible by a specific user, the data storage device comprising:

an issuing unit configured to issue authentication information to confirm that a user other than the specific user has a right to use a storage area that is temporarily available within the data storage device;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain a request to store data sent from a terminal operated by the other user and the authentication information issued by the issuing unit;

a registering unit configured to register data sent from the terminal of the other user in the storage area that is temporarily available, when the authentication information obtained in the obtaining unit is confirmed as valid; and

a storage unit configured to store data registered in the storage area that is temporarily available, in a storage area to which an access right is given to the specific user.

2. The data storage device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises an indication of a number of times the authentication information is usable.

3. The data storage device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises an indication of a valid period of time of the authentication information.

4. The data storage device according to claim 1, wherein the issuing unit issues to the terminal of the other user specified information for specifying the storage area that is temporarily available to the terminal of the other user, and further comprising a transferring unit configured to transfer data designating the specified information to a storage area to which an access right is given to the specific user, when the data designating the specified information is registered.

5. The data storage device according to claim 1, wherein an e-mail is used to specify the storage area that is temporarily available to the terminal of the other user.

6. The data storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit configured to notify the terminal of the other user about the completion of data registration when the data is registered in the storage area that is temporarily available, in the registration process conducted by the registration unit.

7. The data storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a management unit configured to manage storage capacity of the storage area that is temporarily available.

8. The data storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an extracting unit configured to extract the authentication information from request information that requests registration of the data, wherein the authentication information is obtained by the obtaining unit as part of the request information; and

a confirming unit configured to confirm the authentication information extracted by the extracting unit.

9. The data storage device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication information includes at least one of a specific password, a random number, and information encoded by a specific algorithm, and is notified to a user or a terminal having an access right.

10. A method of storing data that is accessible by a specific user, the method comprising:

issuing authentication information for confirming that a user other than the specific user has a right to use a storage area that is temporarily available within a data processing device;

obtaining a data registration request sent from a terminal operated by the other user;

obtaining the authentication information that was issued;

registering data sent from a terminal of the other user in the storage area that is temporarily available, when the authentication information obtained is confirmed as valid; and

storing data registered in the storage area that is temporarily available, in the storage area to which an access right is given to the specific user.

11. The method of storing data according to claim 10, wherein the authentication information comprises an indication of a number of times that the authentication information is usable.

12. The method of storing data according to claim 10, wherein the authentication information comprises an indication of a valid period of time of the authentication information.

13. The method of storing data according to claim 10, wherein specified information for specifying the storage area that is temporarily available to the terminal of the other user is issued, and further comprising transferring the data designating the specified data to the storage area to which an access right is given to the specific user, when the data designating the specified information is registered.

14. The method of storing data according to claim 10, wherein an e-mail is used to specify the storage area that is temporarily available to the terminal of the other user.

15. The method of storing data according to claim 10, further comprising notifying the terminal of the other user about the completion of data registration when the data is registered in the storage area that is temporarily available.

16. The method of storing data according to claim 10, further comprising managing storage capacity of the storage area that is temporarily available.

17. The method of storing data according to claim 10, further comprising:

extracting the authentication information from request information that requests registration of the data, wherein the authentication information is obtained as part of the request information; and

confirming the extracted authentication information.

18. The method of storing data according to claim 10, wherein the authentication information includes at least one of a specific password, a random number, and information encoded by a specific algorithm, and is notified to a user or a terminal having an access right.

19. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon control program for implementing a method of storing data that can be accessed by a specific user, the method stored on the computer-readable medium comprising:

issuing authentication information for confirming that a user other than the specific user has a right to use a storage area that is temporarily available within a data processing device;

obtaining a data registration request sent from a terminal operated by the other user and the authentication information issued;

registering data sent from a terminal of the other user in the storage area that is temporarily available, when the authentication information obtained is confirmed as valid; and

storing data registered in the storage area that is temporarily available, in the storage area to which an access right is given to the specific user.