Image processing device, control method thereof and computer program product

• US 20060256370A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Murakawa, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5091 for user-identification or authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

An image forming device is provided with a use permission determining portion, an authentication process requesting portion and a job executing portion. The use permission determining portion performs determination whether or not use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device. The authentication process requesting portion requests the authentication server via a network to act for the determination when the use permission determining portion cannot perform the determination. The job executing portion performs the image processing of process specifics designated by the user when a determination result indicating that the user can use the image forming device is obtained.

Claims

1. An image processing device for performing an image-related process about an image, comprising:

a use permission determining portion for determining whether or not use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device;

a determination request portion for requesting an authentication server via a network to act as the use permission determining portion when the determination by the use permission determining portion cannot be performed; and

an image-related process control portion for controlling each portion of the image processing device so that the image-related process of process specifics designated by the user can be performed when the use permission determining portion or the authentication server produces a determination result indicating that the user can use the image processing device.

2. An image processing device for performing an image-related process about an image, comprising:

a use limitation information storing portion for storing use limitation information for each user, the use limitation information being about limitation of using each function of the image processing device;

a process specifics designation accepting portion for accepting designation of process specifics of the image-related process that the user wants;

a use permission determining portion for determining whether or not use of the function necessary for performing the image-related process of the designated process specifics should be permitted in accordance with the use limitation information of the user who designated the process specifics, the use limitation information being stored in the use limitation information storing portion;

a determination request portion for requesting an authentication server via a network to act as the use permission determining portion when the determination by the use permission determining portion cannot be performed; and

an image-related process control portion for controlling each portion of the image processing device so that the image-related process of the designated process specifics can be performed when the use permission determining portion or the authentication server produces a determination result indicating that the use of the function necessary for performing the image-related process of the designated process specifics is permitted and stopping execution of the image-related process of the designated process specifics when a determination result indicating that the use of the function is not permitted is obtained.

3. An image processing device for performing an image-related process about an image, comprising:

a determination request portion for requesting an authentication server via a network to perform determination whether or not use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device;

a use permission determining portion for acting for the determination when the authentication server cannot perform the determination; and

an image-related process control portion for controlling each portion of the image processing device so that the image-related process of process specifics designated by the user can be performed when the authentication server or the use permission determining portion produces a determination result indicating that the user can use the image processing device.

4. A method for controlling an image processing device that performs an image-related process about an image, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing an authentication server that can be connected to the image processing device via a network;

letting the image processing device perform a determination process whether use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device;

letting the authentication server perform the determination process in place of the image processing device when the image processing device cannot perform the determination process; and

allowing execution of the image-related process of the process specifics designated by the user when a determination result indicating that the user can use the image processing device is obtained.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

preparing first use right information about use right of the image processing device in the image processing device for each user or each group including plural users;

preparing second use right information about use right of the image processing device in the authentication server for each user or each group including plural users;

performing the determination process by the image processing device in accordance with the first use right information of a user who wants to use the image processing device or a group to which the user belongs; and

performing the determination process by the authentication server in accordance with the second use right information of a user who wants to use the image processing device or a group to which the user belongs.

6. A method for controlling an image processing device that performs an image-related process about an image, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing an authentication server that can be connected to the image processing device via a network;

letting the authentication server perform a determination process whether use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device;

letting the image processing device perform the determination process in place of the authentication server when the authentication server cannot perform the determination process; and

allowing execution of the image-related process of the process specifics designated by the user when a determination result indicating that the user can use the image processing device is obtained.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

preparing first use right information about use right of the image processing device in the image processing device for each user or each group including plural users;

preparing second use right information about use right of the image processing device in the authentication server for each user or each group including plural users;

performing the determination process by the image processing device in accordance with the first use right information of a user who wants to use the image processing device or a group to which the user belongs; and

performing the determination process by the authentication server in accordance with the second use right information of a user who wants to use the image processing device or a group to which the user belongs.

8. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for use in an image processing device that performs an image-related process about an image, the computer program makes the image processing device execute the processes including:

a determination process whether use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device;

a process for requesting an authentication server via a network to act for the determination process when the use permission determining portion cannot perform the determination process; and

a process for controlling each portion of the image processing device so that the image-related process of process specifics designated by the user can be performed when a determination result indicating that the user can use the image processing device is obtained.

9. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for use in an image processing device that performs an image-related process about an image, the computer program makes the image processing device execute the processes including:

a process for requesting an authentication server via a network to perform determination whether or not use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device;

a process for acting for the determination when the authentication server cannot perform the determination; and

a process for controlling each portion of the image processing device so that the image-related process of process specifics designated by the user can be performed when a determination result indicating that the user can use the image processing device is obtained.