Entrance management system, control method thereof, information storage medium, authentication server, gate apparatus, and storage medium storing program

• US 20070078782A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Masahiro, Ono, Yoshiyuki, Yamagishi, Katsumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

An entrance management system includes: an authentication gate apparatus which reads the user identifier stored in an information storage medium, controls the user'"'"'s entrance to a management zone based on the user identifier, generates an intrazone user identifier associated with the user identifier and writes the intrazone user identifier to the information storage medium when the user is allowed to enter the management zone; and an information processing apparatus, installed in the management zone, which reads the intrazone user identifier written in the information storage medium and records information concerning use of the information processing apparatus by the user in association with the intrazone user identifier.

Claims

1. An entrance management system comprising:

an authentication gate apparatus which reads the user identifier stored in an information storage medium,

controls the user'"'"'s entrance to a management zone based on the user identifier,

generates an intrazone user identifier associated with the user identifier and writes the intrazone user identifier to the information storage medium when the user is allowed to enter the management zone; and

an information processing apparatus, installed in the management zone, which reads the intrazone user identifier written in the information storage medium and records information concerning use of the information processing apparatus by the user in association with the intrazone user identifier.

2. The entrance management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the authentication gate apparatus generates the intrazone user identifier based on information of date and time.

3. The entrance management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the user is allowed to enter the management zone, the authentication gate apparatus invalidates the user identifier.

4. The entrance management system as claimed in claim 3 wherein:

the authentication gate apparatus controls, based on the intrazone user identifier, the user'"'"'s exit from the management zone; and

when the user is allowed to exit the management zone, the authentication gate apparatus validates the user identifier.

5. The entrance management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the authentication gate apparatus controls, based on the intrazone user identifier, the user'"'"'s exit from the management zone; and

when the user is allowed to exit the management zone, the authentication gate apparatus invalidates the intrazone user identifier.

6. The entrance management system as claimed in claim 5, wherein when the user again enters the management zone that the user has exited, the invalidated intrazone user identifier is validated.

7. An information storage medium used in an entrance management system which records information concerning use of an information processing apparatus provided in a management zone, the information storage medium comprising:

a user identifier storage unit that stores the user identifier readable by the entrance management system; and

an intrazone user identifier storage unit that stores the intrazone user identifier which is generated when the user is allowed to enter the management zone and recorded in association with the information concerning the user'"'"'s use of the information processing apparatus.

8. An authentication server used in an entrance management system which records information concerning use of an information processing apparatus provided in a management zone, the authentication server comprising:

a control unit that controls, based on a user identifier stored in an information storage medium, a user'"'"'s entrance to the management zone;

an intrazone user identifier generation unit that generates an intrazone user identifier associated with the user identifier when the user is allowed to enter the management zone; and

an intrazone user identifier writing unit that writes the intrazone user identifier to the information storage medium.

9. The authentication server as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intrazone user identifier read by the information processing apparatus is recorded in association with information concerning the use of the information processing apparatus by the user.

10. The authentication server as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

an exit control unit that controls, based on the intrazone user identifier, the user'"'"'s exit from the management zone; and

an intrazone user identifier invalidation unit that invalidates the intrazone user identifier when the user is allowed to exit the management zone.

11. A gate apparatus used in an entrance management system which records information concerning use of an information processing apparatus provided in a management zone, the gate apparatus comprising:

a control unit that controls, based on a user identifier stored in an information storage medium, a user'"'"'s entrance to the management zone;

an intrazone user identifier generation unit that generates an intrazone user identifier associated with the user identifier when the user is allowed to enter the management zone; and

an intrazone user identifier writing unit that writes the intrazone user identifier to the information storage medium.

12. The gate apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

an exit control unit that controls the user'"'"'s exit from the management zone based on the intrazone user identifier; and

an intrazone user identifier invalidation unit that invalidates the intrazone user identifier when the user is allowed to exit the management zone.

14. The control method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

controling, based on the intrazone user identifier, the user'"'"'s exit from the management zone; and

invalidating the intrazone user identifier when the user is allowed to exit the management zone.

13. A control method for an entrance management system using an information storage medium storing therein a user identifier for identifying a user, the control method comprising:

reading the user identifier from the information storage medium;

controling, based on the user identifier, the user'"'"'s entrance to a management zone;

generating an intrazone user identifier associated with the user identifier and writing the intrazone user identifier to the information storage medium, when the user is allowed to enter the management zone;

reading the intrazone user identifier from the information storage medium; and

recording information concerning use of the information processing apparatus by the user in association with the intrazone user identifier.

15. A storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function for recording information concerning use of an information processing apparatus provided in a management zone, the function comprising:

reading the user identifier from the information storage medium;

controling, based on the user identifier, the user'"'"'s entrance to a management zone;

generating an intrazone user identifier associated with the user identifier and writing the intrazone user identifier to the information storage medium, when the user is allowed to enter the management zone;

reading the intrazone user identifier from the information storage medium; and

recording information concerning use of the information processing apparatus by the user in association with the intrazone user identifier.