DATA TRANSMISSION APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, AND IMAGE INPUT/OUTPUT APPARATUS

• US 20070089173A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Uchikawa, Hiroshi, HIKICHI, YUKIYOSHI
• Granted Patent: US 8,181,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0048 Indicating an illegal or impossible operation or selection to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32085 Automation of other tasks, e.g. repetitive execution or sequencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function

Abstract

According to the present invention, a data transmission apparatus capable of transmitting data by using a plurality of transmission media, comprises an authority storage unit, adapted to store authority information representing use authority to use each transmission medium by each user; and a transmission control unit, adapted to, in transmitting data, restrict data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which a current user does not have the use authority.

Claims

1. A data transmission apparatus capable of transmitting data by using a plurality of transmission media, comprising:

an authority storage unit, adapted to store authority information representing use authority to use each transmission medium by each user; and

a transmission control unit, adapted to, in transmitting data, restrict data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which a current user does not have the use authority.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising address book storage unit, adapted to store a destination registered in advance,

wherein when the current user inputs an instruction to display a list of destinations stored in said address book storage unit, said transmission control unit displays the list of destinations so as to inhibit the current user from selecting, from the destinations stored in said address book storage unit, the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have the use authority, and transmits data to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said address book storage unit can store a grouped destination containing a plurality of destinations, and

when a destination which is attempted to be selected belongs to the grouped destination, and the grouped destination contains the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority, said transmission control unit displays the list of destinations so as to inhibit the current user from selecting the grouped destination, and transmits data to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmission control unit displays the list of destinations from which the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority is excluded.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmission control unit displays, in a selection-inhibited form, the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmission control unit outputs a warning when an attempt is made to select the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein upon completion of data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which the current user has use authority, said transmission control unit outputs a message that transmission is restricted, without transmitting data to the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reading unit, adapted to read an original image as image data,

wherein the image data read by said reading unit can be transmitted by the plurality of transmission media.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an address book maintenance unit, adapted to maintain the destination stored in said address book storage unit; and

a user management unit, adapted to maintain the authority information.

10. An image input/output apparatus comprising:

a data transmission apparatus according to claim 1;

and

an image forming unit, adapted to output image data as an image onto a print medium.

11. A method of controlling a data transmission apparatus capable of transmitting data by using a plurality of transmission media, comprising:

a storage step of storing, in authority storage means, authority information representing use authority to use each transmission medium by each user; and

a transmission control step of, in transmitting data, restricting data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which a current user does not have the use authority.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising an address book storage step of storing a destination registered in advance,

wherein in the transmission control step, when the current user inputs an instruction to display a list of destinations stored in the address book storage step, the list of destinations is so displayed as to inhibit the current user from selecting, from the destinations stored in the address book storage step, the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have the use authority, and data is transmitted to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein

in the address book storage step, a grouped destination containing a plurality of destinations can be stored, and

in the transmission control step, when a destination which is attempted to be selected belongs to the grouped destination, and the grouped destination contains the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority, the list of destinations is so displayed as to inhibit the current user from selecting the grouped destination, and data is transmitted to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the transmission control step, the list of destinations is displayed from which the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority is excluded.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the transmission control step, the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority is displayed in a selection-inhibited form.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the transmission control step, a warning is output when an attempt is made to select the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the transmission control step, upon completion of data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which the current user has use authority, a message that transmission is restricted is output without transmitting data to the destination corresponding to the transmission medium for which the current user does not have use authority.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a reading step of reading an original image as image data,

wherein the image data read in the reading step can be transmitted by the plurality of transmission media.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

an address book maintenance step of maintaining the destination stored in said address book storage means; and

a user management step of maintaining the authority information.

20. A program which is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and controls a data transmission apparatus capable of transmitting data by using a plurality of transmission media, the program comprising:

a code for a storage step of storing, in authority storage means, authority information representing use authority to use each transmission medium by each user; and

a code for a transmission control step of, in transmitting data, restricting data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which a current user does not have the use authority.