Verification system, server, and electronic instrument

• US 20080093446A1
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: MATSUMOTO, Kenichi, ARAKI, Kazuhiro, TAJIMA, Katsuaki, TOMITA, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00976 card
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00339 with an electronic or magnetic storage medium I/O device RFID or the like H04N1/00342
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices

Abstract

The verification system of this invention comprises an image forming apparatus 1 having verification function and a card reader 2 for reading a user ID from a card. The image forming apparatus 1 is capable of performing short-range radio communication with a portable instrument 3. The portable instrument 3 receives a polling command transmitted by the image forming apparatus 1 and sends back its own identification code if it is located near the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 permits usage of all the functions thereof if it verifies that user is an officially permitted person according to user ID read by the card reader 2 and the identification code sent back from the portable instrument 3. Consequently, there is provided a verification system having a high security level and convenient for use or a verification system which permits usage of its apparatus and other related devices within an appropriate range depending on the security level of a verified method.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A verification system incorporating a first electronic instrument and a second electronic instrument both of which are permitted/not permitted to operate in accordance with two or more verification results based on two or more verification methods,

the verification system comprising a permission restricting section that restricts an operation permission for one of the first and second electronic instruments based on a single verification in accordance with either a first verification method or a second verification method in case an operation permission for other one of the first and second instruments has been made based on a double verification in accordance with both the first verification method and the second verification method,

wherein, under situation such that operation for the first electronic instrument has been permitted based on a single verification in accordance with either the first verification method or the second verification method, in case a double verification for the second electronic instrument is executed in accordance with both the first verification method and the second verification method including a verification content of which is same as the single verification by a first electronic instrument, the permission restricting section inhibits operation for the first electronic instrument.

18. A verification system according to claim 17, wherein both the first electronic instrument and the second electronic instrument are image processing apparatuses each of which includes at least two of following items:

a scanner that scans a document to obtain image data thereon;

a printer that forms an image based on image data; and

an image transmitting apparatus that transmits image data to other apparatus.

19. A verification system according to claim 17, wherein a verification in accordance with a first verification method is executed by obtaining user'"'"'s identification information.

20. A verification system according to claim 17, wherein a verification in accordance with a second verification method is executed by obtaining a user'"'"'s positioning information from a portable terminal carried by a user.

21. A verification system according to claim 20, wherein user'"'"'s positioning information from a portable terminal is obtained based on trigger automatically generated by the portable terminal while power is on.

22. A verification system incorporating a first electronic instrument and second electronic instrument both of which are permitted/not permitted to operate in accordance with two or more verification methods,

the verification system comprising a permission restricting section that restricts an operation permission for one of the first and second electronic instruments based on a single verification in accordance with either a first verification method or a second verification method in case an operation permission for other one of the first and second instruments has been made based on a double verification in accordance with both the first verification method and the second verification method,

wherein, under situation such that operation for the first electronic instrument has been permitted based on a double verification in accordance with both the first verification method and the second verification method, in case a single verification for the second electronic instrument is executed in accordance with either the first verification method or the second verification method including a verification content of which is common to the verification for a first electronic instrument, the permission restricting section inhibits operation for the second electronic instrument.

23. A verification system according to claim 22, wherein a verification in accordance with a first verification method is executed by obtaining user'"'"'s identification information.

24. A verification system according to claim 22, wherein a verification in accordance with a second verification method is executed by obtaining a user'"'"'s positioning information from a portable terminal carried by a user.

25. A verification system incorporating a first electronic instrument and second electronic instrument both of which are permitted/not permitted to operate in accordance with two or more verification methods,

the verification system comprising a permission restricting section that restricts an operation permission for one of the first and second electronic instruments based on a single verification in accordance with either a first verification method or a second verification method in case an operation permission for other one of the first and second instruments has been made based on a double verification in accordance with both the first verification method and the second verification method,

wherein, after an operation with a double verification in accordance with both the first verification method and the second verification method for the first electronic instrument finished, in case a single verification for the second electronic instrument in accordance with either the first verification method or the second verification method is made including a verification content common to verification for the first electronic apparatus, the permission restricting section determines to permit/not to permit the second apparatus to operate based on positioning information of the first and second electronic instruments and verification time information relating to the second electronic instrument.

26. A verification apparatus comprising:

a first verification section for conducting verification in accordance with first verification method;

a second verification section for conducting verification in accordance with second verification method; and

an operation restricting section for restricting an operation based on verification results obtained by the first verification section and the second verification section,

wherein in case a single verification by either the first verification section or the second verification section is verified, the operation restricting section permits to operate with functions narrower than a case of an operation double verified by both the first verification section and the second verification section.

27-35. -35. (canceled)