Process Execution Apparatus and Phone Number Registration Apparatus

• US 20080163381A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: INABA, Michio
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/313 using a call-back technique via a telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A process execution apparatus includes a first input unit that receives an instruction from a user, an execution unit that executes a process according to the instruction, a transmitting unit that makes a call to a terminal device having a phone number corresponding to the user, a judging unit that judges whether connection to the terminal device is made, a first authentication unit that determines whether user authentication is successful when the judging unit judges that the connection to the terminal device is made, and a controller that permits execution of the process by the execution unit when the first authentication unit determines that the user authentication is successful.

Claims

1. A process execution apparatus comprising:

a first input unit that receives an instruction from a user;

an execution unit that executes a process according to the instruction;

a transmitting unit that makes a call to a terminal device having a phone number corresponding to the user;

a judging unit that judges whether connection to the terminal device is made;

a first authentication unit that determines whether user authentication is successful when the judging unit judges that the connection to the terminal device is made; and

a controller that permits execution of the process by the execution unit when the first authentication unit determines that the user authentication is successful.

2. The process execution apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first authentication unit determines that the user authentication is successful if the connection to the terminal device is made within a predetermined time from when the transmitting unit starts to make the call.

3. The process execution apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first memory in which a phone number is registered for each user,

wherein the transmitting unit makes the call to the terminal device with the phone number corresponding to the user based on recorded contents in the first memory.

4. The process execution apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second input unit into which a password is input;

a second memory in which an authentication password is registered for each user; and

a second authentication unit that performs user authentication based on the input password and the registered authentication password when the phone number corresponding to the user inputting the instruction,

wherein the controller permits the execution of the process by the execution unit based on the result of the user authentication by the second authentication unit.

5. The process execution apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second input unit into which a password is input;

a second memory in which an authentication password is registered for each user; and

a second authentication unit that performs user authentication based on the input password and the registered authentication password when the first authentication unit determines failure of the user authentication even though the phone number is registered in the first memory; and

wherein the controller permits the execution of the process by the execution unit based on the result of the user authentication by the second authentication unit.

6. The process execution apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a receiving unit that receives the phone number from a call from a terminal device of the user; and

a registration unit that registers the received phone number by the receiving unit in the first memory in association with the user.

7. The process execution apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the terminal device includes a telephone.

8. The phone number registration apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first input unit receives an instruction signal based on the instruction from the user, and

wherein the execution unit executes the process according to the instruction signal.

9. A phone number registration apparatus comprising:

an input unit into which a phone number is input;

a transmitting unit that makes a call to a terminal device having the input phone number into the input unit;

a judging unit that judges whether or not connection to the terminal device is made;

a memory; and

a registration unit that registers the input phone number in the memory when the judging unit judges that connection to the terminal device is made.

10. The phone number registration apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the registration unit registers the input phone number in the memory when the connection to the terminal device is made within a predetermined time after the transmitting unit starts to make the call.

11. A method for executing a process, comprising:

receiving an instruction from a user;

making a call to a terminal device having a phone number corresponding to the user;

judging whether connection to the terminal device is made;

determining whether user authentication is successful when the connection to the terminal device is judged to be made; and

executing a process in accordance with the instruction when the user authentication is determined to be successful.

12. The method for executing a process according to claim 11,

wherein the user authentication is determined to be successful if the connection to the terminal device is made within a predetermined time after starting to make the call.