IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20130291077A1
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: SATO, Toshimitsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

An image processing device controls a local resource, retrieves data files from a network, generates partial images from data included in the data files, and displays an image by combining the plurality of partial images. The partial images include first partial images that require access to the local resource and second partial images that do not require such access. Access to the local resource takes place by request and is controlled so that generation of the first partial images requires authentication of the retrieved data files. While authentication is in progress, the image processing device disallows access to the local resource and displays an image by combining the second partial images with a notification image indicating that authentication is being performed.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

a retrieval section for retrieving a data file from a network, the data file including data for generating a plurality of partial images and generating a display image by combining the plurality of partial images;

an authentication unit for authenticating the data file;

a local resource;

a resource access control unit for controlling the local resource;

a resource access supervision section for receiving authentication results and status information from the authentication unit and deciding whether to allow access to the local resource; and

a display image generating unit for making an access request to the resource access supervision section for access to the local resource, generating the display image according to a response to the access request from the resource access supervision section;

wherein

while the authentication unit is authenticating the data file, the resource access supervision section disallows the access request and sends the display image generating unit an authentication-in-progress notification; and

when the display image generating unit receives the authentication-in-progress notification, the display image generating unit distinguishes between one or more first partial images requiring access to the local resource and one or more second partial images not requiring access to the local resource by analyzing the data file, generates a notification image indicating that the authentication is being performed, generates the one or more second partial images, and generates the display image by combining the one or more second partial images and the notification image.

2. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the notification image also indicates that access to the local resource is restricted.

3. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein:

when the authentication succeeds, the resource access supervision section allows the access request, passes the access request to the resource access control unit, receives an access result from the resource access control unit, and passes the access result to the display image generating unit; and

after receiving the access result, the display image generating unit generates the display image by combining the one or more first partial images and the one or more second partial images.

4. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein:

when the authentication fails, the resource access supervision section disallows the access request and sends the display image generating unit an authentication failure notification; and

upon receiving the authentication failure notification the display image generating unit generates, as the display image, an image indicating that the authentication has failed.

5. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the resource access control unit refrains from controlling the local resource in response to the access request when the resource access supervision section disallows access to the local resource.

6. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein the data file is a structured data file including information written in a markup language.

7. The image processing device of claim 6, wherein the data file further includes a script file written in a script language for describing a program executable in the image processing device.

8. The image processing device of claim 1, wherein

the data file includes data for authentication based on a public key;

and

the authentication unit authenticates the data file based on the public key.

9. An image processing method comprising:

a retrieval step for retrieving a data file from a network, the data file including data for generating a plurality of partial images and generating a display image by combining the plurality of partial images;

an authentication step for authenticating the data file;

a resource access control step for controlling a local resource;

a resource access supervision step for receiving authentication results and status information from the authentication step and deciding whether to allow access to the local resource; and

a display image generating step for making an access request to the resource access supervision step for access to the local resource, generating the display image according to a response to the access request from the resource access supervision step;

wherein

while the authentication step is authenticating the data file, the resource access supervision step disallows the access request and sends the display image generating unit an authentication-in-progress notification; and

when the display image generating step receives the authentication-in-progress notification, the display image generating step distinguishes between one or more first partial images requiring access to the local resource and one or more second partial images not requiring access to the local resource by analyzing the data file, generates a notification image indicating that the authentication is being performed, generates the one or more second partial images, and generates the display image by combining the one or more second partial images and the notification image.