INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, SERVER AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20170171431A1
• Filed: 12/01/2016
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Towata, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,009,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/442 using a biometric data reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An information processing apparatus requests a server to permit a user to automatically log in to the information processing apparatus, and the server, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user is imaged, permits the automatic login, and then the information processing apparatus provides its function to the user in response to the permission. The information processing apparatus inquires the server about whether a condition for the user to automatically log out from the information processing apparatus has been satisfied, and the server, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user or another user is imaged, informs the information processing apparatus that the condition has been satisfied, and then the information processing apparatus stops providing its function to the user in response to the information.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising an information processing apparatus and a server,

wherein the information processing apparatus comprises:

a login unit configured to make a request to the server for permitting a user to automatically log in to the information processing apparatus, and configured to provide a function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to a response from the server indicating that the server permits the automatic login;

a setting unit configured to set a condition for the user to automatically log out from the information processing apparatus; and

a logout unit configured to make an inquiry to the server about whether or not the set condition has been satisfied, and stop providing the function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to a response from the server indicating that the condition has been satisfied, and

wherein the server comprises a determination unit configured to transmits the response to the login unit indicating that the server permits the automatic login, when the determination unit determines to permit the user to automatically log in, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user is imaged, in response to the request from the login unit,

wherein the determination unit transmits the response to the logout unit indicating that the condition has been satisfied, when the determination unit determines that the condition has been satisfied, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user or another user is imaged, in response to the inquiry from the logout unit.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the set condition is at least one of conditions that the other user has approached within a predetermined distance from the information processing apparatus, that the face recognition processing of the user has become unable to be performed, and that a fixed time period has passed after automatic login of the user.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus comprises an image forming apparatus.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit applies the face recognition processing to an image in which the user is imaged by a network camera.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit performs the determination, based on a table that manages the information processing apparatus, and a table that manages a feature amount for the face recognition processing.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit executes the face recognition processing by a face recognition application.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of applications are used in the information processing apparatus, the setting unit can set different conditions for automatically logging out for the respective applications.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of users use the information processing apparatus, the setting unit can set different conditions for automatically logging out for the respective users.

9. An information processing apparatus that communicates with a server, comprising:

a login unit configured to make a request to the server for permitting a user to automatically log in to the information processing apparatus, and configured to provide a function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to a response from the server indicating that the server permits the automatic login;

a setting unit configured to set a condition for the user to automatically log out from the information processing apparatus; and

a logout unit configured to make an inquiry to the server about whether or not the set condition has been satisfied, and stop providing the function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to a response from the server indicating that the condition has been satisfied, and

wherein the server transmits the response to the login unit indicating that the server permits the automatic login, when the server determines to permit the user to automatically log in, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user is imaged, in response to the request from the login unit, and wherein the server transmits the response to the logout unit that the condition has been satisfied, when the server determines that the condition has been satisfied, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user or another user is imaged, in response to the inquiry from the logout unit.

10. A server that communicates with an information processing apparatus,

wherein the information processing apparatus comprises:

a login unit configured to make a request to the server for permitting a user to automatically log in to the information processing apparatus, and configured to provide a function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to a response from the server indicating that the server permits the automatic login;

a setting unit configured to set a condition for the user to automatically log out from the information processing apparatus; and

a logout unit configured to make an inquiry to the server about whether or not the set condition has been satisfied, and stop providing the function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to a response from the server indicating that the condition has been satisfied, and

wherein the server comprises;

a determination unit configured to transmits the response to the login unit indicating that the server permits the automatic login, when the determination unit determines to permit the user to automatically log in, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user is imaged, in response to the request from the login unit,

wherein the determination unit transmits the response to the logout unit that the condition has been satisfied, when the determination unit determines that the condition has been satisfied, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user or another user is imaged, in response to the inquiry from the logout unit.

11. An information processing method in an information processing system comprising an information processing apparatus and a server, the method comprising:

in the information processing apparatus, making a request to the server for permitting a user to automatically log in to the information processing apparatus;

in the server, transmitting a response to the information processing apparatus indicating that the server permits the automatic login, when the server determines to permit the user to automatically log in, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user is imaged, in response to the request from the information processing apparatus;

in the information processing apparatus, providing a function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to the response from the server indicating that the server permits the automatic login;

in the information processing apparatus, making an inquiry to the server about whether or not a condition for the user to automatically log out from the information processing apparatus has been satisfied;

in the server, transmitting a response to the information processing apparatus indicating that the condition has been satisfied, when the server determines that the condition has been satisfied, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user or another user is imaged, in response to the inquiry from the information processing apparatus; and

in the information processing apparatus, stopping providing the function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to the response from the server indicating that the condition has been satisfied.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method in an information processing system comprising an information processing apparatus and a server, the method comprising:

in the information processing apparatus, making a request to the server for permitting a user to automatically log in to the information processing apparatus;

in the server, transmitting a response to the information processing apparatus indicating that the server permits the automatic login, when the server determines to permit the user to automatically log in, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user is imaged, in response to the request from the information processing apparatus;

in the information processing apparatus, providing a function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to the response from the server indicating that the server permits the automatic login;

in the information processing apparatus, making an inquiry to the server about whether or not a condition for the user to automatically log out from the information processing apparatus has been satisfied;

in the server, transmitting a response to the information processing apparatus indicating that the condition has been satisfied, when the server determines that the condition has been satisfied, based on face recognition processing for an image in which the user or another user is imaged, in response to the inquiry from the information processing apparatus; and

in the information processing apparatus, stopping providing the function of the information processing apparatus to the user in response to the response from the server indicating that the condition has been satisfied.