Managing a data file with an access code

• US 7,533,125 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Kenichiro, Inoue, Atsushi, Watanabe, Satoshi, Satomi, Hiroshi, Igeta, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, TE Y
• Application Number:
  US10/254,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/9, 709/203, 717/167, 713/150, 380/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A server apparatus which retains a data file transferred from a predetermined user through a network and provides an access service for the data file through the network is disclosed, in which unauthorized access to the data file can be prevented with a low processing load. When the third party is permitted to access the data file, the server apparatus according to this invention encrypts and generates an access code required for access on the basis of information managed in the server apparatus to specify the data file.

Claims

1. An image data providing server that communicates via a network with an external device, and that provides image data to the external device, comprising:

an electronic album storage unit configured to store a plurality of image data

received from a user terminal and to store the received plurality of image data as an album in association with an album identification;

a generation unit configured to generate a disclosure album ID for the album

corresponding to the plurality of image data stored in the electronic album storage unit by a) generating a first check digit by performing a predetermined check digit generation process utilizing the album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit in association with the album, and b) adding the generated first check digit to the album identification, the generated disclosure album ID being constituted by the album identification and the first check digit;

a issuing unit configured to issue the generated disclosure album ID to the external device;

a receiving unit configured to receive, from the external device, a request for browsing an album stored in the electronic album storage unit, the request including a disclosure album ID;

a computing unit configured to a) extract an album identification from the received disclosure album ID, b) to compute a second check digit by applying the predetermined check digit generation process to the extracted album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID and c) to obtain a resultant ID by adding the second check digit to the album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID;

a comparing unit configured to compare the obtained the resultant ID with the received disclosure album ID;

a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the received disclosure album ID is proper, and determines that the received disclosure album ID is proper in a case where a result of the comparison by said comparing unit indicates that the obtained resultant ID coincides with the received disclosure album ID, and otherwise determines that the received disclosure album ID is not proper;

a first transmission unit configured to, in a case where the determining unit determines that the received disclosure album ID is not proper, transmit display data of an error window to the external device;

a search controlling unit configured to control a search unit to search the electronic album storage unit, utilizing the extracted album identification, for image data associated with an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID, in a case where the result of the determination by the determining unit indicates that the received disclosure album ID is proper;

an image data obtaining unit configured to obtain the image data from the electronic album storage unit in a case where the search unit finds an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit;

a second transmission unit configured to transmit, to the external device, display information for displaying the image data obtained from the electronic album storage unit by the image data obtaining unit; and

a third transmission unit configured to transmit, to the external device, display data of an error window in a case where the search unit does not find an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit.

2. The image data providing server according to claim 1, further comprising an encryption unit configured to encrypt the disclosure album ID issued by said issuing unit.

3. The image data providing server according to claim 1, wherein the disclosure album ID issued by said issuing unit includes information indicating a location of said image data providing server on the network.

4. An image data providing method performed by an image data providing server that communicates via a network with an external device and that provides image data to the external device, the method comprising:

an electronic album storage step of storing, in an electronic album storage unit, a plurality of image data received from a user terminal and storing the received plurality of image data as an album in association with an album identification;

a generation step of generating a disclosure album ID for the album corresponding to the plurality of image data stored in the electronic album storage unit by a) generating a first check digit by performing a predetermined check digit generation process utilizing the album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit in association with the album, and b) adding the generated first check digit to the album identification, the generated disclosure album ID being constituted by the album identification and the first check digit;

an issuing step of issuing the generated disclosure album ID to the external device;

a receiving step of receiving, from the external device, a request for browsing an album stored in the electronic album storage unit, the request including a disclosure album ID;

a computing step of a) extracting an album identification from the received disclosure album ID, b) computing a second check digit by applying the predetermined check digit generation process to the extracted album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID and c) obtaining a resultant ID by adding the second check digit to the album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID;

a comparing step of comparing the obtained resultant ID with the received disclosure album ID;

a determining step of determining whether or not the received disclosure album ID is proper, and determining that the received disclosure album ID is proper in a case where a result of the comparison by said comparing step indicates that the obtained resultant ID coincides with the received disclosure album ID, and otherwise determining that the received disclosure album ID is not proper;

a first transmission step of, in a case where the determining step determines that the received disclosure album ID is not proper, transmitting display data of an error window to the external device;

a search controlling step of controlling a search unit to search the electronic album storage unit, utilizing the extracted album identification, for image data associated with an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID, in a case where the result of the determination by the determining step indicates that the received disclosure album ID is proper;

an image data obtaining step of obtaining the image data from the electronic album storage unit in a case where the search finds an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit;

a second transmission step of transmitting, to the external device, display information for displaying the image data obtained from the electronic album storage unit by the image data obtaining step; and

a third transmission step of transmitting, to the external device, display data of an error window in a case where the search does not find an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising an encryption step of encrypting the disclosure album ID issued by said issuing step.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the disclosure album ID issued by said issuing step includes information indicating a location of said image data providing server on the network.

7. A computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer-readable program for executing a data providing method performed by an image data providing server that communicates via a network with an external device, and that provides image data to the external device, the program comprising:

an electronic album storage step of storing, in an electronic album storage unit, a plurality of image data received from a user terminal and storing the received plurality of image data as an album in association with an album identification;

a generation step of generating a disclosure album ID for the album corresponding to the plurality of image data stored in the electronic album storage unit by a) generating a first check digit by performing a predetermined check digit generation process utilizing the album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit in association with the album, and b) adding the generated first check digit to the album identification, the generated disclosure album ID being constituted by the album identification and the first check digit;

an issuing step of issuing the generated disclosure album ID to the external device;

a receiving step of receiving, from the external device, a request for browsing an album stored in the electronic album storage unit, the request including a disclosure album ID;

a computing step of a) extracting an album identification from the received disclosure album ID, b) computing a second check digit by applying the predetermined check digit generation process to the extracted album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID and c) obtaining a resultant ID by adding the second check digit to the album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID;

a comparing step of comparing the obtained resultant ID with the received disclosure album ID;

a determining step of determining whether or not the received disclosure album ID is proper, and determining that the received disclosure album ID is proper in a case where a result of the comparison by said comparing step indicates that the obtained resultant ID coincides with the received disclosure album ID, and otherwise determining that the received disclosure album ID is not proper;

a first transmission step of, in a case where the determining step determines that the received disclosure album ID is not proper, transmitting display data of an error window to the external device;

a search controlling step of controlling a search unit to search the electronic album storage unit, utilizing the extracted album identification, to obtain image data associated with an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification contained in the received disclosure album ID, in a case where the result of the determination by the determining step indicates that the received disclosure album ID is proper;

an image data obtaining step of obtaining the image data from the electronic album storage unit in a case where the search finds an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit;

a second transmission step of transmitting, to the external device, display information for displaying the image data obtained from the electronic album storage unit by the image data obtaining step; and

a third transmission step of transmitting, to the external device, display data of an error window in a case where the search does not find an album identification corresponding to the extracted album identification stored in the electronic album storage unit.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, further comprising an encryption step of encrypting the disclosure album ID issued by said issuing step.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the disclosure album ID issued by said issuing step includes information indicating a location of said image data providing server on the network.