Terminal device, information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing program and recording medium

• US 7,577,660 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohtani, Yohko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quader; Fazlul
• Application Number:
  US11/077,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20050234944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0097 Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A terminal device is provided that serves as a terminal of an information processing apparatus that is a client of a user information managing server that manages user information in the form of item values of user information management items. This terminal device includes a group setting screen providing unit that provides a group setting screen for setting a group in the information processing apparatus. The group is specified by whether the user information of a user satisfies the condition that a predetermined item value is stored in a predetermined user information management item. The user information managing server manages whether the user belongs to the group.

Claims

1. A terminal device that serves as a terminal of an information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus being a client of an external user information managing server that manages user information in the form of item values corresponding to user information management items, the terminal device comprising:

a group setting screen providing unit that provides a group setting screen configured to enable the formation of a group in the information processing apparatus by providing an input which enables a predetermined item value, corresponding to a predetermined user information management item stored in the external user information managing server, to be set,

the group being formed by including each user that has user information stored in the external user information managing server and corresponding to the user that matches the predetermined item value set via the input, the user information managing server managing whether the user belongs to the group,

the group setting screen providing unit further configured to enable an attribute for use in the group formation to be entered into the group setting screen, the group being formed based on the entered attribute, the group setting screen configured to enable the formation of a group set of multiple layered groups wherein an operation and a function allowed for a user belonging to an upper user group are inherited to a lower user group associated with the upper group.

2. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an authorization setting screen providing unit that provides an authorization setting screen configured to enable the setting of conditions for causing the user information managing server to authorize a user to use the information processing apparatus, the conditions being set in the information processing apparatus.

3. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a usage restriction setting screen providing unit that provides a usage restriction setting screen configured to enable the setting of conditions for putting usage restrictions on users to use the information processing apparatus for each group, the conditions being set in the information processing apparatus.

4. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the group setting screen providing unit provides the group setting screen as to set the conditions through a character input operation.

5. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the group setting screen providing unit provides the group setting screen as to set the conditions through a user information management item selecting operation and an item value selecting operation.

6. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the group setting screen providing unit provides the group setting screen as to set the conditions through a user information management item selecting operation, an item value selecting operation, and an “

AND, OR, NOT”

selecting operation.

7. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the group setting screen providing unit provides the group setting screen as to set the group by handling an icon that represents the group.

8. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a combining operation is performed to combine a plurality of groups into one group on the group setting screen or the usage restriction setting screen.

9. The terminal device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a dividing operation is performed to divide one group into a plurality of groups on the group setting screen or the usage restriction setting screen.

10. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a referring operation is performed to refer to a user who belongs to a group on the group setting screen or the usage restriction setting screen.

11. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a copying operation is performed to copy a group on the group setting screen or the usage restriction setting screen.

12. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a deleting operation is performed to delete a group on the group setting screen or the usage restriction setting screen.

13. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the group is written in XML and is set by SOAP in the information processing apparatus.

14. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user information managing server is a LDAP server.

15. The terminal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is an image forming apparatus.

16. An information processing method utilized by a terminal device serving as a terminal of an information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus being a client of a user information managing server that manages user information using item values corresponding to user information management items, the information processing method comprising:

providing a group setting screen to enable the formation of a group in the information processing apparatus by providing an input which enables a predetermined item value, corresponding to a predetermined user information management item stored in the external user information managing server, to be set, the group being formed by including each user that has user information stored in the external user information managing server and corresponding to the user that matches the predetermined item value set via the input, the user information managing server managing whether the user belongs to the group,

the group setting screen further enabling an attribute for use in the group formation to be entered into the group setting screen, the group being formed based on the entered attribute and further enabling the formation of a group set of multiple layered groups wherein an operation and a function allowed for a user belonging to an upper user group are inherited to a lower user group associated with the upper group.

17. The information processing method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

providing an authorization setting screen to enable the setting of conditions for causing the user information managing server to authorize a user to use the information processing apparatus, the conditions being set in the information processing apparatus.

18. The information processing method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

providing a usage restriction setting screen to enable the setting of conditions for putting usage restrictions on users to use the information processing apparatus for each group, the conditions being set in the information processing apparatus.

19. A computer readable medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform an information processing method utilized by a terminal device serving as a terminal of an information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus being a client of a user information managing server that manages user information using item values corresponding to user information management items, the information processing method comprising:

providing a group setting screen to enable the formation of a group in the information processing apparatus by providing an input which enables a predetermined item value, corresponding to a predetermined user information management item stored in the external user information managing server, to be set, the group being formed by including each user that has user information stored in the external user information managing server and corresponding to the user that matches the predetermined item value set via the input, the user information managing server managing whether the user belongs to the group,

the group setting screen further enabling an attribute for use in the group formation to be entered into the group setting screen, the group being formed based on the entered attribute and further enabling the formation of a group set of multiple layered groups wherein an operation and a function allowed for a user belonging to an upper user group are inherited to a lower user group associated with the upper group.

20. An information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus being a client of an external user information managing server that manages user information in the form of item values corresponding to user information management items, the information processing comprising:

a group being formed in the information processing apparatus by a terminal of the information processing apparatus that includes an input which enables a predetermined item value corresponding to a predetermined user information management item stored in the external user information managing server, to be set, the group being formed by including each user that has user information stored in the external user information managing server and corresponding to the user that matches the predetermined item value set via the input, the user information managing server managing whether the user belongs to the group,

the terminal including a group setting screen enabling an attribute for use in the group formation to be entered into the input, the group being formed based on the entered attribute and further enabling the formation of a group set of multiple layered groups wherein an operation and a function allowed for a user belonging to an upper user group are inherited to a lower user group associated with the upper group.

21. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein conditions for causing the user information managing server to authorize a user to use the information processing apparatus are set in the information processing apparatus by the terminal of the information processing apparatus.

22. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein conditions for putting usage restrictions on users to use the information processing apparatus for each group are set in the information processing apparatus by the terminal of the information processing apparatus.