Management of physical security credentials at a multi-function device

• US 7,730,526 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Lamplough, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, VIRGINIA T
• Application Number:
  US11/421,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5, 726/9, 726/18, 726/20, 713/182, 713/186, 380/51
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for registering physical security credentials of a user at a device (150) forming part of a networked computer system (100). The method detects (122, 301) user identifying information from physical security credentials presented by the user at the device. The device then determines (302) whether the detected identifying information exists at a reference location (135). If the identifying information does not exist in reference location, authentication of the read identifying information for the user is performed by associating the identifying information with a username and password (140) entered by the user at the device. The reference location is then updated with the authenticated identifying information corresponding to the user.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating identifying information for a user by associating the identifying information from physical security credentials with data entered at a reproduction device and receiving a job sent to the reproduction device from a workstation, the reproduction device and the workstation forming part of a networked computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting identifying information from the physical security credentials presented by the user at the reproduction device;

determining whether the detected identifying information exists at a reference location;

if the identifying information does not exist at the reference location, authenticating the identifying information for the user by associating the identifying information with data entered by the user at the reproduction device, the entered data comprising a username and password corresponding to those by which the user is able to access the networked computer system via the workstation used to send the job to the reproduction device; and

updating the reference location with the authenticated identifying information corresponding to the user and receiving at the reproduction device the job sent from the workstation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference location comprises a server forming part of the network and being in communication with the device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the reference location is formed within the device.

4. The method of claim 1, where the physical security credentials comprise an access card.

5. The method of claim 1, where the physical security credentials are biometric.

6. The method of claim 1, where the physical security credentials comprise a magnetic strip card.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning a PIN to the user during said authenticating.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a printer, said method further comprising the step of:

assigning a printing priority within the network based on the identification of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting identifying information is preceded by the step of:

assigning access rights of a first user to a second user,

thereby permitting, after execution of the step of updating the reference location, the second user to operate the device in place of the first user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticated identifying information is deleted from the reference location automatically after a predetermined period of time.

11. A method of managing use by a user of a reproduction device forming part of a networked computer system including a workstation operable by the user to send a job to the reproduction device for reproduction, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) authenticating a user at the reproduction device using a form of authentication, said authenticating comprising;

(1) detecting identifying information from physical security credentials presented by the user at the reproduction device;

(2) determining whether the detected identifying information exists at a reference location within the networked computer system;

(b) if the detected identifying information is determined not to exist at the

reference location, detecting input from the user at the reproduction device to alter the form of authentication, the detected input comprising a username and password corresponding to those by which the user is able to access the networked computer system via the workstation to use the reproduction device; and

(c) updating a record of the form of authentication at the reference location with alterations arising from step (b).

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the altering of the form of authentication comprises one of a modification of, addition to, or a deletion from the physical security credentials authenticated in step (a), said authenticating comprising checking the presented physical security credentials against those retained at the reference location.

13. The method of claim 12 where the addition of the security credentials is performed if previously no registered credentials existed in the reference location.

14. The method of claim 12 where the addition of the security credentials adds new credentials to existing credentials previously retained at the reference location.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the any newly added security credentials are valid for only a predetermined period of time.

16. An apparatus connectable as part of a networked computer system including at least a reproduction device and a workstation, said apparatus being locatable at the reproduction device and comprising:

at least one reader adapted to read identifying information from physical credentials presented by a user at the apparatus;

an interface by which data may be entered to said apparatus by the user;

a processor arrangement coupled to each of the reader, the interface and the computer network for;

(i) determining whether the read identifying information exists at a reference location within the computer network, and if the read identifying information does not exist at the reference location, authenticating the identifying information for the user by associating the identifying information with a username and password entered by the user via the interface, the username and password corresponding to those by which the user is able to access the networked computer system via the workstation from which a job is sent to the reproduction device for reproduction; and

(ii) updating the reference location with the authenticated information corresponding to the user and enabling reproduction by the reproduction device of the job sent by the user from the workstation.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a sub-system the operation of which is enabled by the processor arrangement as a consequence of determining the existence of the read identifying information at the reference location.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said sub-system comprises at least one of a scanner, a printer, a facsimile, and a copier.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the reference location comprises a location within said apparatus.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the reference location comprises a location within the networked computer system distinct from said apparatus.

21. A system comprising:

an apparatus usable by a user, the apparatus forming part of a computer network including at least a workstation;

an input device physically associated with said apparatus and configured to detect identifying information from physical security credentials presented by the user at the apparatus;

means for determining whether the detected identifying information exists at a reference location within the computer network;

means for authenticating the identifying information for the user, if the identifying information does not exist at the reference location, by associating the identifying information with data entered by the user at the apparatus, the entered data comprising a username and password corresponding to those by which the user is able to access the computer network via the workstation from which a job is communicated to the apparatus; and

means for updating the reference location with the authenticated identifying information corresponding to the user and for causing communication of the job between the workstation and the apparatus.

22. A computer readable medium, having a program recorded thereon, where the program is configured to make a computer execute a procedure of authenticating identifying information for a user by associating the identifying information from physical security credentials with data entered at a reproduction device and of receiving a job sent to the reproduction device from a workstation, said reproduction device and said workstation forming part of a networked computer system, said program comprising:

code means for detecting identifying information from the physical security credentials presented by the user at the reproduction device;

code means for determining whether the detected identifying information exists at a reference location within the networked computer system;

code means for authenticating the identifying information for the user, if the identifying information does not exist in the reference location, by associating the identifying information with data entered by the user at the reproduction device, the entered data comprising a username and password corresponding to those by which the user is able to access the networked computer system via the workstation used to send the job to the reproduction device; and

code means for updating the reference location with the authenticated identifying information corresponding to the user and receiving at the reproduction device the job sent from the workstation.