Method of controlling user information and information processing apparatus

• US 8,135,734 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): EHICHIOYA, IRETE FRED
• Application Number:
  US13/089,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/705, 707/769, 707/791, 707/802, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/403, 358/524, 358/530, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0096 Simultaneous or quasi-simultaneous functioning of a plurality of operations H04N1/32545 takes precedence; multiprogramming arrangements of computers G06F9/46
• 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 1/32598 Bus based systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/34 for coin-freed systems ; Pay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• 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 method of controlling user information for an information processing apparatus includes the steps of a process of an application program requesting user information controlling unit to obtain an item of said user information, and said user information controlling unit providing the obtained item of said user information to said process. The user information controlling unit obtains the user information requested by the process of the application program and provides the user information to the process. Accordingly, the user information can be shared by the application programs and centrally controlled.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

image processing hardware including at least one of a printer unit and a scanner unit;

a storage unit that stores a plurality of application programs which process images using the image processing hardware and user information including distribution address information;

a user information control program that provides the user information to the plurality of application programs and to an external apparatus via a network; and

an operating system that runs the plurality of application programs and the user information control program,

wherein the user information control program retrieves the user information from the storage unit and provides the retrieved user information to a requesting application program upon receipt of a first request for the user information from one of the plurality of application programs, and

the user information program retrieves the user information from the storage unit and provides the retrieved user information to a requesting external apparatus upon receipt of a second request for the user information from the external apparatus.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the user information control program comprises;

an application program interface that allows for reception of the first request from any one of the plurality of application programs; and

a remote interface that allows for reception of the second request from the external apparatus via the network.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user information control program updates the user information upon receipt of a request for updating the user information.

4. A user information providing method, implemented on an apparatus comprising image processing hardware including at least one of a printer unit and a scanner unit, a storage unit that stores a plurality of application programs which process images using the image processing hardware and user information including distribution address information, a user information control program that provides the user information to the plurality of application programs and to an external apparatus via a network, and an operating system that runs the plurality of application programs and the user information control program, the method comprising:

retrieving, by the user information control program, the user information from the storage unit and providing the retrieved user information to a requesting application program upon receipt of a first request for the user information from one of the plurality of application programs; and

retrieving, by the user information control program, the user information from the storage unit and providing the retrieved user information to a requesting external apparatus upon receipt of a second request for the user information from the external apparatus.