Data transmission apparatus, control method therefor, and image input/output apparatus

• US 8,181,256 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hikichi, Yukiyoshi, Uchikawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gergiso, Techane
• Application Number:
  US11/535,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20070089173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 455/39
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0048 Indicating an illegal or impossible operation or selection to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32085 Automation of other tasks, e.g. repetitive execution or sequencing
• 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

Abstract

According to the present invention, a data transmission apparatus capable of transmitting data by using a plurality of transmission media, comprises an authority storage unit, adapted to store authority information representing use authority to use each transmission medium by each user; and a transmission control unit, adapted to, in transmitting data, restrict data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which a current user does not have the use authority.

Claims

1. A data transmission apparatus using two or more types of transmission media, which transmits data using at least one of the types of transmission media, comprising:

an authority storage unit that stores authority information representing each of plural users'"'"' use authority to use each respective one of the types of transmission media; and

a destination storage unit that is configured to store an individual destination including information representing one of the plurality types of transmission media and a group destination including a plurality of individual destinations;

a transmission control unit that identifies a restricted type of transmission medium, for which a current user does not have use authority, by referring to said authority storage unit and restricts transmission of data to a destination of the restricted type of transmission medium and a group destination including a destination of the restricted type of transmission medium,

wherein the types of transmission media include at least one type of transmission medium from a group consisting of email, facsimile (FAX), file transfer protocol (FTP), and server message block (SMB).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the current user inputs an instruction to display a list of destinations stored in said address book storage unit, said transmission control unit displays the list of destinations so as to inhibit the current user from selecting, from the destinations stored in said address book storage unit, the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium, and transmits data to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmission control unit displays the list of destinations from which the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium is excluded.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmission control unit displays, in a selection-inhibited form, the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmission control unit outputs a warning when an attempt is made to select the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when a destination selected by the current user belongs to the grouped destination, and the grouped destination contains at least one destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium, said transmission control unit displays the list of destinations so as to inhibit the current user from selecting the grouped destination, and transmits data to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, upon completion of data transmission to a destination corresponding to a type of transmission medium for which the current user has use authority, said transmission control unit outputs a message that transmission is restricted, without transmitting data to the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reading unit that reads an original image as image data,

wherein the image data read by said reading unit can be transmitted by the plurality of types of transmission media.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an address book maintenance unit that maintains the destination stored in said address book storage unit; and

a user management unit that maintains the authority information.

10. An image input or output apparatus comprising:

a data transmission apparatus according to claim 1; and

an image forming unit that outputs image data as an image onto a print medium.

11. A method of controlling a data transmission apparatus using two or more types of transmission media, which transmits data using at least one of the types of transmission media, comprising:

a storage step of storing, in authority storage means, authority information representing use authority to use each type of transmission medium by each of plural users;

a destination storage step of storing, in a destination storage means, an individual destination including information representing one of the plurality types of transmission media and a group destination including a plurality of individual destinations; and

a transmission control step of identifying a restricted type of transmission medium, for which a current user does not have use authority, by referring to the authority storage means and restricting transmission of data to a destination of the restricted type of transmission medium and a group destination including a destination of the restricted type of transmission medium,

wherein the types of transmission media include at least one type of transmission medium from a group consisting of email, facsimile (FAX), file transfer protocol (FTP), and server message block (SMB).

12. The method according to claim 11,

wherein, in the transmission control step, when the current user inputs an instruction to display a list of destinations stored in the address book storage step, the list of destinations is so displayed as to inhibit the current user from selecting, from the destinations stored in the address book storage step, the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium, and data is transmitted to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, in the transmission control step, the list of destinations is displayed from which the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium is excluded.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein, in the transmission control step, the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium is displayed in a selection-inhibited form.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein, in the transmission control step, a warning is output when an attempt is made to select the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein,

in the transmission control step, when a destination selected by the user belongs to the grouped destination, and the grouped destination contains the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium, the list of destinations is so displayed as to inhibit the current user from selecting the grouped destination, and data is transmitted to a destination selected from the destinations displayed in the list.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein, in the transmission control step, upon completion of data transmission to a destination corresponding to a type of transmission medium for which the current user has use authority, a message that transmission is restricted is output without transmitting data to the destination corresponding to the restricted type of transmission medium.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a reading step of reading an original image as image data,

wherein the image data read in the reading step can be transmitted by the plurality of types of transmission media.

19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

an address book maintenance step of maintaining the destination stored in the storage step; and

a user management step of maintaining the authority information.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method of controlling a data transmission apparatus using two or more types of transmission media, which transmits data using at least one of the types of transmission media, the program comprising:

a code for a storage step of storing, in authority storage means, authority information representing use authority to use each type of transmission medium by each of plural users;

a code for a destination storage step of storing, in a destination storage means, an individual destination including information representing one of the plurality types of transmission media and a group destination including a plurality of individual destinations; and

a code for a transmission control step of identifying a restricted type of transmission medium, for which a current user does not have use authority, by referring to the authority storage means and restricting transmission of data to a destination of the restricted type of transmission medium and a group destination including a destination of the restricted type of transmission medium,

wherein the types of transmission media include at least one type of transmission medium from a group consisting of email, facsimile (FAX), file transfer protocol (FTP), and server message block (SMB).