Information processing apparatus and control method

• US 8,528,044 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US12/466,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20090288153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/6, 713/161, 713/170, 713/168, 713/169, 713/155
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

An information processing apparatus that can easily and safely transmit data. A registering unit registers first authentication information in association with user information indicating a first user. The first authentication information is necessary for the first user to log on to the information processing apparatus. A generating unit generates an address data that is used to transmit data from an external apparatus to the information processing apparatus and includes the user information and second authentication information. A transmitting unit transmits the address data to the external apparatus. An authenticating unit authenticates by utilizing the second authentication information included in the address data when the data is transmitted based on the address data from the external apparatus. A storing unit stores the received data in association with the first user when the authentication by the authenticating unit succeeds.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a registering unit adapted to register first authentication information required to allow a user to access data registered in the information processing apparatus when a first user authentication is executed;

a generating unit adapted to generate second authentication information required to allow data transmission from an external apparatus to the information processing apparatus when a second user authentication is executed, the second authentication information different from the first authentication information;

a managing unit adapted to manage the first authentication information registered in said registering unit in association with the second authentication information generated by said generating unit;

a transmitting unit adapted to transmit the second authentication information generated by said generating unit to the external apparatus;

an authenticating unit adapted to receive authentication information from the external apparatus, and perform the second user authentication by utilizing the received authentication information and the second authentication information; and

a storing unit adapted to store, when said authenticating unit succeeds in the second user authentication, data transmitted from the external apparatus as data accessible through the first user authentication using the first authentication information managed in association with the second authentication by said managing unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said generating unit is adapted to generate address data used for transmitting the data from the external apparatus to the information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a keeping unit adapted to keep the second authentication information generated by said generating unit,

wherein said authenticating unit performs the second user authentication by comparing the second authentication information kept in said keeping unit with the authentication information received from the external apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said generating unit is adapted to generate the second authentication information with random numbers.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the data transmitted from the external apparatus is transmitted by using a general-purpose file transfer protocol.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the general-purpose file transfer protocol provides an authenticating function and a data-receiving function.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an address storing unit adapted to store an address of a device transmitting authentication information through a communication network,

wherein a connection request is not accepted from a device without the address stored in said address storing unit.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said authenticating unit is adapted to keep a combination of the second authentication information and an address of the external apparatus as a transmission destination of authentication information in association with each other, and to succeed in the second user authentication when a combination of the authentication information received from the external apparatus and a provided address of the external apparatus matches the kept combination of the second authentication information and the address of the external apparatus.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said generating unit is adapted to periodically and automatically generate the second authentication information, and said transmitting unit is adapted to transmit the automatically-generated second authentication information.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the external apparatus comprises an image reading apparatus, and the data transmitted from the external apparatus comprises image data generated by the image reading apparatus reading an image of an original document.

11. A control method of controlling an information processing apparatus, comprising:

a registering step of registering first authentication information required to allow a user to access data registered in the information processing apparatus when a first user authentication is executed;

a generating step of generating second authentication information required to allow data transmission from an external apparatus to the information processing apparatus when a second user authentication is executed, the second authentication information different from the first authentication information;

a managing step of managing the first authentication information registered in said registering step in association with the second authentication information generated in said generating step;

a transmitting step of transmitting the second authentication information generated in said generating step to the external apparatus;

an authenticating step of receiving authentication information from the external apparatus, and performing the second user authentication by utilizing the received authentication information and the second authentication information; and

a storing step of storing, when the second user authentication performed in the authenticating step succeeds, data transmitted from the external apparatus as data accessible through the first user authentication using the first authentication information managed in association with the second authentication in said managing step.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program executable at least by a computer in an information processing apparatus, the program comprising:

a registering module adapted to register first authentication information required to allow a user to access data registered in the information processing apparatus when a first user authentication is executed;

a generating module adapted to generate second authentication information required to allow data transmission from an external apparatus to the information processing apparatus when a second user authentication is executed, the second authentication information different from the first authentication information;

a managing module adapted to manage the first authentication information registered according to said registering module in association with the second authentication information generated according to said generating module;

a transmitting module adapted to transmit the second authentication information generated according to said generating module to the external apparatus;

an authenticating module adapted to receive authentication information from the external apparatus, and perform the second user authentication by utilizing the received authentication information and the second authentication information; and

a storing module adapted to store, when the second user authentication performed according to said authenticating module succeeds, data transmitted from the external apparatus as data accessible through the first user authentication using the first authentication information managed in association with the second authentication according to said managing module.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a CPU; and

a storage device connected to the CPU, at least one of the at least one storage device storing a program executable by the CPU, wherein the CPU is configured by the program at least to;

register first authentication information required to allow a user to access data registered in the information processing apparatus when a first user authentication is executed;

generate second authentication information required to allow data transmission from an external apparatus to the information processing apparatus when a second user authentication is executed, the second authentication information different from the first authentication information;

manage the first authentication information in association with the second authentication information;

instruct transmission of the second authentication information to the external apparatus;

receive authentication information from the external apparatus, and perform the second user authentication by utilizing the received authentication information and the second authentication information; and

instruct storage of, when the second user authentication succeeds, data transmitted from the external apparatus as data accessible through the first user authentication using the first authentication information managed in association with the second authentication.