Image forming apparatus and method of setting security policy thereof

• US 8,650,611 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HP Printing Korea Co., Ltd. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Heo, Nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad L
• Application Number:
  US12/900,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20110162036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/2
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including a communication interface unit to access an external device storing at least one security provider corresponding to user authentication, a user interface (UI) unit to select the security provider, a storage unit to receive the selected security provider from the external device and store the received security provider, a control unit to install the stored security provider in the image forming apparatus, select at least one application to apply the installed security provider, and set the installed security provider as a user authenticator for the at least one selected application.

Claims

1. A method of setting security policy of an image forming apparatus which is connectable to an external device via a communication interface, is print related to a printing job and includes an open framework on which applications corresponding to at least one of a printing function, a copying function, a faxing function, a scanning function, a scan to personal computer (PC) function, and a scan to file transfer protocol (FTP) function are installed, the method comprising:

accessing the external device storing at least one security provider corresponding to user authentication via the communication interface;

selecting the security provider;

receiving the selected security provider at the image forming apparatus;

installing the received security provider in the image forming apparatus;

selecting at least one application to apply the installed security provider and setting the installed security provider as a user authenticator for the at least one selected application;

mapping the at least one selected application onto the installed security provider and storing mapping information as a database;

displaying the stored database;

receiving a request to perform a function provided by the image forming apparatus;

performing authentication for the request function using a security provider corresponding to the requested function and a security information which is used to determine if a user requesting a function is an authenticated user and if the authenticated user has the authority to use the function; and

providing the requested function using an application corresponding to the request when the request is authenticated,

wherein the security provider can indicate and/or identify a program which performs authentication and authorization control in the image forming apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the received security provider,

wherein in the installing of the received security provider, a security provider selected from the displayed security provider is installed in the image forming apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the setting of the installed security provider, the installed security provider is set as the user authenticator for the selected application using security information corresponding to the at least one selected application.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the installing of the received security provider comprises:

determining whether the image forming apparatus can perform authentication with the received security provider; and

installing the received security provider in the image forming apparatus when it is determined that the image forming apparatus can perform authentication with the received security provider.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performing of authentication when the request is unauthenticated comprises:

authenticating the request using a security provider which is different from the security provider corresponding to the requested function.

6. A method of setting security policy of an image forming apparatus having a user interface unit and a control unit, the image forming apparatus being connectable to an external device via a communication interface and includes an open framework on which applications corresponding to at least one of a printing function, a copying function, a faxing function, a scanning function, a scan to personal computer (PC) function, and a scan to file transfer protocol (FTP) function are installed, the method comprising:

receiving a command to change the security policy of the image forming apparatus and receiving a request to perform a function provided by the image forming apparatus with the user interface unit;

displaying the security policy set for the image forming apparatus and security providers installed in the image forming apparatus with the user interface unit;

selecting at least one of the displayed security providers with the user interface unit;

setting the selected security provider as a user authenticator for the plurality of applications with the control unit;

selecting at least one application with the user interface unit to apply the selected security provider with the control unit,

mapping the at least one selected application onto the selected security provider and storing mapping information as a database;

displaying the stored database;

receiving a request to perform a function provided by the image forming apparatus; and

performing an authentication for the request using a security provider corresponding to the requested function and a security function which is used to determine if a user requesting a function is an authenticated user and if the authenticated user has the authority to use the function with the control unit;

wherein the security provider can indicate and/or identify a program which performs authentication and authorization control in the image forming apparatus, and

wherein the authentication is performed for a plurality of applications using different security providers.

7. The method according to claim 6,

wherein in the setting of the selected security provider, the selected security provider is set as the user authenticator for the at least one selected application.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

selecting a security mode with the user interface unit,

wherein in the setting of the selected security provider, the selected security provider is set as the user authenticator for the at least one selected application according to the selected security mode.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the security mode includes at least one of a first security mode in which authentication is not performed, a second security mode in which authentication is performed using a single security provider, and a third security mode in which authentication is performed using a plurality of security providers.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the command to change the security policy is received through at least one of the external device and a user interface window of the image forming apparatus.

11. An image forming apparatus which is connectable to an external device and includes an open framework on which applications corresponding to at least one of a printing function, a copying function, a faxing function, a scanning function, a scan to personal computer (PC) function, and a scan to file transfer protocol (FTP) function are installed, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a communication interface unit to access the external device storing at least one security provider corresponding to user authentication;

a user interface (UI) unit to select the security provider;

a storage unit to receive the selected security provider from the external device and store the received security provider; and

a microprocessor to install the stored security provider in the image forming apparatus, select at least one application to apply the installed security provider, and set the installed security provider as a user authenticator for the at least one selected application,

wherein the security provider can indicate and/or identify a program which performs authentication and authorization control in the image forming apparatus,

wherein the storage unit maps the at least one selected application onto the installed security provider, stores mapping information as a database, and displays the stored database, and

wherein the microprocessor performs authentication for a request function using a security provider corresponding to the requested function and a security information which is used to determine if a user requesting a function is an authenticated user and if the authenticated user has the authority to use the function when a request to perform a function provided by the image forming apparatus is received, and to provide the requested function using an application corresponding to the request when the request is authenticated.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the UI unit displays the stored security provider, and the microprocessor installs a security provider selected from the displayed security provider in the image forming apparatus.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the microprocessor sets the installed security provider as the user authenticator for the selected application using security information corresponding to the at least one selected application.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the UI unit displays a first UI window to select the security provider installed in the image forming apparatus, and when the security provider is selected through the first UI window, the UI unit displays a second UI window to select an application to perform authentication using the selected security provider, and

wherein when the application is selected through the second UI window, the microprocessor changes a security policy to authenticate using the selected security provider when the selected application operates.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the UI unit displays a first UI window to select the security provider installed in the image forming apparatus, and

wherein when the security provider is selected through the first UI window, the microprocessor changes a security policy to authenticate using the selected security provider when the plurality of applications operate.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communication interface unit or the UI unit receives a request to perform a function provided by the image forming apparatus, and the microprocessor performs authentication for the request using a security provider corresponding to the requested function, and provides the requested function using an application corresponding to the request when the request is authenticated.

17. A method of setting security policy of an image forming apparatus which performs at least one of a printing function, a copying function, a faxing function, a scanning function, a scan to personal computer (PC) function, and a scan to file transfer protocol (FTP) function, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of at least one security provider stored on an external device that is communicatively coupled to the image forming apparatus, the at least one security provider to be installed on the image forming apparatus;

installing the selected at least one security provider;

selecting at least one application to apply the installed security provider;

mapping the at least one selected application onto the installed security provider and storing mapping information as a database;

displaying the stored database;

setting the selected security provider as a user authenticator for at least one function of the image forming apparatus;

receiving a request to perform a function provided by the image forming apparatus;

performing authentication for the request function using a security provider corresponding to the requested function and a security information which is used to determine if a user requesting a function is an authenticated user and if the authenticated user has the authority to use the function; and

providing the requested function using an application corresponding to the request when the request is authenticated,

wherein the security provider can indicate and/or identify a program which performs authentication and authorization control in the image forming apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the installing of the selected security provider comprises:

determining if the image forming apparatus can perform authentication with the selected security provider; and

installing the selected security provider in the image forming apparatus when it is determined that the image forming apparatus can perform authentication with the selected security provider.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining if the selected security provider is suitable for the image forming apparatus comprises:

determining whether the user authenticator can authenticate a user with the selected security provider; and

when the user authenticator can not authenticate the user with the selected security provider, setting another selected security provider as the user authenticator to authenticate the user.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request to perform a first function of the at least one function provided by the image forming apparatus;

performing authentication for the request with a first security provider of the installed at least one security provider corresponding to the requested first function; and

providing the requested first function when the request is authenticated.

21. An image forming apparatus which performs at least one of a printing function, a copying function, a faxing function, a scanning function, a scan to personal computer (PC) function, and a scan to file transfer protocol (FTP) function, comprising:

an interface to receive a selection of at least one security provider stored on an external device that is communicatively coupled to the image forming apparatus, the at least one security provider to be installed on the image forming apparatus; and

a microprocessor to install the selected at least one security provider on the image forming apparatus, and to set the selected security provider as a user authenticator for at least one function of the image forming apparatus,

wherein the security provider can indicate and/or identify a program which performs authentication and authorization control in the image forming apparatus, and a storage unit maps the indicated and/or identified program onto the installed security provider, stores mapping information as a database, and displays the stored database,

wherein the microprocessor performs authentication for a request function using a security provider corresponding to the requested function and a security information which is used to determine if a user requesting a function is an authenticated user and if the authenticated user has the authority to use the function when a request to perform a function provided by the image forming apparatus is received, and to provide the requested function using an application corresponding to the request when the request is authenticated.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the microprocessor determines if the image forming apparatus can perform authentication with the selected security provider, and installs the selected security provider in the image forming apparatus when it is determined that the image forming apparatus can perform the authentication with the selected security provider.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the microprocessor determines whether the user authenticator can authenticate a user with the selected security provider, and the controller sets another selected security provider as the user authenticator to authenticate the user when the user authenticator cannot authenticate the user with the selected security provider.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the interface receives a request to perform a first function of the at least one function provided by the image forming apparatus, and the microprocessor performs authentication for the request with a first security provider of the installed at least one security provider corresponding to the requested first function, and the image forming apparatus provides the requested first function when the request is authenticated by the controller.