Information processing system, registration device, and computer readable medium for identifying a user of a printer

• US 8,854,665 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Muranaka, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cato, Miya J
• Application Number:
  US13/363,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1239 Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

An information processing system includes following elements. A first management device manages, for each user, information on a function of a printer that the user is permitted to use therein. A second management device accepts registration of a virtual printer for a set of a printer and a function used in the printer, and manages the registered virtual printer. A registration device registers a virtual printer in the second management device. The registration device identifies a user and a printer regarding a print request, acquires a function that the identified user is permitted to use in the identified printer from the first management device, and registers a virtual printer for a set of the identified printer and the acquired function in association with the identified user. The second management device processes, upon receiving a print instruction from the user, the print instruction based on the corresponding printer and function.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a first management device that manages, for each user, information on a function of a printer that the user is permitted to use in the printer, the first management device being configured to manage different information on some functions that each user is permitted to use among multiple functions of the printer, the first management device connected to a local network;

a second management device that accepts registration of a virtual printer corresponding to a set of a printer and a function to be used in the printer, and that manages the registered virtual printer, the second management device connected to a cloud network;

a client device that accepts, from a user, first authentication information for logging into the first management device and second authentication information for logging into the second management device;

a registration device that registers a virtual printer in the second management device, the registration device being a separate device from the first management device,

wherein the registration device includes

an identification unit that receives the first authentication information and the second authentication information from the client device, and identifies a user and a printer that are related to a print request,

an acquisition unit that acquires information, responsive to authentication of the first authentication information, on a function that the identified user is permitted to use in the identified printer, from the first management device, and

a registration unit that registers a virtual printer corresponding to a set of the identified printer and the function indicated by the information that has been acquired by the acquisition unit, in the second management device in association with the second authentication information, and

wherein the second management device includes

a processing unit that processes, upon receiving from the identified user a print instruction in which the virtual printer registered in association with the identified user is specified, the print instruction on the basis of the set of the printer and the function corresponding to the specified virtual printer.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the second management device further includes

a print data acquisition unit that acquires print data related to the print instruction,

a conversion unit that converts the print data that has been acquired by the print data acquisition unit into print data having a format compatible with the specified virtual printer, and

a print control unit that sends the print data that has been converted by the conversion unit to the printer corresponding to the specified virtual printer, and that performs control so as to cause the printer to perform a printing process.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2,

wherein the second management device further includes

a deletion unit that deletes a virtual printer registered in association with a user when cancellation of registration of the virtual printer is requested from the user.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein the first management device manages, for each combination of a user and a printer, information on a function that the user is permitted to use in the printer.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4,

wherein the registration device further includes

a providing unit that provides the user related to the print request with a list of printers that are available to the user,

wherein the identification unit identifies a printer selected from the provided list by the user related to the print request, and

wherein the list includes information on a function that the user related to the print request is permitted to use in each of the printers.

6. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the first management device manages, for each combination of a user and a printer, information on a function that the user is permitted to use in the printer.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6,

wherein the registration device further includes

a providing unit that provides the user related to the print request with a list of printers that are available to the user,

wherein the identification unit identifies a printer selected from the provided list by the user related to the print request, and

wherein the list includes information on a function that the user related to the print request is permitted to use in each of the printers.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the second management device further includes

a deletion unit that deletes a virtual printer registered in association with a user when cancellation of registration of the virtual printer is requested from the user.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the first management device manages, for each combination of a user and a printer, information on a function that the user is permitted to use in the printer.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9,

wherein the registration device further includes

a providing unit that provides the user related to the print request with a list of printers that are available to the user,

wherein the identification unit identifies a printer selected from the provided list by the user related to the print request, and

wherein the list includes information on a function that the user related to the print request is permitted to use in each of the printers.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first management device manages, for each combination of a user and a printer, information on a function that the user is permitted to use in the printer.

12. The information processing system according to claim 11,

wherein the registration device further includes

a providing unit that provides the user related to the print request with a list of printers that are available to the user,

wherein the identification unit identifies a printer selected from the provided list by the user related to the print request, and

wherein the list includes information on a function that the user related to the print request is permitted to use in each of the printers.

13. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the user enters at least two separate authentication information to access the printer.

14. A registration device comprising:

an identification unit that receives, from a user, a first authentication information for logging into a device on a local network and a second authentication information for logging onto a cloud network, and identifies a user and a printer that are related to a print request;

an acquisition unit that acquires information, responsive to authentication of the first authentication information, on a function that the identified user is permitted to use in the identified printer, from a holding device that holds, for each user, information on a function of a printer that the user is permitted to use in the printer, wherein the acquisition unit is configured to acquire different information on some functions that each user is permitted to use among multiple functions of the printer; and

a registration unit that registers a virtual printer corresponding to a set of the identified printer and the function indicated by the information that has been acquired by the acquisition unit, in association with the second authentication information.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for registration, the process comprising:

receiving, from a user, a first authentication information for logging onto a device on a local network and a second authentication information for logging onto a cloud network;

identifying a user and a printer that are related to a print request;

acquiring information, responsive to authentication of the first authentication information, on a function that the identified user is permitted to use in the identified printer, from a holding device that holds, for each user, information on a function of a printer that the user is permitted to use in the printer, wherein the information on the function of the printer that the user is permitted to use is configured to be different on some functions that each user is permitted to among multiple functions of the printer; and

registering a virtual printer corresponding to a set of the identified printer and the function indicated by the acquired information, in association with second authentication information.