System, service providing device, and service providing method

• US 9,294,484 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Fukuda, Yasuharu, Nakajima, Masato, Seo, Naotoshi, Yamano, Kenta
• Primary Examiner(s): Poltorak, Peter
• Application Number:
  US14/065,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A service providing device includes a requesting unit for receiving, from the device operated by a user, a request for a process of using a service providing system having a different authentication base, and making a request to acquire authorization information for using the service providing system; a substitute authentication unit for acquiring authentication information of the service providing system from a second storage when the authorization information associated with the user is not stored in a first storage, and acquiring the authorization information from the service providing system by using the authentication information; and a providing unit for providing the authorization information stored in the first storage when the authorization information associated with the user is stored in the first storage, and providing the authorization information acquired from the service providing system when the authorization information associated with the user is not stored in the first storage.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first service providing system that comprises one or more computer processors that are configured to provide a service to a device; and

a second service providing system that comprises one or more computer processors, and that has an authentication base that is different from that of the first service providing system;

wherein the first service providing system and the second service providing system are connectable through a network;

wherein said one or more computer processors of said first service providing system are configured to;

receive, from the device operated by a user, a request for a process that uses the second service providing system, and make a request to acquire an authentication token for using the second service providing system;

said authentication token being associated with a user;

acquire authentication information of the second service providing system from a second memory configured to store the authentication information of the second service providing system, when the authentication token associated with the user is not stored in a first memory configured to store the authentication token, and acquire the authentication token from the second service providing system by using the acquired authentication information; and

provide the authentication token stored in the first memory authentication token associated with the user is stored in the first memory, and provide the authentication token acquired from the second service providing system when the authentication token associated with the user is not stored in the first memory; and

wherein said one or more computer processors of said second service providing system are configured to receive the authentication token provided by the first service providing system, authenticate the received authentication token, and provide a service for the first service providing system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

receive a request to register the authentication information of the second service providing system, and register, in the second memory, the authentication information of the second service providing system in association with user information of the user.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

save, in the first memory, the authentication token acquired from the second service providing system, in association with user information of the user and identification information of the second service providing system.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

when an expired authentication token that is associated with the user is stored in the first memory;

acquire the authentication information of the second service providing system from the second memory, and acquire the authentication token from the second service providing system by using the authentication information that has been acquired, and

provide the authentication token that has been acquired from the second service providing system.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

store information for identifying the user in the authentication base of the second service providing system, and additional information, as the authentication information of the second service providing system, and

receive a request to register the additional information as authentication information for using the second service providing system.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

receive a request to register the additional information as information for identifying the authentication information of the second service providing system.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

request a process from the second service providing system, by using the provided authentication token.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

receive a request for an asynchronous process and a cooperative process for cooperating with the second service providing system, and register information of the cooperative process in a third memory; and

acquire the information of the cooperative process from the third memory, acquire the authentication token associated with the user from the first memory after performing the asynchronous process, and request the process from the second service providing system by using the acquired authentication token.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said one or more computer processors of said first providing system are configured to:

receive a request for the asynchronous process and a non-cooperative process that does not cooperate with the second service providing system, and registers information of the non-cooperative process in the third memory, and

acquire the information for the cooperative process from the third memory and then acquire the authentication token associated with the user from the first memory after performing the asynchronous process, request the process from the second service providing system by using the acquired authentication token, acquire the information of the non-cooperative process from the third memory, and perform the asynchronous process without cooperating with the second service providing system.

10. A service providing device for providing a service to a device, the service providing device comprising one or more computer processors that are configured to:

receive, from the device operated by a user, a request for a process that uses a service providing system having a different authentication base than the service providing device, and make a request to acquire an authentication token for using the service providing system;

said authentication token being associated with a user;

acquire authentication information of the service providing system from a second memory configured to store the authentication information of the service providing system, when the authentication token associated with the user is not stored in a first memory configured to store the authentication token, and acquire the authentication token from the service providing system by using the acquired authentication information; and

provide the authentication token stored in the first memory when the authentication token associated with the user is stored in the first memory, and provide the authentication token acquired from the service providing system when the authentication token associated with the user is not stored in the first memory; and

wherein said one or more computer processors of said second service providing system are configured to receive the authentication token provided by the first service providing system, authenticate the received authentication token, and provide a service for the first service providing system.

11. A service providing method performed in a system including a first service providing system configured to provide a service to a device operated by a user, and a second service providing system that has an authentication base that is different from that of the first service providing system, wherein the first service providing system and the second service providing system each comprise one or more computer processors, the first service providing system and the second service providing system being connectable through a network, the service providing method comprising:

receiving, from the device operated by the user, a request for a process that uses the second service providing system, and making a request to acquire an authentication token for using the second service providing system;

said authentication token being associated with a user;

acquiring authentication information of the second service providing system from a second memory configured to store the authentication information of the second service providing system when the authentication associated with the user is not stored in a first memory configured to store the authentication token, and acquiring the authentication token from the second service providing system by using the acquired authentication information; and

providing the authentication token stored in the first memory when the authentication token associated with the user is stored in the first memory, and providing the authentication token acquired from the second service providing system when the authentication token associated with the user is not stored in the first memory; and

wherein said one or more computer processors of said second service providing system are configured to receive the authentication token provided by the first service providing system, authenticate the received authentication token, and provide a service for the first service providing system.