Communication apparatus capable of restricting destination of transmission by authenticated user, method of controlling the communication apparatus, and storage medium

• US 9,357,032 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): STILTNER, WEIWEI YE
• Application Number:
  US13/083,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20110271324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 726 3- 21, 726 26- 33, 709220-226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A communication apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting data to another apparatus using a transmission protocol selected from a plurality of transmission protocols. A multifunction printer (MFP) implementing the communication apparatus authenticates a user, and acquires destination information associated with the authenticated user. The MFP permits the use of a specific transmission protocol for transmission using the acquired destination information, and restricts the use of the specific transmission protocol for transmission using other destination information. Further, the MFP permits display of destination information matching the acquired destination information, but restricts display of other destination information, among destination information stored in a hard disk in association with the specific transmission protocol.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting data to another apparatus using a transmission protocol, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing a plurality of units comprising instructions for execution on the processor, the plurality of units including;

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of destination addresses of the transmission protocol;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a destination address of an authenticated user;

a setting unit configured to configure a setting such that transmission using the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit is permitted, and transmission using other destination addresses than the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit is inhibited;

a receiving unit configured to receive a display request of an address book from a user;

a display control unit configured to permit, in a case where the setting is not configured by the setting unit and the receiving unit receives the display request of the address book, a display unit to display the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit and destination addresses other than the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit among the plurality of destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit; and

an accepting unit configured to accept, from a user, selection of a destination address from among destination addresses displayed by the display unit,

wherein, the display control unit permits, in a case where the setting is configured by the setting unit and the receiving unit receives the display request of the address book, the display unit to display the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit, and inhibits the display unit to display destination addresses other than the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit among the plurality of destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the communication apparatus communicates with an LDAP server via a network, and the user is authenticated through communication with the LDAP server.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in a case where the user is successfully authenticated, the acquisition unit acquires the destination address of the authenticated user from the LDAP server.

4. A communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission protocol is SMTP.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission protocol is SMB.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a determining unit configured to determine whether the setting is configured by the setting unit,

wherein the display control unit permits, in a case where the receiving unit receives the display request of the address book and the determining unit determines that the setting is not configured by the setting unit, a display unit to display the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit and the destination addresses other than the destination address acquired by the acquisition among the plurality of destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit, and

wherein the display control unit permits, in a case where the receiving unit receives the display request of the address book and the determining unit determines that the setting is configured by the setting unit, the display unit to display the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit, and inhibits the display unit to display the destination addresses other than the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit among the plurality of destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit.

7. A method of controlling a communication apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting data to another apparatus using a transmission protocol, comprising:

storing, in a storage unit, a plurality of destination addresses of the transmission protocol;

acquiring a destination address of an authenticated user;

configuring a setting such that transmission using the acquired destination address is permitted, and transmission using other destination addresses than the acquired destination address is inhibited;

receiving a display request of an address book from a user;

permitting, in a case where the setting is not configured and the display request of the address book is received, a display unit to display the acquired destination address and destination addresses other than the acquired destination address among the plurality of stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol; and

accepting, from a user, selection of a destination address from among destination addresses displayed by the display unit,

wherein, in a case where the setting is configured, the display unit is permitted to display the acquired destination address and the display unit is inhibited to display destination addresses other than the acquired destination address among the plurality of stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling a communication apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting data to another apparatus using a transmission protocol, wherein the method comprises:

storing, in a storage unit, a plurality of destination addresses of the transmission protocol;

acquiring a destination address of an authenticated user;

configuring a setting such that transmission using the acquired destination address is permitted, and transmission using other destination addresses than the acquired destination address is inhibited;

receiving a display request of an address book from a user;

permitting, in a case where the setting is not configured and the display request of the address book is received, a display unit to display the acquired destination address-destination addresses other than the acquired destination address among the plurality of stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol; and

accepting, from a user, selection of a destination address from among destination addresses displayed by the display unit,

wherein, in a case where the setting is configured, the display unit is permitted to display the acquired destination address and the display unit is inhibited to display destination addresses other than the acquired destination address among the plurality of stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol.

9. A communication apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting data to another apparatus using a transmission protocol, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of destination addresses of the transmission protocol;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a destination address of an authenticated user;

a setting unit configured to configure a setting such that transmission using the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit is permitted, and transmission using other destination addresses than the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit is inhibited; and

a display unit configured to display an address book based on the plurality of destination addresses stored in the storage unit;

a control unit configured to permit, in a case where the setting is not configured by the setting unit, selection of the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit on the address book and selection of destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit and associated with the transmission protocol, and

wherein the control unit permits, in a case where the setting is configured by the setting unit, selection of the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit on the address book, and the control unit inhibits selection of destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit and associated with the transmission protocol.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the communication apparatus communicates with an LDAP server via a network, and the user is authenticated through communication with the LDAP server.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the user is successfully authenticated, the acquisition unit acquires the destination address from the LDAP server.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the transmission protocols is SMTP.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the transmission protocols is SMB.

14. The communication apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising

a determining unit configured to determine whether the setting is configured by the setting unit,

wherein the control unit permits, in a case where the determining unit determines that the setting is configured by the setting unit, selection of the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit on the address book and selection of destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit and associated with the transmission protocol, and

wherein the control unit permits, in a case where the determining unit determines that the setting is not configured by the setting unit, selection of the destination address acquired by the acquisition unit on the address book, and the control unit inhibits selection of the destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the destination addresses which are stored by the storage unit and associated with the transmission protocol.

15. A method of controlling a communication apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting data to another apparatus using a transmission protocol, comprising:

storing, in a storage unit, a plurality of destination addresses of the transmission protocol;

acquiring a destination address of an authenticated user;

configuring a setting such that transmission using the acquired destination address is permitted, and transmission using other destination addresses than the acquired destination address is inhibited; and

displaying an address book based on the plurality of destination addresses stored in the storage unit;

permitting, in a case where the setting is not configured, selection of the acquired destination address on the address book and selection of destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol, and

wherein, in a case where the setting is configured, selection of the acquired destination address on the address book is permitted, and selection of destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program causing a computer to execute a method of controlling a communication apparatus having a transmission function for transmitting data to another apparatus using a transmission protocol, wherein the method comprises:

storing, in a storage unit, a plurality of destination addresses of the transmission protocol;

acquiring a destination address of an authenticated user;

configuring a setting such that transmission using the acquired destination address is permitted, and transmission using other destination addresses than the acquired destination address is inhibited; and

displaying an address book based on the plurality of destination addresses stored in the storage unit;

permitting, in a case where the setting is not configured, selection of the acquired destination address on the an address book and selection of destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol, and

wherein, in a case where the setting is configured, selection of the acquired destination address on the address book is permitted, and selection of destination addresses other than the acquired destination address on the address book among the stored destination addresses which are associated with the transmission protocol is inhibited.