Server apparatus providing portable information terminal and image forming apparatus with cloud image processing service

• US 9,692,915 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawano, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): HON, MING Y
• Application Number:
  US14/723,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20150264191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• 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 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1254 Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3215 using a plurality of channels network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/001 specially adapted for transmission via digital wireline networks H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00339 with an electronic or magnetic storage medium I/O device RFID or the like H04N1/00342
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2191 for simultaneous, independent access by a plurality of different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 : involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 : to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 : Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 : Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/006 : Using near field communication, e.g. an inductive loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 : Portable devices

Abstract

An image forming apparatus 176 capable of easy log-in to a desired cloud service includes a print engine communicable with a cloud server 170 for printing a print job received from cloud server 170, a reader/writer 174 capable of proximity communication with a portable terminal 172, and a log-in executing device receiving log-in information to cloud server 170 from portable terminal 172 through reader/writer 174, for executing the log-in process to cloud server 170 using the log-in information.

Claims

1. A server apparatus, comprising:

a Central Processing Unit (CPU); and

a memory;

wherein

the CPU communicates with a plurality of apparatuses including an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus through a network;

the CPU receives a log-in request of a user and apparatus information related to an apparatus which has transmitted the log-in request through the CPU, to authenticate log-in of the user as a logged-in user;

the memory stores the logged-in user whose log-in has been authenticated by the CPU, in combination with the apparatus information of the apparatus to which the logged-in user is currently logged-in to;

the CPU determines whether or not the apparatus information of each of the information processing apparatus to which the logged-in user is currently logged-in to and the image forming apparatus is stored in combination with the same logged-in user in the memory; and

the CPU transmits to the image forming apparatus, in response to a positive determination by the CPU and to a print request received from the information processing apparatus, a print job based on the received print request.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU executes an operation on the data, responsive to reception of an operation instruction on data controlled by the CPU from the logged-in user logged-in to the server apparatus.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU deletes the logged-in user and all pieces of apparatus information stored in combination with the logged-in user, from the memory, responsive to reception of a log-out request from an information processing apparatus among the plurality of apparatuses.

4. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the CPU controls data uploaded by the logged-in user from the apparatus to which the logged-in user is currently logged-in to;

the CPU receives, through the CPU, an operation of selecting any of the data controlled by the CPU, by the logged-in user to the server apparatus;

the CPU determines whether or not there is any data selected by the logged-in user, responsive to an authentication of the logged-in user by the CPU; and

the CPU generates print data from the data selected by the logged-in user among the data controlled by the CPU, and transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus to be printed, when the CPU determines that there is any data selected by the logged-in user and the CPU determines that the apparatus information of each of the information processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus is stored as an apparatus to which the same logged-in user is currently logged-in in the memory.