Information processing apparatus and information management method

• US 9,721,083 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Hirakata, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, JOSEPH B
• Application Number:
  US14/558,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for managing information stored in a storage location includes an authentication management unit that manages first authentication information and second authentication information in association with each other, a storage location monitor unit, and an information management unit. The first authentication information is used to authenticate a user operating an operation terminal, and the second authentication information is used to prompt the storage location to authenticate the user. The storage location monitor unit monitors the information stored in the storage location using the second authentication information, and updates index information of the information stored in the storage location. The information management unit determines the storage location that can be used by the user based on the second authentication information associated with the first authentication information, creates a list of information that can be used by the user, and provides the list to the operation terminal.

Claims

1. An information management method implemented by an information processing apparatus for managing information stored in a storage location, the information management method comprising:

associating first authentication information for authenticating a user to access the information processing apparatus and second authentication information for authenticating the user to access an external storage;

storing the first authentication information and the second authentication information in association with each other in a memory of the information processing apparatus;

authenticating a client device, connected to the information processing apparatus, based on first authentication information transmitted from the client device and the first authentication information stored in the memory; and

sending to the client device that has been authenticated, first accessibility information, which indicates electronic data that is stored in a storage other than the client device and that is accessible based on the first authentication information, and second accessibility information, which is acquired based on the second authentication information that is associated with the first authentication information, and identifies electronic data that is stored in the external storage other than the client device and is accessible based on the second authentication information;

wherein the memory stores other first authentication information differing from the first authentication information and other second authentication information differing from the second authentication information in association with each other; and

wherein in response to acquiring accessibility information identifying electronic data stored in the external storage that is accessible based on the other second authentication information while accessing the external storage based on the second authentication information, and in response to the external storage being a storage service, the information processing apparatus accesses the external storage using the other second authentication information.

2. An information processing device comprising:

a memory, configured to store a program; and

a processor;

wherein the memory is further configured to store first authentication information for authenticating a user to access the information processing device and second authentication information for authenticating the user to access an external storage, the first authentication information and the second authentication information, being stored in association with each other;

wherein the processor executes the program stored in the memory to perform processes of;

authenticating a client device, connected to the information processing device, based on first authentication information transmitted from the client device and the first authentication information stored in the memory; and

sending to the client device that has been authenticated, first accessibility information, which indicates electronic data that is stored in a storage other than the client device and is accessible based on the first authentication information, and second accessibility information, which is acquired based on the second authentication information that is associated with the first authentication information, and identifies electronic data that is stored in the external storage other than the client device and is accessible based on the second authentication information;

wherein the memory stores other first authentication information differing from the first authentication information and other second authentication information differing from the second authentication information in association with each other; and

wherein in response to acquiring accessibility information identifying electronic data stored in the external storage that is accessible based on the other second authentication information while accessing the external storage based on the second authentication information, and in response to the external storage being a storage service, the processor accesses the external storage using the other second authentication information.

3. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein the processor

acquires the second accessibility information from the external storage when the processor receives a first acquisition request from the client device;

and

sends the acquired second accessibility information and the first accessibility information to the client device.

4. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein the processor

periodically acquires the second accessibility information from the external storage;

stores the acquired second accessibility information in the memory; and

sends the stored second accessibility information and the first accessibility information to the client device.

5. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein

the memory stores other first authentication information differing from the first authentication information and other second authentication information differing from the second authentication information in association with each other;

and

in response to acquiring accessibility information identifying electronic data stored in the external storage that is accessible based on the other second authentication information while accessing the external storage based on the second authentication information, and in response to the external storage being a server device, the processor terminates the access being made using the second authentication information, and accesses the external storage using the other second authentication information.

6. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein

the memory stores accessibility information, indicating whether each external storage can be accessed using more than one authentication information, in association with each external storage of a plurality of external storages connectable to the information processing device;

and

in response to acquiring accessibility information identifying electronic data stored in one external storage of the plurality of external storages that is accessible based on the other second authentication information while accessing the one external storage based on the second authentication information, and in response to the accessibility information being stored in association with the one external storage that indicates the one external storage can be accessed using more than one authentication information, the processor accesses the one external storage using the other second authentication information.

7. The information processing device of claim 6, wherein

in response to acquiring accessibility information identifying electronic data stored in one external storage of the plurality of external storages that is accessible based on the other second authentication information while accessing the one external storage based on the second authentication information, and in response to the accessibility information being stored in association with the one external storage that indicates the one external storage cannot be accessed using more than one authentication information, the processor terminates the access being made using the second authentication information, and accesses the one external storage using the other second authentication information.

8. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein

the processor sends the first accessibility information and the second accessibility information to the client device, and controls the client device to display the first accessibility information and the second accessibility information in different display modes.

9. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein

the memory stores, for each user, the first authentication information and a plurality of sets of the second authentication information for authenticating the each user accessing a plurality of different external storages in association with each other;

and

the processor sends to the client device, the first accessibility information regarding the electronic data accessible based on the first authentication information and the second accessibility information regarding the electronic data stored in the plurality of different external storages that are accessible based on the plurality of sets of the second authentication information that is associated with the first authentication information.

10. The information processing device of claim 9, wherein

the processor controls the client device to display the second accessibility information regarding the electronic data stored in the plurality of different external storages accessible based on the plurality of sets of the second authentication information in different display modes based on the external storage of the plurality of different external storages in which the electronic data is stored.

11. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein

when accessibility information included in the first accessibility information and the second accessibility information transmitted to the client device is selected at the client device, the processor acquires corresponding electronic data identified by the selected accessibility information from a storage location of the corresponding electronic data;

and

sends the acquired corresponding electronic data to the client device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon that is executable by a processor of an information processing device, the computer program, when executed, enables the information processing device to manage information stored at an external storage location and causes a processor of the information processing device to:

associate first authentication information for authenticating a user to access the information processing device with second authentication information for authenticating the user to access the external storage location;

store the first authentication information in association with the second authentication information in a memory of the information processing device;

authenticate a client device, connected to the information processing device, based on first authentication information transmitted from the client device and the first authentication information stored a memory of the information processing device; and

send, to the client device that has been authenticated, first accessibility information, which indicates electronic data that is stored in a storage other than the client device and is accessible based on first authentication information, and second accessibility information, which is acquired based on second authentication information that is associated with the first authentication information, and identifies electronic data that is stored in the external storage other than the client device and is accessible based on the second authentication information;

wherein the memory stores other first authentication information differing from the first authentication information and other second authentication information differing from the second authentication information in association with each other; and

wherein in response to acquiring accessibility information identifying electronic data stored in the external storage that is accessible based on the other second authentication information while accessing the external storage based on the second authentication information, and in response to the external storage being a storage service, the processor accesses the external storage using the other second authentication information.