Image forming apparatus and image forming method

• US 20060130122A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Kabuhsiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Konno, Michiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

In a case where a client user is already registered in a database server, user authentication is executed. Specifically, login to a network with use of a username and a password is executed and an authentication server carries out an authentication process, or authentication with use of a user certificate is executed and the authentication server carries out the authentication process. If the authentication process by the authentication server is completed, image forming apparatus information including position information is displayed on the client user and the client user is permitted to execute network connection.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that is connected to an authentication server, the apparatus comprising:

communication means for executing wireless communication with an external device;

confirmation means for confirming, when the communication means receives a wireless communication start request from the external device, with the authentication server about whether the external device is a pre-registered external device; and

control means for executing, when the confirming means confirms that the external device is the pre-registered external device, a control to transmit image forming apparatus information including position information of the image forming apparatus to the external device via the communication means.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external device is a notebook personal computer or a mobile personal computer.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication means executes wireless LAN communication.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation means transmits a user certificate, which is preinstalled in the external device, to the authentication server and obtains an authentication result about whether the external device is the pre-registered external device.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation means transmits a username and a password, which are input from the external device, to the authentication server and obtains an authentication result about whether the external device is the pre-registered external device.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position information that is included in the image forming apparatus information is information that identifies a location where the image forming apparatus is placed.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus information including the position information of the image forming apparatus is read out of one of the authentication server and a database server that is connected to the authentication server.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

communication means for executing wireless communication with an access point that is connected to an authentication server;

first control means for executing, when a wireless communication start request is sent with use of the communication means to the authentication server that is connected to the access point, a control to transmit pre-acquired certificate information, which certifies that the image forming apparatus is a pre-registered apparatus, to the authentication server via the communication means; and

second control means for executing, when the authentication by the authentication server is acquired by the first control means, a control to transmit image forming apparatus information including position information of the image forming apparatus via the access point in accordance with a request from an external device that is authenticated by the authentication server.

9. An image forming method for an image forming apparatus that is connected to an authentication server, the method comprising:

confirming, when wireless communication with an external device is executed and a wireless communication start request is received from the external device, with the authentication server about whether the external device is a pre-registered external device; and

executing, when it is confirmed that the external device is the pre-registered external device, a control to transmit image forming apparatus information including position information of the image forming apparatus to the external device by the wireless communication.

10. An image forming apparatus that is connected to an authentication server, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication unit that executes wireless communication with an external device; and

a CPU that executes, when the wireless communication unit receives a wireless communication start request from the external device, a control to confirm with the authentication server about whether the external device is a pre-registered external device, and executes, when it is confirmed that the external device is the pre-registered external device, a control to transmit image forming apparatus information including position information of the image forming apparatus to the external device via the wireless communication unit.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the wireless communication unit executes wireless LAN communication.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the CPU transmits a user certificate, which is preinstalled in the external device, to the authentication server and obtains an authentication result about whether the external device is the pre-registered external device.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the CPU transmits a username and a password, which are input from the external device, to the authentication server and obtains an authentication result about whether the external device is the pre-registered external device.