System, computer program product and method for scanning and managing documents

• US 20060190622A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Akio Kizawa, Hiroshi Kitada
• Original Assignee: Akio Kizawa, Hiroshi Kitada
• Inventors: Kitada, Hiroshi, Kizawa, Akio
• Application Number:
  US11/404,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for scanning and managing documents. The system includes a scanning device, a scan server connected to the scanning device via a network, and a directory server connected to the scan server. The system allows a user of the scanning device to search the directory server for e-mail addresses, fax numbers, or other destination information stored at the directory server, and to e-mail, fax, or otherwise electronically deliver scanned documents from the scanning device. The scan server transmits the e-mail addresses, fax numbers, or other destination information to the scanning device from the directory server. The user of the scanning device can select one or more destinations (e.g., e-mail addresses or fax numbers) received from the scan server. The scanning device transmits the scanned document with the selected destination to the scan server. The scan server transmits the scanned document to the appropriate server, such as an e-mail or fax server. The document is routed, for example by the e-mail or fax server, to the selected destination.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method of obtaining directory information from an external server via network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a lightweight directory address protocol (LDAP) search query from an image processing device to a first computer remote from the image processing device;

retrieving, by the first computer, a result of the LDAP search query;

transmitting the result to the image processing device;

displaying the result on a display of the image processing device;

generating, at the image processing device, image data corresponding to an image processing operation at the image processing device; and

transmitting the image data from the image processing device to at least one destination selected from the result of the LDAP search query.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the at least one destination comprises at least one of an email address and a facsimile number.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the image data and information indicating the at least one destination at a second computer remote from the image processing device; and

routing, at the second computer, the image data to the at least one destination.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

transmitting user identification information from the image processing device to the first computer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of

retrieving, by the first computer, menu information corresponding to the user identification information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

displaying the menu information on the display of the image processing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the menu information indicates that an LDAP search query function is available to the user of the image processing device.

9. A system for obtaining directory information from an external server via network, comprising:

a first network interface, at an image processing device, configured to transmit an LDAP search query from the image processing device to a first computer remote from the image processing device;

a first module, at the first computer, configured to retrieve a result of the LDAP search query;

a second network interface, at the first computer, configured to transmit the result to the image processing device;

a display, at the image processing device, configured to display the result of the LDAP search query;

a processor, at the image processing device, configured to generate image data corresponding to an image processing operation at the image processing device; and

the first network interface configured to transmit the image data from the image processing device to at least one destination selected from the result of the LDAP search query.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one destination comprises at least one of an email address and a facsimile number.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a third network interface, at a second computer remote from the image processing device, configured to receive the image data and information indicating the at least one destination from the image processing device; and

a second module, at the second computer, configured to route the image data to the at least one destination.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the first network interface is configured to transmit user identification information from the image processing device to a second computer remote from the image processing device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a first module, at the second computer, configured to retrieve menu information corresponding to the user identification information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the display, at the image processing device, is configured to display the menu information on the display screen of the image processing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the menu information indicates that an LDAP search query function is available to a user of the image processing device.

16. A system for obtaining directory information from an external server via network, comprising:

means for transmitting a lightweight directory address protocol (LDAP) search query from an image processing device to a first computer remote from the image processing device;

means for retrieving, at the first computer, a result of the LDAP search query;

means for transmitting the result to the image processing device;

means for displaying the result on a display of the image processing device;

means for generating, at the image processing device, image data corresponding to an image processing operation at the image processing device; and

means for transmitting the image data from the image processing device to at least one destination selected from the result of the LDAP search query.

17. A method of obtaining network authentication of a user of an image processing device, comprising the steps of:

transmitting user authentication information from the image processing device to a network domain controller remote from the image processing device;

verifying the user authentication information at the network domain controller;

receiving, at the image processing device, the result of the verification step performed at the network domain controller; and

controlling at least on function of the image processing device based on the result of the verifying step.

18. A system of obtaining network authentication of a user of an image processing device, comprising:

a first network interface, at the image processing device, configured to transmit user authentication information from the image processing device to a network domain controller remote from the image processing device;

a first module, at the network domain controller, configured to verify the received user authentication information;

the first network interface, at the image processing device, configured to receive the result of the verification performed at the network domain controller; and

a second module, at the image processing device, configured to control at least on function of the image processing device based on the result of the verification.

19. A system of obtaining network authentication of a user of an image processing device, comprising:

means for transmitting user authentication information from the image processing device to a network domain controller remote from the image processing device;

means for verifying the user authentication information at the network domain controller;

means for receiving, at the image processing device, the result of means for verifying performed at the network domain controller; and

means for controlling at least on function of the image processing device based on the received result of the means for verifying.

20. A method of obtaining network authentication of a user of an image processing device, comprising the steps of:

transmitting user authentication information from the image processing device to a first computer remote from the image processing device;

transmitting the user authentication information from the first computer to a second computer remote from the image processing device and the first computer;

verifying the user authentication information at the second computer;

receiving a result of the verifying step at the first computer; and

controlling access of the information processing apparatus to one of a plurality of applications based on the result of the verification step, the plurality of applications connected to the first computer via a network.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium storing a computer program code mechanism which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method of obtaining network authentication of a user of an image processing device, comprising the steps of:

transmitting user authentication information from the image processing device to a first computer remote from the image processing device;

transmitting the user authentication information from the first computer to a second computer remote from the image processing device and the first computer;

verifying the user authentication information at the second computer;

receiving a result of the verifying step at the first computer; and

controlling access of the information processing apparatus to one of a plurality of applications based on the result of the verification step, the plurality of applications connected to the first computer via a network.

22. A system for obtaining network authentication of a user of an image processing device, comprising the steps of:

means for transmitting user authentication information from the image processing device to a first computer remote from the image processing device;

means for transmitting the user authentication information from the first computer to a second computer remote from the image processing device and the first computer;

means for verifying the user authentication information at the second computer;

means for receiving a result of the verifying step at the first computer; and

means for controlling access of the information processing apparatus to one of a plurality of applications based on the result of the verification step, the plurality of applications connected to the first computer via a network.

23. A system for obtaining network authentication of a user of an image processing device, comprising:

a first network interface, at the image processing device configured to tramsmit user authentication information from the image processing device to a first computer remote from the image processing device;

a second network interface configured to transmit the user authentication information from the first computer to a second computer remote from the image processing device and the first computer;

a module, at the secomd computer, configures to verify the user authentication information at the second computer;

the second network interface configured to receive a result of the verifying step at the first computer; and

a module, at the first computer, configured to control access of the information processing apparatus to one of a plurality of applications based on the result of the verification step, the plurality of applications connected to the first computervia a network.