INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20100231355A1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Maki, Okuma, Yumiko, Sato, Hisashi, Sambe, Masanori, Makiyama, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US12/712,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: an authenticating unit configured to perform, when an input from an operator not having operation authority is received on a restricted input button that can be operated only by an operator having the operation authority, authentication by the operator having the operation authority; and a restriction releasing unit configured to temporarily release the operation restriction for the restricted input button when the authentication by the operator having the operation authority is successful.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an authenticating unit configured to perform, when an input from an operator not having operation authority is received on a restricted input button that can be operated only by an operator having the operation authority, authentication by the operator having the operation authority as operation restriction for the restricted input button; and

a restriction releasing unit configured to temporarily release the operation restriction for the restricted input button when the authentication by the operator having the operation authority is successful.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restriction releasing unit applies the operation restriction to the restricted input button again when processing for operation for which the operation restriction is temporarily released ends.

3. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a restricted input button that can be operated by only an operator having operation authority;

an authenticating unit configured to perform, when an input from an operator not having operation authority is received on the restricted input button, authentication by the operator having the operation authority as operation restriction for the restricted input button; and

a restriction releasing unit configured to temporarily release the operation restriction for the restricted input button when the authentication by the operator having the operation authority is successful.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the authenticating unit includes:

a display control unit configured to show operator information indicating the operator having the operation authority and display, on the display unit, an authentication screen for receiving authentication by the operator having the operation authority;

an input receiving unit configured to receive, from the authentication screen, an input of operator identification information peculiar to the operator having the operation authority; and

an authentication processing unit configured to authenticate whether the operator identification information received from the authentication screen indicates the operator having the operation authority.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an operation display unit configured to display, when the operator not having the operation authority logs in, the restricted input button in the display unit in a form that can be visually distinguished from an input button that can be operated by any operator.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit displays, as the operator information, an image in which the operator having the operation authority can be visually recognized.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the input receiving unit receives, on the authentication screen, a selective input of the operator having the operation authority who is at work at a point when the display control unit displays the authentication screen.

8. An information processing method comprising:

performing, when an input from an operator not having operation authority is received on a restricted input button that can be operated only by an operator having the operation authority, authentication by the operator having the operation authority as operation restriction for the restricted input button; and

temporarily releasing the operation restriction for the restricted input button when the authentication by the operator having the operation authority is successful.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the releasing the operation restriction includes applying the operation restriction to the restricted input button again when processing for operation for which the operation restriction is temporarily released ends.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the performing authentication includes performing, when an input from the operator not having operation authority is received on the restricted input button displayed on a display unit, authentication by the operator having the operation authority.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the performing authentication includes:

showing operator information indicating the operator having the operation authority and displaying, on a display unit, an authentication screen for receiving authentication by the operator having the operation authority;

receiving, from the authentication screen, an input of operator identification information peculiar to the operator having the operation authority; and

authenticating whether the operator identification information received from the authentication screen indicates the operator having the operation authority.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising displaying, when the operator not having the operation authority logs in, the restricted input button in a display unit in a form that can be visually distinguished from an input button that can be operated by any operator.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the displaying an authentication screen includes displaying, as the operator information, an image in which the operator having the operation authority can be visually recognized.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the receiving an input of operator identification information includes receiving, on the authentication screen, a selective input of the operator having the operation authority who is at work at a point when a display control unit displays the authentication screen.