AUTHENTICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AUTHENTICATION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AUTHENTICATION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20150128256A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kenta Nakao
• Inventors: NAKAO, Kenta
• Granted Patent: US 9,659,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• 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 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals

Abstract

An authentication management system for managing use of a processing apparatus includes an authentication management apparatus including a position storing unit to store position information of the processing apparatus; a receiving unit to receive user information that identifies a portable terminal to be used for authenticating when a user requests the processing apparatus via a requester to perform a target process; a determination unit to determine whether distance between the portable terminal and the processing apparatus satisfies a proximity determination condition between the portable terminal and the processing apparatus, the distance being obtained based on position information of the portable terminal received from the portable terminal, and the position information of the processing apparatus; and an authentication unit to conduct authentication processing based on user information received from the requester, and the user information received from the portable terminal when the distance satisfies the proximity determination condition.

Claims

1. An authentication management system for managing use of a processing apparatus by a user, the authentication management system comprising;

an authentication management apparatus including;

a position storing unit to store position information of the processing apparatus;

a receiving unit to receive user information that identifies a portable terminal to be used for authenticating the user, when the user requests the processing apparatus via a requester to perform a target process;

a determination unit to determine whether distance between the portable terminal and the processing apparatus satisfies a proximity determination condition for determining proximity between the portable terminal and the processing apparatus, the distance being obtained based on position information of the portable terminal received from the portable terminal, and the position information of the processing apparatus; and

an authentication unit to conduct authentication processing based on user information received from the requester of the target process, and the user information received from the portable terminal when the distance satisfies the proximity determination condition.

2. The authentication management system of claim 1, wherein the determination unit further includes:

a proximity determination unit to determine whether the distance reaches a first threshold value or less, the first threshold value being used as a trigger to initiate the authentication processing, and

a return determination unit to determine whether the distance reaches a second threshold value or less, the second threshold value being used as a trigger to transition to a standby mode,

wherein the authentication management apparatus further comprising;

a power source condition determination unit to determine power condition of the processing apparatus, and

a return command unit to instruct the processing apparatus to transition from a power save mode to a standby mode when the distance reaches the second threshold value or less, which is used a trigger to return to the standby mode.

3. The authentication management system of claim 2, wherein the determination unit further includes a shift determination unit to determine whether the distance exceeds a third threshold value, which is used as a trigger to transition to a power save mode,

wherein the authentication management apparatus further includes a shift command unit to instruct the processing apparatus having the distance exceeding the third threshold value to transition to a power save mode.

4. The authentication management system of claim 1, wherein the authentication management apparatus further comprising a cancelling unit to cancel authentication condition that reflects the authentication processing when all of processing related to the portable terminal used for authentication are completed, or when allowable authentication maintaining time elapses after confirming authentication using the portable terminal.

5. The authentication management system of claim 1 further an information processing apparatus that transmits the user information indicating a portable terminal used for the authentication, and processing contents information indicating processing contents to the authentication management apparatus and the portable terminal used for the authentication,

wherein, in the authentication processing, the processing contents information received from the information processing apparatus used as the requester of the target process, and processing contents information received from the portable terminal that satisfies the proximity determination condition are cross-checked.

6. The authentication management system of claim 5, wherein the portable information terminal further including:

a position information obtaining unit to obtain information of position of the portable terminal,

a validation unit to validate the position information obtaining unit when the user information is received from the requester, and

an authentication information transmission unit to transmit information of position obtained by the position information obtaining unit, and the received user information to the authentication management apparatus.

7. The authentication management system of claim 5, wherein the processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus having a display,

wherein the authentication management apparatus further includes:

a print-data receiving unit that receives the print data for the target process from the requester of the target process, and

a print-data transmission unit that transmits the print data to the image processing apparatus authenticated by the authentication unit,

wherein the display of the image processing apparatus receives the print data and displays the print data on the display.

8. An authentication management apparatus for managing use of a processing apparatus based on authentication using a portable terminal carriable by a user, the authentication management apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit to store position information of the processing apparatus;

a second storage unit to store user information indicating the portable terminal used for authentication when conducting a target process requested from a requester;

a determination unit to determine distance between the portable terminal and the processing apparatus based on position information of the portable terminal received from the portable terminal, and position information of the processing apparatus; and

an authentication unit to conduct authentication processing based on the user information received from the requester of the target process, and the user information received from the portable terminal that satisfies a proximity determination condition when the distance satisfies the proximity determination condition used for determining proximity.

9. An authentication method of managing use of a processing apparatus by a user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving user information that identifies a portable terminal to be used for authenticating the user when the user requests the processing apparatus via a requester to perform a target process;

obtaining distance between the portable terminal and the processing apparatus based on position information of the portable terminal received from the portable terminal, and position information of the processing apparatus;

determining whether the distance between the portable terminal and the processing apparatus satisfies a proximity determination condition; and

conducting authentication processing based on user information received from the requester of the target process, and the user information received from the portable terminal when the distance satisfies the proximity determination condition used for determining proximity.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that, when executed by a computer having a processing circuit, causes the computer to execute an authentication method of claim 9.