INFORMATON PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20160171204A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hiroyuki Tanaka
• Inventors: TANAKA, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,303,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5091 for user-identification or authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a reception unit which receives first input information which is arbitrary set in conjunction with a login of the first user, a restriction unit which starts imposing a restriction of use of the information processing apparatus at a predetermined timing in a case that a second user logs in to the information processing apparatus while a login state of the first user is continued and a release unit which releases the restriction in response to inputting of second input information, which matches the first input information received by the reception unit, while the use of the information processing apparatus is restricted.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive first input information which is arbitrarily set in conjunction with a login of the first user;

a restriction unit configured to start imposing a restriction of use of the information processing apparatus at a predetermined timing in a case that a second user logs in to the information processing apparatus while a login state of the first user is continued; and

a release unit configured to release the restriction in response to inputting of second input information, which matches the first input information received by the reception unit, while the use of the information processing apparatus is restricted.

2. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the restriction unit is configured to start imposing the restriction of use by displaying a screen for requiring an input of the second input information.

3. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a logout operation is executed with regard to the second user.

4. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a process requested by the second user is finished while a login state of the second user is continued.

5. The information processing apparatus as claimed in 1, wherein the restriction unit is configured to start imposing the restriction of use every time a process requested by the first user is finished.

6. The information processing apparatus as claimed in 1, wherein the restriction unit is configured to start imposing the restriction of use upon occurrence of an event that an operation of the information processing apparatus is not executed for a predetermined time period after a process requested by the first user is finished.

7. The information processing apparatus as claimed in 1, wherein the number of digits of the second input information is shorter than the number of digits of an input information requested when the first user logs in to the image processing apparatus.

8. An information processing method comprising:

receiving first input information which is arbitrarily set in conjunction with a login of the first user;

starting a restriction of use of the information processing apparatus at a predetermined timing in a case that a second user logs in to an information processing apparatus while a login state of the first user is continued; and

releasing the restriction in response to inputting of second input information, which matches the first input information received by a reception unit, while the use of the information processing apparatus is restricted.

9. The information processing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the start of the restriction of use is performed by displaying a screen for requiring an input of the second input information.

10. The information processing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a logout operation is executed with regard to the second user.

11. The information processing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a process requested by the second user is finished while a login state of the second user is continued.

12. The information processing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the start of the restriction of use is performed every time a process requested by the first user is finished.

13. The information processing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the start of the restriction of use is performed upon occurrence of an event that an operation of the information processing apparatus is not executed for a predetermined time period after a process requested by the first user is finished.

14. A computer program product for being executed on a computer comprising:

receiving first input information which is arbitrarily set in conjunction with a login of the first user;

starting a restriction of use of the information processing apparatus at a predetermined timing in a case that a second user logs in to an information processing apparatus while a login state of the first user is continued; and

releasing the restriction in response to inputting of second input information, which matches the first input information received by a reception unit, while the use of the information processing apparatus is restricted.

15. The computer program product for being executed on a computer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the start of the restriction of use is performed by displaying a screen for requiring an input of the second input information.

16. The computer program product for being executed on a computer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a logout operation is executed with regard to the second user.

17. The computer program product for being executed on a computer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined timing is a timing at which a process requested by the second user is finished while a login state of the second user is continued.

18. The computer program product for being executed on a computer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the start of the restriction of use is performed every time a process requested by the first user is finished.

19. The computer program product for being executed on a computer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the start of the restriction of use is performed upon occurrence of an event that an operation of the information processing apparatus is not executed for a predetermined time period after a process requested by the first user is finished.