Image processing apparatus

• US 7,889,373 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): EBRAHIMI DEHKORDY, SAEID
• Application Number:
  US11/584,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20070097415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.16, 358/1.18, 358/296, 358/2.1, 358/1.12, 358/1.2, 709/229, 709/204, 709/223, 709/249, 709/220, 709/227, 709/245, 709/219, 709/238, 710/8, 710/19, 726/1, 726/2, 726/4, 726/26, 726/27
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/02 Counting the number of copies; Billing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices

Abstract

Disclosed are an image processing apparatus, a management apparatus for an image processing apparatus, a method for managing an image processing apparatus, a program and a storage medium with which it is possible to perform an appropriate management when a user requests another user to perform a process using the image processing apparatus on his behalf. A substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user (requestor user) is registered in a substitution account database. A process performed with the substitution account is managed as a process performed with an account of the first user.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a user identification information acquiring unit that acquires user identification information;

a substitution account configuration manager that manages a configuration of a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user;

an image processing amount managing unit that manages an amount of image processing performed with each account, and manages a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user;

a display unit; and

a display content controller that controls contents that are displayed on the display unit,

wherein the substitution account configuration manager further manages a second user that uses the substitution account on behalf of the first user and at least one operation that is to be performed by the second user,

wherein the display content controller displays the at least one operation on the display unit when the second user has logged in with authentication for the substitution account.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein an authority of the substitution account can be set within the range of authority set for the account of the first user.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image processing apparatus comprises

an authentication unit that obtains, based on the user identification information, an authentication result indicating whether to permit a user corresponding to that user identification information to log in.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image processing amount managing unit comprises

a substitution account manager that manages an amount of image processing performed with each substitution account.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image processing amount managing unit manages the number of pages processed.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the substitution account configuration manager manages a type of process that can be performed on behalf of the first user, and/or an upper limit of an image processing amount that can be performed.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the substitution account configuration manager manages information indicating a condition for an expiration of each substitution account.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the information indicates an expiration date of the substitution account.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the information indicates the number of logins permitted with the substitution account.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the information is an upper limit of a processing amount that can be performed with the substitution account.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the upper limit of the processing amount is set separately for each type of process.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, comprising

a substitution account setting storing unit that stores information for each substitution account,

wherein the information of expired substitution account is deleted from the substitution account setting storing unit.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the image processing amount managing unit comprises:

an unused state determining unit that determines whether the expired substitution account remains unused; and

an unused state notifying unit that notifies the first user when the expired substitution account remains unused.

14. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a user identification information acquiring unit that acquires user identification information;

a substitution account configuration manager that manages a configuration of a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user;

an image processing amount managing unit that manages an amount of image processing performed with each account, and manages a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user;

a display unit; and

a display content controller that controls contents that are displayed on the display unit;

wherein the substitution account configuration manager further manages at least one operation that is to be performed after logging in with authentication for the substitution account,

wherein the display content controller displays the at least one operation on the display unit when a login has been made with authentication for the substitution account.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a process execution instruction input receiving unit that receives an input instructing to execute a process based on one of the at least one operation; and

a process execution controller that controls the process to be executed when the process execution instruction input receiving unit receives the input.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a process completion notifying unit that notifies the first user when one of the at least one operation is completed.

17. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a user identification information acquiring unit that acquires user identification information;

a substitution account configuration manager that manages a configuration of a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user;

an image processing amount managing unit that manages an amount of image processing performed with each account, and manages a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user;

a virtual sub network constructing unit that makes the image processing apparatus exchange a predetermined type of information with another image processing apparatus connected to the image processing apparatus, for allowing data stored in the image processing apparatuses to be shared between the image processing apparatuses,

wherein the substitution account configuration manager further manages whether to permit use of data stored in the other image processing apparatus with the substitution account.

18. A management apparatus for an image processing apparatus that receives information transmitted from the image processing apparatus connected to the management apparatus, and manages a process performed in the image processing apparatus, comprising:

a substitution account configuration manager that manages a configuration of a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user; and

an image processing amount managing unit that manages an amount of image processing performed with each account, and manages a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user,

wherein the substitution account configuration manager further manages at least one selected from a type of process that can be performed on behalf of the first user, an upper limit of an image processing amount that can be performed, an available image processing apparatus, information indicating a condition for an expiration of each substitution account, and at least one operation that is to be performed on behalf of the first user.

19. The management apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the image processing amount managing unit comprises

a substitution account manager that manages an amount of image processing performed with each substitution account.

20. The management apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein the image processing amount managing unit manages the number of pages processed.

21. A method of managing an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

an account registration step of registering an account of a first user;

a substitution account registration step of registering a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of the first user; and

a substitution account managing step of managing a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user;

a display content control step of controlling contents that are displayed on a display unit,

wherein the substitution account managing step further managing a second user that uses the substitution account on behalf of the first user and at least one operation that is to be performed by the second user, and

wherein the display content control step displays the at least one operation on the display unit when the second user has logged in with authentication for the substitution account.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which when installed on an image processing apparatus that performs an image processing amount managing process of managing an amount of image processing performed with each account, causes the image processing apparatus to perform:

an account registration process of registering an account at a first user;

a substitution account registration process of registering a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user;

a substitution account managing process of managing a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user; and

a display content control process of controlling contents that are displayed on a display unit,

wherein the substitution account managing process further manages a second user that uses the substitution account on behalf of the first user and at least one operation that is to be performed by the second user, and

wherein the display content control process displays the at least one operation on the display unit when the second user has logged in with authentication for the substitution account.

23. A method of managing a management apparatus for an image processing apparatus that receives information transmitted from the image processing apparatus connected to the management apparatus, and manages a process performed in the image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

a substitution account configuration step of managing a configuration of a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user; and

an image processing amount managing step of managing an amount of image processing performed with each account, and managing a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user,

wherein the substitution account configuration step further managing at least one selected from a type of process that can be performed on behalf of the first user, an upper limit of an image processing amount that can be performed, an available image processing apparatus, information indicating a condition for an expiration of each substitution account, and at least one operation that is to be performed on behalf of the first user.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions which when installed on a management apparatus for an image processing apparatus that receives information transmitted from the image processing apparatus connected to the management apparatus, causes the management apparatus to perform:

a substitution account configuration step of managing a configuration of a substitution account that is used when a process is performed on behalf of a first user; and

an image processing amount managing step of managing an amount of image processing performed with each account, and managing a process performed with the substitution account as a process performed with the account of the first user,

wherein the substitution account configuration step further managing at least one selected from a type of process that can be performed on behalf of the first user, an upper limit of an image processing amount that can be performed, an available image processing apparatus, information indicating a condition for an expiration of each substitution account, and at least one operation that is to be performed on behalf of the first user.