Methods and systems for imaging device credential acceptance

• US 8,006,293 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lovat, David J., Zhang, Hanzhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Simitoski; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US11/193,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 726/8, 380/51, 713/186, 705/18
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00352 Input means H04N1/00411 takes precedence; input arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00464 using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00503 Customising to a particular machine or model, machine function or application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for eliminating multiple submission of user credential data in a system with multiple distinct restricted sub-systems wherein a unique credential is required for each sub-system.

Claims

1. A method for providing single-credential access to a restricted application, said method comprising:

receiving a sign-on token, at a credential-protected service, directly from a user at an imaging device (IDev), wherein said sign-on token is related to a user credential data table, which relates said sign-on token to accounting server application credential data and sign-on credential data for each of a plurality of credential-protected IDev functions, services and applications and wherein said user credential data table and said credential data are stored and maintained by a single-sign-on server application (SSOSA);

requesting, in response to said receiving, a sign on credential maintained by said SSOSA for said credential-protected service from said SSOSA by sending said sign-on token from said credential-protected service to said SSOSA;

receiving, at said credential-protected service, said sign-on credential for said credential-protected service from said SSOSA;

authenticating said sign-on credential for said credential-protected service at said credential-protected service; and

granting service access for said user to use said credential-protected service based on said authenticating said sign-on credential for said credential-protected service received from said SSOSA.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said service is an IDev function.

3. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said service is an application remote to said IDev.

4. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said receiving a sign-on token is accomplished with an XML/SOAP message.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said requesting is accomplished with an XML/SOAP message.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said receiving said sign-on credential for said credential-protected service is accomplished with an XML/SOAP message.

7. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said SSOSA is an application running on a remote computing device (RCD).

8. A method for single credential access to a restricted application, said method comprising:

receiving, at a credential-protected service, a sign-on token directly from a user at an imaging device (IDev), said sign-on token being related to a user credential data table, which relates said sign-on token to sign-on credential data for each of a plurality of IDev functions, services and applications and wherein said user credential data table and said sign-on credential data are stored and maintained by a single-sign-on server application (SSOSA);

sending said sign-on token from said credential-protected service to said SSOSA to exchange said sign-on token for sign-on credential data corresponding to said credential-protected service maintained at said SSOSA;

receiving, at said credential-protected service, said corresponding sign-on credential data from said SSOSA, in response to receiving said sign-on token at said SSOSA;

authenticating said corresponding sign-on credential data at said credential-protected service; and

granting credential-protected service access to said user based on said authenticating said corresponding sign-on credential data received from said SSOSA.

9. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said service is an IDev function.

10. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said credential-protected service is an application remote to said IDev.

11. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said receiving a sign-on token is accomplished with an XML/SOAP message.

12. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said receiving said sign-on credential data is accomplished with an XML/SOAP message.

13. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said SSOSA is an application running on a remote computing device (RCD).

14. An apparatus for providing single-credential access to a restricted application, said method comprising:

a token receiver for receiving a sign-on token, at a credential-protected service, directly from a user at an imaging device (IDev), wherein said sign-on token is related to a user credential data table, which relates said sign-on token to accounting server application credential data and sign-on credential data for each of a plurality of credential-protected IDev functions, services and applications and wherein said user credential data table and said credential data are stored and maintained by a single-sign-on server application (SSOSA);

a sender for sending said sign-on token from said credential-protected service to said SSOSA in response to said receiving, thereby requesting a sign on credential maintained at said SSOSA for said credential-protected service from said SSOSA;

a credential receiver for receiving, at said credential-protected service, said sign-on credential for said credential-protected service from said SSOSA;

an authenticator for authenticating said sign-on credential for said credential-protected service at said credential-protected service; and

an access grantor for granting service access for said user to use said credential-protected service based on said authenticating said sign-on credential for said credential-protected service received from said SSOSA.