Program executing processing and controlling

• US 8,499,358 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Murakami, Masakazu, Nakata, Hironobu, Sawayanagi, Kazumi, Kobayashi, Minako
• Primary Examiner(s): Dada, Beemnet
• Assistant Examiner(s): GYORFI, THOMAS A
• Application Number:
  US10/732,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,519 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 726/26, 380/243, 358/443
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability

Abstract

A processing device is provided in which unauthorized processing is prevented from being preformed at the time of executing a program or others. The processing device includes a processing portion for executing processing, a program memory portion for memorizing a program that makes the processing portion execute processing, a judge portion for judging whether or not the program is permitted to start, and a control portion for controlling the processing portion so that processing is executed in accordance with the program when the judge portion determines that the program is permitted to start, and for controlling the processing portion so that processing based on the program is not executed when the judge portion determines that the program is not permitted to start.

Claims

1. A multifunction device being able to execute a program obtained from an external device by an operation of a user comprising:

a program obtaining portion for obtaining a program from an external device;

a processing portion for executing processing;

a function calling portion for invoking an application program interface (API) function corresponding to a code described in a program out of API functions included in the processing portion;

a use approval/disapproval information memory portion for memorizing use approval/disapproval information indicating whether a creator indicated by creator information included in the program obtained by the program obtaining portion is permitted by an authorization of an administrator of the multifunction device to use the API function of the multifunction device called from the obtained program, the creator being different from the user operating the multifunction device;

a use approval/disapproval judge portion for determining whether or not the creator indicated by creator information included in the obtained program is authorized to use the function corresponding to the API function of the multifunction device based on the use approval/disapproval information if the function in the obtained program corresponds to the API function of the multifunction device; and

a control portion for controlling the function calling portion;

wherein if the function in the obtained program corresponds to an API function of the multifunction device, the control portion controls the function calling portion so that the API function is called when the use approval/disapproval judge portion determines that the creator indicated by the creator information of the obtained program is authorized to use the API function corresponding to the code described in the obtained program, and processing based on the obtained program is stopped when the use approval/disapproval judge portion determines that the creator indicated by the creator information of the obtained program is not authorized to use the API function;

wherein if the function in the obtained program does not correspond to an API function of the multifunction device, the control portion controls to execute the function.

2. The multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the function calling portion is a portion for managing an application program interface of an operating system of the multifunction device.

3. The multifunction device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an authenticity judge portion for judging whether a program is an authorized program created by an authorized creator or an unauthorized program created by an unauthorized creator; and

a creator information memory portion for memorizing first creator information used for identifying a creator of a program, the first creator information being prepared for each creator of a program,

wherein

the program obtaining portion obtains second creator information used for identifying a creator who created a program along with the program,

the authenticity judge portion determines a program obtained by the program obtaining portion as an authorized program created by an authorized creator when the creator information memory portion memorizes the first creator information having the same contents as the second creator information obtained together with the program, and determines the program obtained by the program obtaining portion as an unauthorized program created by an unauthorized creator when the creator information memory portion does not memorize the first creator information having the same contents as the second creator information obtained together with the program, and

the control portion controls the processing portion so that, with respect to a program determined to be an authorized program by the authenticity judge portion, processing is executed in accordance with the program, and controls the processing portion so that, with respect to a program determined to be an unauthorized program, processing based on the program is stopped.

4. The multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the creator information is described in a header of the program.

5. The multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the creator information indicates at least one of a creator name and a creator ID.

6. A method for controlling a multifunction device being able to execute a program obtained from an external device by an operation of user, the method comprising:

obtaining a program from an external device;

loading use approval/disapproval information on a memory of the multifunction device, the information indicating whether a creator indicated by creator information included in the obtained program is permitted by an authorization of an administrator of the multifunction device to use an application program interface (API) function of the multifunction device called from the obtained program, the creator being different from the user operating the multifunction device;

judging whether or not the creator indicated by the creator information included in the obtained program is authorized to use the function corresponding to the API function of the multifunction device based on the use approval/disapproval information if the function in the obtained program corresponds to the API function of the multifunction device; and

controlling the processing portion;

wherein if the function in the obtained program corresponds to an API function of the multifunction device, the processing portion is controlled so that the API function is called to execute processing when judging that the creator indicated by the creator information of the obtained program is authorized to use the API function corresponding to the code included in the obtained program, and processing based on the program is stopped when judging that the creator indicated by the creator information of the program is not authorized to use the API function; and

wherein if the function in the obtained program does not correspond to an API function of the multifunction device, the processing portion is controlled to execute the function.

7. The method for controlling the multifunction device according to claim 6, wherein the creator information is described in a header of the program.

8. The method for controlling the multifunction device according to claim 6, wherein the creator information indicates at least one of a creator name and a creator ID.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a control program used for a multifunction device being able to execute a program obtained from an external device by an operation of user, the control program making the multifunction device perform the processing of:

obtaining a program from an external device;

loading use approval/disapproval information on a memory, the information indicating whether a creator indicated by creator information included in the obtained program is permitted by an authorization of an administrator of the multifunction device to use an application program interface (API) function of the multifunction device called from the obtained program, the creator being different from the user operating the multifunction device;

judging whether or not the creator indicated by the creator information included in the obtained program is authorized to use the function corresponding to the API function of the multifunction device based on the use approval/disapproval information if the function in the obtained program corresponds to the API function of the multifunction device; and

controlling the processing portion;

wherein if the function in the obtained program corresponds to an API function of the multifunction device, the processing portion is controlled so that the function is called to execute processing when judging that the creator indicated by the creator information of the obtained program is authorized to use the API function corresponding to the code included in the obtained program, and processing based on the obtained program is stopped when judging that the creator indicated by the creator information of the obtained program is not authorized to use the API function

wherein if the function in the obtained program does not correspond to an API function of the multifunction device, the processing portion is controlled to execute the function.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the creator information is described in a header of the program.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the creator information indicates at least one of a creator name and a creator ID.