KR100497215B1 - FAX transmission connecting method with user authentication and apparatus thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fax transmission connection method and apparatus therefor added a user authentication function.

According to the present invention, in a method of connecting a fax machine to a public switched telephone network under a predetermined control connected to a fax machine, storing and registering authentication information including authentication numbers for users who can use the fax machine in advance, When the user tries to use the fax machine, he / she receives the user's authentication number, determines whether the user's authentication number is included in the pre-registered authentication information, and authenticates. By connecting the necessary connection to the public switched telephone network and making a line connection, there is a certain level of security in the use of fax, which has little security method, so that unauthorized users cannot use it. I can secure the reliability in the use of the fax which is the selfishness of the civilization The can be activated.

Description

FAX transmission connecting method with user authentication and apparatus according to user authentication function

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of fax machines, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for connecting a fax transmission so that only an authorized user can send a fax when using a fax machine.

The importance of information in modern society cannot be overemphasized. In all areas, the importance of communication security is becoming more and more serious due to the sharpened eavesdropping technology. Recently, the rapidly changing information and communication technology environment has shown an integration trend in which various systems are integrated and managed based on digital. Currently, digital security is about 90% effective by many companies, but the security of analog data such as fax and telephone is almost defenseless.

In particular, in case of a fax, data transmitted through a fax machine can easily transmit data in a variety of formats, such as text data such as text and graphics, in a single operation. In addition, the security problem for fax is more serious than a telephone because anyone can use it easily and without any authentication.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention, in order to solve the above problems, the user authentication function that can be secured so that only the user authorized to use the fax to use the fax for the fax use that is used a lot in the enterprise An additional fax transmission connection method and apparatus are provided.

According to the present invention for solving the above technical problem, a fax transmission connection method with a user authentication function is connected, a method of connecting a fax machine to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) under a predetermined control connected to a fax machine; (A) a registration step of storing in advance the authentication information including the authentication number for the users who can use the fax machine; (b) an authentication number input step of receiving an authentication number of the user when the user intends to use the fax machine; (c) an authentication step of determining whether the input authentication number of the user is included in the authentication information registered in advance in the step (a); And (d) a line connection step of connecting a connection necessary for fax transmission of the fax machine to the public switched telephone network only to a user authenticated in the authentication step, wherein the predetermined fax transmission is prohibited in step (a). If the telephone number entered by the user for fax transmission in step (d) substantially matches one of the predetermined telephone numbers stored in step (a) by storing the telephone number together, connection necessary for fax transmission of the fax machine It is characterized in that not connected to the public switched telephone network.

The method includes, after step (d), (e) storing user data transmitted through the machine as an image, user authentication information corresponding to a user's authentication number, transmission start time, transmission completion time and transmission destination. The method may further include storing information including a telephone number by connecting the image with the image, and the information stored in the step (e) may be retrieved as necessary.

According to the present invention for solving the other technical problem, a fax transmission connection device with a user authentication function is connected to a fax machine via a telephone line connection terminal, the fax machine according to a predetermined control Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) An apparatus for connecting to a network, comprising: an authentication information storage unit for storing authentication information including authentication numbers of users who can use the fax machine; Authentication number input unit for receiving the authentication number of the user to use the fax machine; An authentication unit for confirming whether the authentication number of the user inputted through the authentication number input unit is the same as that stored in the authentication information storage unit; And a line connection unit connecting a connection necessary for fax transmission of the fax machine to the public switched telephone network when it is confirmed that the user is authenticated by the authentication unit. The authentication information storage unit includes a predetermined telephone number for which fax transmission is prohibited. The line connection unit stores the connection necessary for the fax transmission of the fax machine if the telephone number input by the user for fax transmission substantially matches one of the predetermined telephone numbers stored in the authentication information storage unit. It is characterized by notifying the fact to a predetermined administrator by using a predetermined communication means together with the information including the user authentication information. The apparatus further includes an image storage unit for storing the image storage unit. To store, as by connecting the credentials, transmission start time, transmission completion information containing the time and the transfer destination telephone number corresponding to the number of the authenticated user to transmit the image to be transmitted in addition to the image and the image is preferred.

delete

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a fax transmission connection method with a user authentication function according to the present invention.

The method of connecting a fax machine to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) according to predetermined control by connecting to a fax machine includes storing authentication information including authentication numbers for users who can use the fax machine in advance. Registration (step 100), the user receives the authentication number of the user when the user intends to use the fax machine (step 110), and determines whether the authentication number of the input user is included in the authentication information registered in advance in step 100; (Step 120), and connects a line connecting the public telephone line to the public switched telephone network only for the user authenticated in step 120 (step 130).

The data transmitted through the fax machine is stored as an image, and information including user authentication information, transmission start time, transmission completion time, and destination telephone number corresponding to the authentication number of the user to be transmitted is stored together with the image. (Step 140), the transmitted data can be stored and withdrawn as needed.

The fax transmission connection device to which the user authentication function according to the present invention is added may be referred to as a kind of FAX gateway. 2 illustrates an environment in which a fax gateway, which is a fax transmission connection device to which a user authentication function is added, according to the present invention is used.

The fax machine 210 is connected to the fax gateway 200 which is a device according to the present invention, and a call is established through a fax gateway 200 to a public switched telephone network to be connected to other fax machines 220-1 and 220-2 to transmit a fax. Will do.

3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fax transmission connection device to which a user authentication function according to the present invention is added.

The apparatus 200, which is connected to a fax machine via a telephone line connection terminal and connects a fax machine to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) under predetermined control, includes an authentication number of users who can use the fax machine. Authentication information storage unit 201 for storing the authentication information, the authentication number input unit 202 for receiving the authentication number of the user to use the fax machine, the authentication number of the user input through the authentication number input unit 202 authentication information storage unit ( If it is confirmed that the user authenticated by the authentication unit 203 and the authentication unit 203 to confirm whether the same as stored in the 201), the line connection unit 204 for connecting the connection necessary for the fax transmission of the fax machine to the public switched telephone network. ).

And, further comprising an image storage unit 205 for storing the data transmitted through the fax machine as an image, the image storage unit 205 is a user corresponding to the authentication number of the user transmitting the transmitted image in addition to the transmitted image Information including authentication information, transmission start time, transmission completion time, and destination telephone number is stored together with the image.

The administrator who manages the fax machine registers authentication information for users who will use the fax machine (step 100). At this time, what can be used as authentication information may be information such as, for example, the name of an employee of the company, an employee number that can be used as an authentication number, or a part of a social security number. The authentication number is a number that a user inputs when using a fax to confirm whether the user is a registered user. In this case, the authentication number is not used to specify only matters related to numbers. For example, the authentication number may be specified using a combination of Korean, English letters, special symbols, or numbers as the authentication number, which inputs the authentication number to be provided in the authentication number input unit 202 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It can be determined according to the input combination of the keypad.

The registered authentication information is stored in the authentication information storage unit 201. The authentication information storage unit 201 may be implemented using a memory element that can be updated if necessary, and the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit 201 may be updated and drawn out by appropriate programmatic control.

The user inputs the authentication number through the authentication number input unit 202 before using the fax machine (step 110).

An example of implementing the authentication number input unit 202 will be described.

A user authentication number may be entered into a magnetic portion of a card issued for each user, and when the user passes the card through a device such as a card reader, the user may read the magnetic portion and read the user authentication number. To this end, the authentication number input unit 202 includes a contact card reader, and the card reader reads the magnetic film part of the card including the magnetic film part in which the authentication number of the user who intends to use the fax machine is stored and receives the user's authentication number. It is preferable.

In this case, a contactless card reader is used. In addition, a method of receiving a user authentication number by reading a user's authentication number stored in the card by a contactless method can be used. To this end, the authentication number input unit 202 includes a contactless card reader, and the card reader preferably receives a user's authentication number by contactlessly reading a card in which the authentication number of the user who intends to use the fax machine is stored.

At this time, using a function such as a smart card that is used a lot these days can be used in the present invention using the personal information described in the smart card using the contactless card reader described above as an authentication number.

Reading information stored in the card in a non-contact manner can be used as it is already commercially available technology, it is obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs, it is easy to implement.

All of the methods described above require the user to have a separate card for user authentication. If you lose or leave this card elsewhere, you may experience problems when you are an authenticated user but cannot use the fax machine. For this purpose, in some cases, it is preferable that a user inputs his own authentication number and authenticates using the card without using a card on which an authentication number is recorded. To this end, the authentication information input unit 202 includes a guide voice output unit for outputting a voice of a guide to input a user's authentication number to a user who wants to use the machine, and the user who has received the voice guide inputs a predetermined key. It is preferable to recognize and input the authentication number of the user.

It would be possible for the user to enter their own authentication number without having to wait for a voice prompt. For convenience in using the fax machine, the user may insert a document to be faxed, for example, into the document insert of the fax machine or use the fax for convenience. Pressing a specific portion of the fax gateway 200 which is the device according to the invention, the guide voice output unit outputs the voice of the guidance such as 'Please enter the user authentication number' and accordingly allows the user to input the authentication number assigned to him / her. will be. In this case, the user inputting the authentication number may use a separate keypad or keyboard included in the authentication number input unit 202 or connected to the authentication number input unit 202. In some embodiments, the fax gateway 200 may be used. You can also use the keypad of the fax machine connected to the.

In addition, according to the implementation example, the authentication number input unit 202 may be implemented such that the card reader reading the card on which the authentication number is recorded and the keypad unit receiving direct input from the user are combined together. In this case, the card may be used to input the authentication number according to the user's selection, or the user may directly input the voice message according to the voice guidance.

The authentication unit 203 authenticates the user by determining whether the input user authentication information is previously registered and included in the authentication information stored in the authentication information storage unit 201 (step 120).

After entering the authentication number of the user through the authentication number input unit 202 to the fax gateway 200 which is a device according to the present invention, the authentication unit 203 authenticates the authentication number, if not registered for that user If it is determined that the user is not a user will be able to read the card again according to the guidance of the voice output from the guide voice output unit or to allow the user to enter the authentication number again. Through this process, if the information stored in the card is damaged or the authentication information is not input correctly due to a user's mistake, the user may be prepared to enter the user's authentication number once again.

Only when the authentication unit 203 is authenticated as a user registered in advance, the line connection unit 204 connects the connection necessary for the fax transmission of the fax machine to the public switched telephone network to establish a line connection (step 130). If an authentication number which is stored in advance and not included in the authentication information of the registered user is input, the authentication unit 203 determines that the user is not a legitimate user, which fails to authenticate. In this case, therefore, the line connection unit 204 will not accept the input necessary for the user's use of the fax, and will not connect to the public switched telephone network through the fax machine.

The line connection unit 204 transmits a signal to indicate that a telephone call is generated when the telephone receiver is picked up only to an authenticated user, and transmits a public switched telephone network to input a counterpart telephone number on the keypad of the fax machine. Make the necessary connections for faxing, such as sending the results to your fax machine.

The conventional fax machine only stores the telephone number of the sender of the fax, the transmission start time, and the completion time, which also could not store much information due to the memory capacity. However, the FAX gateway 200, which is a device according to the present invention, separately sets an image storage unit 205, and converts data transmitted through FAX into an image and stores the data (step 140). At this time, the information such as the authentication information of the user, the fax transmission start time, the transmission completion time, and the transmitted relative telephone number is stored together with each image for each fax data image.

Through this, the information transmitted through the fax machine, information on the sender, time zone, and the other party's telephone number can be easily withdrawn and checked as necessary, thereby providing a post-security function for the fax machine. As described above, the information stored in the image storage unit 205 may be printed through a fax machine connected to the fax gateway 200 to view the result. Although not shown in the drawing, a predetermined display means may be used to display the fax gateway 200. ) May be further included in the display means.

The image storage unit 205 may be implemented using a device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) of a large capacity, and the person skilled in the art may use a known technique to convert the data transmitted by fax into an image and store the data. Even if there is no description, it can be easily implemented. Increasing the capacity of the hard disk drive, even if the amount of data sent through the fax can leave a transmission history for a long time fax transmission is more efficient in managing the fax transmission than the conventional case.

By using this, it is possible to manage the history of the fax for a long time by making a database for each user who sent the fax contents, for the other party who received the fax, or based on other matters.

The other malicious user learns that the user has lost the card on which his or her authentication number has been recorded, or another user who has learned the authentication number of the authenticated user uses the authentication number and authenticates the user as described above. It is necessary to prevent faxing to certain telephone numbers, that is to say, forbidden telephone numbers where no data should be sent by fax. Or, even authorized legitimate users need to stop sending faxes to forbidden phone numbers.

To this end, the authentication information storage unit 201 stores a predetermined telephone number for which a fax transmission is prohibited, and the line connection unit 204 stores a telephone number input by the user in the authentication information storage unit 201 for fax transmission. Substantially matching one of the predetermined telephone numbers does not connect the connection necessary for the fax transmission of the fax machine with the public switched telephone network. Through this function and configuration, the first authentication through the authentication number input unit 202 is performed, and the second authentication, which prevents the fax from being sent to the forbidden phone number, is performed and the reliability of transmitting data by fax is high. Security.

And it is necessary to urgently notify the administrator of an attempt to send a fax to such a prohibited telephone number. To this end, the line connection unit 204 notifies the designated administrator by using predetermined communication means together with the information including the user authentication information that the fax transmission is attempted to the prohibited telephone number. For example, there was an attempt to send a prohibited fax by calling an administrator's pre-registered mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, over a public switched telephone network, and information about the user who sent it, the time it was attempted, and the contact's telephone number. Information such as SMS is notified to the administrator via a service such as SMS. This will enable immediate action for any breach of security against a fax, even if the administrator is not present.

The fax transmission connection device 200 to which the user authentication function according to the present invention described above is added transmits the contents to the fax machine connected to the device 200 as it is and receives the fax.

Although not described separately above or specified in the drawings, it is also possible to prevent transmission to a fax connected to the apparatus 200 using the fax transmission connection apparatus 200 to which the user authentication function according to the present invention is added. If the other party's phone number to be rejected to send a fax is stored in advance in the authentication number storage unit 201, and the other party's phone number that is known at the time of setting up the call for fax transmission is compared with the pre-stored phone number. You can prevent fax transmissions by disconnecting the line from the other end.

In addition, when using the fax gateway 200 which is a device according to the present invention, the image of the content to be sent by fax is configured in advance as a file and stored in the image storage unit 205, and not transmitted from the fax machine image storage unit 205 If the image stored in the file is transmitted to the other party's fax machine, the fax machine can transmit the paper document and the fax gateway 200 which is the device according to the present invention can transmit the file document.

In addition, at this time, the data transmitted to the fax machine connected to the fax gateway 200 may be stored as an image in the image storage unit 205 without being transmitted as a fax, and the contents of the fax may be checked or printed as needed to replace the fax machine. You can use it to implement it.

Therefore, it becomes possible to flexibly manage faxes according to the situation by using the fax transmission connection device to which the user authentication function according to the present invention is added.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Examples included in the above description are introduced for the understanding of the present invention, and these examples do not limit the spirit and scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various embodiments in accordance with the present invention in addition to the above examples are possible. The scope of the present invention is shown not in the above description but in the claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

In addition, it can be easily understood by those skilled in the art that each of the above steps according to the present invention can be variously implemented in software or hardware using a general programming technique.

And some steps of the invention may also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable recording media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, CD-RW, magnetic tape, floppy disks, HDDs, optical disks, magneto-optical storage devices, and carrier wave (eg, Internet It also includes the implementation in the form of). The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

According to the present invention, in a method of connecting a fax machine to a public switched telephone network under a predetermined control connected to a fax machine, storing and registering authentication information including authentication numbers for users who can use the fax machine in advance, When the user tries to use the fax machine, he / she receives the user's authentication number, determines whether the user's authentication number is included in the pre-registered authentication information, and authenticates. Connect the necessary connection to the public switched telephone network to make a line connection, and store a predetermined telephone number for which fax transmission is prohibited, so that the telephone number entered by the user for the fax transmission is substantially one of the predetermined telephone numbers. If it matches, the connection for fax transmission of the fax machine is connected to the public switched telephone network. By not defecting, there is a certain level of security in the use of the fax, which has little security method, so that unauthorized users cannot use it, thereby ensuring reliability in data transmission using fax. You can activate the use of fax, which is the victory of civilization.

1 is a flowchart illustrating a fax transmission connection method with a user authentication function according to the present invention.

2 illustrates an environment in which a fax gateway, which is a fax transmission connection device to which a user authentication function is added, according to the present invention is used.

3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fax transmission connection device to which a user authentication function according to the present invention is added.

Claims (11)

In the method of connecting a fax machine to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) under a predetermined control connected to the fax machine, (a) registering in advance storing authentication information including authentication numbers for users who can use the fax machine; (b) an authentication number input step of receiving an authentication number of the user when the user intends to use the fax machine; (c) an authentication step of determining whether the input authentication number of the user is included in the authentication information registered in advance in the step (a); And (d) a line connection step of connecting a connection necessary for fax transmission of the fax machine to the public switched telephone network only to the user authenticated in the authentication step. In step (a) by storing a predetermined telephone number is prohibited to send a fax, If the telephone number input by the user for fax transmission in step (d) substantially matches one of the predetermined telephone numbers stored in step (a), the connection necessary for fax transmission of the fax machine is connected to the public switched telephone network. A method of connecting a fax transmission with a user authentication function characterized in that it does not. The method of claim 1, wherein after step (d) (e) storing the data transmitted through the machine as an image, and linking the image with information including user authentication information, transmission start time, transmission completion time and destination telephone number corresponding to the authentication number of the user to be transmitted; It further includes the step of storing together, And the information stored in step (e) can be retrieved as needed. delete The method of claim 1, When a fax transmission is attempted to the telephone number forbidding the transmission of the fax stored in step (a), the fact that the fax transmission is attempted to the telephone number forbidding the fax transmission, the user authentication information for the fax transmission, and A method for fax transmission connection with a user authentication function, characterized by informing a predetermined administrator of information including a transmission attempt time through a predetermined communication means. A device connected to a fax machine through a telephone line connection terminal and connected to a fax machine to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) under predetermined control, An authentication information storage unit for storing authentication information including authentication numbers of users who can use the fax machine; Authentication number input unit for receiving the authentication number of the user to use the fax machine; An authentication unit for confirming whether the authentication number of the user inputted through the authentication number input unit is the same as that stored in the authentication information storage unit; And And a line connection unit for connecting the connection necessary for the fax transmission of the fax machine to the public switched telephone network when it is confirmed that the user is authenticated by the authentication unit. The authentication information storage unit stores a predetermined telephone number forbidding the transmission of the fax together, The line connection unit does not connect the public switched telephone network with the connection necessary for the fax transmission of the fax machine if the telephone number input by the user for fax transmission substantially matches one of the predetermined telephone numbers stored in the authentication information storage unit. And a fax transmission connection device with a user authentication function, which notifies this fact to a predetermined administrator by using a predetermined communication means together with information including user authentication information. The method of claim 5, Further comprising an image storage unit for storing the data transmitted through the fax machine as an image, The image storage unit stores the information including the user authentication information, the transmission start time, the transmission completion time, and the destination telephone number corresponding to the authentication number of the user who transmits the image in addition to the image to be transmitted together with the image. A fax transmission connection device with a user authentication feature. 7. The user authentication function according to claim 6, wherein information including the image stored in the image storage unit, user authentication information, transmission start time, transmission completion time, and destination telephone number can be retrieved as necessary. This attached fax transmission connection device. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The authentication number input unit includes a contact card reader, And the card reader reads the magnetic film portion of the card including the magnetic film portion storing the authentication number of the user who intends to use the fax machine, and receives the authentication number of the user. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The authentication number input unit includes a contactless card reader, And the card reader reads a card storing an authentication number of a user who intends to use the fax machine in a non-contact manner and receives a user authentication number. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The authentication information input unit includes a guide voice output unit for outputting a voice of a guide to input the user's authentication number to the user who wants to use the fax machine, And a user authentication number is input by recognizing that the user who has received the voice input has input a predetermined key. delete