JP2006235731A - Authentication system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide advanced security and improve convenience in authenticating use of an image forming apparatus using an IC card. <P>SOLUTION: A password given to a normal user who can use the image forming apparatus 1 and a time-limited password given to the user are previously registered in a group of authentication servers 5. The password is stored in the IC card 8. When the time-limited password is input by the user in using the image forming apparatus 1, the time-limited password is written in the IC card 8, and the password in the IC card 8 is read out. When the passwords are previously registered in the group of the authentication servers 5, the use of the image forming apparatus 1 is accepted. When the passwords are not previously registered, the use of the image forming apparatus 1 is not accepted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an authentication system that allows only an authorized user to use an image forming apparatus including a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a printer.

In offices, to ensure that only authorized users can use image forming devices, including copiers, facsimile machines, and printers, magnetic cards with authentication information for authorizing authorized users are distributed. When using an image forming apparatus, when a legitimate user inserts his / her magnetic card into a predetermined apparatus, the legitimate user determines whether or not he / she is a legitimate user based on authentication information recorded on the magnetic card. If the system is identified, the authentication system technology permits printing only while the magnetic card is mounted.
However, an authentication system using an IC card has been put into practical use in order to realize a sophisticated security function and management function for preventing theft and forgery of a magnetic card and managing the usage status for each user. The IC card can integrate various applications such as billing management for users.

  In an authentication system using an IC card, a PIN code is recorded in the IC card in addition to authentication information including a user ID and a password for each user. When using the image forming apparatus, the user inserts the IC card and then enters the PIN code. Is entered, the authentication information recorded in the IC card is transferred to the external authentication server only when the entered PIN code matches the PIN code in the IC card, and whether or not the authentication server is a legitimate user. The image forming apparatus can be used only when the authentication is received.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an authentication sequence of an authentication system using only a conventional PIN code.
When the user sets the IC card in the IC card reader device at step (indicated by “S” in the figure) 31, the IC card reader device requests the PIN code input process from the image forming device at step 32, and at step 33, The image forming apparatus displays a PIN code input screen for allowing the user to input a PIN code.
When the user inputs his / her PIN code to the image forming apparatus in step 34, the image forming apparatus transmits the input PIN code to the IC card reader apparatus in step 35, and in step 36, the IC card reader apparatus outputs the image. The PIN code received from the forming apparatus and the PIN code read from the IC card are collated to determine whether or not they match, and if they match, in step 37, the user ID and password are read from the IC card to read the image forming apparatus. Forward to.

In step 38, the image forming apparatus transfers the user ID and password transferred from the IC card reader apparatus to the authentication server of the authentication server group. In step 39, the user ID and password transferred from the image forming apparatus are registered in advance. Authentication processing for authenticating whether or not the user is the authorized user is executed, and the authentication result is transmitted to the image forming apparatus in step 40.
If the authentication result transmitted from the authentication server is authentication, the image forming apparatus permits printing use in step 41 and notifies the user of printing use permission. If the authentication result transmitted from the authentication server is no authentication, the use of printing is not permitted in step 47 and the user is notified.

After the print use permission is notified from the image forming apparatus, when the user instructs the image forming apparatus to perform print setting and printing in step 42, the image forming apparatus executes print processing in step 43, and when the print processing ends, In step 44, the number of printed sheets is transmitted to the authentication servers in the authentication server group in association with the user ID. In the authentication server, the number of printed sheets is accumulated and stored in correspondence with the user ID transmitted from the image forming apparatus.
After printing, when the user ejects (takes out) the IC card from the IC card reader device in step 45, the IC card reader device receives IC card eject information indicating that the IC card has been taken out to the image forming device in step 46. In step 47, the image forming apparatus recognizes that the user has logged out based on the IC card eject information, and prohibits the use of printing.

However, it is common for the PIN code to have a four-digit specification, and if it is about that length, the PIN code can be easily detected if it is stolen, and the authentication information in the IC card can be obtained, impersonating a legitimate user. There is a high possibility that the image forming apparatus is illegally used by an unauthorized user.
Therefore, in addition to this PIN code, when using a second password (for example, a one-time password or a password with a time limit) provided by an external storage device to authenticate that the user is a legitimate user. There has been an authentication system (see, for example, Patent Document 1) that uses a method for inputting and authenticating the user.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an authentication sequence of an authentication system using a conventional PIN code and a timed password.
In step (indicated by “S” in the figure) 51, when the user sets an IC card in the IC card reader device, in step 52 the IC card reader device requests the image forming apparatus to input a PIN code / timed password. In step 53, the image forming apparatus displays a PIN code / timed password input screen for allowing the user to input a PIN code and a timed password.

When the user inputs his / her PIN code and timed password to the image forming apparatus in step 54, the image forming apparatus transmits the input PIN code and timed password to the IC card reader apparatus in step 55. In 56, the IC card reader device compares the PIN code received from the image forming apparatus with the PIN code read out from the IC card to determine whether or not they match. And the password are read out and transferred to the image forming apparatus together with the time-limited password received from the image forming apparatus.
In step 58, the image forming apparatus transfers the user ID and password transferred from the IC card reader apparatus to the authentication server of the authentication server group, and the time-limited password to the time-limited password management apparatus of the authentication server group. The attached password management server executes validity verification for determining whether or not the timed password transferred from the image forming apparatus is valid, and sends the verification result to the image forming apparatus.

In step 60, the authentication server executes an authentication process for authenticating whether or not the user ID and password transferred from the image forming apparatus belong to a regular user registered in advance. In step 61, the authentication result is displayed as an image. Send to forming device.
If the verification result is valid based on the authentication result and the verification result transmitted from the authentication server group and the authentication result is authentication, the image forming apparatus permits the use of printing in step 62 and Notify permission to use printing. If the verification result transmitted from the authentication server is invalid or the authentication result is non-authentication, the use of printing is not permitted in step 68 and the user is notified.

After the print use permission is notified from the image forming apparatus, in step 63, when the user instructs the image forming apparatus to perform print setting and printing, in step 64, the image forming apparatus executes print processing, and when the print processing ends, In step 65, the number of printed sheets is transmitted to the authentication servers in the authentication server group in correspondence with the user ID. In the authentication server, the number of printed sheets is accumulated and stored in correspondence with the user ID transmitted from the image forming apparatus.
After printing, when the user ejects (takes out) the IC card from the IC card reader device in step 66, the IC card reader device receives IC card eject information indicating that the IC card has been taken out to the image forming device in step 67. In step 68, the image forming apparatus recognizes that the user has logged out based on the IC card eject information, and prohibits the use of printing.
JP 2004-226843 A

However, in the conventional authentication system, the user ID and password authentication information necessary for authentication in the IC card is transferred together with the PIN code verification, and if the PIN code is easily guessed, the IC card is When stolen, the internal user ID and password are also easily acquired and used illegally. Therefore, there is a problem that it cannot be said that the security is strong.
Further, when a PIN code and a password with a time limit are used, it is necessary to input a password with a time limit that is separately acquired as a token or network every time the PIN code is input in order to use the image forming apparatus.

As described above, in the case of performing authentication by using both the fixed password taken out by the PIN code authentication to the IC card and the user authentication by the timed password, it is necessary to enter the timed password in addition to the PIN code every time it is used. Thus, the user is forced to perform a complicated input operation, and there is a problem that the merit of using the IC card is reduced.
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to realize a high level of security and improve convenience for authentication of use of an image forming apparatus using an IC card.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following authentication system.
(1) First identification information given to a regular user who can use the image forming apparatus and second identification information different from the first identification information given to the user are registered in advance. The first identification information is stored in the IC card, and when the second identification information is input when the image forming apparatus is used, the input second identification information is written in the IC card, The first identification information stored in the IC card is read out, and when the first identification information is registered in advance, authentication for permitting use of the image forming apparatus is performed, and the first identification information is registered in advance. If it is not, the use of the image forming apparatus is not permitted. During the authentication after writing the second identification information to the IC card, the second identification information is read from the IC card, and the second identification information is read. Knowledge When the information is registered in advance, when the first identification information read from the IC card is registered in advance, authentication for permitting use of the image forming apparatus is performed, and the first identification information is registered in advance. An authentication system that prevents the use of the image forming apparatus when it is not.

(2) An authentication system for selecting whether to use the second identification information written on the IC card in the authentication system of (1).
(3) In the authentication system according to (1) or (2), the authentication system sets an effective period of the second identification information written in the IC card.
(4) In the authentication system of (3) above, an authentication system that warns when recognizing that the validity period set in the second identification information written in the IC card has passed.

  The authentication system according to the present invention can realize a high level of security and improve convenience for authentication of use of an image forming apparatus using an IC card.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
〔Example〕
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an authentication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The authentication system includes an image forming apparatus 1 including a copying apparatus, a printer apparatus, a scanner apparatus, a facsimile apparatus, or a multifunction machine (hereinafter, also referred to as “MFP”) including a combination of these apparatuses, and the image forming apparatus 1. An authentication server group 5 for performing user authentication with the IC card 8 for a user who uses the network is connected via a network 6 including a LAN and the Internet.
Connected to the image forming apparatus 1 are an IC card read / write device 2 for reading / writing data from / to an IC card 8 and a mass storage device (HDD) 7 for storing data including print information.

  The image forming apparatus 1 includes an input display unit 10 including an LCD with a touch panel and a CRT with a touch panel, a scanner unit 11 that reads an image of a document and inputs the read print information, and print information read from the scanner unit 11. A printing unit including a laser printer and an inkjet printer that print an image on recording paper based on print information stored in the capacity storage device 7 and print information transferred from an external terminal device (not shown) via the network 6 12, a network interface (I / F) unit 13 for controlling access and data exchange with the authentication server group 5 and a terminal device (not shown) via the network 6, and a microcomputer comprising a CPU, a ROM and a RAM Realized control of the entire device and IC card read / write device 2 Beauty and a control unit 14 for controlling the exchange of data between the mass storage device 7.

On the other hand, the authentication server group 5 includes an authentication server 3 that authenticates whether or not the user is an authorized user who can use the image forming apparatus 1, and a time-limited password (assigned to an authorized user who can also use the image forming apparatus 1. The time-limited password management server 4 manages the expiration date of “second identification information” and determines the validity of the time-limited password.
The authentication server 3 includes a network interface (I / F) unit 31 that controls access and data exchange with the image forming apparatus 1, a terminal device (not shown) via the network 6, and a regular that can use the image forming apparatus 1. The user ID of the user and a password corresponding to the user ID (corresponding to “first identification information”) and the number of recording sheets printed by the user of the user ID on the image forming apparatus 1 are stored in association with each other. It is realized by a user account database table 32 and a microcomputer comprising a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. Whether the user is an authorized user who can use the image forming apparatus 1 with reference to the control of the entire apparatus and the table 32. And a control unit 30 that controls authentication processing to be authenticated.

  The time-limited password management server 4 includes a network interface (I / F) unit 41 for controlling access and data exchange with the image forming apparatus 1, a terminal device (not shown) via the network 6, and the image forming apparatus 1. A table that is a user account database that stores a user ID of a legitimate user that can be used, a password with a time limit that is a password with an expiration date assigned to the user with the user ID, and an expiration date of the password with a time limit. 42 and a microcomputer composed of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and the validity of the password with a time limit given to an authorized user who can use the image forming apparatus 1 with reference to the control of the entire apparatus and the table 42 is verified. And a control unit 40 that controls the verification process.

Next, an authentication sequence for using the image forming apparatus in this authentication system will be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an authentication sequence for use of the image forming apparatus in the authentication system shown in FIG.
When the user sets the IC card 8 in the IC card read / write device 2 in step (indicated by “S” in the figure) 1, the IC card read / write device 2 inputs a PIN code to the image forming apparatus 1 in step 2. In step 3, the image forming apparatus 1 displays a PIN code input screen for allowing the user to input a PIN code and a password with a time limit on the input display unit 10 in step 3.

When the user inputs his / her PIN code through the input display unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 in step 4, the image forming apparatus 1 transmits the input PIN code to the IC card read / write apparatus 2 in step 5, 6, the IC card read / write device 2 collates the PIN code received from the image forming apparatus 1 with the PIN code read from the IC card 8 to determine whether or not they match. The user ID and password are read from the IC card 8 and, if stored in advance, a timed password is read out and transferred to the image forming apparatus 1.
In step 8, the image forming apparatus 1 authenticates only the user ID when the timed password is not stored in the IC card 8, and authenticates the user ID and the timed password when the timed password is stored in the IC card 8. The data is transferred to the password management server 4 with time limit in the server group 5.

In step 9, the timed password management server 4 determines whether or not a timed password is attached to the user ID transferred from the image forming apparatus 1. If it is attached, the timed password is registered in the table 42. If it is registered, the validity verification process is performed to check whether the registered password with a time limit is within the expiration date, and the validity verification process has a time limit. If it is determined that the password is valid, the image forming apparatus 1 is notified that the time-limited password is valid in the verification process, and the image forming apparatus 1 transfers the user ID and password to the authentication server 3. Then, the process proceeds to the authentication process of step 15.
On the other hand, if the timed password has not been transferred, if the same password as the transferred timed password has not been registered, or if the registered timed password has expired, step 10 Then, the image forming apparatus 1 is requested again for a password with a time limit.

In step 11, the image forming apparatus 1 displays a timed password input screen on the input display unit 10 based on the re-request of the timed password from the timed password management server 4.
The method for the user to obtain the timed password may be a portable external storage device such as an ID token or may be obtained via the network 6.
When the user inputs a timed password in step 12, the image forming apparatus 1 writes the input timed password to the IC card 8 through the IC card read / write device 2 in step 13, and in step 14 the image forming apparatus. 1 reads the user ID and password from the IC card 8 via the IC card read / write device 2, and transfers the user ID and password to the authentication server 3 of the authentication server group 5.

In step 15, the authentication server 3 refers to the table 32 and executes an authentication process for authenticating whether the user ID and password transferred from the image forming apparatus 1 are those of a regular user registered in advance. In step 16, the authentication result is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1.
If the authentication result transmitted from the authentication server 3 of the authentication server group 5 is authentication, the image forming apparatus 1 permits the print use in step 17 and notifies the user of the print use permission. If the authentication result transmitted from the authentication server 3 is no authentication, printing is not permitted in step 23 and the user is notified.

After the print use permission is notified from the image forming apparatus 1, when the user instructs the image forming apparatus 1 to perform print setting and printing in step 18, the image forming apparatus 1 executes print processing by the printing unit 12 in step 19. When the printing process is completed, in step 20, the number of printed sheets is transmitted to the authentication server 3 of the authentication server group 5 in association with the user ID. In the authentication server 3, the number of printed sheets is accumulated in correspondence with the user ID transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 and stored and managed in the table 32.
After the printing is completed, when the user ejects (takes out) the IC card 8 from the IC card read / write device 2 in step 21, the IC card read / write device 2 takes out the IC card 8 to the image forming apparatus 1 in step 22. In step 23, the image forming apparatus 1 recognizes that the user has logged out based on the IC card eject information, and prohibits the use of printing.

In this way, when using for the first time or when the password expires, the timed password information is invalid and authentication fails, so that the user is prompted to enter the timed password. When the user inputs a password with a time limit in response to the request, the user ID and the password are transmitted to the authentication server 3 as usual after writing the password with the time limit on the IC card.
When a valid time-limited password is written in the IC card, the authentication is completed as it is after checking the password. In this way, the security strength can be flexibly changed by using the time-limited password according to the security policy.
In this way, by writing a password with a time limit to the IC card, it is possible to realize a higher level of security than the authentication protected only by the PIN code, and the convenience of the IC card can be realized by omitting the password input each time. Sex can also be maintained.

Next, in the above-described processing, it is preferable to select whether or not to use a time-limited password written in the IC card 8.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the setting input screen of the input display unit 10 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 14 is written to the IC card 8 by the user's setting input in the “timed password setting field” in the setting screen displayed on the input display unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1. Set whether to use a password with a time limit. When the setting is not used by the user, authentication is performed using only the user ID and password authentication information in the IC card 8 as before.
In this way, the operation method suitable for the environment becomes possible by not forcing the operation of the password with a time limit.

The setting of whether or not to use the time-limited password written in the IC card 8 may be input from the input display unit 10 which is an operation panel, and includes a command line I / F and a web (Web) I / F. It can also be performed remotely.
In this way, by enabling the setting not to use a password with a time limit, it is possible to avoid a decrease in operability caused by forcing a password with a time limit.

Next, the above-described embodiment is an example of a system that performs user authentication of the image forming apparatus 1 using the authentication server 3 on the network 6. In the above-described processing, the time limit of the time-limited password written to the IC card 8 is When the password management server 4 with time limit is issued, it is set when a password with time limit is issued.
However, the image forming apparatus 1 may have an authentication management function. In this case, the expiration date of the timed password may be set uniquely for the image forming apparatus 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the user inputs a setting in the “validity period setting field” on the setting screen of the input display unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit 14 sets the expiration date of the time-limited password in the image forming apparatus 1. Set.
Thus, password operation is performed when the operation of the external time-limited password management server 4 and the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 are different, or when the image forming apparatus 1 performs the authentication function without using the authentication server 3 on the network 6 at the time of authentication. Can be changed flexibly.
In this way, by setting the expiration date of the password with a time limit in the image forming apparatus, it becomes possible to operate the image forming apparatus itself with an authentication function or an operation independent of external factors such as server operation. Policy flexible changes are possible.

Next, if you have accumulated a history of passwords with a time limit for several generations to solve problems such as offline operation and differences in the time required for authentication, use a timed password that was issued too early. If the latest timed password is not input immediately, the IC card may be stolen and illegally used.
In such a case, it is preferable to provide a function of notifying the administrator of the image forming apparatus 1 by a notification means such as E-mail using a network, or leaving an access log suspected of unauthorized use in the image forming apparatus 1. .

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the user inputs a setting in the “abnormally old password warning field” on the setting screen of the input display unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit 14 of the image forming apparatus 1 When it is recognized that the timed password written in 8 is remarkably old, and no new timed password is provided, a process of warning is performed by determining that there is a possibility of unauthorized use.
In this way, it becomes an aid to the management and operation of the password with a time limit, and a system with high security can be provided.
In this way, it is possible to perform a management operation to prevent unauthorized use by the function of notably monitoring the access of the old time-limited password and notifying the administrator of e-mail and accumulating the access log.

  The authentication system according to the present invention can also be applied to personal computers such as desktop personal computers and notebook personal computers.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the authentication system of the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the authentication sequence of use of the image forming apparatus in the authentication system shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the setting input screen of the input display part 10 shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the authentication sequence of the authentication system using only the conventional PIN code. It is a figure which shows the authentication sequence of the authentication system using the conventional PIN code and a password with a time limit.

Explanation of symbols

1: Image forming device 2: IC card read / write device 3: Authentication server 4: Password management server with time limit 5: Authentication server group 6: Network 7: Mass storage device 8: IC card 10: Input display unit 11: Scanner Unit 12: printing unit 13, 31, 41: network interface (I / F) unit 14, 30, 40: control unit 32, 42: table

Claims (4)

  First registering first identification information given to a regular user who can use the image forming apparatus and second identification information different from the first identification information given to the user are registered in advance. 1 is stored in the IC card, and when the second identification information is input when the image forming apparatus is used, the input second identification information is written in the IC card, The stored first identification information is read out, and when the first identification information is registered in advance, authentication for permitting use of the image forming apparatus is performed, and when the first identification information is not registered in advance. The use of the image forming apparatus is not permitted, and at the time of authentication after writing the second identification information to the IC card, the second identification information is read from the IC card, and the second identification information is When the first identification information read from the IC card is registered in advance, authentication for permitting use of the image forming apparatus is performed, and the first identification information is not registered in advance. An authentication system characterized in that the use of the image forming apparatus is sometimes not permitted.   2. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein whether to use the second identification information written in the IC card is selected.   3. The authentication system according to claim 1, wherein a validity period of the second identification information written on the IC card is set.   4. The authentication system according to claim 3, wherein a warning is given when it is recognized that an effective period set in the second identification information written in the IC card has passed.

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