JP2013114357A - Authentication system and authentication program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an authentication system that enables simplification of processing in a case where downloading an application is made possible by a client terminal in response to user's authentication.SOLUTION: The authentication system comprises: a printer 3 that enables downloading of an application in response to user's authentication; and an authentication server 5 that authenticate users. The authentication server 5 holds user information for authentication, and downloading determination information indicating whether or not an application may be downloaded, which is directly correlated with the user information, and enables, when a user is authenticated, downloading of an application which is permitted based on the relevant downloading determination information.

Description

  The present invention relates to an authentication system and an authentication program that enable downloading of an application at a client terminal in accordance with user authentication.

  As a conventional authentication system, there is a system in which a domain controller, a client terminal, and a file server are connected to a network as in Patent Document 1, for example.

  The domain controller performs user authentication based on the user information input at the client terminal, and the client terminal acquires an installation control program from the domain controller according to the authentication success.

  In the client terminal, the installation control program is executed, and the installation permission definition information for the authenticated user is acquired from the file server. The installation permission definition information indicates whether or not a user authenticated for a predetermined application is permitted to download, and is used for determining whether or not the application can be downloaded at the client terminal. Based on this determination, the client terminal can download the application from the file server.

  However, in this technology, it is necessary to separately execute execution of the installation control program, acquisition of installation permission definition information, and determination of whether or not an application can be downloaded at the client terminal after user authentication, which complicates the application download process. .

JP 2008-65693 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that the processing is complicated when the application can be downloaded at the client terminal in accordance with user authentication.

  The present invention provides a client terminal that enables application download in accordance with user authentication, and the user's user ID, in order to simplify processing when the application download on the client terminal is enabled in accordance with user authentication. An authentication server that performs authentication. The authentication server holds user information for authentication and download permission information indicating whether or not an application can be downloaded that is directly associated with the user information, and is associated with authenticating the user. The most important feature is that the permitted application can be downloaded based on the download permission information.

  According to the present invention, when the user is authenticated, the permitted application can be downloaded based on the download permission information related to the user. Therefore, when the application can be downloaded at the client terminal according to the user authentication. Processing can be simplified.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an authentication system (Example 1). FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating application download processing by the authentication system of FIG. 1 (first embodiment).

  For the purpose of simplifying the processing when the application can be downloaded at the client terminal according to the user authentication, a user authentication function and a license for an application program (hereinafter simply referred to as “application”) are provided. Realized by using together.

  Specifically, the authentication server stores authentication user information and download permission information indicating whether or not the application can be downloaded directly associated with the user information. When the user is authenticated, the permitted application can be downloaded on the client terminal based on the download permission information associated with the authentication server.

  As the client terminal, for example, an information processing apparatus such as a computer or an image forming apparatus such as a printer can be used.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an authentication system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the authentication system 1 of this embodiment is configured by connecting a printer (image forming apparatus) 3 as a client terminal and an authentication server 5 to each other via a network 7. In this embodiment, only a single printer 3 is provided, but actually a plurality of printers are provided.
[printer]
The printer 3 is configured as, for example, a digital multifunction peripheral or the like and performs image formation based on input data. The printer 3 can perform various settings, function expansion, and the like by downloading and installing an application.

  In the printer 3 of this embodiment, the user is logged in according to the authentication, and the login user is allowed to download the permitted application. For this purpose, the printer 3 includes a control unit 9, a storage unit 11, and a network interface 13 as at least a basic configuration.

  The control unit 9 is a control element such as a CPU (Central Process Unit) that executes various programs and performs various controls and operations.

  The storage unit 11 is a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various control applications, data necessary for control or data to be processed.

  The network interface 13 transmits / receives data to / from the authentication server 5 via the network 7.

  The printer 3 according to the present exemplary embodiment includes an input receiving unit 15, a login management unit 17, and a download management unit 19 as functional configurations by executing a program in the storage unit 11 in the control unit 9.

  The input receiving unit 15 receives login and logoff instructions from the user and input of user information that is information for identifying the user. These inputs can be performed using the operation panel of the printer 3 or the like. The user information can be composed of an ID, a password, etc. In this case, the user information can be input using an IC card or the like in addition to the operation panel.

  The input receiving unit 15 also receives designation input of an application that the user desires to download together with user information. However, the designation input can be omitted when there is one kind of downloadable application.

  The input receiving unit 15 transmits input user information (hereinafter also referred to as “input user information”) and application designation information to the authentication server 5 side.

  The login management unit 17 executes login to the printer 3 for the user authenticated by the authentication server 5. By this login, the printer 3 can perform a predetermined operation including application download. In addition, the login management unit 17 executes log-off of the login user in response to a log-off instruction from the input reception unit 15.

The download management unit 19 receives and downloads the application from the authentication server 5 side. The downloaded application is held in the storage unit 11. Moreover, if there is an application downloaded at the time of login, the download management unit 19 deletes it when logging off.
[Authentication Server]
The authentication server 5 is an external authentication server composed of an information processing device such as a computer. The authentication server 5 authenticates the user, and causes the authenticated user to log in with the printer 3 and download the application.

  Similar to the printer 3, the authentication server 5 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 23, and a network interface 25 as at least a basic configuration.

  The control unit 21 is a control element such as a CPU that executes a program to perform various controls.

  The storage unit 23 is a storage device such as a ROM, a RAM, and an HDD that stores various control applications and necessary data. The storage unit 23 according to the present embodiment holds authentication user information (hereinafter also referred to as “authentication user information”), download permission information described later, and an application that can be downloaded by the printer 3.

  The network interface 25 transmits / receives data to / from the printer 3 via the network 7.

  In the authentication server 5 of the present embodiment, the control unit 21 executes the authentication program in the storage unit 23, thereby including a user authentication unit 27, a login processing unit 29, and a download processing unit 31 as functional configurations.

  The user authentication unit 27 implements a user authentication procedure, and performs user authentication using user information for authentication. Specifically, the user is authenticated when the input user information from the printer 3 side matches the authentication user information.

  The login processing unit 29 realizes a login processing procedure, and causes the printer 3 to log in according to user authentication. Specifically, the login processing unit 29 transmits a login permission to the printer 3 side, and executes login according to the login permission received by the login management unit 17 on the printer 3 side.

  The download processing unit 31 implements a download determination procedure. That is, when the user is authenticated, the download processing unit 31 enables the permitted application to be downloaded based on the download permission information related to the user.

  The download permission / prohibition information is a license given to each user so that the application can be downloaded again, and is directly associated with the authentication user information in the storage unit 23 of the authentication server 5. With this association, the user authentication function and the license are used together in this embodiment.

  It should be noted that the download permission information of the present embodiment can be re-downloadable by removing the restriction on the number of downloads of applications permitted for the user. However, the download permission / prohibition information can be a license consumed by one download. In this case, the license for the user may be recovered when the downloaded application is deleted on the printer 3 side.

The download processing unit 31 realizes an application transmission procedure. Specifically, the application permitted for the authenticated user is transmitted to the printer 3 side together with the login permission.
[Application download process]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing application download processing by the authentication system of FIG.

  The download process in FIG. 2 starts when the input receiving unit 15 of the printer 3 receives a login instruction, user information, and application designation input from the user.

  First, in step S1, a “login request” process is executed. In this process, the input receiving unit 15 of the printer 3 transmits the input user information and application designation information to the authentication server 5 side to make a login request.

  Thereby, step S1 is completed and it transfers to step S2.

  In step S2, a process of “user authentication?” Is executed. That is, the user authentication unit 27 of the authentication server 5 determines whether or not the input user information from the printer 3 side matches the authentication user information in the storage unit 23.

  If the two match (YES), the user authentication is successful and the process proceeds to step S3, and subsequent login success processing steps (S3 to S8) are performed. On the other hand, if they do not match (NO), the user authentication fails and the download process ends.

  In step S <b> 3, a process of “application available user?” Is executed. That is, the download processing unit 31 of the authentication server 5 determines whether or not the application specified for the authenticated user can be downloaded (usability or not). This determination is made based on download permission information directly associated with the authentication user information.

  As a result, if the user is usable (YES), the process proceeds to step S4. If the user is unusable (NO), the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S4, an “application download and login” process is executed. In this process, the login processing unit 29 and the download processing unit 31 of the authentication server 5 transmit the login permission and user-specified applications to the printer 3 side.

  Thereby, in the printer 3, the login management unit 17 executes the login of the user, and at the same time, the download management unit 19 downloads the transmitted application. Thus, when step S4 is completed, the process proceeds to step S6.

  On the other hand, in step S5, only the “login” process is executed. Accordingly, the login processing unit 29 of the authentication server 5 transmits login permission to the printer 3 side, and the login management unit 17 of the printer 3 executes login to the printer 3. When step S5 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S6.

  In step S6, the process of “log off?” Is executed. In this process, it is determined whether or not the login user has logged off from the printer 3, that is, whether or not the login management unit 17 has performed logoff.

  When the logoff is executed (YES), the process proceeds to step S7. When the logoff is not executed (NO), step S6 is performed again.

  In step S7, the process “Is there a download application at login?” Is executed. In this process, the download management unit 19 of the printer 3 determines whether there is a download application at the time of login.

  If there is a download application (YES), the process proceeds to step S8. If there is no download application (NO), the download process ends.

  In step S8, an “application deletion” process is executed. In this process, the download management unit 19 of the printer 3 deletes the application downloaded from the storage unit 11 at the time of login.

In this way, in the present embodiment, the download process using both the user authentication function and the application license is completed between a series of logins and logoffs. After the end, the same user can be made to download the same application again.
[Effect of Example 1]
The authentication system 1 according to this embodiment includes a printer 3 that can download an application in accordance with user authentication, and an authentication server 5 that performs user authentication. The authentication server 5 holds user information for authentication and download permission information indicating whether or not an application can be downloaded directly associated with the user information, and information on the application permitted based on the download permission information associated with the user authentication. Enable download.

  Accordingly, in this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not an application can be downloaded at the time of user authentication on the authentication server 5 side, that is, whether or not there is an application license, and a user authentication function and an application license can be used together. .

  As a result, in this embodiment, the process can be simplified when downloading an application permitted by the login user on the printer 3 side.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, since the download permission / prohibition information is a license that is granted for each user so that it can be downloaded again, even if the application is downloaded once, the same application can be downloaded again.

  For this reason, in the present embodiment, it is possible to cope with a case where the storage unit 11 of the printer 3 breaks down or a case where another printer must be used, and to improve the convenience of the user for using the application. Can do.

  Further, in this embodiment, the printer 3 logs in the user by authentication, and the authentication server 5 holds an application that can be downloaded by the printer 3 and executes downloading of the permitted application together with the login.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the download process can be further simplified, and an application permitted only to the login user can be surely used.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the application downloaded by the printer 3 is deleted by logoff, so that an application permitted only to the login user can be used more reliably.

1 Authentication System 3 Printer 5 Authentication Server 27 User Authentication Unit 29 Login Processing Unit 31 Download Management Unit

Claims (6)

A client device that can download applications based on user authentication,
An authentication server for authenticating the user,
The authentication server holds user information for authentication and download permission information indicating whether or not an application can be downloaded directly associated with the user information,
Enabling download of an application permitted based on the download permission information associated with authenticating the user;
An authentication system characterized by that. The authentication system according to claim 1,
The client terminal causes the user to log in by the authentication,
The authentication server holds an application that can be downloaded by the client terminal, and causes the download of the permitted application to be executed together with the login.
An authentication system characterized by that. The authentication system according to claim 2,
The client terminal deletes the downloaded application by logoff;
An authentication system characterized by that. The authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The download permission / prohibition information is a license given to each user so that the application can be downloaded again.
An authentication system characterized by that. The authentication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The client terminal is an image forming apparatus that forms an image based on input data.
An authentication system characterized by that. An authentication server authentication program for authenticating the user to a client terminal that enables downloading of an application in accordance with user authentication,
A user authentication procedure for authenticating the user using the user information for authentication held by the authentication server;
A download processing procedure that enables downloading of an application that is permitted based on download permission information that indicates whether or not an application that is directly stored in the authentication server and is directly associated with the user information when the user is authenticated;
An authentication program characterized by causing a computer to execute.