JP2014191737A - Image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming system that can eliminate unnecessary authentication processing in an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: An image forming system comprises: an authentication server 3 that encrypts an authentication key being authentication result information obtained by performing authentication of a user based on authentication information and adding use limit information to a result of the authentication, and transmits (outputs) the encrypted authentication key; a user terminal 5 that transmits (outputs) the authentication information to the authentication server 3 and holds the authentication key in a transmittable manner; and an image forming apparatus 7 that decrypts, upon reception of the input of the authentication key from the user terminal 5, the authentication key to allow an authenticated user to use the image forming apparatus according to the use limit information.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming system that enables an image forming apparatus to be used by an authenticated user.

  As a conventional image forming system, as in Patent Document 1, for example, an image forming apparatus forms an image based on print output information transmitted from a portable terminal after the print output information is acquired from the server by the portable terminal. There is something to do.

  In this image forming system, protect information that requires personal authentication is included in the print output information, and printing can be performed when the personal authentication is performed.

  However, in this technique, since personal authentication is performed when actually executing print output, user authentication information needs to be registered in advance in the image forming apparatus or server. That is, there is a problem that unnecessary authentication wait occurs in the image forming apparatus because the user who is not registered is not finally authenticated.

  As described above, in the conventional technique, there is a possibility that useless authentication processing may be performed in the image forming apparatus.

JP 2003-84925 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that useless authentication processing is performed in the image forming apparatus.

  In order to eliminate useless authentication processing in the image forming apparatus, the present invention performs authentication of a user based on authentication information and encrypts and outputs authentication result information to which usage limit information is added, and the authentication server includes the authentication server A user terminal that outputs authentication information and holds the authentication result information that can be output, and when authentication result information is input from the user terminal, the authentication result information is decrypted and sent to the authenticated user. On the other hand, the main feature is that an image forming apparatus that can be used according to the use limit information is provided.

  According to the present invention, user authentication is performed separately from when image formation is actually performed, so that useless authentication processing in the image forming apparatus can be eliminated.

1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image forming system (Example 1). 2 is a flowchart illustrating image forming processing by the image forming system of FIG. 1 (Example 1).

  The purpose of eliminating useless authentication processing in the image forming device is realized by authenticating with the authentication server according to the authentication information from the user terminal and holding the authentication result information so that it can be output to the user terminal. .

  Preferably, authentication information is output to the authentication server when an image formation instruction is issued at the user terminal, and the image formation instruction can be executed based on the authentication result information.

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

[Image forming system]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an image forming system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  The image forming system 1 in FIG. 1 includes an authentication server 3, a user terminal 5, and an image forming apparatus 7. Although FIG. 1 shows a single authentication server 3, user terminal 5, and image forming apparatus 7, there are actually a plurality of them. In the following description, it will be described that there are a plurality as necessary. However, the authentication server 3 and the image forming apparatus 7 may be single as shown in FIG.

  In the image forming system 1 of this embodiment, when a print job (image forming data) is transmitted from the user terminal 5 to the image forming apparatus 7 as a print instruction (image forming instruction), the authentication server 3 authenticates the user in advance. . By transmitting the authentication result together with the print job from the user terminal 5 to the image forming apparatus 7, the authenticated user is caused to perform print output (image formation) in the image forming apparatus 7.

  The authentication server 3 includes an information processing apparatus such as a computer, and provides a user authentication service through its information processing function and communication functions such as network communication. The authentication server 3 of this embodiment manages user information such as user IDs and passwords for registered users, and authenticates users by collating user information received as authentication information from the user terminal 5.

  The authentication information is not used for authentication, but includes the number of print jobs transmitted from the user terminal 5, the print job name, and the image forming apparatus name. The number of print jobs is the number of print jobs transmitted from the user terminal 5 as a print instruction, and the print job name is a print job ID as print job identification information. The image forming apparatus name is identification information of the image forming apparatus such as an IP address.

  After the user authentication, the encrypted authentication key is transmitted to the user terminal 5 that is the transmission source of the user information. The encryption is performed so that at least the image forming apparatus 7 selected by the user terminal 5 can perform the decryption as described later. The authentication server 3 may hold a decryption method for each image forming apparatus 7.

  In this way, security can be improved by limiting the image forming apparatus 7 that can be decrypted. Further, if different decoding is set for each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses 7, the security is further improved.

  In addition to a unique authentication acceptance management ID at the time of acceptance of authentication, usage limit information of the image forming apparatus 7 for the authenticated user is added to the authentication key.

  Therefore, the authentication server 3 is configured to authenticate the user based on the authentication information and to encrypt and output the authentication key to which the usage limit information is added.

  The usage limit information includes the number of print jobs and the print job name described above, printable time, usable functions, and the like. The printable time is a time during which printing can be performed using the image forming apparatus 7 given to the user, for example, an elapsed time from when the authentication key is issued. Usable functions are functions that can be used by the user, such as monochrome printing and color printing.

  The authentication server 3 of this embodiment also provides an authentication service for unregistered users. That is, when the authentication server 3 receives unregistered information described later, the authentication server 3 transmits a temporary authentication key as temporary authentication result information to the user terminal 5 in accordance with the unregistered information. The temporary authentication key is an inactive authentication key, and becomes an active authentication key by an authorization key described later.

  In addition, the authentication server 3 requests the administrator side 9 for permission to authenticate the user terminal 5. The administrator side 9 is an information processing apparatus operated by a person who manages user authentication. The person who manages user authentication is not limited to the administrator of the authentication server 3.

  The authentication permission request may be made by e-mail or the like, for example. In response to the authentication permission request, the administrator side 9 accesses the authentication server 3 and transmits the permission key as authentication permission information to the user terminal 5 by e-mail or the like.

  The user terminal 5 includes a portable terminal such as an information processing device or a mobile phone, and has an information processing function and a communication function for communicating with the authentication server 3 and the image forming apparatus 7. The communication function is, for example, network communication or near field communication.

  The user terminal 5 can issue a print instruction to the image forming apparatus 7 by executing a print application program (hereinafter simply referred to as “print application”). Functions by execution of the print application include a print instruction input function, an authentication key holding function, and a print instruction execution function.

  In the print instruction input function, print target data held in the user terminal 5 is selected as a print file (selection of print file). In addition, as with a printer driver, the user sets the double-sided printing setting, the print setting such as the number of copies (selection of print format), and the selection of the image forming apparatus 7 that executes printing (selection of the image forming apparatus 7). Further, in this embodiment, the authentication server 3 is also selected.

  Based on these pieces of information, a print instruction is generated to generate a print job (print instruction). Note that the number of print jobs is generated according to the selected print file. At the time of this print instruction, the authentication information including the above-described user information, the number of generated print jobs and the print job name, the image forming apparatus name, and the like is transmitted to the selected authentication server 3.

  As user information of authentication information, a user ID and a password may be input and used when executing the printing application.

  If the user is not a registered user, unregistered information indicating that the user is not registered, such as a guest user, is transmitted to the authentication server 3 instead of the authentication information. The unregistered information also includes the number of print jobs, the print job name, the image forming apparatus name, and the like. As with the user information, the unregistered information may be used by inputting that it is an unregistered guest user when executing the printing application.

  The authentication key holding function holds the authentication key received from the authentication server 3 so that it can be transmitted. With this authentication key, it is possible to execute a print instruction on the user terminal 5.

  When the temporary authentication key is received, the temporary authentication key is held so that it can be transmitted as the authentication key when the permission key from the administrator side 9 is received. Specifically, when the temporary authentication key is received, the printing application enters a standby state waiting for the permission key. In this standby state, the printing application operates in the background of the user terminal 5 or the like. When receiving the permission key, the user terminal 5 activates the temporary authentication key.

  In the print instruction execution function, the authentication key and the print job are transmitted to the image forming apparatus 7. This transmission is performed when an authentication key is received or when execution of a print instruction is input while the authentication key is held.

  As a transmission method, the transmission function of the user terminal 5 is used through network communication or near field communication. The short-distance wireless communication is effective when the image forming apparatus 7 is not selected in a print instruction other than a registered user or the above-described print instruction input function.

  The authentication key and the print job can be transmitted through an external storage medium such as a USB memory. In this case, an authentication key and a print job are stored in the external storage terminal connected to the user terminal 5 as execution of a print instruction or the like.

  The image forming apparatus 7 includes a printer, a digital multifunction peripheral, and the like, and has an information processing function and a communication function. The communication function is, for example, network communication or near field communication. The image forming apparatus 7 decrypts the authentication key received from the user terminal 5 based on the information processing function, and enables the authenticated user to use it according to the usage limit information.

  The image forming apparatus 7 according to the present exemplary embodiment receives the authentication key and the print job, and the number of print jobs, the identified print job, the given printable time, and the use of the decrypted authentication key usage limit information Print output by print job within the range of possible functions.

The authentication key and the print job are received by network communication, short-range wireless communication, or an external storage medium depending on the transmission method at the user terminal 5. In the case of an external storage medium, an external storage medium may be connected to the image forming apparatus 7.
[Image formation processing]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing image forming processing by the image forming system.

  The flowchart of FIG. 2 starts by executing the print application on the user terminal 5. When executing the print application, the user information of the user ID and password is input. If the user is not registered in the authentication server 3, unregistered information is entered instead of the user information.

  In step S1, a “print instruction” is first performed. In this process, the user terminal 5 selects the print file, the print format, the image forming apparatus 7, the authentication server 3, and the print instruction.

  Thus, step S1 is completed, and the process proceeds to step S2.

  In step S2, “transmission of authentication information or unregistered information” is performed. In this process, the user terminal 5 transmits authentication information or unregistered information to the authentication server 3 in response to the completion of the print instruction.

  When step S2 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, a “registered user?” Process is performed. In this process, it is determined whether or not the user of the user terminal 5 has been registered depending on whether the authentication server 3 has received authentication information or unregistered information. This determination may be made based on, for example, header information.

  If registered, the process proceeds to step S4 (YES), and if not registered, the process proceeds to step S6 (NO).

  In step S4, “user authentication?” Is performed. In this processing, user authentication is performed by comparing user information managed by the authentication server 3 with user information of the authentication information.

  Specifically, the user ID of the user information of the authentication information is searched from registered user information in the authentication server 3. If the user ID is searched, it is determined whether the authentication information and the password in the authentication server 3 match each other.

  When the user is thus authenticated, the process proceeds to step S5 (YES), and when the user is not authenticated, the image forming process ends (NO). When the image forming process is finished, the authentication server 3 notifies the user terminal 5 that the user terminal 5 has not been authenticated. The user who has received this can try the print instruction again as a registered user, or can separately issue a print instruction as an unregistered user.

  In step S5, “authentication key transmission” is performed. In this process, the authentication server 3 transmits to the user terminal 5 an authentication key encrypted so that it can be decrypted by at least the selected image forming apparatus 7 in response to user authentication.

  When step S5 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S8.

  In step S6, an “authentication permission request” is made for an unregistered user. In this process, the authentication server 3 transmits an authentication permission request for the user to the administrator side 9 based on the unregistered information.

  Thus, step S6 is completed, and the process proceeds to step S7.

  In step S7, “transmission of temporary authentication key” is performed. In this process, the authentication server 3 transmits a temporary authentication key that is an inactive authentication key to the user terminal 5.

  Thus, step S7 is completed, and the process proceeds to step S8.

  In step S8, a “temporary authentication key?” Process is performed. This process is performed by receiving the authentication key or the temporary authentication key at the user terminal 5, and it is determined which of them is.

  When the temporary authentication key is received, the process proceeds to step S9 (YES), and when the authentication key is received, the process proceeds to step S10 (NO).

  In step S9, a “permission key received?” Process is performed. In this process, it is determined whether or not the user terminal 5 is in a standby state and has received the permission key from the administrator side 9 in the background or the like.

  When the permission key is received, the process proceeds to step S10 (YES), and when the permission key is not received, the process of step S9 is repeated (NO).

  In step S10, “holding the authentication key” is performed. When the process proceeds from step S8, the user terminal 5 holds the authentication key received from the authentication server 3 so that it can be output as it is. On the other hand, when the process proceeds from step S9, the user terminal 5 activates the temporary authentication key with the permission key and holds it so that it can be output as the authentication key. With this authentication key, the user terminal 5 becomes ready to execute a print instruction.

  When step S10 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S11, “execution of printing instruction” is performed. That is, the user terminal 5 transmits an authentication key and a print job (print instruction) to the image forming apparatus 7.

  In the case of a user registered in the authentication server 3, an authentication key and a print job can be transmitted to the image forming apparatus 7 through a network such as a LAN.

  In addition, as described above, the authentication key and the print job can be transmitted through short-range wireless communication or an external storage medium for any registered or unregistered user.

  When step S11 is completed in this way, the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, “authentication key confirmation” is performed. In this processing, the authentication key received by the image forming apparatus 7 is decrypted, and usage limit information such as the number of print jobs, print job name, printable time, and usable functions included in the authentication key is acquired and confirmed.

  Thus, step S12 is completed, and the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, "print instruction matches authentication key information?" Is performed. In this process, it is confirmed whether the print job received by the image forming apparatus 7 matches the number of print jobs and the print job name in the usage limit information. Further, the image forming apparatus 7 confirms whether or not the printable time is within the range.

  Through the confirmation, the image forming apparatus 7 determines whether the print instruction matches the authentication key information. If the print instruction matches the authentication key information, the process proceeds to step S14 (YES). If the print instruction does not match, the image forming process ends (NO).

In step S14, "print output" is performed. In this process, the image forming apparatus 7 executes print output based on the print job, and the image forming process ends.
[Effect of Example 1]
The image forming system 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment authenticates a user based on authentication information and encrypts and transmits (outputs) an authentication key that is authentication result information to which usage limit information is added. The user terminal 5 that transmits (outputs) the authentication information and holds the received (input) authentication key so that it can be transmitted. When the authentication key is input from the user terminal 5, the authentication key is decrypted to the authenticated user. On the other hand, an image forming apparatus 7 that can be used according to use limit information is provided.

  Accordingly, in the present embodiment, user authentication is performed separately from the actual execution of print output, so that useless authentication processing in the image forming apparatus 7 can be eliminated. As a result, it is possible to prevent unprocessed print execution instructions from accumulating in the image forming apparatus 7, thereby preventing a print output timing from deviating and suppressing a decrease in security. In addition, the processing speed in the image forming apparatus 7 can be improved.

  Further, the user terminal 5 transmits authentication information to the authentication server 3 in response to the print instruction, and the print instruction can be executed with the authentication key obtained thereby.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the authentication key can be used as execution permission information for permitting execution of a print instruction on the user terminal 5.

  Further, the user terminal 5 transmits the identification information of the image forming apparatus 7 to be used to the authentication server together with the authentication information, and the authentication server 3 encrypts the authentication key so that it can be decrypted by at least the image forming apparatus 7 corresponding to the identification information. Turn into.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the security can be improved by limiting the image forming apparatus 7 that can be decrypted. In addition, if different decoding is set for each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses 7, the security is further improved.

  Also, in this embodiment, the user terminal 5 transmits print job identification information, which is image formation data that causes the image forming apparatus 7 to form an image, to the authentication server 3 together with the authentication information. Is added to the usage limit information, and the image forming apparatus 7 enables printing for a print job identified based on the usage limit information.

  For this reason, in this embodiment, even if only the authentication key is held in another user terminal 5, it is impossible to print out unless the print jobs match, and the security can be further improved.

  In the present embodiment, when the user terminal 5 is a user who is not registered with the authentication server 3, unregistered information is output instead of the authentication information, and the authentication server 3 responds to the unregistered information with the user terminal 5 The temporary authentication key, which is temporary authentication result information, is output to the administrator side 9 and the administrator side 9 is requested to authorize the user terminal 5 to be authenticated. The administrator side 9 can output the temporary authentication key to the user terminal 5 as the authentication key. Outputs the permission key for holding the key.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, even a user who is not registered in the authentication server 3 can perform printing through the authentication key, and can suppress the deterioration of security while improving convenience. it can.

1 Image forming system 3 Authentication server 5 User terminal 7 Image forming apparatus 9 Administrator side

Claims (5)

An authentication server that authenticates the user based on the authentication information and encrypts and outputs the authentication result information to which usage limit information is added;
A user terminal that holds the authentication result information that is output by outputting the authentication information to the authentication server; and
When authentication result information is input from the user terminal, the image forming apparatus decrypts the authentication result information and enables use according to the use limit information for the authenticated user;
An image forming system comprising: The image forming system according to claim 1,
The user terminal outputs the authentication information to the authentication server according to an image formation instruction, and the image formation instruction can be executed based on the authentication result information.
An image forming system. The image forming system according to claim 1 or 2,
The user terminal outputs identification information of an image forming apparatus to be used together with the authentication information to the authentication server,
The authentication server encrypts the authentication result information so that it can be decrypted at least by an image forming apparatus corresponding to the identification information;
An image forming system. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The user terminal outputs identification information of image formation data that causes the image forming apparatus to form an image together with the authentication information to the authentication server,
The authentication server adds identification information of the image formation data to the usage limit information,
The image forming apparatus enables image formation with respect to image forming data identified based on the use limit information;
An image forming system. An image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The user terminal outputs unregistered information instead of the authentication information in the case of a user who is not registered with the authentication server,
The authentication server outputs temporary authentication result information to the user terminal according to the unregistered information and requests an authentication permission for the user terminal to the administrator side,
The administrator side outputs authentication permission information for allowing the user terminal to hold the temporary authentication result information so as to be output as authentication result information.
An image forming system.