JP2020154740A - Information processing apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To disable, when a function is added to an information processing apparatus that a plurality of groups use in common, users who belong to other groups to use the function.SOLUTION: An authentication part 31 authenticates user who use an image formation apparatus 10. A management table storage part 37 stores a user information management table as user information representing which group each user belongs to. A control part 35 authenticates, when a new application is installed in the image formation apparatus 10, the user who is installing the application by the authentication part 31, and specifies the group that the user authenticated by the authentication part 31 belongs to by using user information stored in the management table storage part 37. Then the control part 35 authorizes the specified group to use the newly installed application.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device and a program.

Patent Document 1 describes the program identification information of the program to be started by receiving the license data in which the program identification information and the device identification information are associated with each other, and the device identification of the image forming apparatus to start the program. A license management system that makes a decision to refuse to start a program based on information and received license data is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-03775

An object of the present invention is that when a function of executing a specific process is added to an information processing device jointly used by a plurality of groups, the function cannot be used by users belonging to other groups. It is to provide an information processing device and a program capable of such a method.

[Information processing device]
The present invention according to claim 1 comprises a storage means for storing user information indicating which group each user belongs to, and a storage means for storing user information.
Authentication means to authenticate users and
When a function to execute a specific process is newly added, the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication means belongs is specified by using the user information, and the function is used for the specified group. Granting means to grant authority and
It is an information processing device provided with a limiting means for limiting the use of the function based on the usage authority.

The present invention according to claim 2 displays a symbol image for activating the added function depending on whether or not the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication means belongs is given the usage authority. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control means for controlling whether or not.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the display control means does not display a symbol image for activating a function to which a user who has been authenticated by the authentication means belongs is not authorized to use. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, which is controlled.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the display control means displays a symbol image for activating the function to which the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication means belongs is authorized to use. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, which is provided for controlling the above.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the granting means has already added the function to be added by the user, the function is added after receiving an operation for adding the function from the user. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which grants the authority to use the added function to the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication means belongs.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the group is deleted, the granting means deletes the usage authority granted to the group to which the deletion process is performed for each function. It is an information processing apparatus according to any one of.

The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the information processing apparatus according to claim 6 further includes a deletion means for deleting the function when all the groups to which the authority to use the function has been granted is deleted. Is.

[program]
The present invention according to claim 8 includes a storage step for storing user information indicating which group each user belongs to, and a storage step.
Authentication steps to authenticate users and
When a function to execute a specific process is newly added, the group to which the user authenticated in the authentication step belongs is specified by using the user information, and the function is used for the specified group. Granting steps to grant permissions and
Restriction steps that restrict the use of the function based on the usage authority, and
Is a program to make a computer execute.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when a function of executing a specific process is added to an information processing device jointly used by a plurality of groups, the function is used for users belonging to other groups. It is possible to provide an information processing device capable of making it impossible.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device capable of grasping whether or not a user has a usage authority depending on whether or not a symbol image is displayed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device capable of not displaying a symbol image to a user who does not have the authority to use it.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device capable of displaying a symbol image to a user who has the authority to use it.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, an information processing device capable of avoiding duplication of storing the same function while appearing to the user to add a function according to the operation. Can be provided.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device that can be deleted without being aware of the usage authority for the deleted group.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device capable of preventing the function for which the usage authority is not granted from remaining for any group.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when a function for executing a specific process is added to an information processing device jointly used by a plurality of groups, the function is used for users belonging to other groups. It is possible to provide a program that can prevent it from being possible.

It is a figure which shows the system structure of the image formation system of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware structure of the image forming apparatus 10 in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the image forming apparatus 10 in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the user information management table stored in the management table storage unit 37. It is a figure which shows an example of the application management table stored in the management table storage unit 37. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process when a user installs a new application in image forming apparatus 10. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the determination process of whether or not the same application has been installed, which is shown in step S104 of the flowchart of FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the process when a user uses an image forming apparatus 10. It is a figure which shows the operation screen example which 41 is displayed on the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 10. It is a figure which shows the operation screen example which 41 is displayed on the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 10. It is a figure which shows the operation screen example which 41 is displayed on the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 10. It is a figure for demonstrating the change example of the application management table when the user of company B installs the "easy translation" application. It is a figure for demonstrating the change example of the application management table when company A moves out of a shared office.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system according to the embodiment of the present invention is installed in a so-called shared office where a plurality of companies move into the same office so that the image forming system can be used by a plurality of companies. Sometimes. In FIG. 1, one image forming apparatus 10 is installed in a shared office in which three companies A, B, and C have moved in for the sake of simplicity, and the image forming apparatus 10 is installed by these three companies. Is shown for shared use.

Then, in the image forming system of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 used jointly and the plurality of terminal devices 20 of companies A, B, and C are connected by a network 30. It has become a structure.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 can be connected to the Internet via the network 30.

The terminal device 20 generates print data and transmits the print data generated via the network 30 to the image forming device 10. The image forming apparatus 10 receives the print data transmitted from the terminal apparatus 20 and outputs an image corresponding to the print data on the paper. The image forming apparatus 10 is a so-called multifunction device having a function of executing a specific process such as a printing function, a scanning function, a copying function, and a facsimile function.

Then, an application program (hereinafter, abbreviated as an application) associated with a function for executing a specific process can be installed and added to such an image forming apparatus later. By activating the license and installing the application, the user can add and use the function according to the purpose of the user.

However, for example, if the application is a paid application and it is necessary to activate and pay the fee in order to install it on the image forming device, there is a problem with the image forming device used in the shared office as described above. appear.

Specifically, in the image forming device as described above, when a machine license that licenses the application for each device is applied, the license belongs to the machine, so the application installed by the user of company A for a fee. Can be used by users of companies B and C without permission.

Therefore, the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment addresses such a problem by adopting the following configuration.

Next, FIG. 2 shows the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 in the image forming system of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 is a communication interface (communication interface) for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external device and the like via a CPU 11, a memory 12, a storage device 13 such as a hard disk drive, and a network 30. It has a user interface (abbreviated as UI) device 15, a scanner 16, and a print engine 17, including a touch panel or a liquid crystal display and a keyboard. These components are connected to each other via a control bus 18.

The print engine 17 prints an image on a recording medium such as printing paper through steps such as charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing.

The CPU 11 executes a predetermined process based on the control program stored in the memory 12 or the storage device 13 to control the operation of the image forming device 10. In the present embodiment, the CPU 11 is described as reading and executing the control program stored in the memory 12 or the storage device 13, but the program is stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM and stored in the CPU 11. It is also possible to provide.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 realized by executing the above control program.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes an authentication unit 31, an operation input unit 32, a display unit 33, a data transmission / reception unit 34, a control unit 35, and an image reading unit 36. A management table storage unit 37 and an image output unit 38 are provided.

The authentication unit 31 authenticates the user who uses the image forming apparatus 10. Specifically, the authentication unit 31 authenticates the user by reading the user ID from the ID card possessed by the user. The authentication is not limited to reading with an ID card, and any authentication means that can uniquely identify the user, such as face authentication, iris authentication, and input into a password or passcode, may be used.

The display unit 33 is controlled by the control unit 35 and displays various information to the user. The operation input unit 32 inputs various operation information performed by the user.

The data transmission / reception unit 34 transmits / receives data to / from the terminal device 20. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 is also connected to an Internet line and a telephone line, and the data transmission / reception unit 34 also transmits / receives data via these lines.

The control unit 35 generates print data based on the print job received by the terminal device 20 via the data transmission / reception unit 34, and executes the print process by outputting the generated print data from the image output unit 38. .. Further, the control unit 35 converts the original image read by the image reading unit 36 into print data and outputs the original image from the image output unit 38 to execute the copy process.

The image reading unit 36 reads the image of the set original under the control of the control unit 35. The image output unit 38 outputs an image on a recording medium such as printing paper based on the control by the control unit 35.

Then, the management table storage unit 37 stores a user information management table which is user information indicating which group each user belongs to, an application management table for managing an application installed in the image forming apparatus 10, and the like. Remember.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the user information management table stored in the management table storage unit 37.

In the user information management table, as shown in FIG. 4, the group ID and group name of the group sharing the image forming apparatus 10 correspond to the user ID and user name of each user belonging to each group. It is attached and remembered.

When the image forming apparatus 10 is used, the authentication unit 31 authenticates the user and identifies the user ID. Therefore, the authenticated user is authenticated by referring to the user information management table shown in FIG. You can identify the group to which you belong.

Further, FIG. 5 shows an example of the application management table stored in the management table storage unit 37.

In the application management table, as shown in FIG. 5, the application ID and application name of the application installed in the image forming apparatus 10 and the group ID and group name of the group to which the usage authority for each application is granted are displayed. It is stored in association with each other.

For example, an app with an app ID of "10001" and an app name of "Easy Translation" has usage authority for "Company A" with a group ID of "10012345" and "Company B" with a group ID of "101246". Has been granted.

Here, when a new application is installed in the image forming apparatus 10, the control unit 35 authenticates the user who is performing the application installation operation by the authentication unit 31, and the user authenticated by the authentication unit 31 The group to which the group belongs is specified by using the user information stored in the management table storage unit 37. Then, the control unit 35 grants the authority to use the newly installed application to the specified group.

Specifically, the control unit 35 adds the installed new application to the application management table shown in FIG. 5, and registers the group to which the usage authority is granted as an available group.

Then, the control unit 35 limits the use of the application based on the usage authority managed in the application management table.

If the application to be installed by the user has already been installed, the control unit 35 does not execute the process of actually installing the application after receiving the operation to install the application from the user. The process of granting the permission to use the installed application to the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication unit 31 belongs is executed.

By preventing the application from being installed in duplicate in this way, wasteful consumption of the storage capacity for storing the application data can be suppressed.

Then, when the deletion process of the group is performed due to, for example, a certain group registered as the available group moving out of the shared office, the control unit 35 applies the application to the group to which the deletion process is performed. Delete the usage authority granted each time. That is, the control unit 35 deletes the group to which the deletion process has been performed from the application management table shown in FIG.

Then, when the deletion process of all the groups to which the usage authority has been granted for a certain application is performed, the control unit 35 actually deletes the application from the image forming apparatus 10.

Even if an operation to uninstall the application is performed by a certain user, if the application is granted usage authority to another group, the control unit 35 is the user who performed the uninstall operation. Delete only the usage authority of the group to which to belong. That is, when the application is granted usage authority to another group, the application itself is not deleted from the image forming apparatus 10, and only the usage authority to the group to which the user who executed the uninstallation belongs is given. Will be deleted.

Then, when the user operates the image forming apparatus 10, the control unit 35 displays an icon for starting the application on the display unit 33. By operating the displayed icon, the user can start the application associated with the function to be used.

Here, the icon is a symbol image displayed on the operation screen and indicating an operation position for starting a specific application or transitioning to a specific screen. The graphic image may include not only the designed graphic but also various characters such as alphabets, hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

Here, the control unit 35 displays an icon for starting the added application on the display unit 33 depending on whether or not the use authority is given to the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication unit 31 belongs. Control whether or not.

Specifically, the control unit 35 controls the display unit 33 so that the icon for starting the application for which the usage authority is not given to the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication unit 31 belongs is not displayed on the display unit 33.

Further, the control unit 35 controls the display unit 33 to display an icon for starting an application to which the user who has been authenticated by the authentication unit 31 belongs has the usage authority.

Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, a process when a user installs a new application on the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when a user tries to install a new application on the image forming apparatus 10, the authentication unit 31 authenticates the user in step S101. Then, in step S102, the license of the application to be installed is authenticated.

When the license authentication is normally performed and the user instructs the execution of the installation, the installation of the application is started in step S103.

At this time, in step S104, the control unit 35 determines whether or not the same application as the application instructed to execute the installation in step S103 has already been installed.

If it is determined in step S104 that the same application has not been installed, the control unit 35 executes an installation process in step S105 to actually store the application data in a predetermined storage unit in the image forming apparatus 10. ..

Then, in step S106, the control unit 35 adds the installed application to the application management table shown in FIG. Further, in step S107, the control unit 35 specifies the group to which the user who performed the installation operation belongs from the user information management table shown in FIG. 4, and registers the specified group as an available group.

For example, the control unit 35 refers to the user information management table of FIG. 4, and if the user ID of the user who performed the installation operation is "00012", the group to which the user belongs has the group ID of "10012345". Identify as "Company A".

Next, the details of the determination process of whether or not the same application has been installed, which is shown in step S104 of the flowchart of FIG. 6, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7.

First, the control unit 35 extracts the application ID of the application to be installed in step S201. Then, in step S202, the control unit 35 reads out the list information of the application IDs of the installed applications from the application management table shown in FIG.

Then, in step S203, the control unit 35 confirms whether or not the application ID of the application to be installed is included in the list of application IDs of the installed application.

Then, when the list of the application IDs of the installed applications includes the application IDs of the applications to be installed (yes in step S204), the control unit 35 has already been installed in step S205. Judge that there is.

If the list of app IDs of the installed apps does not include the app ID of the app to be installed (no in step S204), the control unit 35 is not installed in step S206. Is determined.

Next, the processing when the user uses the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, when a user intends to use the image forming apparatus 10, the authentication unit 31 authenticates the user in step S301.

Then, in step S302, the control unit 35 searches for the group to which the authenticated user belongs from the user ID of the authenticated user and the user information management table shown in FIG.

Then, in step S303, the control unit 35 identifies an application in which the group to which the authenticated user belongs is registered as an available group by referring to the application management table of FIG.

Finally, in step S304, the control unit 35 displays an icon for invoking the specified application on Table B embodiment 33.

9 to 11 show examples of operation screens 41 displayed on the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 10 in this way.

First, FIG. 9 shows an example of an operation screen in a state where none of the users have been authenticated and logged in. In the operation screen example shown in FIG. 9, the home screen is shown, and only the basic icons corresponding to copy, scan, fax, and print are displayed.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a home screen when a user belonging to company A authenticates and logs in in such a state.

Here, in the application management table example shown in FIG. 5, Company A is registered as an available group in the three applications of "easy translation", "easy copy", and "print anywhere".

Therefore, when a user belonging to Company A logs in, three application icons, "Easy translation", "Easy copy", and "Print anywhere" are added to the basic icons and displayed on the home screen.

Further, FIG. 11 shows an example of a home screen when a user belonging to company C authenticates and logs in.

Here, in the application management table example shown in FIG. 5, Company C is registered as an available group only for the application "Print anywhere".

Therefore, when a user belonging to Company C logs in, only the icon of the application "Print anywhere" is added to the basic icon and displayed on the home screen.

Next, a state in which the application management table shown in FIG. 5 is changed according to the deletion of the group or the installation of a new application will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

First, an example of changing the application management table when a user of company B installs the "easy translation" application when the application management table is in the state shown in FIG. 12 (A) will be described.

When the user of company B installs the "easy translation" application in the state where the application management table is shown in FIG. 12A, the control unit 35 has already installed the "easy translation" application. Only the process of adding Company B to the available group of the "Easy Translation" application is performed.

As a result, the application management table is changed to the state shown in FIG. 12B, and two groups, company A and company B, are registered as usable groups of the "easy translation" application.

Next, an example of changing the application management table when Company A moves out of the shared office when the application management table is in the state shown in FIG. 13A will be described.

When the application management table is as shown in FIG. 13A and the company A moves out of the shared office and the usage registration of the company A is deleted in the image forming apparatus 10, the control unit 35 controls all the applications. Remove Company A from the available groups of.

As a result, the application management table is changed to the state shown in FIG. 13 (B), the available group of the "easy translation" application is only company B, and the available group of the "easy copy" application does not exist. ..

Therefore, the control unit 35 executes a process of uninstalling the "simple copy" application and erases the application data from the image forming device 10.

As a result, the application management table is changed to the state shown in FIG. 13C, and the installed application is only the "easy translation" application.

[Modification example]
In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the image forming apparatus 10 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such a case, and is an information processing apparatus jointly used by a plurality of groups. If there is, the present invention can be applied in the same manner.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the application is installed in the image forming apparatus 10 which is an information processing apparatus has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various functions are newly added to the information processing apparatus. The present invention can be applied in the same manner even when it is added to.

10 Image forming device 11 CPU
12 Memory 13 Storage device 14 Communication interface 15 User interface device 16 Scanner 17 Print engine 18 Control bus 20 Terminal device 30 Network 31 Authentication unit 32 Operation input unit 33 Display unit 34 Data transmission / reception unit 35 Control unit 36 Image reading unit 37 Management table storage Part 38 Image output part 41 Operation panel

Claims (8)

A storage means for storing user information indicating which group each user belongs to,
Authentication means to authenticate users and
When a function to execute a specific process is newly added, the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication means belongs is specified by using the user information, and the function is used for the specified group. Granting means to grant authority and
Restricting means to limit the use of the function based on the usage authority,
Information processing device equipped with. A display control means for controlling whether or not to display a symbol image for activating the added function depending on whether or not the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication means belongs is given the usage authority. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising. The second aspect of the present invention, wherein the display control means controls so as not to display a symbol image for activating a function to which a user who has been authenticated by the authentication means belongs is not authorized to use. Information processing device. The information according to claim 2, wherein the display control means controls to display a symbol image for activating the function to which the group to which the user authenticated by the authentication means belongs is authorized to use. Processing equipment. When the function to be added by the user has already been added, the granting means is authenticated by the authentication means without adding the function after receiving an operation for adding the function from the user. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which grants the authority to use the added function to the group to which the user belongs. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the group is deleted, the granting means deletes the usage authority granted to the group to which the deletion process is performed for each function. The information processing device according to claim 6, further comprising a deletion means for deleting the function when all the groups to which the usage authority has been granted for the function are deleted. A storage step that stores user information indicating which group each user belongs to,
Authentication steps to authenticate users and
When a function to execute a specific process is newly added, the group to which the user authenticated in the authentication step belongs is specified by using the user information, and the function is used for the specified group. Granting steps to grant permissions and
Restriction steps that restrict the use of the function based on the usage authority, and
A program that lets your computer run.

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