JP4888062B2 - Usability decision device and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an availability determination apparatus that determines availability of an image forming apparatus.

  In a network system set up in an organization such as a company or school, an authentication server that holds the authentication information of registered users is installed, and only printers that are authenticated by the authentication server can use printers connected to the network. And that is done.

Furthermore, some organizations have a desire to restrict the use of a printer according to the situation even for registered users registered in an authentication server. For example, in the print server disclosed in Patent Document 1, after authentication by the authentication server, the cumulative number of prints by the registered user and a predetermined upper limit of the number of prints are acquired from the authentication server, and according to the number of prints. Whether or not the registered user can use the printer is determined.
JP 2003-330686 A

  However, in the conventional network system as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the authentication server also manages information related to usage restrictions according to the situation. For this reason, if the information on the available conditions is frequently updated, the load on the authentication server increases. Therefore, it is also conceivable to install an availability condition database that holds information related to usage restrictions of registered users separately from the authentication server (for example, hold it in a print server).

  However, if a database is provided separately from the authentication server, when a new user is registered, it must be registered in both the authentication server and the database, which is not convenient. In addition, the user may not be able to use the printer until a new user is registered in the authentication server until the user is separately registered in the availability condition database. Similarly, every time the content of the authentication server is updated, such as a change or deletion of a user, the content of the availability condition database must be updated accordingly, which is not convenient.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an availability determination device that can improve the convenience while suppressing the load on the authentication server.

  The present invention for solving the above-mentioned conventional problems is an availability determination device, comprising: means for communicating with an authentication server that holds user authentication information; and information on users who can use the image forming apparatus. An authentication database to be held; information on a user who has requested the image forming process; information for specifying an image forming apparatus that executes the image forming process as a target apparatus; and authentication information held in the authentication server The means for authenticating the user, the updating means for updating the information held in the authentication database based on the result of the authentication, and the information held in the updated authentication database And determining means for determining whether or not the target device can be used by the user, and means for outputting information indicating the result of the determination.

  Here, the availability determination device further includes means for communicating with a user database that manages status information for each user, and the updating means is configured to add the user information to the authentication database. , Referring to the user database, referring to the status information of the requesting user at the time when the image formation is requested, determining an available image forming apparatus, and determining the use The authentication database is updated by associating available device information for specifying an image forming device that can be used by the user with the information of the user to be added, and the determining means is associated with the information of the user, and The availability of the target device by the user may be determined using the available device information held in the updated authentication database.

  A program according to an aspect of the present invention is provided in a computer including an authentication database that is connected to an authentication server that holds user authentication information and that holds information about a user who can use the image forming apparatus. Using the procedure for accepting the information of the user who requested the image forming process and the information for identifying the image forming apparatus that executes the image forming process as the target apparatus, and the authentication information held in the authentication server, Using the procedure for authenticating the user, the procedure for updating the information held in the authentication database based on the result of the authentication, and the information held in the updated authentication database, the user And a procedure for determining whether or not the target device can be used and a procedure for outputting information representing the result of the determination.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an authentication printing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an authentication server 1, at least one client terminal 2, at least one image forming apparatus 3, a schedule database 4, and a schedule. An available device database 5 and a print server 6 as an availability device according to the embodiment of the present invention are configured, and these are communicably connected via a network. In the example of FIG. 1, an example in which a printer 3A and a printer 3B as the image forming apparatus 3 are installed is shown.

  The authentication printing system 10 is installed in an educational facility such as a school, for example, and only a user (for example, a student) registered in the authentication server 1 can install a printer or a complex installed in various places in the facility. The use of the image forming apparatus 3 such as a printer is permitted. Further, even the user registered in the authentication server 1 restricts the use of the image forming apparatus 3 according to the situation. For example, the use of the image forming apparatus 3 is limited to a period during which the user is taking a lecture, or the use is limited depending on a time zone. Hereinafter, each device will be described.

  The authentication server 1 can be realized by using a general server computer that performs access to a database using, for example, LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). The authentication server 1 stores authentication information of each registered user as a database. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the authentication server 1 uses the user name of the user (more precisely, a character string representing the user name) and the password (accurately) as user authentication information. Holds information including a password character string. Further, the authentication server 1 receives a request for providing authentication information about the user from the print server 6, for example, and provides the requested user authentication information stored in the database. Here, registration or deletion of a user is performed by, for example, an administrator of the authentication printing system 10 accessing the database from the client terminal 2 side.

  The client terminal 2 is a general personal computer and is used by a user. At the client terminal 2, the user inputs his / her authentication information, designates one of the image forming apparatuses 3 as a target apparatus for printing, and makes a print request for image data. At this time, the client terminal 2 transmits, as a print request, the authentication information input by the user who made the print request, the designation information of the target device, and the image data to be printed to the print server 6.

  The image forming apparatus 3 is, for example, a printer or a multifunction machine. The image forming apparatus 3 receives image data to be printed from the print server 6 and forms an image based on the received image data on a sheet or the like.

  The schedule database 4 holds schedule information as status information of the user for each user. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of the schedule database 4. As shown in the figure, the schedule database 4 holds, for each user, a user name and information representing the user's schedule in association with each other. Here, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, the schedule information is information that associates information representing a time zone with the state of the user in that time zone. Here, as an example at school, a schedule flag that indicates either the state where the user is taking a lecture (during a lecture) or the state where a user is not taking a lecture (out of lecture) is the user's state. An example to be held is shown. Note that the contents of the schedule information can be updated, and the user may update the schedule information, or the administrator may update it.

  The available-by-schedule device database 5 holds, for each state represented by the schedule flag, associated device information that identifies the image forming device 3 that can be used in that state. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of the schedule available device database 5.

  The administrator can set the contents of the available device information held in the available device database 5 by schedule. For example, if the printer 3A is set to be limited to users who are attending a lecture, information specifying the printer 3A may be held in association with the schedule flag “in lecture”. For example, if the use of the printer 3B is not restricted by the schedule flag, the administrator associates information specifying the printer 3B with both the “in lecture” and “out of lecture” schedule flags. Hold.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the print server 6 is a server computer including a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a clock (not shown).

  The control unit 11 is a CPU or the like, and operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 12. In the present embodiment, the control unit 11 accepts the authentication information of the user who made the print request and the designation information of the target device, and uses the authentication information stored in the authentication server 1 to select the user. Execute authentication process to authenticate. Further, the control unit 11 executes an update process for updating the information held in the available device database 15 held in the storage unit 13 based on the result of authentication by the authentication process. Further, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the target device can be used by the user by using the information held in the available device database 15, and executes a determination process for outputting information representing the determination result. The specific contents of these processes will be described later.

  The storage unit 12 includes a storage element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage unit 12 stores a program executed by the control unit 11. The storage unit 12 also operates as a work memory for the control unit 11.

  The storage unit 13 includes an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk. The storage unit 13 stores an available device database 15. FIG. 5 shows an example of the contents of the available device database 15.

  The available device database 15 associates information (usable device information) for specifying the image forming device 3 that should be made available to the user with the user name of the user registered in the database. Hold.

  The communication unit 14 is a network card or the like. The communication unit 14 receives various data via the network and outputs the data to the control unit 11. Moreover, according to the instruction | indication input from the control part 11, various data are transmitted via a network.

  Next, the content of the process performed by the control part 11 is demonstrated. This process is functionally configured to include an authentication processing unit 21, an update processing unit 22, and a determination processing unit 23, as shown in FIG. In the following, the “user who made the print request” is referred to as the “requesting user”.

  The authentication processing unit 21 receives the authentication information of the requesting user, the designation information of the target device that performs printing, and the client terminal 2. Further, the authentication processing unit 21 requests authentication information relating to the requesting user from the authentication server 1 and acquires the authentication information.

  The authentication processing unit 21 authenticates the user using the acquired authentication information. Thereby, it is confirmed whether or not the user is registered in the authentication server 1. Then, the authentication result is output to the update processing unit 22. Note that the authentication processing unit 21 interrupts the processing based on the print request when the requesting user is not registered in the authentication server 1 as a result of the authentication. At this time, the user may be notified that it is unavailable. For example, you may make it display the message showing the said meaning on the display part of this user's client terminal 2. FIG.

  And the update process part 22 starts the process (update process) shown in FIG. 7 based on the result of the authentication input from the authentication process part 21, and updates the information hold | maintained in the available apparatus database 15. FIG. .

  When it is determined that the user has not been authenticated as a result of the authentication input from the authentication processing unit 21 (N in S101), the update processing unit 22 determines whether the user is registered in the available device database 15 or not. Is determined (S102). If it is registered in the available device database 15 (Y in S102), the user name of the user and the available device information associated therewith are deleted from the available device database 15 (S103), and processing is performed. Exit.

  If the user is not registered in the available device database 15 (N in S102), the process is terminated as it is.

  If it is determined in step S101 that the user has been authenticated as a result of the authentication input from the authentication processing unit 21 (Y in S101), the update processing unit 22 associates the request source user with the request source user. Get the scheduled information. Further, the update processing unit 22 acquires information representing the current time from a timer IC (not shown) that counts the current time. Then, a schedule flag associated with the time zone to which the current time belongs is acquired from the acquired schedule information (S104). Then, the available device information associated with the acquired schedule flag is acquired with reference to the available device database 5 by schedule (S105). Further, the update processing unit 22 determines whether or not the requesting user is stored in the available device database 15 (S106).

  When the requesting user is registered in the available device database 15 (Y in S106), the update processing unit 22 processes available device information associated with the user name of the user. In S105, the available device information acquired from the available device database 5 by schedule is overwritten and updated (S108). And the update process part 22 outputs the execution instruction | indication of a determination process to the determination process part 23, and complete | finishes a process.

  On the other hand, when the user is not registered in the available device database 15 in the process S106 (N in S106), the update processing unit 22 uses the user name of the user and the available device database classified by schedule in the process S105. 5 is associated with the available information acquired from 5 and newly registered in the available device database 15 (S109). Then, the update processing unit 22 outputs a determination processing execution instruction to the determination processing unit 23 and ends the processing.

  When the execution instruction is input from the update processing unit 22, the determination processing unit 23 executes the determination process.

  As a specific example of the determination process, the determination processing unit 23 acquires the available device information associated with the user authentication information from the available device database 15. Then, it is determined whether or not the target device specified by the specification information received from the client terminal 2 is included in the image processing device represented by the available device information. Then, when the target device is included in the image processing device represented by the available device information, the determination processing unit 23 transmits a print instruction for the image represented by the image data to the target device.

  On the other hand, when the target device is not included in the image processing device represented by the available device information, the processing based on the print request of the user is interrupted. At this time, the user may be notified that printing on the target device is currently limited. For example, you may make it display the message showing the said meaning on the display part of a user's client terminal 2. FIG.

  As described above, according to the print server 6 as the availability device according to the embodiment of the present invention, only the user registered in the authentication server 1 can be permitted to use the image forming apparatus 3.

  Even a user registered in the authentication server 1 can impose restrictions on the use of the image forming apparatus 3 by the user in accordance with the available apparatus information held in the available apparatus database 15. In particular, since the available device information is updated according to the situation of the user at the time of the print request, the use of the image forming apparatus 3 can be restricted according to the situation at the time of the print request of the user. .

  Further, since the available device information is updated in the print server 6, the load on the authentication server 1 can be suppressed only by referring to the authentication information at the time of user authentication.

  The available device database 15 is updated by user registration and deletion at the time of the print request. Accordingly, the update frequency of the available device database 15 can be relatively reduced as compared with the case where the update or update of the available device database 15 is performed according to the registration or deletion of the user in the authentication server 1, and the load on the print server 6 is reduced. Can be reduced. Thus, by reducing the load on the authentication server 1 and the print server 6, the load on the authentication printing system 10 can be suppressed.

  The present invention can also be applied to forms other than the above embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the “image forming apparatus 3” that can be used is restricted according to the situation of the user, but the “functions of the image forming apparatus 3” that can be used may be restricted. Good. For example, the use of the double-sided printing function, the color printing function, etc. may be restricted in each time zone. In this case, the usable device information may be configured not to represent the usable image forming device 3 but to represent a usable function. Similarly, the “paper size” that can be used may be limited.

  Further, the use of the image forming apparatus 3 may be restricted according to the cumulative number of printed sheets of the user. In this case, the print server 6 maintains a database for managing the cumulative number of prints and the maximum number of printable sheets for each user, and the cumulative number of prints reaches the upper limit each time a print request is made by the image forming apparatus 3. Judge whether or not. In addition, the accumulated number of printed sheets is updated every time the printing process is executed.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the print server 6 and the schedule database 4 are a different body, you may integrate. That is, the schedule database 4 may be stored in the storage unit 13. Similarly, the print server 6 and the schedule available device database 5 may be integrated.

  Further, the user's print request is not limited to being received from the client terminal 2. That is, the user may designate a target device on the print server 6 itself and make a print request.

1 is a configuration diagram of an authentication printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing an example of authentication information. It is a figure showing an example of the content of a schedule database. It is a figure showing an example of the content of the apparatus database which can be utilized according to a schedule. It is a figure showing an example of the content of the available apparatus database. It is a functional block diagram of the availability device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart figure of the update process which an update process part performs.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Authentication server, 2 Client terminal, 3 Image forming apparatus, 4 Schedule database, 5 Available apparatus database according to schedule, 6 Print server, 10 Authentication printing system, 11 Control part, 12 Storage part, 13 Storage part, 14 Communication part , 15 Available device database, 21 Authentication processing unit, 22 Update processing unit, 23 Determination processing unit.

Claims (4)

Receiving means for receiving user information indicating a user who has requested the image forming process, and target apparatus information that identifies the image forming apparatus that executes the image forming process as a target apparatus;
Means for communicating with an authentication server holding user authentication information;
When the accepting unit accepts the user information and the target device information, the use indicated by the accepted user information based on the accepted user information and authentication information held in the authentication server An authentication means for authenticating the person,
When the user indicated by the accepted user information is authenticated, the accepted information is stored in an authentication database that holds the user information and a list of image forming apparatuses that can be used by the user indicated by the user information. Determining means for determining whether or not the image forming apparatus specified by the received target apparatus information by the user indicated by the received user information is usable based on a list held in association with the user information ;
Means for outputting an execution instruction to the target device based on a result of the determination when the user indicated by the accepted user information is authenticated by the authentication means;
An availability determination device including
When the accepting unit accepts the user information and the target device information, obtains the current time, and based on the obtained time and schedule information indicating the user schedule indicated by the accepted user information State identification means for identifying the current state of the user,
When the accepting unit accepts the user information and the target device information, the image forming apparatus that can be used by the user indicated by the accepted user information based on the state specified by the state specifying unit An acquisition means for acquiring a list of
Updating means for updating a list associated with the accepted user information with the list obtained by the obtaining means when the user indicated by the accepted user information is authenticated by the authentication means; Including
The determining means includes
When the user indicated by the accepted user information is authenticated by the authentication means, determining whether or not to use based on the list updated by the update means;
A device for determining availability of use. The updating means includes
In the case where the user indicated by the accepted user information is authenticated by the authentication means, and the accepted user information is not held in the authentication database, the accepted user information and the obtaining means Registering the acquired list in association with the authentication database;
The availability determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The updating means includes
When the user indicated by the accepted user information is not authenticated by the authentication means and the accepted user information is held in the authentication database, the accepted user information and the user information Deleting the list associated with the authentication database;
The availability determination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The authentication server and communicatively connected computers to hold the authentication information of the user,
A receiving unit that receives user information indicating a user who has requested the image forming process and target apparatus information that identifies the image forming apparatus that executes the image forming process as a target apparatus;
When the accepting unit accepts the user information and the target device information, the use indicated by the accepted user information based on the accepted user information and authentication information held in the authentication server An authentication means for authenticating the person,
When the user indicated by the received user information is authenticated by the authentication means, an authentication database that holds the user information and a list of image forming apparatuses that can be used by the user indicated by the user information in association with each other Determining means for determining whether or not to use the image forming apparatus specified by the received target apparatus information by the user indicated by the received user information based on a list held in association with the received user information;
Means for outputting an execution instruction to the target device based on a result of the determination when the user indicated by the received user information is authenticated by the authentication means;
As a program for causing a computer to function as
Said computer further
When the accepting unit accepts the user information and the target device information, obtains the current time, and based on the obtained time and schedule information indicating the user schedule indicated by the accepted user information Status identification means for identifying the current status of the user,
When the accepting unit accepts the user information and the target device information, the image forming apparatus that can be used by the user indicated by the accepted user information based on the state specified by the state specifying unit An acquisition means for acquiring a list of
When the user indicated by the received user information is authenticated by the authentication unit, the list is acquired by the acquisition unit and functions as an update unit that updates a list associated with the received user information. ,
The determining means includes
When the user indicated by the accepted user information is authenticated by the authentication means, determining whether or not to use based on the list updated by the update means;
A program characterized by

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