JP7319777B2 - Information processing device for authentication, its control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that performs authentication, its control method, and a program.

In recent years, many information processing devices, such as personal computers, digital cameras, and mobile phones, have been equipped with communication functions. It's becoming Further, authentication is performed so that communication can be performed only with a valid specific information processing device when the information processing devices operate in cooperation with each other.

For example, in Patent Document 1, when authentication is performed between a network device and a terminal device capable of communicating with the network device, authentication is switched between administrator mode and user mode, and login using a user name and password is performed. has been disclosed. With this technology, it is possible to improve the security of the network by switching between a case in which access is possible using factory-set authentication information and a case in which access is possible using user-mode authentication information.

JP 2014-164714 A

However, although the above-described prior art can make the communication network more secure, it does not take into account easier access when devices access each other in an already secure communication network.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to implement a technology that enables access to ensure safety and easy access to be used properly.

In order to solve this problem, for example, the information processing apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, an information processing device that operates as a server and receives access from an external device via a communication network, comprising: setting means for setting authentication information for enabling access for each external device; a control means for controlling authentication processing for access, wherein the control means switches whether or not to perform authentication processing for access from the external device according to the setting state of the authentication information ; If no valid authentication information is set in the setting means, the access from the external device is accepted without executing the authentication process.

According to the present invention, it is possible to selectively use access that ensures security and simple access.

1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of a digital camera as an example of an information processing apparatus according to this embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of a smartphone as an example of an external device that is a communication device according to the present embodiment; Diagram showing an example configuration of the screen for setting authentication information 4 is a flowchart showing a series of operations of authentication processing in the digital camera according to the first embodiment; 8 is a flowchart showing a series of operations of authentication processing in a digital camera according to the second embodiment;

(Embodiment 1)
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following example, a communication system configured by a digital camera as an example of an information processing device and a smart phone as an example of a communication device will be described. Here, the information processing device operates as a server and accepts access from a communication device that operates as a client via a communication network (hereinafter also simply referred to as a network). Note that the information processing apparatus (digital camera) of the present embodiment is not limited to a digital camera, and can be applied to other electronic equipment that operates as a server and receives access from an external device. The devices may include, for example, portable media players, personal computers, mobile phones including smartphones, game machines, tablet terminals, watch-type or glasses-type information terminals, and in-vehicle system equipment. Further, the communication device (smartphone) of the present embodiment is applicable not only to smartphones but also to other electronic devices that can operate as clients. The equipment may include, for example, a digital camera, a portable media player, a personal computer, a game machine, a tablet terminal, a watch-type or eyeglass-type information terminal, an in-vehicle system equipment, and the like.

<Configuration of digital camera>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example functional configuration of a digital camera 100 as an example of an information processing apparatus according to this embodiment. One or more of the functional blocks shown in FIG. 1 may be realized by hardware such as ASIC, or may be realized by a programmable processor such as CPU or GPU executing software. It may also be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. Therefore, in the following description, even when different functional blocks are described as main entities, the same hardware can be implemented as the main entities.

The control unit 101 includes a processor such as a CPU or MPU, loads a program recorded in the nonvolatile memory 103 into the working memory 104, and controls each unit of the digital camera 100 by executing the program. Further, upon receiving a user's operation instruction via the operation unit 105, the control unit 101 controls each unit based on the operation instruction. Note that instead of the control unit 101 controlling the entire apparatus, a plurality of pieces of hardware may control the entire digital camera 100 by sharing processing. As will be described later, the control unit 101 can also operate as a server that can be accessed using the HTTP protocol by executing a program. It is possible to receive a request transmitted from an external device using the HTTP protocol, execute necessary processing, and transmit a response including the execution result using the HTTP protocol. Further, when receiving a request, the control unit 101 performs a series of processing related to authentication, which will be described later, and switches whether or not to perform authentication processing according to the setting state of authentication information in the digital camera 100 .

The image capturing unit 102 includes, for example, an optical lens unit, an optical system for controlling diaphragm, zoom, focus, etc., and an image sensor for converting light (image) introduced through the optical lens unit into an electrical image signal. include. For example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) is used as the imaging device. The imaging unit 102 converts the subject light imaged by the lens included in the imaging unit 102 into an electric signal by the imaging device according to the instruction of the control unit 101 . The imaging unit 102 also performs predetermined processing including noise reduction processing and outputs image data as a result of the processing. In the digital camera 100 of the present embodiment, for example, image data is recorded on the recording medium 110 according to the DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) standard.

The nonvolatile memory 103 includes an electrically erasable/recordable nonvolatile memory, and stores various programs executed by the control unit 101, predetermined parameters used when executing the programs, and the like. The working memory 104 is used as a buffer memory for temporarily holding image data captured by the imaging unit 102, an image display memory for the display unit 106, a work area for the control unit 101, and the like.

The operation unit 105 includes operation members such as buttons, dials, switches, and a touch panel for receiving operation instructions for the digital camera 100 from the user. The operation unit 105 includes, for example, a power button for the user to turn on/off the power of the digital camera 100, a release switch for instructing shooting, and a playback button for instructing playback of image data. Furthermore, it includes an operation member such as a dedicated connection button for starting communication with an external device via a connection unit 111, which will be described later. It also includes a touch panel formed in the display unit 106, which will be described later. The release switch has SW1 and SW2. When the release switch is in a so-called half-pressed state, SW1 is turned on. When SW1 is turned on, the control unit 101 issues an instruction to prepare for photographing, such as AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, AWB (automatic white balance) processing, and EF (flash pre-emission) processing. accept. Further, when the release switch is in a so-called full-press state, SW2 is turned on. When SW2 is turned ON, the control unit 101 accepts an instruction for photographing.

A display unit 106 displays a viewfinder image at the time of photographing, displays photographed image data, displays characters for interactive operation, and the like. Note that the display unit 106 does not necessarily have to be built into the digital camera 100 . The digital camera 100 can be connected to an internal or external display unit 106 as long as it has at least a display control function for controlling display on the display unit 106 .

The recording medium 110 includes a randomly accessible recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, and records image data output from the imaging unit 102, for example. The recording medium 110 may be configured to be removable from the digital camera 100 or may be built in the digital camera 100 . In other words, the digital camera 100 should at least have means for accessing the recording medium 110 .

The connection unit 111 includes a communication interface for connecting with an external device. The digital camera 100 can exchange data with an external device via the connection unit 111 . For example, image data generated by the imaging unit 102 can be transmitted to an external device via the connection unit 111 . In this embodiment, the connection unit 111 includes an interface for communicating with an external device via a so-called wireless LAN conforming to the IEEE802.11 standard. The control unit 101 realizes wireless communication with an external device by controlling the connection unit 111 . Note that the communication method is not limited to the wireless LAN, and includes, for example, an infrared communication method. Connection unit 111 is an example of first wireless communication means.

The short-range wireless communication unit 112 includes, for example, an antenna for wireless communication, a modulation/demodulation circuit for processing wireless signals, and a communication controller. A short-range wireless communication unit 112 outputs a modulated wireless signal from an antenna and demodulates a wireless signal received at the antenna to perform short-range wireless communication according to the IEEE802.15 standard (so-called Bluetooth (registered trademark)). Realize In this embodiment, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication can adopt version 4.0 of Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy, which has low power consumption. This Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication has a narrower communicable range (that is, a shorter communicable distance) than wireless LAN communication. In addition, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication has a slower communication speed than wireless LAN communication. On the other hand, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication consumes less power than wireless LAN communication. The digital camera 100 of this embodiment can exchange data with an external device via the short-range wireless communication unit 112 . For example, when a command to shoot is received from an external device, the imaging unit 102 is controlled to perform a shooting operation. Start communication.

The close proximity wireless communication unit 113 includes, for example, an antenna for wireless communication, a modulation/demodulation circuit for processing wireless signals, and a communication controller. The near field communication unit 113 outputs a modulated radio signal from an antenna and demodulates a radio signal received by the antenna to perform contactless near field communication according to the ISO/IEC 18092 standard (so-called NFC: Near Field Communication). Realize The close proximity wireless communication unit 113 of this embodiment is arranged on the side of the digital camera 100, for example.

The digital camera 100 starts communication and establishes connection with an external device when the close proximity wireless communication units come close to each other. Note that when the close proximity wireless communication units are used to connect to an external device, the close proximity wireless communication units do not necessarily need to be brought into contact with each other. Since the close proximity wireless communication unit 113 can communicate even if it is separated by a certain distance, in order to connect the devices to each other, it is sufficient to bring them closer to the range where close proximity wireless communication is possible. In the following description, bringing closer to the range where close proximity wireless communication is possible is also referred to as bringing closer.

Further, if the close proximity wireless communication units of each other are within a range where close proximity wireless communication is impossible, communication is not started. Also, when the close proximity wireless communication units of each other are within a range where close proximity wireless communication is possible and the devices are connected for communication, the close proximity wireless communication units 113 of each other are separated from each other within a range where close proximity wireless communication is impossible. If so, the communication connection will be terminated. Note that the non-contact proximity communication realized by the proximity wireless communication unit 113 is not limited to NFC, and other wireless communication may be employed. For example, as the contactless proximity communication realized by the proximity wireless communication unit 113, the contactless proximity communication according to the ISO/IEC 14443 standard may be adopted.

In this embodiment, the communication speed of communication realized by the connection unit 111 is faster than the communication speed of communication realized by the close proximity wireless communication unit 113 . Also, the communication realized by the connection unit 111 has a wider communicable range than the communication by the close proximity wireless communication unit 113 . On the other hand, in the communication by the close proximity wireless communication unit 113, communication partners can be limited due to the narrowness of the communicable range. and not. That is, communication can be performed more easily than using the connection unit 111 .

Note that the connection unit 111 of the digital camera 100 in this embodiment has an AP mode that operates as an access point in infrastructure mode and a CL mode that operates as a client in infrastructure mode. By operating the connection unit 111 in the CL mode, the digital camera 100 of this embodiment can operate as a CL device in the infrastructure mode. When the digital camera 100 operates as a CL device, it can participate in a network formed by AP devices by connecting to peripheral AP (access point) devices. Further, by operating the connection unit 111 in AP mode, the digital camera 100 according to the present embodiment can operate as a simple AP (hereinafter referred to as a simple AP) with more limited functions, although it is a type of AP. is also possible. When the digital camera 100 operates as a simple AP, the digital camera 100 itself forms a network. Devices around the digital camera 100 can recognize the digital camera 100 as an AP device and participate in the network formed by the digital camera 100 . It is assumed that the program for operating the digital camera 100 as described above is held in the nonvolatile memory 103 .

Although the digital camera 100 in this embodiment is a kind of AP, it is a simple AP that does not have a gateway function for transferring data received from a CL device to an Internet provider or the like. Therefore, even if data is received from another device participating in the network formed by itself, it cannot be transferred to a network such as the Internet.

<Smartphone configuration>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example functional configuration of a smartphone 200 as an example of a communication device according to this embodiment. One or more of the functional blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be realized by hardware such as ASIC, or may be realized by a programmable processor such as CPU or GPU executing software. It may also be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. Therefore, in the following description, even when different functional blocks are described as main entities, the same hardware can be implemented as the main entities.

The control unit 201 includes a processor such as a CPU and an MPU, loads a program recorded in the nonvolatile memory 203 into the working memory 204, and controls each unit of the smartphone 200 by executing the program. Further, upon receiving an operation instruction from the user via the operation unit 205, the control unit 201 controls each unit based on the operation instruction. It should be noted that instead of the control unit 201 controlling the entire device, a plurality of pieces of hardware may control the entire smartphone 200 by sharing processing. As will be described later, the control unit 201 can operate as a client that can access an HTTP server of an external device using the HTTP protocol by executing a program. It transmits a request to an external device using the HTTP protocol and receives its response.

The image capturing unit 202 includes, for example, an image sensor for converting light (image) introduced through an optical lens into an electrical image signal. For example, a CMOS or a CCD is used as the imaging device. The imaging unit 202 converts subject light into an electrical signal by the imaging device according to an instruction from the control unit 201 . The imaging unit 202 also performs predetermined processing including noise reduction processing, and as a result outputs image data in a predetermined format such as JPEG.

The nonvolatile memory 203 includes an electrically erasable/recordable nonvolatile memory, and stores various programs executed by the control unit 201, predetermined parameters used when executing the programs, and the like. The working memory 204 is used as a buffer memory for temporarily holding image data captured by the imaging unit 202, an image display memory for the display unit 206, a work area for the control unit 201, and the like.

The operation unit 205 includes operation members such as switches for receiving operation instructions for the smartphone 200 from the user and a touch panel formed on the display unit 206 . A display unit 206 displays captured image data, displays characters for interactive operations, and the like.

The recording medium 210 includes a randomly accessible recording medium such as a semiconductor memory. Recording medium 210 may be configured to be detachable from smartphone 200 or may be built into smartphone 200 . In other words, the smart phone 200 should have at least means for accessing the recording medium 210 .

The connection unit 211 includes a communication interface for connecting with an external device. The smartphone 200 can exchange data with an external device via the connection unit 211 . For example, image data generated by the imaging unit 202 can be transmitted to an external device via the connection unit 211 . In this embodiment, the connection unit 211 includes an interface for communicating with an external device via a so-called wireless LAN that conforms to the IEEE802.11 standard. The control unit 201 realizes wireless communication with an external device by controlling the connection unit 211 . Note that the communication method is not limited to the wireless LAN, and includes, for example, an infrared communication method.

The short-range wireless communication unit 212 includes, for example, an antenna for wireless communication, a modulation/demodulation circuit for processing wireless signals, and a communication controller. A short-range wireless communication unit 212 outputs a modulated wireless signal from an antenna and demodulates a wireless signal received by the antenna to perform short-range wireless communication according to the IEEE802.15 standard (so-called Bluetooth (registered trademark)). Realize In this embodiment, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication can adopt version 4.0 of Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy, which has low power consumption.

The close proximity wireless communication unit 213 includes, for example, an antenna for wireless communication, a modulation/demodulation circuit for processing wireless signals, and a communication controller. The near field communication unit 213 outputs a modulated radio signal from an antenna and demodulates a radio signal received by the antenna, thereby realizing contactless near field communication according to the ISO/IEC 18092 standard (that is, NFC).

The smartphone 200 starts communication and connects with an external device in response to proximity wireless communication units of each other. Note that when the close proximity wireless communication units are used to connect to an external device, the close proximity wireless communication units do not necessarily need to be brought into contact with each other. Since the close proximity wireless communication unit 213 can communicate even if it is separated by a certain distance, in order to connect the devices to each other, it is sufficient to bring them close to each other within a range where close proximity wireless communication is possible. Note that the non-contact proximity communication realized by the proximity wireless communication unit 213 is not limited to NFC, and other wireless communication may be employed. For example, as the contactless proximity communication realized by the proximity wireless communication unit 213, the contactless proximity communication according to the ISO/IEC 14443 standard may be adopted.

<Configuration for controlling a digital camera from an external device>
It is assumed that the digital camera 100 of this embodiment publishes an API (Application Program Interface) that can be used from an external device such as the smart phone 200 . A designer of an external device such as the smartphone 200 can implement operation control of the digital camera 100 from the external device by transmitting a request to the digital camera 100 using the published API. Also, remote control such as acquisition of device information and content data files from the digital camera 100 can be realized.

A program for executing API processing is stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory 103 of the digital camera 100 . When communication with the external device is established via the connection unit 111, the control unit 101 develops an API program in the working memory 104 and waits for an API request from the external device. When the control unit 101 detects that an API has been requested from an external device, it executes processing for each requested API and returns the result as a response to the external device. Note that the API is defined on a communication protocol specified by the digital camera 100 . The external device communicates with the digital camera 100 using the specified communication protocol and requests the API. In this embodiment, it is assumed that HTTP is used for API requests and responses, but other communication protocols can also be used. Since HTTP is a well-known communication protocol, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

An API request using HTTP can be realized, for example, by an external device describing an API name and necessary arguments in text in an HTTP request body and transmitting the text to the digital camera 100 using a GET method or a POST method. Also, the response of the execution result of the requested API is realized by the control unit 101 adding it to the HTTP response body and sending it back to the external device.

<Restrictions on external devices that control the digital camera>
The digital camera 100 can also restrict external devices that respond to API requests using HTTP (that is, perform access control). For example, in this embodiment, for example, HTTP authentication is used. Upon receiving a request from an external device, the control unit 101 returns an error response code. For example, the control unit 101 determines whether a user name and password are included in a request from an external device and the user name and password match the user name and password set in the digital camera 100 . When it is determined that the user name and password of the request match the user name and password set in the digital camera 100, the processing for the requested API is executed, and the result is returned to the external device as a response. If it is determined that the user name and password set in the digital camera 100 do not match, the digital camera 100 returns an error response code again. For authentication, a known authentication method such as basic authentication or digest authentication can be used.

Next, a method of setting a user name and password used for authentication will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the authentication information described below is information for enabling an external device to access the digital camera via a network, and is used to confirm the validity of the external device. The authentication information is set for each external device, held in the non-volatile memory 103 of the digital camera 100, for example, and read by the control unit 101. FIG. Settings for each piece of authentication information displayed on the authentication information setting screen shown below are set by user operation via the operation unit 105, for example. FIG. 3A shows an example of an authentication information setting screen displayed on the display unit 106 in response to an instruction from the control unit 101. FIG. In the example of the authentication information setting screen shown in FIG. 3A, setting values of authentication information 301, authentication information 302, and authentication information 303 are displayed. The authentication information 301, the authentication information 302, and the authentication information 303 are displayed when they are all unset. In this example, since none of the authentication information is set, the control unit 101 does not authenticate requests from external devices. By not setting the authentication information, it is possible to connect with a simple process without performing authentication when the external device can be trusted, such as in a password-protected network. Further, when none of the authentication information is set, the control unit 101 displays information indicating that authentication is not performed because valid authentication information is not set. For example, this information is displayed as "Authentication will not be performed because there is no valid account".

The example of the authentication information setting screen shown in FIG. 3B shows a display when the authentication information 304, the authentication information 305, and the authentication information 306 have all been set. The authentication information consists of a user name and a password, but the control unit 101 displays the user name on the authentication information setting screen and does not display the password. In this example, one or more pieces of authentication information are set, so the control unit 101 authenticates a request from an external device. The control unit 101 determines whether the user name and password included in the request from the external device match any of authentication information 304, authentication information 305, and authentication information 306, which are set authentication information. Since it is determined whether the set authentication information matches any one of the set authentication information, the description for the case where the number of set authentication information is one and the case where the number is two is omitted.

In the example of the authentication information setting screen shown in FIG. 3C, authentication information 307, authentication information 308, and authentication information 309 have all been set, but authentication information 309 shows a display when the authentication information is invalid. there is For example, on the authentication information setting screen, the user can set whether or not to use the set authentication information for authentication processing for each piece of authentication information set in the setting means. At this time, the control unit 101 treats the authentication information set to be used as valid authentication information, and treats the authentication information set not to be used as invalid authentication information.

For example, the control unit 101 performs authentication when receiving a request from an external device. At this time, the control unit 101 determines whether the user name and password included in the request from the external device match any of the authentication information 307 and authentication information 308, which are already set and valid authentication information. . The control unit 101 treats the authentication information 309, which is already set but invalid authentication information, in the same way as unset authentication information, and does not use it for authentication. Therefore, a user who knows only the authentication information or account information corresponding to the authentication information 309 cannot cause the digital camera 100 to execute processing from an external device. A digital camera is an information processing device that can be easily moved, and can be easily attached to other devices. It is possible to change the user who can cause the digital camera 100 to execute processing according to the application.

In the example of the authentication information setting screen shown in FIG. 3D, the authentication information 310, the authentication information 311, and the authentication information 312 are all set, but the authentication information 310, the authentication information 311, and the authentication information 312 are all the authentication information is disabled. At this time, the digital camera 100 does not authenticate the request from the external device. Authentication information 310, authentication information 311, and authentication information 312, which are already set and invalid authentication information, are treated in the same manner as unset authentication information, and thus are not authenticated as in the case of FIG. 3A. Even if authentication information has already been set, it is possible to allow the digital camera 100 from an external device to execute processing without performing authentication without resetting the authentication information to unset.

<Series of Operations Related to Authentication in Digital Camera 100>
Next, a series of operations related to authentication in the digital camera 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that this processing is realized by the control unit 101 loading the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 103 into the work memory 104 and executing the program. Also, this process is executed in a state where the digital camera 100 has established communication with an external device (for example, the smartphone 200) and can transmit and receive commands using the HTTP protocol.

In S<b>401 , the control unit 101 determines whether there is a state change or an operation to disconnect communication with the smartphone 200 . The control unit 101 terminates the communication if the communication is to be disconnected, and advances to step S402 if the communication is not to be disconnected.

In S402, the control unit 101 determines whether an API request using HTTP has been received from an external device. For example, if the API request is received within the predetermined time, the control unit 101 proceeds to S403, otherwise returns to S401.

In S403, the control unit 101 determines whether one or more pieces of authentication information have been set. If the control unit 101 determines that one or more pieces of authentication information are set based on the authentication information held in the nonvolatile memory 103 (that is, corresponds to FIG. 3B described above), the process proceeds to S404. move on. On the other hand, if none is set (that is, corresponding to FIG. 3A), the process proceeds to S407. That is, the control unit 101 switches whether or not to perform the authentication process for the received request according to the setting state of the authentication information held in the nonvolatile memory 103 .

In S<b>404 , the control unit 101 determines whether or not one or more pieces of set authentication information are valid. If the control unit 101 determines that there is one or more valid authentication settings among the set authentication information held in the nonvolatile memory 103 (that is, corresponds to FIG. move on. On the other hand, if the control unit 101 determines that there is no valid authentication setting (that is, corresponds to FIG. 3D described above), the process proceeds to S407. That is, the control unit 101 determines whether the setting state of the authentication information has been set and one or more is valid, and switches whether to execute the authentication process according to the determination result. If it is not possible to change whether the set authentication information is valid or invalid, it means that it cannot be changed from valid to invalid, so the process proceeds to S405 in order to realize safer processing.

In S405, the control unit 101 executes authentication processing for the request from the smartphone 200 and determines whether the user name and password included in the request are valid. Specifically, the control unit 101 determines whether the user name and password included in the request from the smartphone 200 match any of the authentication information set in the digital camera 100 (held in the nonvolatile memory 103). judge.

If the control unit 101 determines in S406 that the user name and password included in the request match any of the authentication information set in the digital camera 100 in the authentication processing in S405, the process proceeds to S407. Otherwise, the process proceeds to S408. Note that the control unit 101 proceeds to step S408 even when authentication information is not set or when authentication processing is performed using invalid authentication information.

In S<b>407 , the control unit 101 executes API processing included in the request, and transmits the execution result to the smartphone 200 as a response. The control unit 101 then returns to S401. In S408, the control unit 101 does not execute the requested process because the information such as the user name included in the request does not match the authentication information, transmits an error as a response, and then proceeds to S401. After that, as described above, the control unit 101 ends this processing when it determines that the communication has been disconnected in S401.

Note that in the above-described embodiment, whether or not to perform authentication processing for a received request is switched according to the setting state of the authentication information held in the nonvolatile memory 103 . In order to realize similar operations, for example, the operation mode of the digital camera may be set to a different operation mode according to the determination results of S403 and S404. For example, if the determination in S403 or S404 is No, the operation mode of the digital camera 100 is set to an operation mode that does not require execution of authentication for access from an external device. Also, if it is determined as Yes in S403 or S404, the operation mode of the digital camera 100 is set to an operation mode that requires authentication for access from an external device. The control unit 101 may perform authentication processing according to the set operation mode.

As described above, when an API request is received from the smartphone 200, the control unit 101 performs authentication processing on the received request according to the setting state of the authentication information held in the nonvolatile memory 103. Toggle whether to execute or not. In particular, perform authentication processing when one or more authentication information has been set, and perform request processing without performing authentication processing for the received request when authentication information has not been set. . Further, the control unit 101 determines whether the setting state of the authentication information has been set and is valid, and switches whether or not to execute the authentication process according to the determination result. In particular, when the setting state of the authentication information has been set and is valid, authentication processing is executed by comparing the user and password included in the request with the authentication information. By doing so, it becomes possible to selectively use access that ensures security and simple access.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. In the second embodiment, the state of the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected is further determined in the condition for determining whether or not to perform authentication in the first embodiment. Note that the configurations of the digital camera and the smartphone 200 according to this embodiment are substantially the same as those of the embodiment, and only part of the operation related to the authentication of the digital camera 100 is different. Accordingly, substantially the same configurations and steps are denoted by the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof are omitted, and only the differences will be mainly described.

<Operation Related to Authentication in Digital Camera 100>
In this embodiment, if the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected is a network that can be connected to the Internet, execution/non-execution of authentication processing is controlled so that authentication is always performed. At this time, if the digital camera 100 does not have set and valid authentication information, information such as a password included in the request received by the digital camera 100 must match the user name and password set in the digital camera 100. no. Therefore, the control unit 101 always returns an error response. This is because the external device such as the smartphone 200 may be connected to a network different from that of the digital camera 100 and may be an unreliable external device. However, the control unit 101 further confirms whether the network to which the external device is connected is the same as the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected, so that authentication is not performed when connecting in the same network. good too.

Further, in the present embodiment, if the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected does not require a password to connect to the network, execution/non-execution of authentication processing is controlled so that authentication is always performed. At this time, if the digital camera 100 does not have set and valid authentication information, information such as a password included in the request received by the digital camera 100 must match the user name and password set in the digital camera 100. no. Therefore, the control unit 101 always returns an error response. This is done because external devices can be easily connected to the network and thus may be untrusted external devices.

FIG. 5 shows the operation of authentication processing in the digital camera 100 . As in the first embodiment, this process is implemented by the control unit 101 loading the program stored in the nonvolatile memory 103 into the working memory 104 and executing the program. Further, this processing is executed in a state in which the digital camera 100 has established communication with an external device (for example, the smart phone 200) and can transmit and receive commands using the HTTP protocol.

The control unit 101 executes the processes of S401 to S404 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. However, if it is determined in S403 that there is already set authentication information, the process proceeds to S501.

In S501, the control unit 101 determines whether the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected is connectable to the Internet. For example, the control unit 101 verifies access to a predetermined server located on the Internet, refers to setting information held in the nonvolatile memory 103 of the digital camera 100, and determines whether the network to be connected is the Internet. Determine if you can connect to If the control unit 101 determines that the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected can connect to the Internet, the process advances to step S502, and if it determines that the network cannot be connected, the process advances to step S405 to execute authentication processing.

In step S<b>502 , the control unit 101 determines whether a password is required for connection to the network to which the digital camera 100 connects. For example, the control unit 101 refers to the network connection parameters held in the nonvolatile memory 103 of the digital camera 100 to determine whether the network to be connected requires a password for connection. If the control unit 101 determines that a password is required, the process proceeds to step S407 so as to execute processing for the request without performing authentication processing. This is because the digital camera 100 performs authentication using a password in order to connect to the network, and can be regarded as a reliable device. On the other hand, if the password is not required, the control unit 101 advances to step S405 to perform authentication processing for the smartphone 200 using the information included in the request. After that, the control unit 101 performs the process of S407 or S408 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and then terminates this process when the communication is disconnected (Yes in S401).

As described above, in the present embodiment, execution/non-execution of authentication processing is controlled depending on whether the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected can connect to the Internet. By doing this, when the external device such as the smartphone 200 is an unreliable external device that connects from a network different from the digital camera 100, authentication processing is executed to enable access from the external device. can do. On the other hand, if the external device is a reliable one, the access can be simplified by omitting the execution of the authentication process. Further, whether or not authentication processing is executed is controlled depending on whether the network to which the digital camera 100 is connected requires a password for connection. By doing so, if the external device is an untrustworthy external device that can be easily connected to the network, the authentication process can be performed to enable access from the external device. On the other hand, if the external device is a reliable one, the access can be simplified by omitting the execution of the authentication process. That is, it becomes possible to selectively use access that ensures security and simple access.

In addition, the embodiment described above is an example, and is not limited to the specific embodiment described above. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case of performing wireless communication such as a wireless LAN has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to the case of performing communication using a wired LAN.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention supplies a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or apparatus reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by processing to It can also be implemented by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

In order to implement the functional processing of the present invention on a computer, the program code itself supplied and installed in the computer also implements the present invention. In other words, the present invention also includes the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention. In that case, as long as it has the function of a program, the form of the program, such as an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to the OS, does not matter. The recording medium for supplying the program may be, for example, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical/magneto-optical storage medium, or a nonvolatile semiconductor memory. As a program supply method, a method of storing a computer program forming the present invention in a server on a computer network, and a connected client computer downloading and programming the computer program is also conceivable.

101: control unit, 105: operation unit, 106: display unit, 110: recording medium

Claims (10)

An information processing device that operates as a server and receives access from an external device via a communication network,
setting means for setting authentication information for enabling access for each external device;
a control means for controlling authentication processing for access from the external device;
The control means switches whether to execute authentication processing for access from the external device according to the setting state of the authentication information ,
An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if no valid authentication information is set in said setting means, said access from said external device is accepted without executing said authentication processing. When one or more of the authentication information are set in the setting means, the control means executes the authentication processing for access from the external device, and the authentication information is set in the setting means. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein execution of said authentication processing is switched so that said authentication processing is not executed for access from said external device when said authentication processing is not performed. When one or more of the authentication information are set in the setting means, the control means further determines whether the one or more authentication information set in the setting means is valid authentication information. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein whether or not to execute the authentication process for access from the external device is switched according to whether or not. If the one or more of the authentication information set in the setting means are valid authentication information, the control means executes the authentication process for access from the external device, 4. If the set authentication information is invalid authentication information, the execution of the authentication process is switched so that the authentication process is not executed for access from the external device. The information processing device according to . The setting means can set whether or not to use the set authentication information for the authentication process for each of the authentication information set in the setting means,
The control means treats the authentication information set to be used in the authentication process as valid authentication information, and treats the authentication information set not to be used in the authentication process as invalid authentication information. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4. The control means performs authentication processing for access from the external device when the authentication information is not set in the setting means and the connected communication network is not a communication network capable of connecting to the Internet. 6. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein control is performed so as not to execute. If the authentication information is not set in the setting means and the connected communication network is a communication network that requires a password to connect to the communication network, the control means controls the 7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein control is performed so as not to perform authentication processing for access from an external device. An information processing device that operates as a server and receives access from an external device via a communication network,
setting means for setting authentication information for enabling access for each external device;
a control means for controlling authentication processing for access from an external device according to the setting state of the authentication information;
The control means is
when at least one piece of valid authentication information is set by the setting means, operating in a first mode requiring authentication for access from the external device corresponding to the valid authentication information ;
When at least one valid authentication information is set by the setting means and when invalid authentication information is set by the setting means, access from an external device corresponding to the invalid authentication information control not to accept
When no valid authentication information is set by the setting means, authentication is not required for access from the external device even if the access is from the external device whose authentication information is set to be invalid . An information processing apparatus characterized by operating in two modes. A control method for an information processing device that operates as a server and receives access from an external device via a communication network, comprising:
a setting step in which the setting means sets authentication information for enabling access for each external device;
a control step in which the control means controls authentication processing for access from the external device;
In the control step, switching whether or not to perform authentication processing for access from the external device according to the setting state of the authentication information ,
A control method for an information processing apparatus, wherein, if none of the valid authentication information is set, the access from the external device is accepted without executing the authentication process. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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