JP2015005211A - Information processing system and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform convenient user authentication.SOLUTION: An information processing system having one or more information processing devices includes: determination means that determines, on the basis of user information which is input by a user when registering a processing request and the use conditions of an apparatus used by the user, whether the user information is available as user authentication information to the processing request; registration means that registers the user information and the use conditions of the apparatus used by the user in association with each other, according to a determination result obtained by the determination means; and authentication means that performs authentication to the processing request by using the user information registered by the registration means when executing the processing request.

Description

  The present application relates to an information processing system and an information processing method.

  For example, a document printing method is known that prints and outputs a document requested to be printed out via the mobile Internet based on a user authentication result. In this method, by outputting the document only when it is authenticated, it is possible to output the document by printing without allowing others to see the document (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, in the method of Patent Document 1 described above, authentication information such as a user ID (Identification) and a password used for user authentication needs to be registered in advance. In addition, it is not necessary to register in advance, and IDs that are automatically issued at the time of use are difficult for the user to remember. It was necessary to increase the number, and it often took time to input at the time of authentication.

  In one aspect, an object of the present invention is to perform convenient user authentication.

  In one aspect, an information processing system having one or more information processing devices, wherein the user information is based on user information input by a user at the time of registration of a processing request and usage conditions of a device used by the user. A determination unit that determines whether the user authentication information can be used for the processing request, and a registration that registers the user information and the usage conditions of the device used by the user in association with each other according to a determination result by the determination unit. And authentication means for authenticating the processing request using the user information registered by the registration means when the processing request is executed.

  Convenient user authentication can be performed.

It is a lineblock diagram showing an example of a system concerning this embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the computer system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a process block diagram of an example of the service provision system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the processing block of each apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a sequence diagram showing an example of a job input processing procedure according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the job input information registration process which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the table used by this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the job input screen which concerns on this embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the job output processing procedure which concerns on this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail.

<System configuration>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an example of a system according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an information processing system 100 includes, for example, a network N1 built in an office, a network N2 built in a service providing system represented by a cloud service, and a network N3 such as the Internet. Have.

  The network N1 is a private network inside the firewall (FW). The firewall is installed at the contact point between the network N1 and the network N3, and detects and blocks unauthorized access.

  In the information processing system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the office includes a client terminal 11, a portable terminal 12-1, an image processing device 13, and other devices 14, and each device is connected by a network N1. .

  The client terminal 11 is an example of a terminal device used by a user in an office. The client terminal 11 is realized by an information processing apparatus (computer system) on which a general OS (Operating System) or the like is mounted. The client terminal 11 has wireless or wired communication means using the network N1. The client terminal 11 may be, for example, a general-purpose PC (Personal Computer), a tablet PC, a notebook PC, or the like.

  The mobile terminal 12 is an example of a terminal device that a user uses inside and outside the office. The portable terminal 12 has wireless or wired communication means using the networks N1 and N3. The mobile terminal 12 is a terminal that can be carried by a user, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet PC, or a notebook PC.

  The image processing device 13 is a device having an image processing function. The image processing device 13 includes wireless or wired communication means using the network N1. The image processing apparatus 13 is an apparatus that performs image processing, such as a multifunction peripheral, a copier, a scanner, a printer, a laser printer, a projector, and an electronic blackboard.

  Other devices 14 include, for example, a mail server that stores and distributes mail, an authentication server that provides a user authentication function, a print server that stores and provides print data, and a distribution server that receives and distributes scanned image data Etc., at least one of them.

  In the example of FIG. 1, as an example, in the network N1, an example in which one client terminal 11, one mobile terminal 12-1, and one image processing device 13 are connected to each other is shown. good.

  In the information processing system 100 shown in FIG. 1, the server providing system includes an access control device 21, a print service providing device 22, a scan service providing device 23, and another service providing device 24. Are connected by a network N2. The access control device 21, print service providing device 22, scan service providing device 23, and other service providing device 24 constitute one or a plurality of information processing devices in the cloud.

  The network N2 and the network N3 are connected by an access control device 21 on the network N2 side. The network N2 is protected by the access control device 21.

  The access control device 21 controls login to each service such as a print service provided by the print service providing device 22 and a distribution service provided by the scan service providing device 23.

  The access control device 21, the print service providing device 22, the scan service providing device 23, and the other service providing device 24 may be realized by integrating them into one information processing device or a plurality of information processing devices. You may implement | achieve by distributing to an apparatus. Further, a part of the service on the network N2 side may be other than the network N2. The network N3 illustrated in FIG. 1 is connected to the mobile terminal 12-2 used by the user, but is not limited thereto.

  In the present embodiment, when registering a processing request for submitting a job to the service providing system from the client terminal 11 or the like, the user information is based on the user information input and the usage conditions of the device used by the user. Judge whether it can be used as authentication information. Further, when executing a job and executing a processing request for printing from the image processing apparatus 13 or the like, authentication is performed using user information determined to be usable. This makes it possible to perform convenient user authentication without taking the effort of registering authentication information in advance.

<Hardware configuration>
The client terminal 11, the mobile terminal 12, the access control device 21, the print service providing device 22, the scan service providing device 23, and the other service providing device 24 are, for example, based on a computer system having a hardware configuration shown in FIG. Realized.

  FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the computer system according to the present embodiment. The computer system 101 shown in FIG. 2 includes an input device 31, a display device 32, a RAM 33, a ROM 34, an HDD 35, a CPU 36, a communication I / F 37, and an external I / F 38, each of which is a bus B. Are connected to each other.

  The input device 31 includes a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like, and is used by a user to input each operation signal. The display device 32 includes a display and the like, and displays a processing result by the computer system 101.

  The RAM 33 is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily stores programs and data. The ROM 34 is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 34 stores programs and data such as BIOS (Basic Input / Output System), OS settings, and network settings that are executed when the computer system 101 is started.

  The HDD 35 is a nonvolatile storage device that stores programs and data. The stored programs and data include, for example, an OS (Operating System) that is basic software for controlling the entire computer system 101, and application software that provides various functions on the OS.

  The HDD 35 manages stored programs and data by a predetermined file system and / or DB (database).

  The CPU 36 is an arithmetic unit that realizes control and functions of the entire computer system 101 by reading a program and data from a storage device such as the ROM 34 and the HDD 35 onto the RAM 33 and executing processing.

  The communication I / F 37 is an interface that connects the computer system 101 to the networks N1 to N3. Thereby, the computer system 101 performs data communication via the communication I / F 37.

  The external I / F 38 is an interface with an external device. The external device includes a recording medium 38A. Thereby, the computer system 101 can read and / or write the recording medium 38A via the external I / F 38.

  The recording medium 38A includes a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), an SD memory card (SD Memory card), a USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory), and the like.

  The client terminal 11, the mobile terminal 12, the access control device 21, the print service providing device 22, the scan service providing device 23, and the other service providing device 24 are variously described later depending on the hardware configuration of the computer system 101. Processing can be realized.

<Software configuration: service provision system>
The service providing system according to the present embodiment is provided as one cloud system including the access control device 21, the print service providing device 22, the scan service providing device 23, and the other service providing device 24 described above. Such processing in the system is realized by, for example, processing blocks shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a processing block diagram of an example of the service providing system according to the present embodiment.

  The service providing system 40 implements a service application 41, a platform 42, a management data storage unit 43, and a platform API (Application Programming Interface) 44 by executing a program.

  The service application 41 includes a print service application 51, a scan service application 52, and one or more other service applications 53 as an example. The print service application 51 is an application that provides a print service, for example.

  The scan service application 52 is an application that provides a scan service, for example. The other service application 53 is an application that provides some service.

  The platform API 44 is an interface for the service application 41 such as the print service application 51, the scan service application 52, and other service applications 53 to use the platform 42.

  The platform API 44 is a predefined interface provided for the platform 42 to receive a request from the service application 41, and includes, for example, a function or a class. When the service providing system 40 is configured to be distributed among a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the platform API 44 can use, for example, a Web API that can be used via a network.

  The platform 42 includes an authentication processing unit 61, a device communication unit 62, a session management unit 63, a data processing unit 64, and a user information registration unit 65.

  The authentication processing unit 61 inputs the user information based on the user information input when the job (processing request) is input from the client terminal 11 shown in FIG. 1 and the usage conditions of the device used by the user. It functions as a judging means for judging whether or not it can be used as user authentication information for a job.

  Here, the authentication processing unit 61 determines whether the registration information of the job already registered by the user information registration unit 65 matches the input user information and the usage conditions of the device used by the user. To determine whether the user information can be used. The authentication processing unit 61 transmits the determination result to the client terminal 11 or the like.

  The user information indicates information for specifying a user such as a user name or a user ID arbitrarily input by the user, and may be, for example, an e-mail address. In addition, the usage condition of the device used by the user indicates device specifying information for specifying the device used by the user, usage period information of the device used by the user, and the like. The device specifying information may include position information for specifying the device by the position.

  If the registration information of the job that has already been registered by the user information registration unit 65 does not match or overlap with the input user information or the usage conditions of the device, the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the input user information can be used. Determine and accept job submission. The authentication processing unit 61 registers the user information received at the time of job submission, the usage conditions of the device used by the user, the user password, and the like as registration information of the job entered by the user information registration unit 65.

  The authentication processing unit 61 is further input by the user when the registration information of the job already registered by the user information registration unit 65 and the input user information or the usage conditions of the device coincide or overlap. Determine whether the password matches the registered password. If the password entered by the user matches the already registered password, the authentication processing unit 61 considers that the user who intends to submit the job and the already registered user are the same user. Accepting job submission.

  If the password input by the user does not match the already registered password, the authentication processing unit 61 considers that the user who intends to submit the job is an unauthorized user and submits the job. I refuse.

  Further, the authentication processing unit 61 has a function as an authentication unit that executes authentication based on a login request from the office device or the like shown in FIG. For example, the authentication processing unit 61 accesses the user management information storage unit 71 and the device management information storage unit 72 stored in the management data storage unit 43 to perform authentication. Office equipment is a generic term for the client terminal 11, the portable terminal 12-1, the image processing apparatus 13, the other equipment 14, and the like.

  The device communication unit 62 performs communication with office devices and the like. The session management unit 63 manages a session with office equipment or the like. The data processing unit 64 executes data processing based on a request from the service application 41.

  The user information registration unit 65 registers the user information determined to be usable as user authentication information by the authentication processing unit 61, the use conditions of the device used by the user, the password, and the like as registration information of the input job. It has a function as a registration means. The user information registration unit 65 registers the above-described job registration information as user management information in the user management information storage unit 71 of the management data storage unit 43.

  The management data storage unit 43 is configured to include a user management information storage unit 71, a device management information storage unit 72, a data management information storage unit 73, and a data storage 74.

  The user management information storage unit 71 stores user management information for specifying a user in the service providing system 40. A specific example of user management information will be described later. The device management information storage unit 72 stores device management information for managing devices used by the user. A specific example of the device management information will be described later. The data management information storage unit 73 stores data management information for managing data input by the user. The data storage 74 stores other data.

  The service providing system 40 functions as, for example, a cloud platform having functions such as authentication and data processing, and a service group that provides services such as a print service using the cloud platform functions. The cloud platform includes, for example, a platform 42, a management data storage unit 43, and a platform API 44. In the example of FIG. 3, the service group includes a print service application 51, a scan service application 52, and other service applications 53.

  The authentication function possessed by the cloud platform of the service providing system 40 includes, for example, an authentication processing unit 61 and an authentication database such as a user management information storage unit 71 and a device management information storage unit 72. The service group uses the authentication and data processing functions of the cloud platform of the service providing system 40 to provide services.

  3 has user authentication information, device management information, data management information, and storage information commonly used by a plurality of service applications 41, thereby integrating the authentication function.

<Processing block of each device>
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing block of each device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of processing blocks constituting a terminal device such as the client terminal 11. As shown in FIG. 4A, the client terminal 11 or the portable terminal 12 implements an input receiving unit 81 and a print service using application 82 by executing a program.

  The input receiving unit 81 receives an input by a user operation such as an operation panel, a touch panel, or a keyboard input operation. The input accepting unit 81 accepts job input information such as user information input on the job input screen and usage conditions of devices used by the user. Note that the input receiving unit 81 may store part or all of the user information that has received the input, and may use the information for subsequent authentications.

  The print service using application 82 provides a function of submitting a job by Web upload, for example. The print service use application 82 includes a login request unit 83 and a service use request unit 84. The login request unit 83 provides a function of logging in to the service providing system 40. The login request unit 83 transmits the user information received by the input receiving unit 81 to the service providing system 40 and requests a determination as to whether the user information can be used as user authentication information.

  The service use request unit 84 provides the service providing system 40 with a function for requesting input of a job by Web upload. The service usage request unit 84 is, for example, print data in a PDL (Page Description Language) format, document editing software such as Word (registered trademark), or data created by an application such as spreadsheet software such as Excel (registered trademark). . Note that execution condition information may be added to the data. It is also possible to use Web data or URL data specifying the Web data.

  FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of processing blocks constituting the print service application 51 in the service providing system 40. As shown in FIG. 4B, the print service application 51 causes the computer system 101 to function as a data analysis unit 91, an output data management unit 92, a processing request unit 93, and an output data management information holding unit 94.

  The data analysis unit 91 analyzes the input data obtained from the client terminal 11 and the like, and analyzes processing necessary for providing the print service. The data analysis unit 91 determines the data conversion processing content of the input data using, for example, the data format (extension) of the input data and the acquired user management information, assigns a data ID to the input data, and the data storage 74. To record. Here, the contents of the data conversion process include, for example, a data format before conversion and a data format after conversion, and an output condition for conversion.

  The output data management unit 92 holds the output data management information assigned with the output data ID in the output data management information holding unit 94. The processing request unit 93 requests the authentication processing unit 61 to acquire the user management information stored in the user management information storage unit 71. Further, the processing request unit 93 notifies the data processing unit 64 of the job ID and the data conversion processing content, requests data conversion based on the notified content, and records the data after data conversion in the data storage 74.

  FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating an example of processing blocks constituting the image processing apparatus 13. As shown in FIG. 4C, the image processing apparatus 13 implements an input receiving unit 111, an output unit 112, a print service using application 113, and a setting information holding unit 114 by executing a program. .

  The input receiving unit 111 receives various input operations such as a login instruction from the user. The output unit 112 outputs (for example, prints) the received data.

  The print service using application 113 provides a function for executing a job. The login request unit 115 provides a function for logging in to the service providing system 40 from the image processing apparatus 13. Further, the login request unit 115 receives a job list of the logged-in user from the service providing system 40. The job list is displayed on an operation panel or the like of the image processing apparatus 13, and the user can select a job desired to be executed via the input receiving unit 111.

  The service use request unit 116 provides a function for requesting the service providing system 40 from the image processing apparatus 13 to execute the job received from the user. The setting information holding unit 114 holds various setting information.

<Sequence of job submission processing procedure>
FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a job input processing procedure according to the present embodiment. 5 includes an input receiving unit 81 such as the client terminal 11, a login request unit 83, a service use request unit 84, a session management unit 63 of the service providing system 40, an authentication processing unit 61, and a data processing unit. 64 and the print service application 51.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the input receiving unit 81 such as the client terminal 11 receives job input information from the user (input person) (S10). Here, the input reception unit 81 receives, for example, user information, usage conditions of a device used by the user, and the like as job input information.

  When the login request unit 83 acquires the user information, the usage conditions of the device used by the user, etc. from the input receiving unit 81 (S11), the login request unit 83 requests the service providing system 40 to confirm the conditions (S12).

  The authentication processing unit 61 of the service providing system 40 performs condition confirmation in response to the condition confirmation request from the login request unit 83 (S13). Condition confirmation is for a job for which user information has been input by determining whether the acquired user information and the usage conditions of the device used by the user match or overlap with the registration information of the already registered job. Indicates that it can be used as user authentication information.

  Next, the authentication processing unit 61 returns a condition confirmation result to the login request unit 83 such as the client terminal 11 (S14). Hereinafter, the case where the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the user information can be used as user authentication information (use OK) will be described.

  The input reception unit 81 of the client terminal 11 displays the condition confirmation result (for example, use OK) acquired from the authentication processing unit 61, and when the data input from the user is set (S15), the service use request unit 84 The data is acquired from the input receiving unit 81 (S16). The service use request unit 84 requests the session management unit 63 of the service providing system 40 to input data (S17).

  When confirming the session (S18), the session management unit 63 requests the print service application 51 to input data (S19). Note that the session management unit 63 may register the input data (job submission information) by the user information registration unit 65 in the user management information storage unit 71 as user management information.

  The print service application 51 uses the processing request unit 93 to request the authentication processing unit 61 to acquire user management information stored in the user management information storage unit 71 (S20). When the print service application 51 obtains the user management information from the authentication processing unit 61 (S21), the data analysis unit 91 analyzes the input data (S22), and the processing request unit 93 requests the data processing unit 64 to perform data processing. (S23).

  Further, the print service application 51 assigns a data ID to the input data by the data analysis unit 91 and records it in the data storage 74 (S24). The data processing unit 64 acquires data from the data storage 74 in response to a request from the processing request unit 93 of the print service application 51 (S25), and executes data processing (S26). Is recorded (S27).

<Flowchart of job submission information registration process>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of job input information registration processing according to the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 6, the service providing system 40 has already registered a user name as user information acquired from the client terminal 11 and the like, a position code as a use condition of a device used by the user, and a use period. It is determined whether it matches the registered information.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the authentication processing unit 61 of the service providing system 40 determines whether the user name acquired from the login request unit 83 of the client terminal 11 matches the user name as job registration information. (S30). If the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the user names match (YES in S30), it determines whether the acquired position code matches the position code as job registration information (S31). If the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the position codes match (YES in S31), it determines whether the acquired usage period overlaps at least a part of the usage period as job registration information (S32). ).

  If it is determined that the authentication processing unit 61 overlaps at least a part of the usage period (YES in S32), the authentication processing unit 61 determines whether there is a password input from the user (S33). If authentication processing unit 61 determines that there is no password input (NO in S33), it waits until the user inputs a password.

  If it is determined that the password has been input (YES in S33), the authentication processing unit 61 determines whether the input password matches the password as registration information of the already registered job (S34).

  If the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the input password matches the already registered password (YES in S34), the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the same user as the user who submitted the already registered job Accordingly, a job is submitted by uploading (S35).

  If the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the user names do not match (NO in S30), the authentication processing unit 61 submits a job by uploading in the process of S35. Similarly, when it is determined that the position codes do not match (NO in S31), or when it is determined that the position code does not overlap at least part of the usage period (NO in S32), in the process of S35 Submit a job by upload.

  When the upload is performed by the process of S35, the authentication processing unit 61 presents a confirmation screen by the input receiving unit 81 (S36), and registers the job submission information received by the user information registration unit 65 by the job submission (S37). . The job submission information includes a user name as user information, a position code and a usage period as a usage condition of a device used by the user, a user password, submitted data, and the like. Registered in the management information storage unit 71.

  If the authentication processing unit 61 determines that the passwords do not match (NO in S34), the user who intends to submit the job is regarded as an unauthorized user, and an error is displayed by the input receiving unit 81. Etc. are executed (S38), and the process is terminated.

<Table example>
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table used in the present embodiment. FIG. 7A illustrates an example of user management information. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating an example of device management information. FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating an example of output data management information.

  The user management information shown in FIG. 7A is input from the job input screen of the client terminal 11 or the like, is determined to be usable as user authentication information, and is stored in the job registration information registered by the user information registration unit 65. An example is shown.

  7A includes items such as “position code”, “job ID”, “user name”, “password”, and “use period”. For example, the “position code” is information for specifying the position of the device used by the user, but may be information for specifying a set of one or more devices. It may be information for identifying a contract. Note that the position code is unique, and the user management information shown in FIG. 7A is managed in units of position codes.

  “Job ID” identifies the job received on the job input screen. The “user name” may be a user ID, for example, an e-mail address or the like. Note that the user ID may use information for identifying an electronic medium possessed by the user, for example. As an electronic medium possessed by the user, for example, an IC card, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, an electronic book terminal, or the like can be used.

  As information for identifying the electronic medium, for example, a card ID, serial ID, telephone number, terminal profile number, and the like can be used. It is also possible to use a combination of information for identifying electronic media.

  The “password” is information arbitrarily set by the user. The “use period” is a period for which the user wants to use the device set by the user, for example, “2013/02 / 01-2013 / 02/28”, “2013/02 / 01-”, and the like.

  In the user management information shown in FIG. 7A, the above-described position code and usage period may be managed by an organization code such as a company.

  The device management information shown in FIG. 7B includes items such as “location code”, “device ID”, and “location information”, for example. The “position code” corresponds to the “position code” of the user management information shown in FIG. The “device ID” is information for specifying a device, and may be, for example, an ID indicating that a specific application is installed, a device number indicating that the device is a specific device, or the like. “Position information” indicates, for example, a business place where the device is installed.

  The output data management information illustrated in FIG. 7C includes items such as “output data ID”, “user name”, “bibliographic information”, and the like. For example, the “output data ID” is managed in association with the “job ID” of the user management information shown in FIG. 7A, for example, for identifying data spooled in the data storage 74 Data identification information. The “user name” is, for example, a user ID. “Bibliographic information” is data print setting information, for example.

<Job submission screen>
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job input screen according to the present embodiment. Note that the job input screen shown in FIG. 8 is a screen displayed when the print service using application 82 is used in the client terminal 11 or the like.

  FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which user information is determined to be usable. FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which it is determined that user information is duplicated.

  On the job input screen shown in FIG. 8A, for example, items such as “position code”, “User ID (user ID)”, “use period”, “Password (password)”, “print job” can be input. It has become. For example, when the items “location code”, “User ID”, and “use period” are input by the user, the authentication processing unit 61 of the service providing system 40 registers them in the user management information shown in FIG. The “location code”, “user name”, and “use period” are compared.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the combination of “location code”, “User ID”, and “use period” is unique information that does not match or overlap with the user management information shown in FIG. If it is determined that there is, a message such as “Available conditions” is displayed. Here, “location code” and “use period” are not indispensable conditions. For example, when “use period” and “position code” are different from already registered information, even if “User ID” matches. Judged as an available condition.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 8B, if it is determined that the items of “location code”, “User ID”, and “use period” match or overlap, “It is an already registered matter. Password If they match, the message will be uploaded under the same conditions. " Here, if the “password” matches, it is regarded as the same user as the user who has already entered the registered job, and even if each item is duplicated, upload is performed if the password matches.

  On the other hand, if the “password” does not match, it can be regarded as an unauthorized user, and therefore, for example, an error message is displayed and control is performed so as not to upload the job.

<Job output processing>
FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a job output processing procedure according to the present embodiment. The sequence shown in FIG. 9 includes an input receiving unit 111, an output unit 112, a login request unit 115, a service use request unit 116, a session management unit 63 of the service providing system 40, and an authentication. It is executed by the processing unit 61, the data processing unit 64, and the print service application 51.

  As illustrated in FIG. 9, when the input reception unit 111 of the image processing apparatus 13 receives a user ID, a password, or the like as login information input by a user (S40), the input reception unit 111 sends a login request unit 115 to the login request unit 115. A login request is notified (S41).

  The login request unit 115 requests the authentication processing unit 61 of the service providing system 40 to log in based on the login information received from the user and the device authentication information set for the image processing apparatus 13 (S42). The device authentication information is information used when authenticating the service use of the image processing apparatus 13 that accesses the service providing system 40 (attempts to log in).

  The authentication processing unit 61 of the service providing system 40 performs authentication determination based on the user ID and password received from the user and authentication determination based on device authentication information preset in the image processing apparatus 13 (S43). In the authentication determination of S43, the user management information shown in FIG. 7A and the device management information shown in FIG. 7B are used, and the user ID, password, and device authentication information received from the user are registered. If so, it is determined that the login is OK. If the user ID, password, and device authentication information received from the user are not registered, it is determined as login NG and notified to the user. In the following description, a case where it is determined that login is OK will be described.

  The authentication processing unit 61 sends a login response indicating login OK to the login request unit 115 of the image processing apparatus 13 (S44).

  When the login request unit 115 of the image processing apparatus 13 acquires a login response indicating login OK, the login request unit 115 makes a data list request based on the user ID (user name) (S45). After confirming the session, the session management unit 63 of the service providing system 40 requests a data list from the print service application 51 (S46).

  The print service application 51 identifies the output data management information of the output data management information holding unit 94 associated with the user ID of the data list request, and notifies the session management unit 63 of a data list indicating the identified job ( S47). The session management unit 63 notifies the service usage request unit 116 of the image processing apparatus 13 of the data list obtained from the print service application 51 (S48).

  Upon receiving the notification, the image forming apparatus 13 displays a data list screen, causes the user to select data to be output, and when the input reception unit 111 receives a data output request from the user (S49), the service use request unit 116 A data output request received from the user is notified (S50).

  When the service use request unit 116 requests the service providing system 40 to output the data received from the user (S51), after the session management unit 63 confirms the session, the print service application 51 receives the data output request received from the user. This is performed (S52).

  When the print service application 51 acquires data corresponding to the data output request from the data storage 74, the print service application 51 outputs the acquired data to the data processing unit 64 (S53), and performs data processing by the data processing unit 64 (S54).

  When the print service application 51 acquires data subjected to data processing from the data processing unit 64 (S55), the print service application 51 transmits the data to the service use request unit 116 of the image processing apparatus 13 via the session management unit 63 (S56). (S56). The output unit 112 of the image processing apparatus 13 outputs data corresponding to the data request received from the user (S57).

  In the above-described embodiment, an example of submitting a job by Web upload is shown, but the present invention can also be applied to an example in which a print job is submitted from the client terminal 11 or the like to the service providing system 40 by mail. In this case, authentication can be performed in the same manner by using the above-described user ID or the like as an e-mail address and adding information such as device usage conditions and a password to the e-mail, for example.

  According to the embodiment described above, it is possible to perform convenient user authentication. In other words, authentication can be performed using user information that is easy to remember for the user, easy to input because the number of digits is small, and does not overlap with other users, without having to register authentication information such as a user ID in advance. It becomes possible.

  The preferred embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described in detail above, but the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments according to the disclosed technology, and within the scope of the disclosed technology described in the claims, Various modifications and changes are possible.

11 Client terminal 12 Mobile terminal 13 Image processing device 14 Other device 21 Access control device 22 Print service providing device 23 Scan service providing device 24 Other service providing device 31 Input device 32 Display device 33 RAM
34 ROM
35 HDD
36 CPU
37 Communication I / F
38 External I / F
40 service providing system 41 service application 42 platform API
43 Management data storage unit 51 Print service application 52 Scan service application 53 Other service application 61 Authentication processing unit 62 Device communication unit 63 Session management unit 64 Data processing unit 65 User information registration unit 71 User management information storage unit 72 Device management information storage Unit 73 data management information storage unit 74 data storage 81, 111 input reception unit 82, 113 print service use application 83, 115 login request unit 84, 116 service use request unit 91 data analysis unit 92 output data management unit 93 processing request unit 94 Output data management information holding unit 114 Setting information holding unit 100 Information processing system 101 Computer system

JP 2004-287624 A

Claims (8)

An information processing system having one or more information processing devices,
Determining means for determining whether the user information can be used as user authentication information for the processing request based on user information input by the user at the time of registration of the processing request and a usage condition of the device used by the user;
In accordance with a determination result by the determination unit, a registration unit that registers the user information and a use condition of a device used by the user in association with each other;
An information processing system comprising: an authentication unit that authenticates the processing request using the user information registered by the registration unit when the processing request is executed. The determination means includes
The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the user information can be used as authentication information of the user by using registration information already registered by the registration unit. The determination means includes
The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein device usage information for specifying a device used by the user or usage period information for a device used by the user is used as the usage condition of the device. The determination means includes
The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein position information where a device used by the user is installed is used as the device specifying information. The registration means includes
Register the user's password along with the user information and usage conditions of the device,
The determination means includes
When the registration information already registered matches the user information and the usage conditions of the device, the user information is used as the user authentication information by using the password registered by the registration means. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the information can be used. The determination means includes
6. The information according to claim 5, wherein when the registered password matches a password input by the user, the user information is determined to be usable as the user authentication information. Processing system.   The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein a mail address of the user is used as the user information. An information processing method in an information processing system having one or more information processing devices,
A determination procedure for determining whether the user information can be used as user authentication information for the processing request based on user information input by the user at the time of registration of the processing request and a use condition of a device used by the user;
A registration procedure for registering the user information and the usage conditions of the device used by the user in association with each other according to the determination result of the determination procedure;
And an authentication procedure for authenticating the processing request using the user information registered by the registration procedure when the processing request is executed.

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