Processing apparatus, image processing apparatus, and method for processing imported data

Abstract

Provided are a processing device and the like that can easily reset an authentication setting related to an authentication method that needs to be approved in advance, even when import data including related information related to the authentication method is imported. The processing apparatus includes: a storage unit that stores apparatus settings including authentication information; and a control unit that verifies import data to be imported into a device and rewrites the device settings stored in the storage unit in a unified manner using the import data, the verification result of the import data being a result of determining that the import data includes a correlation setting related to an authentication method that needs to be approved in advance, and the verification result of the import data being a result of determining that the correlation setting is related to the authentication method that needs to be approved in advance. The control unit resets the authentication setting by controlling rewriting of the authentication information based on the association setting when the authentication information is stored in the storage unit and the association setting is information corresponding to the authentication information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to processing devices and the like. Background Art

[0002] There is a known technology (hereinafter sometimes referred to as device cloning) for duplicating a device having the same device settings as another device by importing the device settings exported from the other device as import data, and restoring (recovering) the device settings by importing the device settings exported from the own device.

[0003] For example, in the case of a multifunction machine as a processing device, the exported data includes the device settings such as setting information for executing jobs in various modes such as copying, printing, scanning, faxing, or mail transmission and reception, history information, and user information of users using the multifunction machine, as well as authentication information of a provider providing services for saving and publishing mails, photos, and animations. Then, the exported data is imported into the target multifunction machine as import data, and the existing device settings held by the multifunction machine are uniformly rewritten including the authentication information.

[0004] Regarding the import of device settings containing authentication information, Patent Document 1 states the following: In an information processing device that utilizes a cloud service that requires OAuth2.0 (hereinafter referred to as OAuth authentication) as an authentication method, when importing an export file exported from another information processing device that utilizes the same cloud service, the data read from the export file is stored in a state where a token is included, and the token is used for authentication when using the same cloud service. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-161445 Summary of the invention Technical Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a processing device or the like which can easily reconfigure authentication settings related to an authentication method even when import data including related information related to an authentication method requiring prior approval is imported. Solutions to the problem

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the processing device involved in the present disclosure is characterized in that it includes: a storage unit, which stores device settings, wherein the device settings include authentication information; and a control unit, which verifies import data imported into the device and uses the import data to uniformly rewrite the device settings stored in the storage unit, wherein the verification result of the import data is that when it is determined that the import data contains associated settings related to an authentication method that requires prior approval, and the associated settings are information corresponding to the authentication information, the control unit resets the authentication settings by controlling the rewriting of the authentication information based on the associated settings.

[0008] In addition, the image processing device involved in the present disclosure is characterized in that it includes: a processing device, which has: a storage unit, which stores device settings, and the device settings include authentication information; and a control unit, which verifies import data imported into the device and uses the import data to uniformly rewrite the device settings stored in the storage unit, the verification result of the import data is that when it is determined that the import data contains associated settings related to an authentication method that requires prior approval, and the associated settings are information corresponding to the authentication information, the control unit resets the authentication settings by controlling the rewriting of the authentication information based on the associated settings; and an image processing unit, which performs image processing based on the device settings rewritten with the import data.

[0009] In addition, the method for processing imported data involved in the present disclosure is characterized by: storing device settings, the device settings including authentication information, verifying the imported data imported into the device, and uniformly rewriting the stored device settings with the imported data, wherein the verification result of the imported data is, when it is determined that the imported data includes associated settings related to an authentication method that requires prior approval, and the associated settings are information corresponding to the authentication information, the authentication settings are reset by controlling the rewriting of the authentication information based on the associated settings. Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a processing device or the like which can easily re-set authentication settings related to an authentication method even when importing data including related information related to the authentication method requiring prior approval. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 This diagram shows an example of a connection method among a multifunction peripheral, a terminal device, and a cloud server. Figure 2 It is a functional configuration diagram of the multifunction peripheral 10 . Figure 3 This is a functional configuration diagram of a terminal device. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining an example of the structure of export data. Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing according to the first embodiment. Fig. 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing according to the first embodiment. Fig.10 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing according to the first embodiment. Fig.11 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example according to the first embodiment. Fig.12 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example according to the first embodiment. Fig.13 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example according to the first embodiment. Fig.14 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example according to the first embodiment. Fig.15 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example according to the second embodiment. Fig.16 This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of processing according to the third embodiment. Fig.17 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example according to the third embodiment. Fig.18 This diagram explains the difference between the SMTP authentication method and the OAuth authentication method in SMTP settings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiment is an example for describing the present disclosure, and the technical content of the invention described in the claims is not limited to the following description.

[0013] In image processing devices such as multifunction peripherals, the execution of mail sending and receiving jobs requires authentication of mail servers such as SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) servers. Recently, more secure authentication methods such as OAuth authentication that require prior authentication are becoming mainstream.

[0014] OAuth authentication is a technology for granting a service permission to use resources, and uses a token obtained as a result of the authorization to authenticate with, for example, a mail server.

[0015] In addition, when the authentication method of the authentication information imported in the device cloning is SMTP authentication, the authentication settings are re-set by overwriting the existing device settings with the imported authentication information such as the password. Fig.18 As shown in the example, when the authentication method is SMTP authentication and when it is OAuth authentication, the only difference is the authentication method and whether to set a password or a token. However, when the authentication method is OAuth authentication, the import (export) of the token is prohibited in normal operation, and the token is not included in the imported data. In order to reset the authentication settings in the device of the import destination, approval is required based on the owner of the imported authentication information (account), the device administrator, etc.

[0016] It is expected that users who have been accustomed to using authentication information such as passwords will not realize that approval is required for obtaining (using) a token when the authentication method of the authentication information included in the imported data in the device clone is OAuth authentication.

[0017] In addition, if OAuth authentication is already used as the authentication method for the device to which the imported data is imported, the existing authentication information may be accidentally rewritten by authentication information other than the token imported by device cloning. For unintentional rewriting (overwriting) of authentication information, even if you want to restore the authentication settings, it is not as simple as restoring the authentication settings with a password, and approval by the device administrator is required, which is time-consuming and inconvenient.

[0018] In the present disclosure, the following embodiments realize a processing device or the like that can easily re-set authentication settings related to an authentication method even when importing data including associated information related to an authentication method that requires prior approval.

[0019] [1 First Embodiment] [1.1 Overall composition] Figure 1 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a connection method among the multifunction machine 10 in which the processing device according to the first embodiment is installed, the terminal device 30 , and the cloud server 50 .

[0020] The multifunction machine 10 involved in the first embodiment is an image processing device that can realize operations related to various modes such as copying, printing, scanning, faxing, or mailing in one housing. In addition, in the present disclosure, the multifunction machine 10 is described as one form of the image processing device, but as long as it is an image processing device installed with the processing device involved in the present disclosure and having an image processing function, its form is not particularly limited, and it may be an image processing device such as a copier, printer, fax machine, etc. other than the multifunction machine 10. The multifunction machine 10 can reflect the export data sent from the terminal device 30 as import data to the device setting of the machine.

[0021] The multifunction machine 10 is connected to the terminal device 30 and the cloud server 50 via the networks NW1 and NW2. The multifunction machine 10 is configured to be able to communicate between the terminal device 30 and the cloud server 50 through a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext transfer protocol). In addition, the networks NW1 and NW2 are not particularly limited as long as they are network lines such as LAN (Local area network), WAN (Wide area network), the Internet, telephone lines, and fax lines. In addition, the multifunction machine 10 can use the services provided by the cloud server 50 based on the token obtained from the cloud server 50.

[0022] The terminal device 30 can be configured as a PC (Personal Computer) used by a user who uses the cloud service provided by the cloud server 50. The terminal device 30 may be a mobile terminal device such as a notebook computer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a mobile phone, in addition to a desktop PC, and is not limited in configuration as long as it is a terminal device in an environment that can communicate with the multifunction device 10 and the cloud server 50. In addition, the terminal device 30 can perform processing related to device cloning, such as importing export data output from other image processing devices not shown in the figure and exporting device settings from the multifunction device 10, via a Web page provided by the multifunction device 10.

[0023] The cloud server 50 is a server of a provider that provides storage and publishing services for mails, photos, and animations. The cloud server 50 supports an authentication method that requires prior approval, such as the OAuth authentication method. The cloud server 50 can be used as an approval server for resource use approval by executing an approval code flow based on OAuth authentication. The cloud server 50 is not limited in its configuration as long as it generates an approval code, token, etc. according to the success or failure of the approval.

[0024] [1.2 Functional structure] [1.2.1 Regarding the multifunction device 10] The functional configuration of the multifunction peripheral 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 2 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the multifunction peripheral 10. The multifunction peripheral 10 includes an image processing unit 21 and an image input unit 23 in addition to the configuration of the processing device 1 indicated by a dotted-line frame in the figure.

[0025] The control unit 11 controls the entire multifunction device 10. The control unit 11 is composed of, for example, one or more computing devices (CPU (Central Processing Unit) etc.) The control unit 11 reads out various programs stored in the storage unit 19 and executes them to realize various functions.

[0026] The display unit 13 displays various information to the user, etc. The display unit 13 can be composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-luminescence) display, etc. The display unit 13 can display a screen based on the browsing screen information generated by the Web program 193 described later.

[0027] The operation input unit 15 receives input of information from a user or the like. The operation input unit 15 can be composed of various input devices such as operation keys such as hard keys and software keys, buttons, etc. In addition, the operation input unit 15 can also be configured as a touch panel that can input via the display unit 13. In this case, as the input method of the touch panel, general methods such as a resistive film method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, and an electrostatic capacitance method can be used.

[0028] The communication unit 17 has, for example, an interface for either or both of wired / wireless communication with other devices (terminal device 30, cloud server 50) via networks NW1, NW2 such as LAN, WAN, Internet, telephone line, fax line, etc. Alternatively, the communication unit 17 may include an interface related to (short distance) wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near field communication), Wi-fi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), Irda, and wireless USB.

[0029] The storage unit 19 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the multifunction peripheral 10. The storage unit 19 can be composed of a storage device such as a RAM (Random access memory), a HDD (Hard disk drive), a SSD (Solid state drive), or a ROM (Read only memory).

[0030] In the first embodiment, the storage unit 19 stores a control program 191 , an authentication program 192 , a Web program 193 , an import data verification program 194 , and a device setting management program 195 , and secures a device setting storage area 196 .

[0031] The control program 191 is a program read by the control unit 11 when comprehensively controlling the multifunction machine 10. The control unit 11 that has read the control program 191 controls the display unit 13, the operation input unit 15, the communication unit 17, etc. to perform the functions of the processing device 1 involved in the present disclosure, and further controls the image processing unit 21 and the image input unit 23 to set, execute, and perform post-processing of various jobs such as copying, printing, scanning, faxing, or mailing by driving.

[0032] The authentication program 192 is a program read by the control unit 11 when performing authentication processing with the cloud server 50. The control unit 11 that has read the authentication program 192 can perform authentication processing such as OAuth authentication, and can also perform authentication processing such as authentication using a combination of a user name (user ID) and a password (SMTP authentication method, POP authentication method, etc.).

[0033] The Web program 193 includes a browser program and a server program. The control unit 11 that has read the browser program functions as a Web browser, and generates screen information for viewing by rendering the content inputted from the cloud server 50 and the terminal device 30. In addition, the control unit 11 that has read the browser program performs communication regarding authentication processing with the cloud server 50, device cloning with the terminal device 30, and the like. The control unit 11 that has read the server program functions as a print server, and can save, share, and output the received print data (including requesting the sending of print data and attaching it to the sending of an e-mail). In addition, the control unit 11 that has read the server program can accept export data sent from the terminal device 30 via a Web page.

[0034] The import data verification program 194 is a program read by the control unit 11 when the export data received via the web page is imported as import data. The control unit 11 that has read the import data verification program 194 verifies the import data, determines whether the import data satisfies the conditions for device cloning, and determines which device setting the decoded setting value is related to.

[0035] The device setting management program 195 is a program read by the control unit 11 when managing the device settings of the multifunction machine 10, such as setting information for executing jobs in various modes such as copying, printing, scanning, faxing, or mailing, history information, user information of users using the multifunction machine, authentication information for the cloud server 50, etc. The control unit 11 that has read the device setting management program 195 manages the device settings based on the verification result of the imported data, for example, by rewriting, writing, updating, deleting, etc. the setting values ​​of the existing device settings managed in the device setting storage area 196. In particular, when the control unit 11 that has read the device setting management program 195 determines that the imported data contains associated settings related to an authentication method that requires prior approval, such as OAuth authentication (hereinafter sometimes referred to as OAuth authentication information), and the OAuth authentication information is information corresponding to authentication information related to the existing device settings in the multifunction machine 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as device authentication information), the authentication settings are reset by controlling the rewriting of the device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information. Here, if Fig.18 As shown in the example in , the related settings related to OAuth authentication represent authentication information related to OAuth authentication other than the token, such as the SMTP server (name), port number, authentication method, and account.

[0036] The device setting storage area 196 is a storage area for storing the device settings of the multifunction machine 10. The device setting storage area 196 includes a storage area for storing device settings such as setting information for executing jobs in various modes such as copying, printing, scanning, faxing, or mailing, history information, and user management information of users using the multifunction machine 10, and also includes an authentication information storage area 1961 for storing authentication information for the cloud server 50. When the OAuth authentication method is set as the authentication method for the multifunction machine 10, the authentication information storage area 1961 stores the authentication method (OAuth authentication), account name, server information, token, etc. as device authentication information. In addition, when the SMTP authentication method is set as the authentication method, the authentication information storage area 1961 stores the authentication method (SMTP authentication), account name, password, server information, etc. as device authentication information. In addition, the authentication information storage area 1961 can store authentication information related to login authentication of the multifunction machine 10, and can also be set in a storage device other than the multifunction machine 10 that is not shown.

[0037] The image processing unit 21 forms the generated image data and an image based on the input print data on a paper or the like as a recording medium. The image processing unit 21 supplies paper from a paper feed tray (not shown), forms an image based on the image data on the paper, and then discharges the paper to a paper discharge unit (not shown). The image processing unit 21 can be configured, for example, by a laser printer that utilizes an electronic photography method. In this case, the image processing unit 21 uses a toner supplied from a toner box (not shown) corresponding to a toner color (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, black) to form an image. In addition, the image processing unit 21 may also include a method of performing, for example, shading correction, concentration correction, etc. on the image data input from the image input unit 23 to generate output image data for image transmission.

[0038] The image input unit 23 generates image data by scanning a manuscript. The image input unit 23 includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge coupled device) or a CIS (Contact image sensor), and can be configured as an automatic document feeder (ADF), a scanning device having a flatbed for placing and reading a manuscript, etc. The image input unit 23 is not particularly limited in its configuration as long as it is capable of generating image data by reading a reflected light image from a manuscript image with an image sensor. In addition, the image input unit 23 can also be configured as an interface for acquiring print data stored in a removable storage medium such as a USB (Universal serial bus) memory or print data sent from an external device not shown in the figure.

[0039] [1.2.2 About the terminal device 30] Figure 3 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the terminal device 30. The terminal device 30 includes a control unit 31, a display unit 33, an operation input unit 35, a communication unit 37, and a storage unit 39.

[0040] The control unit 31 controls the entire terminal device 30. The control unit 31 is composed of, for example, one or more computing devices (CPU, etc.). The control unit 31 realizes its functions by reading out various programs stored in the storage unit 39 and executing them.

[0041] The display unit 33 displays various information to the user, etc. The display unit 33 can be composed of a display device such as an LCD, an organic EL display, etc. The display unit 33 can display a screen based on the screen information for display and browsing, which is generated by the browser program 395 described later, under the control of the control unit 31.

[0042] The operation input unit 35 receives input of information from a user, etc. The operation input unit 35 can be configured by various input devices such as a keyboard including hardware keys and software keys, a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad, and a touch panel.

[0043] The communication unit 37 has, for example, an interface for communicating with other devices (terminal device 10, cloud server 50) via a network (NW) such as a LAN, WAN, the Internet, a telephone line, a fax line, or the like, either a wired or wireless interface or both. In addition, the communication unit 37 may also include an interface related to (short-range) wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC, Wi-fi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), Irda, and wireless USB.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the storage unit 39 stores a control program 391 , an application program 393 , and a browser program 395 .

[0045] The control program 391 is a program read by the control unit 31 when collectively controlling the terminal device 30. The control unit 31 that has read the control program 391 can function as the terminal device 30 by controlling the driving of the display unit 33, the operation input unit 35, the communication unit 37, and the like.

[0046] The application 393 is a program read by the control unit 31 based on a user's startup instruction. The control unit 31 that has read the application 393 provides a specific function corresponding to the user's purpose, such as document creation, graphic drawing, and Internet browsing. The application 393 can be obtained by installation using a recording medium such as a CD or DVD, or by downloading from an application providing service not shown in the figure. In addition, the application may also include a program that realizes device cloning as a function. The control unit 31 that has read the program that realizes device cloning can, for example, perform other image processing devices not shown in the figure, acquisition of exported data from the multifunction machine 10, transmission of the acquired exported data, import instructions, etc.

[0047] The browser program 395 is a program read by the control unit 31 when generating screen information for browsing by rendering content received from the multifunction device 10 or the cloud server 50. The control unit 31 that has read the browser program 395 functions as a web browser and communicates with the multifunction device 10 and the cloud server 50.

[0048] [1.2.3 About Cloud Server 50] The cloud server 50 corresponds to the OAuth authentication method and the SMTP authentication method, and can use a known structure that can provide storage and distribution services for emails, photos, dynamic images, etc. based on the success or failure of the authentication result based on the acquired user name (user ID), password, or token and other authentication (approval) information. Therefore, the description related to the functional structure of the cloud server 50 is omitted.

[0049] [1.3 Processing Flow] [1.3.1 About export processing] Next, the process flow involved in the first embodiment is described. First, use Figure 4 The flowchart in Figure 1 illustrates the process of exporting device settings. Figure 4 The process described in the figure is, for example, a process in which another image processing device, the multifunction machine 10, etc. (not shown) outputs the device settings of the local device as export data according to the export instruction output from the terminal device 30. Here, for the purpose of restoring the device settings of the multifunction machine 10, the process of sending the device settings as export data to the terminal device 30 is described as an example.

[0050] First, the control unit 11 reads out the setting values ​​of the device settings stored in the device setting storage area 196 (step S10 ).

[0051] Then, the control unit 11 encodes the read setting value (step S12). In the first embodiment, the control unit 11 encodes in an XML format in which device settings are represented by tags and setting values ​​are sandwiched between the tags.

[0052] The control unit 11 determines whether all the setting values ​​related to the target device setting have been read (step S14). If it is determined that all the setting values ​​related to the target device setting have been read, the control unit 11 adds a header to the data portion related to the setting value and generates encoded data (step S14; yes → step S16). On the other hand, if it is determined that the reading of all the setting values ​​related to the target device setting has not been completed, the control unit 11 continues to read the setting value (step S14; no → step S10).

[0053] Then, the control unit 11 transmits the generated encoded data as derived data to the terminal device 30, and ends the process (step S18).

[0054] Here, use Figure 5 To be able to pass Figure 4 The following describes an example of the structure of the export data generated by the flowchart. Figure 5The export data is generated in XML format and consists of a header and a data portion. The header includes a data version and basic information related to the generated device. On the other hand, the data portion contains data in which the setting values ​​of the setting items are encoded in XML format.

[0055] For example, the "time zone offset" of "time zone offset" is an example of a setting item. <hour>"Related setting value" -5" can be obtained by clipping the setting value "-5" between the parent label representing the setting item ( <time-zone-offset>< / time-zone-offset> ) belongs to the subtag <hour> <data> <value>< / value> / <data>< / data> < / data> < / hour> To show in.

[0056] Next, Figure 5 In the first embodiment, the following four aspects are described as import processing when the import data includes OAuth authentication information related to OAuth authentication as an authentication method requiring prior approval. (Aspect 1) Rewriting of device authentication information based on OAuth authentication information is omitted, and the user is notified that rewriting of device authentication information is omitted. (Aspect 2) Before rewriting the device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information, a query to the user is notified, and a selection by the user as to whether to rewrite the device authentication information is accepted. (Aspect 3) Before and after the device authentication information is rewritten based on the OAuth authentication information, the user is notified that re-authorization in the OAuth authentication method is required. (Aspect 4) After the device authentication information is copied, the device authentication information is rewritten based on the OAuth authentication information, and the user is allowed to select whether to reset the authentication setting based on the device authentication information rewritten based on the OAuth authentication information or to restore the rewritten device authentication information to its original state.

[0057] [1.3.2 Regarding the import process involved in aspect 1] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart of the import process involved in the description aspect 1. Figures 6 to 10 The processing described in is a processing executed by the control unit 11 of the multifunction peripheral 10 by reading the Web program 193, the import data verification program 194, the device setting management program 195, and the like.

[0058] First, the control unit 11 determines whether the import data input as the import data is appropriate (step S20). The control unit 11 can determine the appropriateness of the import data by, for example, verifying whether the format of the imported data input is the XML format and whether the import data is composed of a header part and a data part. If it is determined that the import data is appropriate, the control unit 11 deletes the header part from the import data (step S20; yes → step S22). On the other hand, if it is determined that the import data is inappropriate, the control unit 11 displays an error notification on the display unit 13 and ends the processing (step S20; no → step S24).

[0059] After deleting the header from the import data, the control unit 11 decodes the import data decoder (step S26). In addition, as described above, the data part is described in XML format, and there is a case where the setting value is encrypted. The control unit 11 decodes the data of the data part and determines which device setting the decoded setting value is related to (here, the decoded setting value is the setting value related to the OAuth authentication information) (step S28).

[0060] When the control unit 11 determines that the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, it determines whether the device authentication information is included in the existing device setting and whether the device authentication information is information corresponding to the OAuth authentication information (step S28; yes → step S30). That is, the control unit 11 determines whether the existing device setting related to the authentication of the multifunction machine 10 is set to OAuth authentication. When the control unit 11 determines that the existing device authentication information is information corresponding to the OAuth authentication information, it omits (skips) the rewriting of the existing device authentication information with the OAuth authentication information, and displays a notification screen indicating that the rewriting is not performed (step S30; yes → step S32). On the other hand, when the existing device authentication information is not information corresponding to the OAuth authentication information but is, for example, information corresponding to SMTP authentication (step S30; no), and when the decoded setting value is not a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information (step S28; no), the control unit 11 rewrites or writes the setting value related to the device setting with the decoded setting value (step S36).

[0061] Then, the control unit 11 determines whether the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed (step S38). If it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed, the control unit 11 ends the process (step S38; yes → end). On the other hand, if it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is not completed, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S26 (step S38; no → step S26).

[0062] [1.3.3 Regarding the import process involved in aspect 2] Figure 7 2 is a flowchart of the import process involved in the description aspect 2. Figure 6 The same processing as that described in the above is marked with the same step number and its description is omitted.

[0063] In step S30, when the control unit 11 determines that the existing device authentication information is information corresponding to the OAuth authentication information, it displays a notification screen asking the user whether to rewrite the existing device authentication information under the OAuth authentication information (step S30; yes → step S40). When the user who has confirmed the notification screen accepts the instruction to overwrite the device authentication information, the control unit 11 overwrites the device authentication information by using the OAuth authentication information (step S42; yes → step S36). On the other hand, when the user who has confirmed the notification screen does not accept the instruction to overwrite the device authentication information, the control unit 11 does not overwrite the existing device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information, and transfers the processing to step S38 (step S42; no → step S38).

[0064] [1.3.4 Regarding the import process involved in aspect 3] Figure 8 3 is a flowchart of the import process involved in the explanation aspect 3, and is a diagram for explaining the aspect of notifying that re-approval of OAuth authentication is required before rewriting of device authentication information based on OAuth authentication information. Figure 6 The same processing as that described in the above is marked with the same step number and its description is omitted.

[0065] In step S28, the control unit 11 determines whether the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information. When the control unit 11 determines that the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, it notifies that a re-approval process related to the OAuth authentication is required (step S28; yes → step S44). Then, the control unit 11 rewrites the existing device authentication information using the OAuth authentication information, thereby overwriting the device authentication information (step S36). On the other hand, when the control unit 11 determines that the decoded setting value is not a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, it rewrites or writes the setting value related to the device setting with the decoded setting value (step S28; no → step S36).

[0066] Then, the control unit 11 determines whether the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed (step S38). If it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed, the control unit 11 ends the process (step S38; yes → end). On the other hand, if it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is not completed, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S26 (step S38; no → step S26).

[0067] Fig. 9 3 is a flowchart of the import process involved in the explanation aspect 3, and is a diagram for explaining the aspect of notifying that re-approval of OAuth authentication is required after rewriting of device authentication information based on OAuth authentication information. Figure 8 The same processing as that described in the above is marked with the same step number and its description is omitted.

[0068] The control unit 11 rewrites and writes the decoded setting value in step S26 (step S36). Then, the control unit 11 determines whether the rewritten and written setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information (step S28). If the control unit 11 determines that the rewritten and written setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, it notifies that a re-approval process related to the OAuth authentication is required (step S28; yes → step S44).

[0069] The control unit 11 determines whether the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed (step S38). If it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed, the control unit 11 ends the processing (step S38; yes → end). On the other hand, if it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is not completed, the control unit 11 returns the processing to step S26 (step S38; no → step S26). In addition, if the control unit 11 determines in step S28 that the setting value after rewriting / writing is not the setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, it executes the processing after step S38 (step S28; no → step S38).

[0070] [1.3.5 Regarding the import process involved in aspect 4] Fig.10 4 is a flowchart of the import process involved in the description aspect. Figures 6 to 9 The same step numbers are given to the same processing parts as those described in , and the description thereof is omitted. In addition, in aspect 4, the description is made assuming that the existing device authentication information is information corresponding to the OAuth authentication information.

[0071] In step S28, the control unit 11 determines whether the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information. If the control unit 11 determines that the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, the control unit 11 backs up the OAuth setting as the existing device authentication information, and rewrites the device authentication information by using the OAuth authentication information as the decoded setting value (step S28; yes → step S46 → step S36).

[0072] In addition, when the control unit 11 determines that the decoded setting value is not a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, it rewrites the setting value decoded in step S26 (step S28; No→step S36). Then, the control unit 11 determines whether the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed (step S38). In the case where it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed, the control unit 11 determines whether there is a backup of the OAuth setting (step S38; Yes-step S48). In addition, when it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is not completed, the control unit 11 returns the process to step S26 (step S38; No→step S26).

[0073] When it is determined that there is a backup of the OAuth settings, the control unit 11 displays a notification screen asking the user whether to reset the authentication settings based on the device authentication information rewritten using the OAuth authentication information or to return (restore) the rewritten device authentication information to its original state using the backup (step S48; yes → step S50).

[0074] Next, it is determined whether the user who confirmed the notification screen has accepted the recovery instruction using the backup of the device authentication information (step S52). If it is determined that the recovery instruction has been accepted, the control unit 11 uses the backup to restore the rewritten device authentication information (OAuth settings) (step S52; yes → step S54).

[0075] If there is no backup of the OAuth settings (step S48 ; No), or if a restoration instruction using the backup is not accepted (step S52 ; No), the control unit 11 ends the processing.

[0076] [1.4 Action Example] Next, an operation example according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig.11 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a display configuration of a notification screen W10, which is displayed in step S32 of the import process according to aspect 1 ( Figure 6 ) is displayed to notify the user.

[0077] The notification screen W10 includes a message display area R10 and an OK button B10. The message display area R10 is a display area that displays a notification content such as "OAuth settings have been completed, so there is no overwrite." to express that the rewriting of the existing device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information is omitted (skipped). The OK button B10 is a button for accepting a confirmation instruction from the user based on the display content in the message display area R10. When the user selects the OK button B10, the control unit 11 ends the display of the notification screen W10.

[0078] Fig.12 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a display configuration of a notification screen W12 displayed in step S40 of the import process according to aspect 2 ( Figure 7 ) A notification screen is displayed asking the user whether to rewrite (overwrite) the existing device authentication information using OAuth authentication information.

[0079] The notification screen W12 includes a message display area R12, a button to overwrite B12, and a button to skip B14. The message display area R12 is a display area that displays notification content such as "I want to overwrite the OAuth settings that have been set. Please select whether to overwrite the settings." as a way of asking the user whether to overwrite and overwrite the existing device authentication information with the OAuth authentication information. The button to overwrite B12 is a button for accepting the selection of an instruction to overwrite the existing device authentication information by the user. When the control unit 11 receives the selection instruction of the button to overwrite B112, it overwrites the existing device authentication information by overwriting the existing device authentication information using the OAuth authentication information. The button to skip B14 is a button for accepting a skip instruction of an instruction to overwrite the existing device authentication information. When the control unit 11 receives the selection instruction of the button to skip B114, it does not overwrite the existing device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information, and ends the display of the notification screen W2. In addition, at this time, information other than the OAuth settings can also be overwritten by the imported data or written into the imported data.

[0080] Fig.13 14 is a diagram for explaining an example of a display configuration of a notification screen W14 displayed in step S44 ( Fig. 9 ) After rewriting (overwriting) the device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information, a notification screen is displayed indicating that re-approval of OAuth authentication is required.

[0081] The notification screen W14 includes a message display area R14 and an OK button B10. The message display area R14 is a display area that displays notification contents such as "The OAuth settings that have been set have been overwritten, but the settings have not been completed. Please perform the approval operation to complete the OAuth settings." as a means of expressing that the OAuth authentication needs to be re-approved after the device authentication information is rewritten (overwritten) based on the OAuth authentication information. The OK button B10 is a button for accepting a confirmation instruction from the user based on the displayed content in the message display area R14. When the user selects the OK button B10, the control unit 11 ends the display of the notification screen W14. In addition, in the case where the notification needs to be re-approved before the device authentication information is rewritten (overwritten) based on the OAuth authentication information, for example, a notification such as "The OAuth settings that have been set will be overwritten, but the settings cannot be completed by this alone. Please perform the approval operation to complete the OAuth settings." can be displayed in the message display area R14 as the notification content. In addition, a button for accepting a screen transition instruction to the approval operation screen can also be provided in the notification screen W14.

[0082] Fig.14 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a display configuration of a notification screen W16 which is displayed in step S50 of the import process according to aspect 4 ( Fig.10 ) is a notification screen asking whether to reset the authentication settings based on the device authentication information that was rewritten (overwritten) based on the OAuth authentication information or to restore the rewritten (overwritten) device authentication information to its original state using a backup.

[0083] The notification screen W16 includes a message display area R16, a restore button B16, and an OK button B10. The message display area R16 is a display area that displays notification contents such as "The completed OAuth settings have been overwritten, but the settings have not been completed. In order to complete the OAuth settings, please perform the approval operation. If you want to restore the OAuth settings to their original state, please press the [Restore] button." to express the meaning of asking whether to reset the authentication settings based on the device authentication information that has been rewritten (overwritten) based on the OAuth authentication information or to restore the rewritten (overwritten) device authentication information to its original state using the backup. The restore button B16 is a button for accepting the selection of a restore instruction using the backup of the device authentication information by the user. If the selection instruction of the restore button B16 is accepted, the control unit 11 uses the backup to restore the rewritten (overwritten) device authentication information (OAuth settings). The OK button B10 is a button for accepting a confirmation instruction from the user based on the display content in the message display area R16. When the user selects the OK button B10, the control unit 11 ends the display of the notification screen W16.

[0084] As described above, according to the first embodiment, as the import process when the import data includes the OAuth authentication information related to the OAuth authentication, any of the following aspects may be adopted: (Aspect 1) Omitting rewriting of device authentication information based on OAuth authentication information, and notifying the user that rewriting of the device authentication information has been omitted; (Aspect 2) Before rewriting the device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information, a user inquiry is notified, and a user selection is accepted as to whether or not to rewrite the device authentication information; (Aspect 3) Before and after the device authentication information is rewritten based on the OAuth authentication information, the user is notified that re-approval in the OAuth authentication method is required; (Aspect 4) After the device authentication information is copied, the device authentication information is rewritten based on the OAuth authentication information, and the user is given a choice as to whether to reset the authentication settings based on the device authentication information rewritten based on the OAuth authentication information or to restore the rewritten device authentication information to its original state. With such a configuration, since the user can understand the import status of settings related to OAuth authentication, the necessity of token acquisition, etc., it is possible to easily reset settings related to OAuth authentication in the processing device at the import destination. In addition, since the existing device settings rewritten (overwritten) with the imported data can also be easily restored to their original state, a highly convenient method for resetting authentication settings can be provided.

[0085] [2 Second Embodiment] The second embodiment is based on the first embodiment. Fig. 9 , Fig.13 In the introduction process according to aspect 3 as exemplified in etc., a method is provided in which a re-approval request is made to the account owner together with a notification indicating that re-approval of OAuth authentication is required after rewriting of the device authentication information.

[0086] The functional configuration and process flow of the multifunction peripheral and the like according to the second embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted here.

[0087] [2.1 Action Example] Fig.15 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example according to the second embodiment. Fig.15 The illustrated notification screen W20 includes a message display area R20, a button to send B20, and an OK button B10. The message display area R20 is a display area that displays notification contents such as "The completed OAuth settings have been overwritten, but the settings have not been completed. In order to complete the OAuth settings, please perform the approval operation. The current account owner is "aabbcc". Do you want to send a re-approval request email to "aabbcc@example.com"? " to express that the OAuth authentication needs to be re-approved after the device authentication information is rewritten based on the OAuth authentication information, and to express the need to send a re-approval request email to the account owner. The button to send B20 is a button for accepting an instruction to send a re-approval request email from the user. If the button to send B20 is selected, the control unit 11 sends an email expressing the intention of requesting re-approval of the OAuth authentication to the contact destination "aabbcc@example.com" of the account owner "aabbcc". The OK button B10 is a button for accepting a confirmation instruction from the user based on the displayed content in the message display area R20. When the user selects the OK button B10 , the control unit 11 ends the display of the notification screen W20 .

[0088] In the second embodiment, the configuration of requesting re-approval to the account owner by email notification is described, but any communication means other than email, such as telephone, SMS (Short Message Service), fax transmission, etc., may be used as long as the configuration is capable of requesting re-approval to the account owner.

[0089] As described above, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, a re-approval request notification can be sent to the account owner. With such a configuration, the workload of the user accompanying re-approval can be reduced in the processing device of the import destination.

[0090] [3. Third Embodiment] The third embodiment is the following method in the first embodiment: when it is determined that the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, the setting value is stored, and after the decoding of all setting values ​​included in the imported data is completed, the existing device authentication information is rewritten (overwritten) based on the OAuth authentication information.

[0091] The functional configuration of the multifunction peripheral and the like according to the third embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted here.

[0092] [3.1 Processing Flow] Fig.16 1 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow involved in the third embodiment. Figures 6 to 10 The same processing as that described in the above is marked with the same step number and its description is omitted.

[0093] In step S28, the control unit 11 determines whether the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information. If the control unit 11 determines that the decoded setting value is a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, the setting value is stored in the device setting storage area 196 (authentication information storage area 1961) (step S28; yes → step S60). On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that the decoded setting value is not a setting value related to the OAuth authentication information, the setting value related to the device setting is overwritten or written with the decoded setting value (step S28; no → step S361).

[0094] Then, the control unit 11 determines whether the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed (step S38). When it is determined that the decoding of all setting values ​​is completed, the control unit 11 determines whether there is a setting value stored in the device setting storage area 196 (authentication information storage area 1961) (step S38; yes → step S62).

[0095] When it is determined that there is a setting value stored in the device setting storage area 196 (authentication information storage area 1961), the control unit 11 rewrites (overwrites) the setting value related to the corresponding device authentication information with the setting value (step S62; yes → step S362). Then, the control unit 11 displays on the notification screen that the existing device authentication information has been rewritten (overwritten) with the OAuth authentication information, and ends the processing (step S64). On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no setting value stored in the device setting storage area 196 (authentication information storage area 1961), the control unit 11 skips step S362, displays on the notification screen that the existing device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information has not been rewritten (overwritten), and ends the processing (step S64).

[0096] [3.2 Action Example] Fig.17 It is a diagram for explaining an operation example of the third embodiment. Fig.17 The notification screen W30 illustrated in the example includes a message display area R30 and an OK button B10. The message display area R30 is a display area for displaying notification contents such as "Device cloning has been completed. The completed OAuth settings have been overwritten, but the settings have not been completed. To complete the OAuth settings, please perform the approval operation." to express that the device cloning has been completed and that the device authentication information has been rewritten according to the OAuth authentication information but the OAuth authentication needs to be re-approved. The OK button B10 is a button for accepting a confirmation instruction from the user based on the display content in the message display area R30. When the user selects the OK button B10, the control unit 11 ends the display of the notification screen W30. In addition, a button for accepting an instruction to send a re-approval request email to the account owner may also be provided in the notification screen W30.

[0097] In addition, in the third embodiment, a configuration is described in which, when a setting value related to OAuth authentication information is stored in the device setting storage area 196 (authentication information storage area 1961), the setting value related to the corresponding device authentication information is rewritten (overwritten) with the setting value, but in a case where the existing device setting related to the authentication of the multifunction peripheral 10 is set to OAuth authentication, the rewriting (overwriting) of the setting value related to the device authentication information may be omitted, and the user may be notified to express the omission of the rewriting (overwriting).

[0098] As described above, according to the third embodiment, on the basis of the effect of the first embodiment, since the existing device authentication information based on the OAuth authentication information is rewritten (overwritten) after the decoding of all the setting values ​​included in the imported data is completed, it is also possible to prevent the import of setting values ​​of device settings related to other than OAuth authentication from being delayed due to, for example, poor confirmation of the notification screen related to OAuth authentication.

[0099] [4 Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications are possible. That is, embodiments obtained by appropriately changing and combining technical means without departing from the scope of the present invention are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0100] In addition, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the above-mentioned embodiments have parts that are described separately, but it goes without saying that they can also be combined and implemented within the scope of technical possibility.

[0101] In addition, the program that operates in each device in the embodiment is a program that controls the CPU and the like in a manner to realize the functions of the above-mentioned embodiment (a program that enables the computer to function). Furthermore, the information processed by these devices is temporarily stored in a temporary storage device (for example, RAM) while being processed, and then stored in various ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD and other storage devices, and is read, modified, and written by the CPU as needed.

[0102] Here, the storage medium for storing the program may be any one of a semiconductor medium (e.g., a ROM, a nonvolatile memory card, etc.), an optical recording medium / magneto-optical recording medium (e.g., a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an MO (Magneto Optical Disc), an MD (Mini Disc), a CD (Compact Disc), a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), etc.), a magnetic recording medium (e.g., a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, etc.). In addition, by executing the downloaded program, not only the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments can be realized, but also the functions of the present disclosure can be realized through joint processing by an operating system or other application programs based on the instructions of the program.

[0103] In addition, when the program is distributed to the market, it can be stored in a portable recording medium and distributed, or transmitted to a server computer via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the storage device of the server computer is of course also included in the present disclosure.

[0104] In addition, each functional block or various features of the device used in the above-mentioned embodiments can also be installed and executed using a circuit, such as an integrated circuit or multiple integrated circuits. Circuits designed in a manner to implement the functions described in this specification may include: a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an integrated circuit for a specific purpose (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate circuits or transistor logic circuits, discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or it may be an existing type of processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. The above-mentioned circuit may be composed of either a digital circuit or an analog circuit. In addition, with the advancement of semiconductor technology, when integrated circuit technology that replaces current integrated circuits has emerged, one or more aspects of the present invention may also use new integrated circuits based on the technology. Description of Reference Numerals

[0105] 1. Processing device 10 Compound machine 11. Control Unit 13 Display 15 Operation input unit 17 Ministry of Communications 19 Storage 191 Control Program 192 Certification Procedure 193 Web Programs 194 Import Data Validation Program 195 Device Configuration Manager 196 Device setting storage area 1961 Authentication information storage area 30 Terminal Device 31 Control Department 33 Display 35 Operation input unit 37 Ministry of Communications 39 Storage 391 Control Program 393 Applications 395 Browser Programs 50 Cloud Servers< / hour>

Claims

1. A processing device, characterized in that: include: a storage unit storing device settings including authentication information; as well as a control unit that verifies the import data imported into the device and uniformly rewrites the device settings stored in the storage unit with the import data, The verification result of the imported data is that, when it is determined that the imported data contains associated settings related to an authentication method that requires prior approval, and the associated settings are information corresponding to the authentication information, the control unit resets the authentication settings by controlling the rewriting of the authentication information based on the associated settings.

2. The processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit omits rewriting of the authentication information based on the association setting, and notifies a user that rewriting of the authentication information is omitted.

3. The processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit notifies a query to a user before rewriting the authentication information based on the association setting, and receives a selection from the user as to whether to rewrite the authentication information.

4. The processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit notifies a user that re-approval in the authentication method is required before or after the authentication information is rewritten based on the association setting.

5. The processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit rewrites the authentication information after the authentication information is copied, and receives a selection from a user as to whether to re-set the authentication setting based on the authentication information rewritten according to the association setting or to restore the rewritten authentication information to its original state.

6. The processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that The control unit notifies the owner of the authentication information that re-approval of the authentication method is required.

7. The processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit re-sets the authentication setting after collectively rewriting the device settings with the import data.

8. An image processing device, characterized in that: include: A processing device comprising: a storage unit storing device settings, the device settings including authentication information; and a control unit that verifies the import data imported into the device and uniformly rewrites the device settings stored in the storage unit with the import data, wherein, as a result of the verification of the import data, when it is determined that the import data includes an associated setting related to an authentication method that requires prior approval, and the associated setting is information corresponding to the authentication information, the control unit performs resetting of the authentication setting by controlling the rewriting of the authentication information based on the associated setting; as well as An image processing unit performs image processing based on the device setting rewritten by the import data.

9. A method for processing imported data, characterized in that: storing device settings, the device settings including authentication information, verifying the imported data imported into the device and overwriting the stored device settings with the imported data, The verification result of the imported data is that, when it is determined that the imported data contains associated settings related to an authentication method that requires prior approval, and the associated settings are information corresponding to the authentication information, the authentication settings are reset by controlling the rewriting of the authentication information based on the associated settings.

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