Image processing system and program

Abstract

To make it possible to control image processing to be performed by an image processing apparatus installed in a shared space and shared by a plurality of users who do not belong to an identical organization, from outside the shared environment.SOLUTION: An image processing system includes: an image processing apparatus 110 included in a co-working LAN system 100 of a co-working space shared by a plurality of users who do not belong to an identical organization; and a control apparatus 220 included in a company LAN system 200 of a company to which each user of the co-working space belongs, outside the co-working space. The image processing apparatus 110 has a VPN connection unit 112 that establishes VPN connection with a VPN router 210. The control apparatus 220 controls image processing to be performed in the image processing apparatus 110 in accordance with apparatus information on the specifications and the like of the image processing apparatus 110 and contract information on use of the image processing apparatus 110 between a manager of the co-working space and a company, acquired from the image processing apparatus 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that separates an image processing device in a local network from a control device outside the local network, and executes image processing performed by the image processing device on the control device side according to the hardware specifications of the image processing device and the contracted service. By using this technology, if a control device of an organization controls multiple image processing devices to execute the same image processing, users belonging to the organization can use each image processing device with the same ease of use, regardless of which local network the image processing device is installed in.

[0003] In recent years, with the spread of work style reform and remote work, the number of workplaces such as coworking spaces and shared offices used by cross-company workers, freelancers, students, etc. is expanding. Workplace managers install image processing devices in their workplaces and provide services to users of the workplace. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-048092 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2011-040900 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2015-099552 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2016-144152 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When an image processing device installed in a shared space is shared by multiple users who do not belong to the same organization, problems such as security may arise, but Patent Document 1 is silent about the use of an image processing device installed in a shared space.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to enable image processing performed by an image processing device that is installed in a shared space and shared by multiple users who do not belong to the same organization to be controlled from outside the shared environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The image processing system of the present invention comprises a first processor installed in an image processing device installed in a shared space and shared by multiple users who do not belong to the same organization, and a second processor installed in a control device installed together with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection means in a local area network outside the shared space and used by an organization to which some of the multiple users belong, wherein the first processor acquires address information of the VPN connection means and connects to the VPN connection means using the acquired address information, and the second processor acquires device information indicating the device configuration of the image processing device from the image processing device via the VPN connection means, acquires contract information regarding the use of the image processing device corresponding to the organization to which the user using the image processing device belongs, and executes processing in accordance with the device information and the contract information to control the image processing performed by the first processor.

[0008] The first processor is also characterized in that it acquires address information of the VPN connection means from the user side of the image processing device.

[0009] The first processor is also characterized in that it acquires address information of the VPN connection means by having a data reading means connected to the image processing device read the address information from a mobile terminal of a user who is using the image processing device.

[0010] The first processor is also characterized in that it acquires address information of the VPN connection means from a management server that manages users of the shared space.

[0011] The second processor obtains the contract information obtained by the first processor from the first processor via the VPN connection means.

[0012] The first processor is also characterized in that it acquires the contract information from a management server used to manage users of the shared space.

[0013] The first processor is characterized in that it acquires the contract information from a server of a management company that manages the contract information and that is installed outside the shared space.

[0014] The first processor obtains the contract information from a user of the image processing device.

[0015] The second processor is further characterized in that it acquires the contract information by having a data reading means connected to the image processing device read the contract information from a portable terminal of a user who uses the image processing device.

[0016] The second processor is characterized in that it acquires the contract information by itself without going through the first processor.

[0017] The second processor obtains the contract information by reading it from a storage means provided inside the control device.

[0018] The second processor is also characterized in that it acquires the contract information from a server of a management company that manages the contract information.

[0019] The program of the present invention provides a computer installed together with a VPN connection means in a local area network outside a shared space in which an image processing device shared by multiple users who do not belong to the same organization is installed, and used by an organization to which some of the multiple users belong, with the following functions: obtaining device information indicating the device configuration of the image processing device from the image processing device via the VPN connection means; obtaining contract information regarding the use of the image processing device corresponding to the organization to which the users who use the image processing device belong; and executing processing in accordance with the device information and the contract information to control the image processing performed by the image processing device. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the invention as recited in claim 1, image processing performed by an image processing device installed in a shared space and shared by a plurality of users who do not belong to the same organization can be controlled from outside the shared environment.

[0021] According to the invention as recited in claim 2, it is not necessary for the administrator of the shared space to hold and manage address information of the VPN connection means.

[0022] According to the invention as recited in claim 3, the address information of the VPN connection means can be input by the user who is using the image processing device.

[0023] According to the invention as recited in claim 4, it is not necessary for users in the shared space to hold address information of the VPN connection means.

[0024] According to the invention as recited in claim 5, the first processor can be caused to acquire the contract information.

[0025] According to the invention as recited in claim 6, it is not necessary for users in the shared space to hold contract information.

[0026] According to the invention as set forth in claim 7, it is possible to acquire contract information from a management source of the contract information.

[0027] According to the invention as recited in claim 8, it is not necessary for the manager of the shared space to hold and manage the contract information.

[0028] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the user of the image processing device can be made to input the contract information.

[0029] According to the invention as recited in claim 10, contract information can be acquired by taking proactive action.

[0030] According to the invention as recited in claim 11, the contract information can be acquired from a storage means that holds the contract information internally.

[0031] According to the invention as set forth in claim 12, the contract information can be directly acquired from the management source of the contract information.

[0032] According to the invention as recited in claim 13, image processing performed by an image processing device installed in a shared space and shared by a plurality of users who do not belong to the same organization can be controlled from outside the shared environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data configuration of user management information stored in a user management information storage unit in the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing a schematic process of image processing control in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed at the time of VPN connection in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing processing performed during image processing control in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed at the time of VPN connection in the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an image processing system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed at the time of VPN connection in the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed when a VPN is connected in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an image processing system according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed when a VPN is connected in the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0035] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing system according to the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a configuration in which a coworking LAN (Local Area Network) system 100 and a corporate LAN system 200 are connected by a network 1 formed of the Internet or the like. The image processing system in this embodiment can be realized as hardware by combining existing computers and the like, and as will be described later, the characteristic image processing control in this embodiment is realized by software running on each computer.

[0036] The coworking LAN system 100 is a LAN system installed in a coworking space. In this embodiment, a "shared space" is a space in which multiple users who do not belong to the same organization coexist, such as a coworking space or a shared office. Multiple users who do not belong to the same organization share an image processing device installed in the shared space. In this embodiment, a coworking space will be used as an example of the shared space.

[0037] An "organization" refers to a group formed to achieve a specific purpose. If a user who does not belong to any organization uses a coworking space, the coworking space can be said to be a space shared by multiple users who do not belong to the same organization, rather than multiple users who belong to different organizations. In this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, it is assumed that users of the coworking space belong to an organization. In addition, in this embodiment, a company is used as an example of an organization. Therefore, in the following description, "organization" and "company" are used synonymously. Other examples of organizations include educational institutions such as universities.

[0038] The corporate LAN system 200 is a LAN system installed in a company. As described above, a "company" is an example of an organization to which some of the multiple users who use the coworking space belong. Some of the multiple users refers to one or more users who belong to the same organization. Since the coworking LAN system 100 is used by users belonging to each of multiple companies, a corporate LAN system 200 is constructed for each company to which each user belongs and is connected to the network 1. However, since the corporate LAN system 200 of each company has the configuration shown in FIG. 1 and controls image processing, which will be described later, FIG. 1 shows only the corporate LAN system 200 of one company.

[0039] The coworking LAN system 100 in this embodiment is configured by connecting an image processing device 110 and a user management server 120 via a LAN 130 .

[0040] The image processing device 110 is installed in a coworking space and is used only by users of the coworking space. More specifically, the image processing device 110 is available to users who belong to an organization that has a contract with the administrator of the coworking space. The image processing device 110 is shared by users who belong to multiple organizations, in other words, by multiple users who do not belong to the same organization.

[0041] The image processing device 110 is also called an image forming device, and is a multifunction device equipped with various functions involving image processing such as a printing function, a copying function, and a scanning function, and is a device with a built-in computer. The image processing device 110 includes a CPU as a first processor, a ROM, a RAM, a HDD, a scanner as an image reading device that reads an image on a medium such as paper, a print engine as an image forming device that forms an image on the medium, an operation panel that accepts instructions from a user and displays information, and a network interface that connects communication lines such as the network 1 and the LAN 130. Furthermore, the image processing device 110 may include an external media interface that connects an external memory device such as a USB memory or a flash memory, and a wireless communication means for performing short-distance wireless communication with a mobile terminal.

[0042] In this embodiment, "image processing" does not only refer to processes such as formation and reading that are performed directly on an image, but also includes pre-processing (e.g., processing to acquire an image) and post-processing (e.g., processing to save an image) for performing image processing such as image formation and reading.

[0043] The image processing device 110 has an image processing unit 111, a VPN connection unit 112, and an information acquisition unit 113. The image processing unit 111 executes image processing according to control by a control device 220 based on device information and contract information in response to a request from a user. The image processing unit 111 provides various image processing functions according to the hardware and software included in the image processing device 110. However, each user who is permitted to use the coworking space is not necessarily able to use all the functions provided by the image processing device 110, and can use the functions within the scope specified in the contract information regarding the use of the coworking space.

[0044] In response to a request from a user, the VPN connection unit 112 acquires address information (e.g., IP address) of a VPN router 210 installed in a corporate LAN system 200 of the company to which the user belongs, and establishes a VPN connection with the corporate LAN system 200 to which the user belongs. In this embodiment, a two-way connection between the coworking LAN system 100 and the corporate LAN system 200 in this embodiment that allows communication via VPN is called a "VPN connection." In addition, the VPN connection unit 112 disconnects the connected VPN in response to a release request. The information acquisition unit 113 acquires information required for VPN connection and image processing control, as will be described in detail later.

[0045] Each of the components 111 to 113 in the image processing device 110 is realized by the cooperative operation of a computer installed in the image processing device 110 and a program running on a CPU installed in the computer.

[0046] The user management server 120 is a server used to manage users who are permitted to use the coworking space by contract. The user management server 120 has a user management information storage unit 121. The user management information storage unit 121 may be realized by a HDD mounted on the image processing device 110.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the user management information stored in the user management information storage unit 121 in this embodiment. The user management information in this embodiment includes an organization ID, authentication information, connection information, a control device address, and contract information. The organization ID is identification information of an organization that has a contract with the administrator of the coworking space. The authentication information is information required when using the image processing device 110 in the organization, that is, information required when logging in to the image processing device 110, and is set for each individual who uses the image processing device 110. The user management server 120 in this embodiment has a function as an authentication server by holding and managing the authentication information. The connection information includes information required for connecting to the corporate LAN system 200. The VPN router address included in the connection information is set as the IP address of the VPN router installed in the corporate LAN system 200 of the organization as the address information. The authentication data required for establishing a connection with the VPN router is set as the authentication data. The authentication data is determined by the policy of the VPN router, such as a user certificate and a passcode. The connection information may include at least the address information of the VPN router. The control device address is set as the IP address of the control device 220. The contract information is information about a contract between the administrator of the coworking space and a company. The contract information includes service information indicating the content of services available to users of the organization. For example, even if the image processing device 110 has color printing and black and white printing functions as color modes, a user belonging to a company that is contractually permitted to use only black and white printing is permitted to use only black and white printing.

[0048] The corporate LAN system 200 is configured by connecting a VPN router 210 and a control device 220 via a LAN 230 .

[0049] The VPN router 210 connects via VPN to an external network system, which in this embodiment is the coworking LAN system 100. The VPN router 210 in this embodiment relays data exchanged between the image processing device 110 and the control device 220 included in the VPN-connected coworking LAN system 100.

[0050] The control device 220 controls image processing executed by the image processing device 110. The control device 220 can be realized by a general-purpose hardware configuration that has existed for a long time, such as a personal computer (PC). That is, the image processing device 110 includes a CPU as a second processor, a ROM, a RAM, a HDD, a user interface such as an operation panel that receives instructions from a user and displays information, and a network interface that connects communication lines such as the network 1 and the LAN 230.

[0051] The control device 220 has a device information acquisition unit 221, a contract information acquisition unit 222, a user authentication unit 223, and an image processing control unit 224. The device information acquisition unit 221 acquires device information indicating the device configuration of the image processing device 110 from the image processing device 110 via the VPN router 210. The device information is information indicating the device configuration of the image processing device 110. The device information may include, for example, specification information indicating the hardware configuration and software configuration of the image processing device 110, or may include capability information indicating capabilities of functions and services realized by the hardware configuration and software configuration of the image processing device 110.

[0052] The contract information acquisition unit 222 acquires contract information of the organization (in this embodiment, an "enterprise") regarding the use of the image processing device 110. In this embodiment, the contract information acquisition unit 222 acquires the contract information acquired by the image processing device 110 from the image processing device 110 via the VPN router 210.

[0053] The user authentication unit 223 authenticates users who belong to the company and who use the image processing device 110. The image processing control unit 224 controls the execution of image processing in the image processing device 110 according to the device information and contract information.

[0054] Each of the components 221 to 224 in the control device 220 is realized by the cooperative operation of a computer forming the control device 220 and a program that runs on a CPU installed in the computer.

[0055] Furthermore, the programs used in the present embodiment can be provided not only by communication means, but also by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a USB memory. The programs provided from the communication means or recording medium are installed in a computer, and various processes are realized by the computer's CPU sequentially executing the programs.

[0056] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, in this embodiment, a schematic process in which the control device 220 controls image processing in the image processing device 110 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 3. Details of the process will be described later.

[0057] When a user in the coworking space wishes to start using the image processing device 110, the user inputs authentication information into the image processing device 110. The image processing device 110 refers to user management information and performs user authentication based on the input authentication information (step 110). The user authentication performed here is positioned as authentication for identifying the VPN router 210 to which the VPN connection is to be made, rather than as user authentication for use of the image processing device 110. Note that the following explanation will be given assuming that the authentication is successful.

[0058] Next, the information acquisition unit 113 in the image processing device 110 refers to the user management information and acquires connection information corresponding to the organization to which the successfully authenticated user belongs (step 120). More specifically, the IP address of the VPN router 210 installed in the corporate LAN system 200 of the company to which the user who logs in to the image processing device 110 and starts using it belongs is acquired. In this embodiment, the connection information including the VPN router address is registered and set in advance in the user management server 120 included in the coworking LAN system 100, and the information acquisition unit 113 acquires the connection information from the user management server 120.

[0059] Next, the VPN connection unit 112 uses the acquired connection information to establish a VPN connection between the image processing device 110 and the VPN router 210 (step 130). Note that the VPN connection procedure may be the same as before.

[0060] By the above processing (steps 110 to 130), secure data communication is possible via VPN between image processing device 110 installed in the coworking space and control device 220 that externally controls image processing in image processing device 110.

[0061] Next, the control device 220 controls the image processing in the image processing device 110 as follows.

[0062] First, in the control device 220, the device information acquisition unit 221 acquires device information from the image processing device 110, and the contract information acquisition unit 222 acquires contract information (step 140). The process of acquiring the contract information will be described later in detail.

[0063] Then, the image processing control unit 224 activates the image processing function in the image processing device 110 according to the acquired device information and contract information (step 150). Then, the image processing control unit 224 controls the image processing device 110 to perform image processing within the scope of the activated function. In other words, the image processing unit 111 in the image processing device 110 executes image processing in response to an instruction from the user (step 160), but the execution of the image processing is executed under the control of the image processing control unit 224. Then, the image processing continues until the user issues an instruction to end the image processing (N in step 170), and when the user issues an instruction to end the image processing (Y in step 170), the processing ends.

[0064] The process (steps 140 to 170) that is executed after the VPN connection is established will be described in detail below.

[0065] Although not shown in Fig. 1, a program management server is provided on the cloud. The program management server manages a plurality of image processing programs. Each image processing program is associated with identification information (e.g., a user ID) of a user who can use the program.

[0066] When the program management server acquires the authentication information from the image processing device 110, it returns to the image processing device 110 an access path (for example, a URL, an IP address, or a port number) to the image processing program corresponding to the user ID included in the authentication information.

[0067] The authentication information used here is authentication information for logging in and using the image processing device 110. The authentication information used in step 110 is authentication information used to select the correct VPN connection destination. In this embodiment, for convenience, the authentication information managed by the user management server 120 is used in common, but it is not necessarily necessary to use the same authentication information for the VPN connection and for logging in to the image processing device 110.

[0068] The image processing device 110 uses the user ID and the access path acquired from the program management server to transmit a connection request to the image processing program to the control device 220. For example, HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) may be used for the connection request from the image processing device 110 to the control device 220.

[0069] When the control device 220 receives a connection request to the image processing program from the image processing device 110, it performs user authentication, and if the authentication is successful, the control device 220 returns information indicating successful connection to the image processing device 110 as a response to the connection request. More specifically, when the access key obtained from the program management server using the obtained access path as a reservation for use matches the access key included in the connection request received from the image processing device 110, the control device 220 returns information indicating successful connection to the image processing device 110.

[0070] When the information indicating the successful connection is returned, the image processing device 110 transmits device information indicating the device configuration of the image processing device 110 itself, which is executed in step 140, to the control device 220 which executes the image processing program.

[0071] The image processing control unit 224 in the control device 220 controls the execution of image processing in the image processing device 110 by controlling devices such as a print engine and a scanner equipped in the image processing device 110 in accordance with the image processing program managed by the program management server as described above.

[0072] That is, the image processing control unit 224 in the control device 220 executes the connected image processing program to determine functions, services, etc. to be provided to the image processing device 110 based on the device information and contract information, and provides image data of a user interface image according to the functions and services to be provided to the image processing device 110. Furthermore, the image processing control unit 224 restricts the operation of the image processing device 110 according to the functions and services to be provided.

[0073] For example, if by referring to the device information it is found that the image processing device 110 has both black and white printing and color printing functions, the image processing control unit 224 controls the execution of black and white printing or color printing in response to user operations by providing the image processing device 110 with a user interface image including a black and white printing operation button and a color printing operation button.

[0074] Also, for example, even if the image processing device 110 has both black and white printing functions and color printing functions, if it is found by referring to the contract information that the user has contracted only for the black and white printing service and not for the color printing service, a user interface image that enables the black and white printing operation button and disables the color printing operation button may be provided to the image processing device 110, thereby restricting (prohibiting) the execution of color printing. In order to disable the color printing operation button, for example, a method may be used in which the operation button is not displayed or the display color is lightened to indicate that it is not selectable.

[0075] When the user interface image is provided, the image processing unit 111 in the image processing device 110 displays the user interface image on a display device such as a touch panel. Then, for example, a process is executed in response to an operation from a user obtained via the user interface image.

[0076] When a user operation is performed, the image processing unit 111 transmits operation information of the user operation to the control device 220. The operation information includes, for example, touch information indicating the type of operation on the touch panel (for example, a touch operation or a release operation) and coordinate information indicating the position on the touch panel where the operation corresponding to the touch information is performed. The image processing unit 111 transmits the operation information to the control device 220 as, for example, an HTTP request.

[0077] Upon receiving the operation information, the image processing control unit 224 in the control device 220 controls image processing in the image processing device 110 by executing processing according to the operation information. For example, the image processing control unit 224 updates a user interface image as necessary according to the operation information obtained from the image processing device 110, and provides the updated user interface image to the image processing device 110. Note that, for example, when a plurality of pieces of operation information are obtained consecutively, the image processing control unit 224 may omit some of the updates related to the user interface image to reduce the load of the drawing process.

[0078] When the user performs an operation to disconnect the image processing program after completing the desired image processing, the image processing device 110 disconnects the connected image processing program. This ends the image processing shown in FIG.

[0079] The above has described an overview of the process of connecting the image processing device 110 and the control device 220 via VPN and controlling the execution of image processing. Next, details of the process performed when the VPN is connected in this embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 4. The process shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to the details of the process of steps 101 to 103 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3. As will be clear from the description of each embodiment, the order of the detailed processes shown in the sequence diagram does not necessarily match the general order of the processes shown in steps 101 to 103 depending on the embodiment.

[0080] When a user in the coworking space wants to start using the image processing device 110, the user inputs a user ID and password as authentication information from a predetermined screen displayed by operating the operation panel of the image processing device 110. The image processing device 110 performs user authentication by checking the input user ID and password pair against the authentication information registered in the user management information (step 111). Here, the explanation will continue assuming that the authentication is successful.

[0081] Next, the information acquisition unit 113 transmits an address acquisition request including the successfully authenticated user ID to the user management server 120 (step 121). In response to the transmitted address acquisition request, the user management server 120 reads out connection information corresponding to the user ID included in the address acquisition request from the user management information and returns the information (step 122). Thus, in this embodiment, the connection information is registered in advance in the user management server 120, and is processed so as to be acquired from the user management server 120 at the time of VPN connection.

[0082] When the information acquisition unit 113 acquires the connection information in the above manner, the VPN connection unit 112 transmits a VPN connection request, including the authentication data contained in the connection information, to the VPN router 210 identified by the IP address included in the acquired connection information (step 131).

[0083] When the VPN router 210 receives the authentication data from the image processing device 110, it performs authentication for the VPN connection based on the authentication data (step 132). If the authentication is successful, the VPN router 210 returns a message to that effect. As a result, a VPN connection is established between the image processing device 110 and the VPN router 210 (step 133).

[0084] Next, the process performed during image processing control after VPN connection will be described with reference to the sequence diagram shown in Fig. 5. The process shown in Fig. 5 corresponds to the details of the processes in steps 104 to 107 in the flowchart shown in Fig. 3.

[0085] In the image processing device 110, the information acquisition unit 113 transmits an organization information acquisition request including the successfully authenticated user ID to the user management server 120 (step 141). In response to the transmitted organization information acquisition request, the user management server 120 reads out the control device address and contract information corresponding to the user ID included in the organization information acquisition request from the user management information and returns them (step 142).

[0086] Next, in order to connect to the image processing program executed by the image processing device 110 to be controlled by the control device 220, the image processing device 110 transmits a connection request to the image processing program including the user ID as described above to the control device 220 (step 143). The control device 220 as the destination can be specified by the control device address acquired in step 142. The process related to the connection to the image processing program has already been described above, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0087] If the user authentication is successful and the connection to the image processing program is successful, the image processing device 110 transmits the device information of its own device that is held internally and the contract information acquired in step 142 to the control device 220 (step 144).

[0088] In the control device 220, the device information acquisition unit 221 acquires the device information transmitted from the image processing device 110 via the VPN router 210, and the contract information acquisition unit 222 acquires the contract information. In response to the device information and the contract information, the image processing control unit 224 activates an image processing function specialized for the user who has logged into the image processing device 110 (step 151). After that, the image processing unit 111 performs image processing in response to a user operation (step 161), and the image processing control unit 224 controls the image processing performed by the image processing unit 111 in response to a user operation in accordance with the device information and the contract information (step 162). The contents of the image processing control have already been described above, so a description thereof will be omitted here. When the image processing is completed, the image processing device 110 disconnects the connected image processing program (step 163).

[0089] According to the present embodiment, as described above, secure communication can be ensured by connecting to the corporate LAN system 200 of the company to which the user belongs who logs in to and uses the image processing device 110 via VPN. Furthermore, when the control device 220 included in the corporate LAN system 200 of the company to which the user belongs controls the image processing in the image processing device 110, the device information and contract information managed on the coworking LAN system 100 side are acquired from the coworking LAN system 100, so that the user who uses the image processing device 110 can use the image processing device 110 within the scope of the specifications of the image processing device 110 and the contract information of the company to which the user belongs.

[0090] By the way, disconnection of the VPN, which was not mentioned in the above explanation, will be explained here. The VPN may be disconnected at any of the following times.

[0091] For example, when the user logs out from the image processing device 110, the VPN is disconnected and information about the VPN connection is deleted from the image processing device 110. In this case, the VPN is disconnected and information about the VPN connection is discarded when there is no longer a need to access the control device 220 of the corporate LAN system 200, which is safe from the viewpoint of security.

[0092] Also, information about the VPN connection may be held for a specified fixed period of time. In other words, information about the VPN connection is cached. In other words, information about the VPN connection is temporarily held in the image processing device 110 until a fixed period of time has elapsed since logging out. Then, if a logged-out user logs in again before the fixed period of time has elapsed, the temporarily held information is used to establish a VPN connection. This makes it possible to omit processes such as obtaining the address of the VPN router 210.

[0093] Alternatively, in the case of a coworking space that manages the entry and exit times of each user, information regarding the VPN connection may be discarded from the image processing device 110 when the user who used the image processing device 110 leaves the coworking space. This makes it possible to omit processing such as obtaining the address of the VPN router 210 each time the image processing device 110 is used until the user leaves the space.

[0094] It should be noted that the start of the certain period of time is assumed to be the time when the user logs out, but is not limited to this. For example, the start of the period may be the time when the user most recently logged in or when image processing is completed.

[0095] Embodiment 2 FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an image processing system according to the present embodiment. The same components as those in the image processing system according to the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described. The image processing system according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which a reader 140 is connected to the image processing device 110 shown in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 also shows a user terminal 150 carried by a user who uses the coworking space. The reader 140 has a short-distance wireless communication function based on NFC (Near Field Communication) and functions as a data reading means for reading information stored in the nearby user terminal 150. The short-distance wireless communication function is not limited to NFC and may be realized by other communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Contact-type wireless communication or wired communication may also be adopted. If the image processing device 110 is equipped with a reader 140, the existing reader 140 may be used.

[0096] The connection information described in the first embodiment is registered in the user terminal 150. Therefore, it is not necessary to register the connection information shown in FIG. 2 in advance in the user management information storage unit 121 of the user management server 120 in the present embodiment.

[0097] In this embodiment, the general process (FIG. 3) in which the control device 220 controls image processing in the image processing device 110 and the process (FIG. 5) performed after VPN connection may be the same as in embodiment 1. In this embodiment, connection information is obtained from the user terminal 150 instead of the user management server 120, so the process performed when VPN connection is established is slightly different from embodiment 1. Details of the process performed when VPN connection is established in this embodiment will be explained below using the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 7. Note that the same step numbers are used for the same processes as in embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 4, and explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0098] When a user in a coworking space wants to start using the image processing device 110, the user approaches the reader 140 to a position where the user terminal 150 he / she carries and the reader 140 can communicate with each other. Alternatively, the user brings the user terminal 150 close to the reader 140 to a position where communication is possible. Then, the user performs a tap operation such as selecting a predetermined application on the screen displayed on the user terminal 150. After that, the user may hold the user terminal 150 over the reader 140. When the user terminal 150 accepts this user operation (step 123), the reader 140 reads the user ID, password, and connection information stored inside the user terminal 150 in cooperation with the application in response to this user operation. The information acquisition unit 113 acquires the user ID, password, and connection information from the user terminal 150 by having the reader 140 read the information as described above.

[0099] The image processing device 110 performs user authentication by checking the pair of the user ID and password acquired from the user terminal 150 against the authentication information registered in the user management information (step 111). Here, the explanation will be continued assuming that the authentication is successful.

[0100] When the information acquisition unit 113 acquires the connection information from the user terminal 150, the VPN connection unit 112 transmits a VPN connection request, including the authentication data included in the connection information, to the VPN router 210 specified by the IP address included in the acquired connection information, as in the first embodiment (step 131). Note that the subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0101] In the first embodiment, a VPN connection can be established even if the user does not carry the user terminal 150 that stores the connection information, and even if data reading means is not provided on the coworking LAN system 100 side. In other words, according to this embodiment, the connection information is acquired from the user terminal 150 carried by the user, so that the connection information does not need to be held and managed on the coworking LAN system 100 side by the user management server 120 or the like.

[0102] In this embodiment, the connection information is stored not on the coworking LAN system 100 side but on the user side of the coworking LAN system 100, and the connection information is acquired from the user side of the coworking LAN system 100. As an example, as described above, if the user carries the user terminal 150, the connection information is stored in the user terminal 150 and read by the reader 140. However, this method is not limited to this, and for example, if the user does not carry the user terminal 150, the user may input the connection information by operating a user interface such as an operation panel of the image processing device 110.

[0103] Embodiment 3 8 is a block diagram showing an image processing system according to the present embodiment. The same components as those in the image processing system according to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and will not be described. The image processing system according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which a maintenance server 2 is added to the image processing device 110 shown in the first embodiment.

[0104] The maintenance server 2 is a server computer used for holding and managing contract information of organizations to which users of the coworking space belong in accordance with a contract with an administrator of the coworking space, outside the coworking LAN system 100. The maintenance server 2 is connected to the network 1 so as to be accessible from the coworking LAN system 100 in accordance with the contract.

[0105] That is, the control device 220 acquires the contract information from the image processing device 110 via the VPN router 210, but in the first embodiment, the contract information is stored in the user management server 120, and the image processing device 110 acquires the contract information from the user management server 120. This embodiment is characterized in that the contract information is acquired not from the user management server 120 but from the maintenance server 2. For this reason, the user management information in this embodiment has a data structure in which the contract information is excluded from the user management information shown in Fig. 2. The maintenance server 2 associates the contract information with the organization ID of each organization and retains and manages it.

[0106] In this embodiment, the schematic process (FIG. 3) in which the control device 220 controls image processing in the image processing device 110 may be the same as that in the first embodiment. In addition, the process for establishing a VPN connection may be that in either the first or second embodiment. Below, the process performed during image processing control after establishing a VPN connection in this embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagram shown in FIG. Note that the same step numbers are used for the processes that are the same as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0107] In the image processing device 110, the information acquisition unit 113 transmits an organization information acquisition request including the successfully authenticated user ID to the user management server 120 (step 141). In response to the transmitted organization information acquisition request, the user management server 120 in this embodiment reads out the organization ID corresponding to the user ID included in the organization information acquisition request from the user management information and returns the organization ID (step 341).

[0108] Next, the information acquisition unit 113 transmits a contract information acquisition request including the acquired organization ID to the maintenance server 2 (step 342). In response to the contract information acquisition request, the maintenance server 2 returns contract information corresponding to the organization ID included in the contract information acquisition request (step 343). In this way, the information acquisition unit 113 acquires the contract information from the maintenance server 2.

[0109] Next, the information acquisition unit 113 transmits an address acquisition request including the successfully authenticated user ID to the user management server 120 (step 344). In response to the transmitted address acquisition request, the user management server 120 in this embodiment reads out the control device address corresponding to the user ID included in the address acquisition request from the user management information and returns it (step 345). The subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0110] According to this embodiment, the contract information does not need to be stored in the coworking LAN system 100, but can be acquired from the maintenance server 2 that stores and manages the contract information.

[0111] In this embodiment, the process of obtaining the organization ID from the user management server 120 and the process of obtaining the control device address are separate processes, but the process may be such that the control device address is obtained together with the organization ID in a single request.

[0112] Embodiment 4 The image processing system in this embodiment may have the same components as the image processing system in the third embodiment shown in Fig. 8. In the third embodiment, the maintenance server 2 is connected to the network 1 so as to be accessible from the coworking LAN system 100 in accordance with a contract with the manager of the coworking space. In contrast, the maintenance server 2 in this embodiment holds and manages contract information of the organization in accordance with a contract with the organization. Therefore, the maintenance server 2 is connected to the network 1 so as to be accessible from the corporate LAN system 200 in accordance with the contract.

[0113] In this embodiment, the schematic process (FIG. 3) in which the control device 220 controls image processing in the image processing device 110 may be the same as that in the first embodiment. In addition, the process for establishing a VPN connection may be that in either the first or second embodiment. Below, the process performed during image processing control after establishing a VPN connection in this embodiment will be described with reference to the sequence diagram shown in FIG. Note that the same step numbers are used for the processes that are the same as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 9, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0114] The information acquisition unit 113 of the image processing device 10 in this embodiment first transmits an address acquisition request including the successfully authenticated user ID to the user management server 120 (step 344). In response to the transmitted address acquisition request, the user management server 120 in this embodiment reads out from the user management information the control device address corresponding to the user ID included in the address acquisition request and returns the address (step 345).

[0115] Next, the image processing device 110 transmits a connection request for the image processing program, including the user ID, to the control device 220 in order to connect to the image processing program to be executed in order to receive image processing control by the control device 220 (step 143). The control device 220 as the destination can be specified by the control device address acquired in step 345. The process relating to the connection to the image processing program has already been described in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

[0116] Next, the image processing device 110 transmits the device information of its own device that is held inside to the control device 220 (step 441).

[0117] Next, the contract information acquisition unit 222 in the control device 220 transmits a contract information acquisition request including the organization ID of its own organization to the maintenance server 2 (step 442). In response to the contract information acquisition request, the maintenance server 2 returns contract information corresponding to the organization ID included in the contract information acquisition request (step 343). In this way, the contract information acquisition unit 222 acquires the contract information from the maintenance server 2.

[0118] When the device information and contract information are acquired as described above, the image processing control unit 224 activates an image processing function specialized for the user who has logged in to the image processing device 110 according to the device information and contract information (step 151). After that, the image processing unit 111 performs image processing according to a user operation (step 161), but the subsequent processing may be the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0119] According to this embodiment, the control device 220 can acquire contract information from the maintenance server 2 which it maintains and manages.

[0120] Embodiment 5. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an image processing system according to the present embodiment. The same components as those in the image processing system according to the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described. The image processing system according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which a contract information storage unit 225 is added to the control device 220 shown in the first embodiment. The contract information storage unit 225 stores information about the contract of the company. That is, the contract information is stored in the user management server 120 in the coworking LAN system 100 in the first embodiment, and in the maintenance server 2 in the third and fourth embodiments. The contract information acquisition unit 222 in the first to fourth embodiments acquires the contract information acquired by the image processing device 110 from the image processing device 110. In contrast, the contract information acquisition unit 222 in the fifth and present embodiments does not cause the image processing device 110 to acquire the contract information, but operates and acquires it by itself. In the present embodiment, the contract information is stored inside the control device 220 to be used, and the contract information acquisition unit 222 acquires the contract information by reading it from inside the control device 220, that is, from the contract information storage unit 225.

[0121] Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed during image processing control after VPN connection in this embodiment. Note that the same processing as in the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 10 is given the same step number and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0122] The process flow in this embodiment may be the same as that in the above-mentioned fourth embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the contract information is configured to be stored inside the control device 220. Therefore, the contract information acquisition unit 222 reads and acquires the contract information from the contract information storage unit 225 inside the control device 220, not from outside the control device 220. For this reason, the process in which the contract information acquisition unit 222 acquires the contract information is omitted in FIG. 12.

[0123] Embodiment 6 In each of the above embodiments, the contract information is stored in the coworking LAN system 100, the maintenance server 2, or the control device 220, but this embodiment is characterized in that it is stored in a user terminal carried by a user who uses the image processing device 110. Therefore, the system configuration in this embodiment may be the same as that in Fig. 6 including the user terminal 150, that is, the second embodiment.

[0124] Furthermore, the processing during VPN connection and image processing control in this embodiment may be basically the same as in embodiment 2. However, while in Fig. 7 showing the processing during VPN connection, image processing device 110 reads and acquires connection information from user terminal 150 via reader 140, in this embodiment, contract information is also read and acquired from user terminal 150. Furthermore, the control device address may also be acquired. In this case, the connection information, contract information, and control device address are stored in user terminal 150.

[0125] In the present embodiment, the contract information is acquired from the user of the image processing device 110. Therefore, the contract information does not necessarily have to be acquired from the user terminal 150, and may be input by the user from an operation panel of the image processing device 110, similar to the connection information in the second embodiment.

[0126] Also, in FIG. 5 showing the processing during image processing control, the image processing device 110 acquires the control device address and contract information from the user management server 120 (steps 141, 142). However, as described above, in this embodiment, these are acquired from the user terminal 150, so this processing can be omitted.

[0127] According to the present embodiment, by configuring as described above, the configuration for acquiring contract information, that is, the reader 140, can be eliminated, and the configuration of the image processing device 110 can be simplified.

[0128] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0129] In addition, the operations of the processor in the above embodiments may be performed not only by one processor, but also by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. The order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1 network, 2 maintenance server, 10 image processing device, 100 coworking LAN system, 110 image processing device, 111 image processing unit, 112 VPN connection unit, 113 information acquisition unit, 120 user management server, 121 user management information storage unit, 140 reader, 150 user terminal, 200 corporate LAN system, 210 VPN router, 220 control device, 221 device information acquisition unit, 222 contract information acquisition unit, 223 user authentication unit, 224 image processing control unit, 225 contract information storage unit.

Claims

1. a first processor installed in an image processing device that is installed in a shared space and shared by a plurality of users who do not belong to the same organization; a second processor installed in a control device installed together with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection means in a local area network outside the shared space, the control device being used by an organization to which some of the plurality of users belong; having The first processor, Acquire address information of the VPN connection means; Connecting to the VPN connection means using the acquired address information; The second processor, acquiring device information indicating a device configuration of the image processing device from the image processing device via the VPN connection means; acquiring contract information on the use of the image processing device corresponding to an organization to which a user who uses the image processing device belongs; executing a process according to the device information and the contract information to control the image processing performed by the first processor; 1. An image processing system comprising:

2. 2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor acquires address information of the VPN connection means from a user of the image processing apparatus.

3. The image processing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the first processor obtains the address information of the VPN connection means by having a data reading means connected to the image processing device read the address information from a portable terminal of a user who is using the image processing device.

4. 2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor acquires address information of the VPN connection means from a management server that manages users of the shared space.

5. 2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second processor acquires the contract information acquired by the first processor from the first processor via the VPN connection means.

6. 6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the first processor acquires the contract information from a management server used for managing users of the shared space.

7. The image processing system according to claim 5 , wherein the first processor acquires the contract information from a server of a management company that manages the contract information and that is installed outside the shared space.

8. 6. The image processing system according to claim 5, wherein the first processor acquires the contract information from a user of the image processing device.

9. The image processing system according to claim 8, characterized in that the first processor acquires the contract information by having a data reading means connected to the image processing device read the contract information from a portable terminal of a user who uses the image processing device.

10. 2. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the second processor acquires the contract information by itself without going through the first processor.

11. 11. The image processing system according to claim 10, wherein the second processor obtains the contract information by reading it from a storage unit provided inside the control device.

12. 11. The image processing system according to claim 10, wherein the second processor acquires the contract information from a server of a management company that manages the contract information.

13. a computer installed together with a VPN connection means in a local area network outside a shared space in which an image processing device shared by a plurality of users not belonging to the same organization is installed, the computer being used by an organization to which some of the plurality of users belong; a function of acquiring device information indicating a device configuration of the image processing device from the image processing device via the VPN connection means; a function of acquiring contract information on the use of the image processing device corresponding to an organization to which a user who uses the image processing device belongs; a function of executing processing according to the device information and the contract information to control image processing performed by the image processing device; A program to achieve this.

Images