PRINTING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

To acquire, in a printing apparatus that does not have a user authentication function, audit logs according to application functions that the printing apparatus has.SOLUTION: A printing device (1002) of the present invention can communicate with a server (2000) via a network and use one or more application functions. The printing device includes: storage means for storing audit logs in association with the application functions; designation means (901) for designating an application function for which acquisition of an audit log is permitted; and transmission means for transmitting the audit log associated with the application function designated by the designation means to the server.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an audit log function of a printing device for the purpose of improving security. [Background technology]

[0002] Information devices and printing devices are known to have a function that records the operation of the device as a log for the purpose of grasping the usage status of the device, auditing, and preventing information leakage, and such a log is called an audit log. When an information leakage or unauthorized access to a device is discovered, it is possible to confirm the unauthorized operation by referring to the audit log.

[0003] In recent years, the locations where information devices and printing devices are installed and the user environments have become more diverse, and not only access within a firewall but also direct access from external networks such as the Internet is increasing. As a result, information leaks and attacks due to unauthorized operation have become problems both inside and outside the company. Due to the spread of such usage of information devices and printing devices, in recent years, the idea of ​​defense has changed from not only perimeter security such as firewalls to the idea of ​​defense based on zero trust security. Zero trust security defense is the idea of ​​strictly defending devices directly connected to the Internet based on the assumption that humans are evil. The function of audit logs is becoming increasingly important from the idea of ​​defense based on zero trust security.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a function in which a log management server accesses a printing device and acquires an audit log.

[0005] Such audit logs generally record information such as "who," "when," "where," and "what" associated with the user ID or user name that authenticated the information device or printing device. This information is used as an audit log to detect unauthorized operation of the device or to identify the cause of a problem when it occurs. Therefore, it is necessary to use audit logs for all printing devices used in business. However, in recent years, with the spread of teleworking and other work, not only devices in the office are used for business purposes, but also devices in satellite offices and homes where people work from home. Therefore, there is a need to obtain audit logs related to work such as devices in homes where people work from home. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-146206 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, some printing devices used at home do not have a user authentication function. Since they do not have a user authentication function, it is not possible to determine who used the device, and it is not possible to obtain audit logs for a specific user. If audit logs were obtained for all printing devices that are used for both personal and business purposes, such as working from home, logs that affect privacy would also be obtained.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to improve security in a device having an audit log function.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to prevent private logs from being collected in a printing device that does not have a user authentication function by sending only audit logs linked to application functions specified by the user to an administration server. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The image processing device of the present invention is an image processing device that executes a plurality of functions including a first function and a second function, and has a receiving means for receiving a request to send log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions from a server connected via a network, a setting means for setting a function for which transmission of log data is permitted, and a transmitting means for transmitting log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions to the server, wherein the transmitting means does not transmit the log data corresponding to the first function when a user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving means receives a request to send log data corresponding to a first function that is not set by the setting means, transmits the log data corresponding to the second function when the user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving means receives a request to send log data corresponding to a second function that is set by the setting means, and transmits the log data corresponding to the first function when the user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving means receives a request to send log data corresponding to the first function, and transmits the log data corresponding to the second function when the user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving means receives a request to send log data corresponding to the second function. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve security in a device having an audit log function.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, in a printing device that does not have a user authentication function, only audit logs linked to application functions specified by the user are sent to the management server, thereby preventing private logs from being collected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration diagram according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1A is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of a multifunction peripheral 1000 in an embodiment, FIG. 1B is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of a management server 2000 in an embodiment, and FIG. 1C is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of a PC02. [Diagram 3] 1A is an example of a software configuration diagram of a multifunction peripheral 1000 in an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is an example of a software configuration diagram of a management server 2000 in an embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a flow from an audit log acquisition instruction to an audit log transmission in the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a flow of an audit log destination list generation process according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 13 is an example of a screen for setting a target device for audit log acquisition in the embodiment. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of an audit log acquisition process according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an audit log function setting screen in the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application-specific audit log acquisition setting screen in the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a process for acquiring an audit log in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of an audit log acquisition process in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of acquiring authentication information in a management server that receives an audit log in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a multifunction device (printing device / image forming device / digital multifunction device / MFP / Multi Function Peripheral) with a user authentication function is taken as an example. However, since the user authentication function is generally also used in SFPs (Single Function Peripherals) and image processing devices, the scope of application is not limited to multifunction devices.

[0015] Example 1 Fig. 1 is a network configuration diagram of this embodiment. In this embodiment, a configuration in which multiple printing devices and a server can communicate with each other via a network as shown in Fig. 1 is called a printing system.

[0016] The multifunction device 1000, which has a printing function and an audit log function, can transmit and receive print data, scanned image data, device management information, and the like between other information processing devices via the internal network 100. The multifunction device 1002 has a printing function and an audit log function, but is assumed to have no authentication function. In addition, the multifunction devices 1000 to 1002 have several application functions, and the user can print using a selected function. The application functions include cloud print and photo print, which will be described in detail later.

[0017] In this embodiment, the audit log refers to a job log that records the operation history of a user or device, such as who, when, where, and what processing was performed, a UI operation log, image data recorded when scanning or printing is performed, packet information during network communication, etc. The type of audit log is not particularly limited, as it depends on what information the administrator wants to audit.

[0018] The multifunction device 1000 can also communicate with the management server 2000 via the internal network 100 and the external network 200. The internal network 100 in this embodiment is assumed to be an in-house network protected by a firewall or gateway within an office, and the external network 200 is assumed to be a network that can be directly accessed from the Internet, but is not limited thereto. PC01 can perform user authentication and refer to and operate the multifunction device 1000 via the network 100.

[0019] The management server 2000 can communicate with multifunction devices, PCs, and mobile terminals via an external network 200. The multifunction devices 1001 and 1002 are multifunction devices directly connected to the external network. In this embodiment, the multifunction device 1001 is installed in a shared space such as a coworking space, and the multifunction device 1002 is installed in a home for telecommuting, but this is not limited thereto. The PC02 and mobile terminal03 can perform user authentication and refer to and operate via the network 200.

[0020] In this embodiment, the multifunction peripherals 1000 to 1002 not only perform scanning and printing by themselves, but also perform printing and store scanned data via the management server 2000 .

[0021] 1 shows only the illustrated number of MFPs, management servers, PCs, and mobile terminals as an example, but the number of each may be multiple and is not limited to this. Also, the management server 2000 may be connected to another cloud storage via the network 200 and is not limited to this.

[0022] FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a multifunction peripheral 1000 according to this embodiment.

[0023] The CPU 201 executes the software program of the multifunction peripheral 1000 and controls the entire device. The ROM 202 is a read-only memory that stores the boot program and fixed parameters of the multifunction peripheral 1000. The RAM 203 is a random access memory that is used to store programs and temporary data when the CPU 201 controls the multifunction peripheral 100. The HDD 204 is a hard disk drive that stores system software, applications, and various data. The CPU 201 executes the boot program stored in the ROM 202, expands the program stored in the HDD 204 into the RAM 203, and controls the operation of the multifunction peripheral 100 by executing the expanded program. The network I / F control unit 205 controls the transmission and reception of data to and from the network 100. The scanner I / F control unit 206 controls the reading of documents by the scanner 211. The printer I / F control unit 207 controls the printing process by the printer 212, etc. The panel control unit 208 controls a touch panel type operation panel 210, and controls the display of various information and the input of instructions from the user. The USB I / F 213 controls the connection with the USB memory. The bus 209 interconnects the CPU 201, ROM 202, RAM 203, HDD 204, network I / F control unit 205, scanner I / F control unit 206, printer I / F control unit 207, panel control unit 208, and USB I / F 213. Control signals from the CPU 201 and data signals between the devices are transmitted and received via the bus 209.

[0024] The multifunction peripherals 1001 and 1002 in this embodiment have the same configuration as that shown in FIG.

[0025] FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the management server 2000 according to this embodiment. The CPU 221 executes the software program of the management server 2000 and controls the entire device. The ROM 222 is a read-only memory and stores the boot program and fixed parameters of the management server 2000. The RAM 223 is a random access memory and is used to store programs and temporary data when the CPU 221 controls the management server 2000. The HDD 224 is a hard disk drive and stores system software, applications, and various data. The CPU 221 executes the boot program stored in the ROM 222, expands the program stored in the HDD 224 into the RAM 223, and controls the operation of the management server 2000 by executing the expanded program. The network I / F control unit 225 controls the transmission and reception of data to and from the network 100. The operation unit of the management server 2000 can be operated from a PC or a mobile terminal via the network I / F control unit 225. In this embodiment, the operation unit displayed on the PC or mobile terminal is called a remote UI. A bus 229 interconnects the CPU 221, the ROM 222, the RAM 223, the HDD 224, the network I / F control unit 225, and the panel control unit 228. Control signals from the CPU 221 and data signals between the various devices are transmitted and received via the bus 229.

[0026] 3A is a block diagram for explaining software modules included in the multifunction peripheral 1000 according to the first embodiment. The software modules shown in FIG. 3 are realized by the CPU 201 executing a program loaded in the RAM 203.

[0027] A network driver 301 controls a network I / F control device 205 connected to the network 100 to transmit and receive data to and from the outside via the network 100. A network control unit 302 controls communication below the transport layer in a network communication protocol such as TCP / IP to transmit and receive data. A communication control unit 303 is a module for controlling a plurality of communication protocols supported by the multifunction device 100. Encrypted communication such as TLS supported by the multifunction device 100 is also executed by the communication control unit 303.

[0028] The encryption processing unit 304 is a module for executing various cryptographic processes such as data encryption and decryption, generation and verification of digital signatures, generation of hash values, etc. In the encrypted communication process such as TLS executed by the communication control unit 303, the encryption process is also performed by the encryption processing unit 304.

[0029] The device control unit 305 is a module that generates control commands and control data for the multifunction device 1000 and comprehensively controls the multifunction device 100. User authentication instructed via the operation panel 210, panel control unit 208, or network I / F control unit 205 is executed by the device control unit 305. The device control unit 305 records the operation history of the multifunction device 1000 in the HDD 204 as an audit log.

[0030] A print / read processing unit 306 is a module for executing functions such as printing by the printer 212 and reading of an original by the scanner 211. In this embodiment, a scan or print instruction to the multifunction peripheral 1000 can also be executed by a user's instruction via the operation panel 210. The control of the operation panel 210 and the panel control unit 208 is executed by a UI control unit 307.

[0031] The control unit consisting of the software configuration of the multifunction peripheral 1000 shown in Fig. 3(A) above will hereinafter be referred to as the control unit 1. In this specification, the control unit 1 consists of the CPU 201, ROM 202, RAM 203, HDD 204, etc. of the multifunction peripheral 1000. In this embodiment, the control unit 1 may be not only the control unit of the multifunction peripheral 1000, but also the control unit of the multifunction peripherals 1001 and 1002 consisting of a similar software configuration. Note that in the following sequences and flowcharts, the parts processed by the multifunction peripheral 1000 are stored in any one of the storage means, ROM 202, RAM 203, and HDD 204, of the control unit 1, and are executed by the CPU 201.

[0032] Fig. 3B is a block diagram for explaining software modules included in the management server 2000 according to the first embodiment. The software modules shown in Fig. 3 are realized by the CPU 221 executing a program loaded in the RAM 223.

[0033] The network driver 321 controls the network I / F control unit 225 connected to the network 100 to transmit and receive data to and from the outside via the network 100. The network control unit 322 controls communication below the transport layer in a network communication protocol such as TCP / IP to transmit and receive data. The communication control unit 323 is a module for controlling a plurality of communication protocols supported by the management server 2000. Encrypted communication such as TLS supported by the management server 2000 is also executed by the communication control unit 323.

[0034] The encryption processing unit 324 is a module for executing various cryptographic processes such as data encryption and decryption, generation and verification of digital signatures, generation of hash values, etc. In the encrypted communication process such as TLS executed by the communication control unit 323, the encryption process is also performed by the encryption processing unit 324.

[0035] The device control unit 325 is a module for generating control commands and control data for the management server 2000 and for centrally controlling the management server 2000. The device control unit 325 records the operation history of the multifunction peripheral 1000 in the HDD 224 as an audit log.

[0036] In this embodiment, the management server 2000 is operated by a remote UI that can be operated from a PC or a mobile terminal via a network I / F control unit 225. The control of this remote UI is executed by a UI control unit 327.

[0037] The control unit consisting of the software configuration of the management server 2000 shown in Fig. 3(B) above is hereinafter referred to as the control unit 2. In this specification, the control unit 2 consists of the CPU 221, ROM 222, RAM 223, HDD 224, etc. of the management server 2000. Note that in the following sequences and flowcharts, the parts processed by the management server 2000 are stored in any one of the storage means of the ROM 222, RAM 223, and HDD 224 of the control unit 2 and are executed by the CPU 221.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the overall process flow until the management server acquires the audit log from the multifunction peripheral having the audit log function in the system according to the first embodiment.

[0039] In this embodiment, there are multifunction peripherals 1000-1002 that perform user authentication, accept print instructions from an operation unit, and perform print control, a management server 2000 that acquires audit logs from the multifunction peripherals, and a PC02 that shares the audit log acquisition from a remote UI with the management server 2000. Note that the management server 2000 is a separate device from the multifunction peripherals 1000-1002, but the functions of the management server 2000 may be included in the multifunction peripherals 1000-1002, and there is no particular limitation thereto.

[0040] This sequence is started in response to the management server 2000 receiving an instruction to acquire an audit log.

[0041] First, in step S0401, the control unit 2 of the management server 2000 receives an instruction to acquire an audit log from a user via a remote UI, which serves as an operation unit of the management server 2000 and is presented to the PC02.

[0042] Next, in S0402, the PC02 issues the received audit log acquisition instruction to the management server 2000 as an audit log acquisition request.

[0043] Next, in S0403, the control unit 2 performs an audit log acquisition destination list generation process based on the user information of the received audit log acquisition request.

[0044] Fig. 5 is a flowchart explaining the audit log acquisition destination list generation process that is started after the process of S0403 in Fig. 4. This process is achieved by the CPU 221 of the control unit 2 executing a program loaded in the RAM 223.

[0045] In step S0501, the control unit 2 accepts an audit log acquisition request. The audit log acquisition request in this embodiment includes user information such as the user ID of the user who operates the remote UI, and audit log acquisition conditions. The audit log acquisition conditions in this embodiment refer to conditions for the audit logs to be acquired, such as whether to acquire all audit logs, or only audit logs for a specific department or user, or the period between which the audit logs were recorded.

[0046] In step S 0502 , the control unit 2 checks the audit log acquisition conditions included in the audit log acquisition request, and stores the conditions in the RAM 223 .

[0047] Next, in step S0503, the control unit 2 acquires the audit log acquisition target device setting from the HDD 224.

[0048] 6 shows a screen 601 for setting a target device for obtaining an audit log in this embodiment, which is displayed by a remote UI via the network I / F control unit 225 of the management server 2000. In this embodiment, the screen 601 is also referred to as a management table.

[0049] The screen 601 in this embodiment is configured with a user ID setting 602, a group setting 603, a device setting 604, a confirm button 605, and a cancel button 606. The settings made on the screen 601 are settings for determining from which multifunction device the audit log is to be acquired when an audit log acquisition request is instructed for a user ID or a group. Taking the screen in FIG. 6 as an example, when an audit log acquisition request is made for user001, the acquisition target device is only the multifunction device 1000, and for user002, the multifunction devices 1000, 1001, and 1002 are the multifunction devices. When an audit log for AA department, division 01 is requested, the multifunction devices 1000, 1001, and 1002 linked to the user ID belonging to AA department, division 01 are the devices from which the audit log is to be acquired. In this embodiment, the audit log acquisition target device setting is set in advance from the remote UI by the administrator of the management server or the multifunction device. When the confirm button 605 is pressed, the control unit 2 saves the setting value in the HDD 224.

[0050] After the process of step S0503, the process proceeds to step S0504.

[0051] In step S0504, the control unit 2 compares the audit log acquisition conditions acquired in steps S0502 and S0503 with the settings of the device from which the audit log is to be acquired.

[0052] Next, in S0505, the control unit 2 determines whether or not an audit log acquisition destination that matches the conditions is present as a result of the comparison in S0504.

[0053] If the control unit 2 determines in S0505 that an audit log acquisition destination that meets the conditions is present, the process proceeds to S0506, where the control unit 2 generates an audit log acquisition destination list and saves it in the RAM 223. Then, the process of Fig. 5 ends. This audit log acquisition destination list is data containing information regarding which multifunction device the management server 2000 will acquire audit logs from after the process of S0404 in Fig. 4.

[0054] If the control unit 2 determines in S0505 that there is no audit log acquisition destination that meets the conditions, the process proceeds to S0507, where the control unit 2 displays an audit log acquisition error on the remote UI. Then, the process of Fig. 5 is terminated, and the process proceeds to S0417 in Fig. 4, where the result is displayed on the remote UI. Then, the process of Fig. 4 is terminated.

[0055] An example of the branching of the processes in S0505 to S0507 depending on the conditions of the audit log acquisition request will be described with reference to Fig. 6. An example will be taken of a case where the control unit 2 accepts an audit log acquisition request for user001 in S0501. In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, user001 has the multifunction machine 1000 set in the acquisition target device setting 604, and the conditions for the audit log acquisition request are met, so the process proceeds to S0506. Next, an example will be taken of a case where the control unit 2 accepts an audit log acquisition request for user005 in S0501. In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, there is no multifunction machine that is the target of user005, so the conditions for the audit log acquisition request are not met, and the process proceeds to S0507.

[0056] After the process in FIG. 5, the process proceeds to S0404 in FIG.

[0057] Step S0404 and thereafter will proceed to step S0506 in Fig. 5, and the process will be described when an audit log destination list is generated. The process from S0404 onwards will be described taking as an example a case where multifunction peripherals 1000, 1001, 1002,..., XXXX are present in the audit log destination list.

[0058] In step S0404, the control unit 2 of the management server 2000 transmits a request to the multifunction peripheral 1000 to obtain an audit log.

[0059] Next, in step S0405, the control unit 1 of the multifunction peripheral 1000 performs an audit log acquisition process.

[0060] Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the audit log acquisition process that is started after the process of S0405 in Fig. 4. This process is achieved by the CPU 201 of the control unit 1 executing a program loaded in the RAM 203.

[0061] In step S0701, the control unit 1 receives an audit log acquisition request from the management server 2000. This audit log acquisition request includes information on the audit log acquisition conditions handled in S0402 of FIG. 4 and S0502 of FIG.

[0062] In step S 0702 , the control unit 1 acquires the audit log function setting of the multifunction peripheral 1000 from the HDD 204 .

[0063] FIG. 8 shows a setting screen 801 for the audit log function in this embodiment, which is displayed on the operation panel 210 of the multifunction peripherals 1000, 1001, and 1002.

[0064] In this embodiment, screen 801 is composed of a selection button 802, a decision button 803, and a cancel button 804. This audit log function setting is used to set whether or not the multifunction device 1000 will record an audit log. If this setting is enabled, the multifunction device will record an audit log in the HDD 204 via the control unit 1. When the decision button 803 is pressed on the operation panel 210, the control unit 1 saves the setting value in the HDD 204. Note that, although in this embodiment, the audit log function can be switched between enabled and disabled, some multifunction devices may have no setting option and be configured to always be enabled, and this is not limiting.

[0065] Next, in step S0703, the control unit 1 determines whether the audit log function of the multifunction peripheral 1000 is valid.

[0066] If the control unit 1 determines in step S0703 that the audit log function of the multifunction device 1000 is disabled, the control unit 1 proceeds to step S0704 and returns an error since the audit log cannot be acquired, and then the process ends.

[0067] If the control unit 1 determines in step S0703 that the audit log function of the multifunction device 1000 is enabled, the process proceeds to step S0705.

[0068] In step S0705, the control unit 1 determines whether the multifunction device 1000 has a user authentication function. This determination that the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function is made only when the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function and the user authentication function is enabled. If the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function but the function is disabled, the control unit 1 determines that the multifunction device 1000 does not have the user authentication function. In this embodiment, information on whether the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function is recorded in advance by the program of the multifunction device 1000. Also, if the multifunction device 1 has the user authentication function, the control unit 1 makes the determination by acquiring the setting of the user authentication function from the HDD 204.

[0069] In S0705, if the control unit 1 determines that the multifunction device 1000 has a user authentication function and that the function is valid, the control unit 1 proceeds to S0706, and acquires from the HDD 204 an audit log linked to the user information of the audit log acquisition conditions acquired in S0701.

[0070] In step S0705, if the control unit 1 determines that the multifunction peripheral 1000 does not have a user authentication function or that the user authentication function is not valid, the process proceeds to step S0707, in which the control unit 1 acquires application-specific audit log acquisition settings from the HDD 204.

[0071] Although not shown in the figure, the control unit 1 may be configured to provide a setting for transmitting only the audit logs of permitted apps even if it determines that the multifunction device 1000 has a user authentication function and that the function is enabled, and to transmit the audit logs of the permitted apps of the target user.

[0072] That is, even if the result in S0705 is "YES," the process may proceed to S0706, and the audit log of the target application of the operating user who is the audit target may be acquired in S0709.

[0073] 9 shows a setting screen 901 for acquiring audit logs for each application in this embodiment, which is displayed on the operation panel 210 of the multifunction device 1000. An operating user of the multifunction device can use the screen 901 to specify application functions for which audit logs are permitted to be acquired.

[0074] The screen 901 in this embodiment is configured with a selection button 902 , an application function setting 903 , an audit log acquisition enable / disable setting 904 , a decision button 905 , and a cancel button 906 .

[0075] The setting for acquiring the audit log for each application is a setting for determining whether or not to acquire an audit log depending on the application function of the multifunction device 1000. In this embodiment, the selection button 902 can be set when the selection button 802 in Fig. 8 is enabled. Also, the application function setting 903 and the audit log acquisition enable / disable setting 904 can be set only when the selection button 902 is enabled.

[0076] In the example of FIG. 9, the selection button 902 is enabled. The MFP 1000 of this embodiment has the functions of copy, printer driver print, photo print, USB print, cloud print, scan, cloud transmission, and print from a specific business cloud service A. The copy function in this embodiment outputs image data read from the scanner 211 to the printer 212. The printer driver print function is a function in which print data is transmitted from the printer driver on the PC02 to the MFP 1000 via the network 100 or 200, the MFP receives the print data via the network I / F control unit 205, and the printer 212 prints. The photo print function is a function in which the device control unit 305 of the MFP 1000 prints image data corrected to image quality for photos using the printer control unit 207 and the printer 212. The USB print function is a function in which image data on a USB memory connected to the USB I / F of the MFP 1000 is printed. The cloud print function is a function in which the MFP 1000 prints print data in the storage of a cloud service connected via the networks 100 and 200. The scan function is a function for sending image data read by the scanner 211 of the multifunction device 1000 by e-mail or fax. The cloud transmission function is a function for sending image data read by the scanner 211 of the multifunction device 1000 to storage of a cloud service located on the network 100, 200. The specific business cloud service A function is a function for printing in a form format specialized for a specific business that has been determined in advance.

[0077] In this embodiment, it is assumed that these application functions are set in advance by an administrator via the operation panel 210. However, this is not limited, and the control unit 1 of the multifunction device 1000 may automatically determine the presence or absence of application functions at the time of startup, etc., and automatically generate the list of application function settings 903.

[0078] 9 shows an example of settings assuming that the MFP is installed in a home and is used for both home and home business. In this embodiment, the application functions of copy, printer driver print, photo print, USB print, and scan are assumed to be used in a home environment, and are not subject to audit log acquisition, with the audit log acquisition setting 904 set to "not acquire." In addition, the functions of cloud print, cloud transmission, and print from specific business cloud service A are assumed to be used in home business, and are subject to audit log acquisition, with the audit log acquisition setting 904 set to "acquire."

[0079] When the application-specific audit log acquisition setting confirmation button 905 is pressed on the operation panel 210 , the control unit 1 stores the setting value in the HDD 204 .

[0080] After the process of step S0707, the control unit 1 proceeds to step S0708 and determines whether the acquired application-specific audit log acquisition setting is valid.

[0081] If the control unit 1 determines in step S0708 that the acquired application-specific audit log acquisition setting is invalid, the control unit 1 proceeds to step S0704 and returns an error, and then ends this process.

[0082] In step S0708, if the control unit 1 determines that the acquired application-specific audit log acquisition setting is valid, the process proceeds to step S0709.

[0083] In step S0709, the control unit 1 acquires from the HDD 204 only the audit logs of the application functions for which the audit log acquisition setting 904 is set to "acquire."

[0084] Next, in step S0710, the control unit 1 determines whether an audit log that matches the audit log acquisition condition has been acquired.

[0085] If the control unit 1 determines in step S0710 that the audit log has been acquired, the process proceeds to step S0711, where the control unit 1 generates audit log data to be transmitted to the management server 2000. The audit log data generated here only includes audit logs of application functions for which the audit log acquisition setting 904 acquired in S0709 is set to "acquire", and does not include audit logs of applications for which the setting is set to "not acquire". Then, the process in FIG. 7 is terminated.

[0086] If the control unit 1 determines in step S0710 that the audit log could not be acquired, the process proceeds to step S0704, and the control unit 1 returns an error notification result to the management server 2000. Then, the process in FIG. 8 ends.

[0087] In a multifunction device that does not have a user authentication function, audit logs can be acquired according to the application functions (applications) of the multifunction device through the above-mentioned processes of S0705, S0707 to S0709 in Fig. 7. This makes it possible to acquire audit logs of applications used for business purposes but not of applications used for personal purposes, making it possible to collect audit logs without affecting privacy.

[0088] After the process of Fig. 8 is completed, the process proceeds to step S0406 in Fig. 4, and the control unit 1 returns the result to the management server 2000. In the process of S0406, if the process of S0804 in Fig. 8 has been executed, the audit log data is sent to the management server 2000. If the process of S0805 in Fig. 8 has been executed, an error notification is sent to the management server 2000.

[0089] After the process of S0406, if there is another multifunction device as the acquisition destination of the audit log, the same process as S0404 to S0406 is performed for the other multifunction device. FIG. 4 shows an example of performing the same process for the multifunction devices 1001, 1002, . . . XXX, and the processes of S0407 to 0409, S0410 to S0412, and S0413 to S0415 are the same as the process of S0404 to 0406. It is also possible that the control unit 2 of the management server 2000 cannot acquire the audit log because there is no response from the multifunction device when the acquisition destination multifunction device is turned off or the network is disconnected, for example. In such a case, in this embodiment, the control unit 2 waits a certain time and then instructs the multifunction device to acquire the audit log again. However, when the control unit 2 returns the result to the PC02, the control unit 2 may perform a process of adding information about the multifunction device that could not be acquired, and this is not limited.

[0090] When the acquisition of the audit log for the multifunction device that is the target of the audit log acquisition is completed, the control unit 2 of the management server 2000 proceeds to the process of step S0416.

[0091] In step S0416, the control unit 2 combines the acquired audit logs.

[0092] Then, in step S0417, the control unit 2 returns the audit log data to the PC02.

[0093] The above is an explanation of the control for acquiring an audit log in accordance with an application of a multifunction peripheral that does not have a user authentication function.

[0094] Example 2 In the first embodiment, the control of acquiring an audit log in accordance with an application of a multifunction device that does not have a user authentication function in response to an instruction from the PC02 has been described.

[0095] However, the management server 2000 may periodically acquire the audit log stored in the multifunction device 1000, regardless of the timing when the instruction to acquire the audit log is received from the PC02. The management server 2000 provides the audit log according to the instruction from the PC02 by using the audit log acquired in advance. In this embodiment 2, the parts that are not explained, such as the network configuration diagram, the hardware configuration of the multifunction device 1000 and the management server 2000 which are information processing devices, the software configuration, the printing instruction reception, the printing execution and other printing processes, are the same as those in the embodiment 1.

[0096] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the overall process flow in the system according to the second embodiment, in which the management server acquires an audit log in advance for a multifunction device that does not have an audit log function, and acquires the audit log according to the conditions on the management server.

[0097] In this embodiment, there are multifunction peripherals 1000-1002 that perform user authentication, accept print instructions from an operation unit, and perform print control, a management server 2000 that acquires audit logs from the multifunction peripherals, and a PC02 that shares the audit log acquisition from a remote UI with the management server 2000. Note that the management server 2000 is a separate device from the multifunction peripherals 1000-1002, but the functions of the management server 2000 may be included in the multifunction peripherals 1000-1002, and there is no particular limitation thereto.

[0098] This sequence starts with the multifunction device sending the audit log stored in the multifunction device to the multifunction device after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0099] First, in step S1001, the control unit 1 of the multifunction device 1000 executes an audit log acquisition process to acquire an audit log. The contents of the audit log acquisition process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0100] Steps S1003 and S1004, S1005 and S1006, and S1007 and S1008 are similar to steps S1001 and S1002.

[0101] In step S1008, the control unit 2 of the management server 2000 receives an instruction to obtain an audit log from the user via the remote UI presented on the PC02.

[0102] Next, in step S1010, PC02 issues the received audit log acquisition instruction to the management server 2000 as an audit log acquisition request.

[0103] Next, in step S1011, the control unit 2 performs an audit log acquisition destination list generation process. The details of this process are the same as those of steps S0501 to S0506 in FIG.

[0104] Next, in step S1012, the control unit 2 determines the multifunction device that was used from the audit log acquisition destination list, and acquires the audit log that matches the acquisition conditions.

[0105] Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the audit log acquisition process performed in step S1001 of Fig. 10. This process is achieved by the CPU 201 of the control unit 1 expanding the program in the RAM 203 and executing the program.

[0106] In step S1101, the control unit 1 determines whether a certain amount of time has passed since the previous transmission. If it determines that the certain amount of time has passed since the previous transmission, the process proceeds to a flow for acquiring an audit log, which starts from S1102. Note that in this embodiment, the process is configured to proceed to a flow for acquiring an audit log when a certain amount of time has passed, but it may also be configured to proceed to a flow for acquiring an audit log when a certain amount of data has been accumulated. Alternatively, the control unit 2 may be configured to determine that a certain amount of time has passed and to instruct each multifunction device to acquire an audit log.

[0107] Next, in step S1102, the control unit 1 obtains from the HDD 204 a screen for setting the audit log function of the multifunction peripheral 1000. The audit log function setting screen is shown in FIG.

[0108] Next, in step S1103, the control unit 1 determines whether the audit log function of the multifunction device 1000 is valid.

[0109] If the control unit 1 determines in step S1103 that the audit log function of the multifunction device 1000 is disabled, the control unit 1 proceeds to step S1109 and returns an error since the audit log cannot be acquired, and then the process ends.

[0110] In step S1103, if the control unit 1 determines that the audit log function of the multifunction device 1000 is valid, the process proceeds to step S1104.

[0111] In step S1104, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the multifunction device 1000 has a user authentication function. This determination that the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function is made only when the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function and the user authentication function is enabled. If the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function but the function is disabled, the control unit 1 determines that the multifunction device 1000 does not have the user authentication function. In this embodiment, information on whether or not the multifunction device 1000 has the user authentication function is recorded in advance by the program of the multifunction device 1000. Also, if the multifunction device 1 has the user authentication function, the control unit 1 makes the determination by obtaining the setting of the user authentication function from the HDD 204. If the determination in S1104 is that the multifunction device 1 has the user authentication function, the process proceeds to S1105.

[0112] In S1105, the control unit 1 acquires the audit log stored in the multifunction peripheral 1000. Here, all the stored data is acquired without performing filtering or the like.

[0113] Although not shown in the figure, depending on the user settings, even if the user authentication function is present (YES) in S1104, the process may proceed to S1106, and in S1108, the target application may be linked to the identification information of the operating user obtained by user authentication and an audit log may be obtained when the target application is used.

[0114] If it is determined in S1104 that the device does not have the user authentication function, the process proceeds to S1106.

[0115] In S1106, the control unit 1 acquires the application-specific audit log acquisition setting, and the process proceeds to step S1107.

[0116] In step S1107, if the control unit 1 determines that the acquired application-specific audit log acquisition setting 902 is invalid, the control unit 1 proceeds to step S1109 and returns an error, and then ends this process.

[0117] In step S1107, if the control unit 1 determines that the acquired application-specific audit log acquisition setting is valid, the process proceeds to step S1108.

[0118] In step S1108, the control unit 1 acquires the audit log of the application function for which the audit log acquisition setting 904 is set to "acquire" from the HDD 204. Then, the process of Fig. 11 ends. The above is the details of the audit log acquisition process S1001 of Fig. 10.

[0119] Example 3 In the second embodiment, the MFP 1000 transmits a log to the management server 2000 at regular time intervals without waiting for a log acquisition instruction from the management server. At this time, the audit log transmitted to the management server 2000 is an audit log linked to the sending printing device. Since the idea of ​​zero trust security requires that an audit log linked to an ID be acquired, the management server may assign the operating user ID of the operating user of the sending printing device to the audit log acquired from the MFP and store it.

[0120] It is assumed that the multifunction peripheral in the third embodiment is installed in a personal location such as a home, and that the number of people who can use it is somewhat limited.

[0121] In this embodiment 3, the parts that are not explained, such as the network configuration diagram, the hardware configuration of the multifunction device 1000 and the management server 2000 which are information processing devices, the software configuration, the printing instruction reception, the printing execution and other printing processes, are the same as those in the embodiment 1.

[0122] FIG. 12 shows the flow performed by the control unit 2 of the management server 2000 when the management server 2000 receives an audit log from a printing device that does not have authentication function, and is executed following steps S1002, S1004, S1006, and S1008 in FIG. 10.

[0123] In step S1201, when the control unit 2 receives an audit log from a printing device without an authentication function, the process proceeds to step S1202. In this embodiment, the audit log acquired in step S1201 is assigned the device number of the printing device that is the destination.

[0124] In step S1202, the control unit 2 determines whether user ID information exists in the received audit log. If it exists, the control unit 2 saves the acquired audit log in the HDD 224 and ends the flow. If it does not exist, the control unit 2 proceeds to S1203.

[0125] In step S1203, the control unit 2 obtains the device number of the audit log transmission destination from the audit log received. The device number may be written in the audit log, or may be obtained by referencing the device number from a number unique to the printing device, such as an IP address. Once obtained, the process proceeds to step S1204.

[0126] In step S1204, based on the device number acquired by the control unit 2, a user ID (user identification information) linked to the device number is acquired from the settings of the device for which the audit log is to be acquired, shown in the management table (screen 601) in Fig. 6. For example, in the case of device number "multifunction device 1005", by referring to the row of acquisition target device 604 and user ID 602, it is found that the user ID that matches device number "multifunction device 1005" is "User007". When multiple user IDs are associated with the device number, an error may be displayed to the administrator to prompt the administrator to make a decision and the decision may be acquired, or multiple user IDs may be associated with different audit logs, with no limitations on the details.

[0127] Next, in step S1205, the control unit 2 determines whether a user ID that matches the device number exists. If it is determined that a user ID exists, the process proceeds to step S1206, where the acquired user ID is added to the received audit log and stored in the HDD 224. On the other hand, if it is determined that a user ID does not exist, the process proceeds to step S1207. For example, if there is no user ID that matches the device number, or if there are multiple users that match the device number, the process proceeds to step S1207. In step S1207, an error is displayed, and the audit log is stored in the HDD 224 with the user ID as unknown.

[0128] After the processes of steps S1206 and S1207, the process proceeds to S1009 in FIG.

[0129] By using the flow in Figure 12, the management server 2000 can assign a user ID to the audit log received from a printing device that does not have authentication functionality, making it possible to obtain the audit log in the same format as an audit log received from a printing device that has authentication functionality.

[0130] (Other Examples) The object of the present invention can also be achieved by executing the following process: A storage medium on which program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments is supplied to a system or device, and a computer (or a CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device reads out the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code read out from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments, and the program code and the storage medium on which the program code is stored constitute the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1000 multifunction devices 305 Device control unit of multifunction device 1000 301 Network driver for Multifunction Printer 1000 901 Application-specific audit log acquisition setting screen 2000 Management Server 321 Management Server 2000 network driver 325 Device control unit of management server 2000

Claims

1. An image processing device that executes a plurality of functions including a first function and a second function, a receiving means for receiving a request to transmit log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions from a server connected via a network; A setting means for setting a function for which transmission of log data is permitted; a transmission means for transmitting log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions to the server, when a user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving means receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to a first function that is not set by the setting means, the transmitting means does not transmit the log data corresponding to the first function, and when a user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving means receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to a second function that is set by the setting means, the transmitting means transmits the log data corresponding to the second function; When a user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving means receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to the first function, the transmitting means transmits the log data corresponding to the first function, and when a user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving means receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to the second function, the transmitting means transmits the log data corresponding to the second function.

13. An image processing device comprising:

2. A determination means for determining whether or not a function corresponding to the transmission request received by the receiving means is set as a function for which transmission of log data is permitted, When a user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled, the determination means does not perform the determination, 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining means performs the determination when a user authentication function of the image processing apparatus is invalid.

3. The apparatus further comprises a determination means for determining whether the setting by the setting means is valid or invalid, The determination means does not perform the determination when the user authentication function is enabled, The determination means performs the determination when the user authentication function is disabled, when the user authentication function is invalid, when the determination means determines that the setting by the setting means is valid, and when the transmission request received by the receiving means is a request for transmission of log data corresponding to the first function that is not set by the setting means, the transmission means does not transmit the log data corresponding to the first function, The transmitting means transmits the log data corresponding to the second function when the user authentication function is disabled, when the determining means determines that the setting by the setting means is valid, and when the transmission request received by the receiving means requests transmission of log data corresponding to the second function set by the setting means.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1,

4. 2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission means transmits the log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions to the server in accordance with the time that has elapsed since the transmission means performed a previous transmission.

5. Further comprising an acquisition means for acquiring log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions, 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the log data corresponding to the function requested by the transmission request received by the receiving means cannot be acquired by the acquiring means, the transmitting means transmits an error to the server.

6. The setting means further sets whether acquisition of the log data by the acquisition means is enabled or disabled; When the setting means has set acquisition of the log data to be disabled, the transmitting means does not transmit the log data corresponding to the function requested by the transmission request received by the receiving means, and transmits an error to the server.

6. The image processing device according to claim 5, 7. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the setting means is set in accordance with a user's instruction.

8. An image processing device as described in Claim 7, characterized in that when the transmission request received by the receiving means is a request to transmit the log data corresponding to a function not set by the setting means, the transmitting means transmits an error to the server.

9. An image processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the log data corresponding to each of the multiple functions is a record of the operation of the image processing device.

10. An image processing device that executes a plurality of functions and a server that communicates via a network, a reception unit for receiving an instruction to acquire log data indicating a process executed by the image processing device; a storage unit for storing identification information of a user who operates the image processing device and information corresponding to the image processing device in association with each other; a transmission means for transmitting the instruction received by the reception means to the image processing device; a receiving means for receiving the log data corresponding to the identification information of the user from an image processing device having a user authentication function, and receiving the log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions from an image processing device not having the user authentication function, When the received log data is not associated with the identification information of the user, the storage means stores the received log data in association with the identification information corresponding to the stored image processing device. A server comprising:

11. The image processing device further includes a display unit for displaying information on a display unit of an information processing device connected to the image processing device via a network, The server according to claim 10, wherein the display means displays the log data on the display unit.

12. The receiving means receives an error when the image processing device cannot acquire log data, The display means displays information indicating the received error. The server according to claim 11 .

13. The server according to claim 10, wherein the information corresponding to the image processing device is a device number of the image processing device.

14. 14. The server according to claim 10, wherein the log data is a record of an operation of the image processing device.

15. A control method for an image processing device that executes a plurality of functions including a first function and a second function, comprising: a receiving step of receiving a request to transmit log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions from a server connected via a network; A setting step of setting a function that allows the transmission of log data; a transmitting step of transmitting log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions to the server, The transmitting step, when a user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to a first function that is not set by the setting step, does not transmit the log data corresponding to the first function, and when a user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to a second function that is set by the setting step, transmits the log data corresponding to the second function. The transmitting step transmits the log data corresponding to the first function when a user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to the first function, and transmits the log data corresponding to the second function when a user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to the second function.

23. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus comprising the steps of:

16. A program for an image processing device that executes a plurality of functions including a first function and a second function, a receiving step of receiving a request to transmit log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions from a server connected via a network; A setting step of setting a function that allows the transmission of log data; a transmitting step of transmitting log data corresponding to each of the plurality of functions to the server, The transmitting step, when a user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to a first function that is not set by the setting step, does not transmit the log data corresponding to the first function, and when a user authentication function of the image processing device is disabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to a second function that is set by the setting step, transmits the log data corresponding to the second function. The transmitting step transmits the log data corresponding to the first function when a user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to the first function, and transmits the log data corresponding to the second function when a user authentication function of the image processing device is enabled and the receiving step receives a request to transmit log data corresponding to the second function. The control method for an image processing device is characterized by causing the image processing device to execute the above.

Images