Access Token Issuance for Printer Registration Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for managing output authority for image forming apparatuses, such as printers, based on IP addresses are insecure and impractical for large numbers of devices, especially in telework scenarios where IP addresses can be falsified or changed, leading to increased management costs and security risks.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus issues an access token based on the output authority of an instructing user when an image forming apparatus is registered, and transmits this access token to the image forming apparatus, allowing the authority to be managed securely and efficiently based on user attributes rather than IP addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If output authority is managed based on IP address of image forming apparatus, then management can be implemented, but security is compromised because IP addresses can be falsified or changed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an access token as an intermediary between the user authentication system and the image forming apparatus. The access token contains user identification information and authority information, serving as a mediator that proves the user's identity and permissions without exposing the underlying authentication mechanisms. This resolves the security issue by replacing IP address-based identification (which can be falsified) with token-based authentication that verifies user identity through a secure intermediary.
2Ease of operation
If output authority is managed for each image forming apparatus, then precise control can be achieved, but management cost increases enormously when number of printers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal access token system that can be used across multiple image forming apparatuses. Instead of managing authority settings individually for each printer, the system issues a single access token containing user authority information that can be presented to any image forming apparatus in the network. This universal approach allows one access token to serve multiple functions across numerous devices, dramatically reducing management complexity while maintaining precise user-level control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of user authority information in the form of an access token. Rather than replicating complex authority management configurations across each individual device, the system generates a token that contains the essential authority data. This token copy can be distributed and used across multiple apparatuses, eliminating the need to manually configure each device and reducing management overhead proportional to the number of devices.
3Ease of manufacture
If IP address-based management is used, then initial setup is simple, but security authority management becomes vague and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the identification parameter from IP address to user identification information contained in an access token. IP addresses are network-layer parameters that are easy to obtain but imprecise for authority management. The invention transitions to using user ID and authority information embedded in tokens, which are application-layer parameters that provide precise user-level identification. This parameter change maintains ease of setup (the system automatically generates and distributes tokens) while dramatically improving the precision of authority identification.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a service. In a case where the information processing apparatus receives a registration request for registering an image forming apparatus in the service, the information processing apparatus issues an access token based on an output authority of an instructing user who has given an instruction to transmit the registration request, and transmits the issued access token to the image forming apparatus.