Authentication Data Selection for Multi-Section User Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses require users to undergo complex authentication processes, especially when users belong to multiple sections, leading to increased operational burdens and user-friendliness issues due to the need for repeated section selections and function-specific authentication.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with a user authentication portion, section authentication portion, associated information storage, and a selection process that simplifies section authentication by associating user authentication information with multiple section authentication information, allowing for automatic selection of appropriate section authentication based on preset conditions, thereby reducing the complexity of section selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user belongs to multiple sections and conventional authentication methods are used, then section authentication can be performed, but the operation becomes complicated requiring repeated section selections
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary association between user authentication information and multiple section authentication informations before the actual authentication process. This allows the apparatus to automatically determine and select the appropriate section authentication information based on preset conditions, eliminating the need for users to manually select sections during operation.
2Ease of operation
If user authentication information is associated with multiple section authentication informations, then automatic section selection is enabled, but the authentication process requires more initial setup
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus performs self-service by automatically selecting the appropriate section authentication information based on preset conditions associated with user authentication information. The system autonomously determines which section authentication to apply without requiring manual user input or complex administrator configuration during the authentication process.
3Reliability
If function-specific authentication is implemented for different purposes, then security is improved, but the number of authentication steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple authentication considerations into a unified authentication process. By associating user authentication information with multiple section authentication informations and using preset conditions to determine the appropriate section, the system maintains function-specific security requirements while consolidating the authentication steps into a single streamlined process.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus is provided with a user authentication portion performing a user authentication process on a user by using user authentication information, a section authentication portion performing a section authentication process, by using one of a plurality of pieces of section authentication information, on the user who has been successfully authenticated by the user authentication portion, an associated information storage portion storing, therein, associated information in which the user authentication information is associated with the plurality of pieces of section authentication information, and a selection process portion selecting, after the user has been successfully authenticated by the user authentication portion, at least one of the plurality of pieces of section authentication information satisfying a preset condition from among the plurality of pieces of section authentication information associated with the user authentication information that has been used for the user authentication process.