Centralized Authority Management for Image Forming Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing authority settings across multiple image forming apparatuses in an image forming system is complicated due to differing authority settings between devices, making centralized management challenging.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus that receives authority changes in one image forming apparatus and reflects them to other apparatuses only if a predetermined condition is met, ensuring that all authorities are not aggregated to a single role, thereby simplifying the management of authority settings across the system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If authority settings are changed in each image forming apparatus individually, then flexibility in authority configuration is improved, but management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthority configuration flexibilityVSAvoidmanagement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a management server as an intermediary between multiple image forming apparatuses and users. The management server centralizes authority setting management, receiving authority settings from one apparatus and distributing them to others, thereby reducing management complexity while preserving configuration flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the authority setting management functions of multiple distributed image forming apparatuses into a unified centralized management system. By combining individual apparatus authority settings under a single management server, the system achieves simplified centralized control while maintaining the ability to configure authorities flexibly across all devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Stability of the object's composition

If authority changes are reflected across all image forming apparatuses, then consistency of authority settings is improved, but security risk increases due to potential aggregation of all authorities to a single role

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthority setting consistencyVSAvoidsecurity risk from authority aggregation

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-defining role-specific authority templates that inherently prevent excessive authority aggregation. Before reflecting authority changes across apparatuses, the system checks whether the changes comply with security policies that prevent single role aggregation of all authorities, thereby counteracting potential security risks before they occur

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the management server monitors authority settings across all image forming apparatuses and provides feedback when authority aggregation patterns that violate security policies are detected. This feedback loop ensures consistency is maintained while preventing security risks through continuous validation and adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20230161888A1Information processing apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium storing information processing program, and information processing method

Publication Date: 2023.05.25 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP

AI summary

An information processing apparatus includes a processor configured to: receive a change of an authority in one image forming apparatus among plural image forming apparatuses in which an authority is set for each role assigned to a user; and in a case where the change of the authority in the one image forming apparatus is applied to another image forming apparatus, and a predetermined condition is satisfied, reflect the received change of the authority to the other image forming apparatus.