Card Authentication Redundancy Reduction via Network Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information management systems face redundancy in setting correspondence information between user names and card IDs for authentication, especially when a card system is already established for other applications, leading to inefficient and redundant data management.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus and method that stores correspondence information between card IDs and user identification information, allowing the system to identify user information and request authentication from a connected authentication device via a network, thereby reducing the need for duplicate information settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If correspondence information between user names and card IDs is separately set in the image forming apparatus, then authentication can be performed by the image forming apparatus, but redundancy of information settings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus is designed to perform multiple functions: it can authenticate users using card IDs that are already registered in the authentication device, eliminating the need for separate correspondence information settings. This multi-functionality allows the apparatus to leverage existing authentication infrastructure while maintaining its authentication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary mechanism where the image forming apparatus communicates with an external authentication device via a network. Instead of storing correspondence information locally, the apparatus acts as an intermediary that forwards authentication requests to the authentication device, which then performs the actual authentication using its stored correspondence information.
2Productivity
If correspondence information is stored locally in the image forming apparatus, then authentication processing can be performed independently, but data management effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The correspondence information is extracted from the image forming apparatus and stored in the external authentication device. This extraction eliminates the need for the image forming apparatus to maintain duplicate correspondence information, thereby reducing data management effort while still enabling authentication processing through network communication with the authentication device.
3Reliability
If the image forming apparatus maintains separate correspondence information, then authentication can be performed without network dependency, but information redundancy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication device is designed to serve multiple purposes: it authenticates users for the image forming apparatus while maintaining a centralized database of correspondence information that can be shared across different systems. This universality allows the image forming apparatus to rely on the authentication device without needing to maintain separate correspondence information, reducing redundancy while preserving authentication capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An information processing apparatus includes: a first storage part that stores correspondence information between a card ID and user identification information; a user identification part that identifies the user identification information corresponding to the card ID in response to an input of the card ID; and an authentication request part that requests an authentication to an authentication device connected through a network based on the user identification information identified by the user identification part. The user identification part inquires the authentication device about the corresponding user identification information with respect to the card ID that is not stored in the first storage part.