Cloud Service Interface Filtering by User Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

As the number of displayed cloud services increases, users face difficulty in selecting the intended cloud service, leading to potential accidental selection of unintended services, and existing technologies do not account for scenarios with a large number of options.

Innovation Solution

A data processing system and method that includes an image forming apparatus and an authentication server, where the apparatus displays only approved cloud services based on user authentication and settings, hiding rejected services from the user interface, and the authentication server manages user permissions and cloud service settings to streamline the selection process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If all available cloud services are displayed to the user, then the system provides complete service options and adaptability, but the user interface becomes complex and difficult to operate when the number of services increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecloud service optionsVSAvoiduser interface
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cloud service selection interface by dividing services into approved and unapproved categories. The approval determination unit separates services based on authentication results, and the display control unit selectively presents only approved services to users, thereby simplifying the interface while maintaining access to the full service portfolio through the approval mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-authenticating cloud services through the authentication server before they are displayed to users. The approval determination unit performs authentication in advance, and the display control unit only presents services that have been pre-approved, eliminating the need for users to navigate through all available services during the selection moment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If all cloud services are displayed, then users have access to complete service options, but the time required to select a transmission destination increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice selection optionsVSAvoidselection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and filters out unapproved cloud services from the display list. The display control unit removes services that fail authentication from the user interface, presenting only the subset of approved services. This extraction process reduces the number of options users must evaluate, thereby decreasing selection time while preserving access to the full service catalog through the approval mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple cloud services are displayed, then service versatility is improved, but the reliability of correct service selection decreases due to accidental selections

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecloud service availabilityVSAvoidservice selection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary authentication server that mediates between the user and cloud services. The authentication server verifies service legitimacy before the display control unit presents services to users. This intermediary layer ensures that only authenticated, reliable services appear in the interface, reducing the risk of accidental selection of unauthorized or incorrect services while maintaining access to multiple approved services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3661182B1Data processing system, control method for data processing system, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2022.11.09 CANON KK
  • EP3661182B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3661182B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3661182B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

There is provided a control method for a data processing system, the control method including: registering connection destination information for accessing a cloud service; storing in storage means, for each user, information indicating whether or not to allow use of the cloud service; authenticating a user; determining, on the basis of the information stored in the storage means, whether or not the user authenticated in the authenticating is allowed to use the cloud service; and displaying no object for transmitting data to the cloud service by using the connection destination information when the user is determined in the determining to not be allowed to use the cloud service, and displaying an object for transmitting data to the cloud service by using the connection destination information when the user is determined in the determining to be allowed to use the cloud service.