Dynamic Job Information Disclosure for Shared Office Printers

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Solution Overview

Problem

In shared office environments, information processing apparatuses managed by one organization but used by multiple users from different organizations face challenges in concealing job information, leading to potential malfunctions where administrators cannot thoroughly investigate causes due to concealed information.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus with a reception unit for administrator disclosure requests and a request unit to disclose secret information to users, allowing administrators to request and users to grant disclosure of secret job information, particularly in cases of malfunctions or specified conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If job information is concealed to protect user privacy in shared office environments, then user privacy is improved, but the administrator's ability to investigate malfunctions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser privacy protectionVSAvoidmalfunction investigation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The disclosure setting of job information is made dynamic rather than static. The system automatically changes the disclosure state based on the reason for access: private disclosure for routine privacy protection, and public disclosure when malfunction investigation is detected. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the information disclosure policy to the specific operational context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the administrator can specify the reason for access, and the system responds by adjusting the disclosure setting accordingly. When malfunction investigation is detected through feedback from the administrator's access patterns or explicit statements, the system reverses the concealment and enables information disclosure, thus resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and investigation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If secret information is concealed from administrators, then information security is improved, but the administrator's oversight capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation securityVSAvoidadministrative oversight capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The information disclosure policy transitions from a static concealed state to a dynamic state that adjusts based on access context. The system maintains security by default (concealing secret information) but automatically overrides this when malfunction investigation or other authorized purposes are detected, enabling administrators to perform oversight functions when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Different disclosure qualities are applied to different information access scenarios. The system applies strict concealment to routine administrative access to maintain security, but applies relaxed disclosure settings when malfunction investigation or specific authorized purposes are identified, thus providing localized quality adjustment that satisfies both security and oversight requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11671464B2Information processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium
Publication Date: 2023.06.06 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP
  • US11671464B2 patent drawing
  • US11671464B2 patent drawing
  • US11671464B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An information processing apparatus managed by an administrator and used by plural users includes a reception unit and a request unit. The reception unit receives a disclosure request from the administrator related to secret information in a job processed by the information processing apparatus. The request unit requests a disclosure of the secret information with respect to a user of a target job that is a target of the disclosure request.