Image Forming Authorization Control for Function-Restricted Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authentication methods for image forming apparatuses do not limit available functions, allowing multiple users to potentially misuse the device, leading to undesirable usage scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implement a system where a user terminal inputs authorization settings, an issuing server creates a code based on these settings, and the image forming apparatus authenticates and reflects these settings to restrict function usage, using a code reader to acquire and apply authorization information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If authentication methods using cards or two-dimensional codes are implemented, then user identification is enabled, but function usage cannot be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into multiple independent components: user terminal for inputting authorization settings, issuing server for creating codes, code reader for acquiring codes, and image forming apparatus for authentication. This segmentation allows each component to have specialized functions, enabling both user identification and function limitation capabilities to coexist effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
An authorization code serves as an intermediary element between the user terminal and the image forming apparatus. The code encapsulates authorization settings and is verified by the image forming apparatus, enabling function limitation without requiring direct complex communication between the user terminal and the apparatus.
2Ease of operation
If all functions are made available to authenticated users, then ease of operation is improved, but misuse prevention is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Different users are assigned different authorization settings that define specific functions they can access. The system applies local quality by tailoring the available functions to each user's needs and permissions, rather than providing universal access to all functions. This resolves the contradiction by making the system easy to operate for authorized functions while preventing misuse of unauthorized functions.
3Reliability
If authorization settings are stored centrally on a server, then security is improved, but system complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The authorization settings are extracted from the image forming apparatus and stored centrally on the issuing server. The apparatus only needs to verify codes against the server, rather than maintaining complex authorization databases locally. This extraction improves security by centralizing control while reducing the complexity burden on individual devices.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, in a non-transitory storage medium, a computer program is recorded so that a computer of an image forming apparatus executes a code acquisition step, a transmission step, an authority setting acquisition step, and a reflection step. The code acquisition step is to acquire a code for acquiring authority setting information including execution authority indicating a function to be permitted to use among functions of the image forming apparatus. The transmission step is to transmit the acquired code to a server that issued the code. The authority setting acquisition step is to acquire the authority setting information from the server. The reflection step is to reflect the acquired authority setting information in the image forming apparatus.