Image Forming Apparatus Cloud Print Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud print services face challenges in performing security printing and aggregation management due to the lack of unique user IDs from organizations, as they only manage user IDs within their own system, making it difficult to authenticate and manage print jobs from external systems.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus that obtains print data from a cloud service system and uses first identification information from a local system for authentication, setting up a logical printer with in-house IDs to enable secure printing and aggregation management by transferring the in-house ID with print data, allowing the apparatus to recognize and manage user authentication and print jobs effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If cloud print services use their own user IDs for authentication, then the cloud service can manage print jobs, but the image forming apparatus cannot perform security printing or aggregation management using organization-specific user IDs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the image forming apparatus) that receives print data from the cloud print service and translates the cloud user ID into organization-specific user ID information. This intermediary function allows the system to maintain compatibility with cloud services while enabling security printing and aggregation management using local user IDs, thus resolving the contradiction between cloud service adaptability and security printing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the authentication process into two independent parts: cloud service authentication (using cloud user ID) and organization-specific authentication (using organization user ID). The image forming apparatus handles the organization-specific authentication separately from the cloud service authentication, allowing both systems to operate independently without interfering with each other's user ID systems
2Adaptability or versatility
If cloud print services allocate independent user IDs, then the service can be shared among multiple organizations, but user identification information unique to each organization is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus acts as an intermediary that preserves organization-specific user ID information even though the cloud print service only knows cloud user IDs. The apparatus maintains a mapping or translation mechanism that allows it to associate cloud print jobs with organization-specific users, preventing loss of organization-specific identification information while maintaining multi-organization cloud service support
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds another dimension to user identification by maintaining both cloud user ID (for cloud service access) and organization user ID (for local management) simultaneously. This dimensional approach allows the system to operate in both the cloud service domain and the organization domain without losing information in either dimension
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus performs printing processing using first identification information in a first system in a particular organization that performs first authentication, the first identification information being information that identifies a user in the first authentication. The image forming apparatus includes an obtaining unit and a controller. The obtaining unit obtains print data from a logical printer in a second system that is a cloud service system that performs second authentication. Setting information including the first identification information is set in the logical printer, and the image forming apparatus is set as an output destination in the logical printer. The controller controls printing processing of the print data obtained by the obtaining unit using the first identification information included in setting information set in the obtained print data. Identification information of the user, which is temporarily issued in the first system, is used as the first identification information.