MFP Browser Access Request Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of MFPs with web browser functions face difficulties in easily requesting administrators to change access settings to allow access to specific websites that are not initially permitted, leading to complex processes involving contacting administrators via phone or email.
Innovation Solution
An MFP with a detection unit, acquisition unit, and change request unit that automatically acquires access destination and administrator contact information, generates a request screen, and transmits setting change requests via a network to permit access to specific websites, simplifying the process for users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access to websites is restricted to only part of sites for security and charging management, then security and cost control are improved, but user convenience and ease of accessing new websites deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-registers multiple websites in the permitted sites list before the user needs to access them. When a website is accessed and found to be insecure, the system proactively requests security verification and automatic registration, so that future accesses to the same website are permitted without requiring repeated user requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically performs the process of detecting insecure websites, generating verification requests, and registering permitted sites without requiring continuous manual intervention from users. The MFP autonomously manages the expansion of permitted sites based on access patterns and security verification results.
2Reliability
If users must contact administrators via phone or email to request access to new websites, then access control and security management are maintained, but processing complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an automatic website security verification mechanism as an intermediary between users and administrators. When a user encounters an insecure website, the system automatically generates a verification request containing website information and transmits it to the administrator, who then verifies security and automatically registers the site, eliminating the need for manual phone or email contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of contacting administrators via phone or email is replaced with an automated electronic verification system. The system automatically transmits website information, receives security verification results, and completes registration, substituting human-to-human communication with machine-to-machine automated processing.
3Reliability
If administrators manually process each access request through phone or email communication, then security verification can be performed, but time consumption and administrative burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements an automated feedback loop where the administrator's security verification result is automatically transmitted back to the MFP, which then automatically registers the website in the permitted sites list. This closed-loop feedback mechanism eliminates manual processing steps and reduces the time administrators need to spend on each verification request.
Solution Approach 2:
The administrator's verification process is streamlined into an automated self-service system where the MFP autonomously manages the entire workflow from detecting insecure websites to receiving verification results and completing registration, minimizing administrative intervention and time consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system includes: an image forming apparatus including a browser function and being configured to set permission/non-permission for access according to a website being a communication destination; and a setting change apparatus configured to communicate with the image forming apparatus and be capable of changing a setting of the image forming apparatus in accordance with an operation of an administrator, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect that the image forming apparatus is not allowed to access a specific website, an acquisition unit configured to automatically acquire access destination information, identification information, and contact information, and a change request unit configured to transmit a request to change the setting to a setting that permits the image forming apparatus to access the specific website, to the administrator via a network, the identification information, and the contact information, which are acquired by the acquisition unit.