Network Device Certificate Storage for MFP Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional single sign-on authentication techniques are inconvenient for network devices like Multi-Function Peripherals (MFPs) that are used by multiple users, as they require users to input personal data and acquire certificates from an authentication server for each service usage, leading to user inconvenience and increased network traffic.
Innovation Solution
A network device with a request accepting unit, certificate acquiring unit, permission receiving unit, service utilizing unit, acquisition information storage, certificate storage, and a controller that determines if necessary certificates are stored, acquiring them from an authentication server if not, to streamline service access without repeated user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional single sign-on authentication is used on network devices like MFPs, then service security is maintained, but user convenience deteriorates because each user must input personal data and acquire certificates for every service usage
Solution Approach 1:
The network device performs preliminary authentication by acquiring certificates from the authentication server in advance and storing them in certificate storage. When a service usage request is received, the device determines whether the necessary certificate is already stored, and if so, uses it directly without requiring user input again. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by maintaining security through certificate verification while improving convenience by eliminating repeated authentication inputs.
2Reliability
If certificates are acquired from authentication server for each service usage, then authentication reliability is ensured, but network traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary certificate acquisition and stores certificates locally in certificate storage. The determination unit checks whether the necessary certificate is already stored before initiating new authentication requests. This approach ensures authentication reliability by verifying certificates while reducing network traffic by avoiding redundant certificate acquisition transmissions for already-authenticated services.
3Reliability
If repeated authentication is required for each service usage, then service security is maintained, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network device performs preliminary authentication by acquiring and storing certificates in advance. The determination unit quickly checks certificate storage to see if the necessary certificate is already available. If found, the system immediately uses the stored certificate without initiating time-consuming authentication sequences, thus maintaining security while significantly reducing processing time for service access.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of repeatedly transmitting authentication credentials for each service request, the system creates and stores certificate copies in certificate storage. These copied certificates are then reused for multiple service access requests, eliminating the need for repeated authentication sequences and reducing overall processing time while maintaining security through certificate validation.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device, connectable with a service providing server and an authentication sever via a network, includes an acquisition information storage storing acquisition information for acquiring a certificate corresponding to each of services the service providing server provides, a certificate storage storing certificates acquired from the authentication server, a determining unit that, in response to acceptance of a request for utilizing a service, determines whether a certificate necessary for utilizing the requested service is stored in the certificate storage, and a controller that, when the necessary certificate is not stored, reads out acquisition information for the necessary certificate from the acquisition information storage, makes a certificate acquiring unit acquire the necessary certificate from the authentication server using the acquisition information, and stores the necessary certificate into the certificate storage. When the necessary certificate is stored, the controller makes the certificate acquiring unit acquire the necessary certificate from the certificate storage.