Printer Self-Registration via User Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing on-demand print systems require users or administrators to pre-register all potential image forming apparatuses, making it impractical to use unregistered printers, especially in cloud print services like Google Cloud Print, due to the need for extensive access rights settings.
Innovation Solution
An image forming apparatus with an authentication processor, registration unit, and print unit that automatically registers itself with a print service upon user authentication, allowing on-demand printing without prior registration, and unregisters when no longer in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all image forming apparatuses are registered in advance with the print service, then users can access printers reliably, but the administrative burden and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary registration actions automatically when a user first accesses an unregistered image forming apparatus. The authentication processor detects the unregistered state and triggers automatic registration with the print service, eliminating the need for manual pre-registration while ensuring reliable printer access.
Solution Approach 2:
The image forming apparatus performs self-registration with the print service when accessed by an authenticated user. The registration unit automatically transmits apparatus information to the print service without requiring administrator intervention, allowing the system to serve itself and reduce administrative burden.
2Reliability
If access rights are set for each user-appratus combination, then security is improved, but the number of settings required becomes impractically large
Solution Approach 1:
The print service implements a universal access control mechanism where a single user authentication validates access across multiple image forming apparatuses. The authentication processor verifies user credentials once, and the print service grants access rights to all registered apparatuses, eliminating the need for individual user-appratus setting pairs.
Solution Approach 2:
The print service acts as an intermediary between users and image forming apparatuses, managing access rights centrally. Instead of requiring direct user-appratus authentication pairs, the print service mediates access by verifying user credentials and granting appropriate permissions to multiple apparatuses simultaneously.
3Reliability
If manual registration of image forming apparatuses is required, then system security is maintained, but user convenience and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary security verification through authentication processing before enabling automatic registration. The authentication processor validates user credentials first, ensuring security is maintained, then triggers the registration process to enable immediate printing without manual administrative intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The image forming apparatus performs self-registration with the print service after user authentication. The registration unit automatically transmits apparatus information and receives registration confirmation, enabling the apparatus to serve itself while maintaining security through prior authentication verification.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes an authentication processor, a registration unit, and a print unit. The authentication processor performs a process for user authentication with respect to a user in response to an authentication request from the user. The registration unit registers the image forming apparatus with a print service system on a network as a printer to be used by the user by transmitting, to the print service system, a registration request including user information of the user and information about the image forming apparatus in the case where the user authentication has been successfully performed. The print unit receives, from the print service system, a print instruction to print an electronic document and executes printing in response to the print instruction.