Temporary Account Management for Image Forming Device Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image forming devices used by multiple users face security issues and inconvenience due to shared accounts, where usage records can be accessed by others, and managing user access and billing is challenging, leading to potential misuse and incorrect payment calculations.
Innovation Solution
An image forming device and system that create temporary accounts for users through nearfield wireless communication, allowing secure job performance, automatic record-keeping, and billing, with inactivation conditions set by users, ensuring secure and efficient usage and billing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a common account is used for multiple users, then device accessibility is improved, but security and privacy are worsened due to unauthorized access to usage records
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the common account system into multiple individual user accounts, where each user has their own dedicated account for accessing and managing their usage records separately. This segmentation prevents unauthorized access while maintaining device accessibility for all users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an account management server as an intermediary that handles account creation, authentication, and usage record management. This intermediary layer secures the system by mediating between users and the image forming device, preventing direct unauthorized access to other users' records.
2Reliability
If manual account management is required for each job, then security is improved, but user convenience is worsened due to additional operational steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service functionality where users can automatically create their own accounts through the account management server without requiring manual intervention from administrators. The system automatically manages account lifecycle including creation, authentication, and deletion after use, eliminating the need for manual account management steps while maintaining security.
3Measurement precision
If a managing person manually counts and collects payment, then billing accuracy is improved, but productivity and user convenience are worsened due to waiting time and manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated feedback system where the account management server continuously monitors usage records, automatically calculates billing amounts based on predefined pricing, and manages payment collection. This automated feedback loop ensures billing accuracy while eliminating the need for manual counting and payment collection, thereby improving device availability and user efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of counting and payment collection with an automated electronic system. The account management server electronically tracks usage, calculates bills, and manages payments automatically, substituting the manual process with an efficient automated mechanism that improves both accuracy and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming device includes a communicator which performs communication with a user terminal apparatus, user account database (DB), a controller which creates a temporary account regarding the user terminal apparatus and registers the account on the user account DB, and an image former which performs the image forming job in response to a request for an image forming job received from the user terminal apparatus while the temporary account is valid, in which the controller records job performing results information on the temporary account in response to the image forming job being performed, and inactivate the temporary account when an inactivating condition is met.