JP5000957B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an address book that holds user information.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a multi-function peripheral) having an image processing function as an example of an information processing apparatus in which functions of apparatuses such as a printer, a copy, a facsimile, and a scanner are housed in a single housing is known. became. This multi-function apparatus is provided with a display unit, a printing unit, an imaging unit, and the like in one casing, and four types of software corresponding to a printer, a copy, a facsimile, and a scanner, respectively. Operates as a copy, facsimile and scanner. In such a compound machine, information on the user who uses the compound machine is managed as entry information. The entry information includes a name, mail address, fax number, password, user name, usage restriction information, billing data, and the like.

  The entry information managed by the compound machine is set so that all users can view it except for some items such as passwords. On the other hand, entry information managed by the multi-function peripheral is normally set so that only a user administrator can edit it. The entry information managed by the compound machine can be set to be editable by all users.

  Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 aims to provide an information processing apparatus and an entry information management method capable of achieving both advanced security functions and ease of handling entry information. An information processing apparatus that manages and restricts operations on entry information from a user, and uses entry authority and setting authority capable of setting operation authority as entry information and one or more users An invention that solves the above problem by having a function of registering in association with a user and a function of restricting an operation on the entry information 1 from the user according to the operation authority is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 also includes a reading unit that reads a document in response to a user's image formation request and user security information in order to maintain document management security even when the document ID is not acquired from the read document. User information acquisition means for acquiring user information, document information acquisition means for acquiring document information including security attributes of the read original, and reading based on user information and document information with reference to a predetermined rule An operation requirement selection unit that determines whether or not image data of a document can be output, and a log that is stored in association with the user information without outputting the requested image data when the document information acquisition unit does not acquire the document information An image forming apparatus including a management unit is disclosed.
JP 2005-011321 A Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-166023

  In a conventional multi-function apparatus, entry information of all users is managed as an address book, and the operation authority for the entry information (for example, whether or not entry information can be viewed or edited) is set for each address book. Therefore, the management of the address book is important in the multi-function peripheral. On the other hand, if you are going to introduce a security policy that requires a password to contain at least 8 characters and alphanumeric characters, re-register the address book that was registered before the security policy is set to match the security policy. There is a need to. At this time, it is troublesome to check which user does not match.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the trouble at the time of re-registration when re-registration as described above, or to prevent omission of setting of mismatched users.

To solve the above SL problem, one of the basic configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an address book containing an entry information including the password for the user of the apparatus main body, setting the address book in the device body An address book checking means for checking whether or not the entry information including the password that matches the set security policy is held; and when the user logs in to the apparatus main body , the user book is checked by the address book checking means. when it is determined in the case of using a password that does not match the security policy, and characterized in that e Bei and modifications warning means gives a warning to prompt a correction the password so as to conform to the security policy, the.

Another of the basic configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an address book containing an entry information including the password of the user utilizing the instrumentation Okimoto body, meets the security policy the address book is set in the apparatus main body An address book checking unit that checks whether or not the entry information including the password is held, and a password that does not match the security policy by the user check by the address book checking unit when the user logs in to the apparatus main body when determining the case of using, characterized in that the password example Bei and a logout not means to not log out until modified to conform to the security policy.

In the embodiments described below, address book search 査手 stage, modifications warning hand stage, and logout Not possible hand stage corresponds to the CPU 61, the inspection of the address book in step S102, S201, S301, modifications warning step S303 Are executed respectively.

According to the present invention, when a user logs in to the apparatus main body, a user inspection is performed to inspect whether the address book holds entry information including a password that matches a security policy set in the apparatus main body. , when the user by using a password that does not conform to the security policy to determine if you are logged in to the apparatus main body, or a warning to prompt the correction so as to match the password to the security policy, or because it can not log out until you fix, address book can reduce the effort at the time of re-registration the re-registration of, yet it is possible to prevent the setting omission of users who do not match based on the inspection results.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a compound machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The compound machine 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to include a software group 2, a compound machine starting unit 3, and a hardware resource 4.

  The compound machine starting unit 3 is executed first when the compound machine 1 is powered on, and activates the application layer 5 and the platform 6. For example, the MFP starter 3 reads the programs of the application layer 5 and the platform 6 from a hard disk device (hereinafter referred to as HDD) corresponding to the external storage unit, and transfers each read program to the memory area to start it. The hardware resource 4 includes a black and white laser printer (B & W LP) 11, a color laser printer (Color LP) 12, a hardware resource 13 such as a scanner or a facsimile 13 and image conversion hardware (MLC) 43.

  The software group 2 includes an application layer 5 and a platform 6 activated on an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) such as UNIX (registered trademark). The application layer 5 includes programs that perform processing specific to user services relating to image formation, such as a printer, copy, fax, and scanner.

  The application layer 5 includes a printer application 21 that is a printer application, a copy application 22 that is a copy application, a fax application 23 that is a fax application, and a scanner application 24 that is a scanner application. The platform 6 interprets a processing request from the application layer 5 and generates a hardware resource 4 acquisition request, and manages one or more hardware resources 4 to control the control service layer 9 A system resource manager (hereinafter referred to as SRM) 39 that arbitrates acquisition requests and a handler layer 10 that manages hardware resources 4 in response to acquisition requests from the SRM 39 are included.

  The control service layer 9 includes a network control service (hereinafter referred to as NCS) 31, a delivery control service (hereinafter referred to as DCS) 32, an operation panel control service (hereinafter referred to as OCS) 33, and a fax control service (hereinafter referred to as FCS) 34. , Engine control service (hereinafter referred to as ECS) 35, memory control service (hereinafter referred to as MCS) 36, user information control service (hereinafter referred to as UCS) 37, system control service (hereinafter referred to as SCS) 38, etc. The service module is configured to be included. The platform 6 has an API 53 that can receive a processing request from the application layer 5 using a predefined function. The OS executes the software of the application layer 5 and the platform 6 in parallel as processes.

  The process of the NCS 31 provides a service that can be commonly used for applications that require network I / O, and distributes data received by each protocol from the network side to each application, or data from each application. Mediation when sending to the network side. For example, the NCS 31 controls data communication with a network device connected via a network by HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol Daemon) by HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol).

  The process of the DCS 32 performs control such as distribution of stored documents. The process of the OCS 33 controls an operation panel serving as information transmission means between the operator and the main body control. The FCS 34 process provides APIs to perform fax transmission / reception using the PSTN or ISDN network from the application layer 5, registration / quotation of various fax data managed in the backup memory, fax reading, fax reception printing, etc. To do. The process of the ECS 35 controls engine units such as the monochrome laser printer 11, the color laser printer 12, and the hardware resource 13. The process of the MCS 36 performs memory control such as acquisition and release of memory and use of the HDD. The UCS 37 manages user information. The process of the SCS 38 performs processing such as application management, operation unit control, system screen display, LED display, hardware resource management, and interrupt application control. The process of the SRM 39, together with the SCS 38, controls the system and manages the hardware resources 4. For example, the process of the SRM 39 performs arbitration in accordance with an acquisition request from an upper layer using the hardware resource 4 such as the black and white laser printer 11 and the color laser printer 12 and controls execution.

  Specifically, the process of the SRM 39 determines whether or not the requested hardware resource 4 is available (whether it is not used by another acquisition request). The higher layer is notified that the resource 4 is available. In addition, the process of the SRM 39 performs scheduling for using the hardware resource 4 in response to an acquisition request from an upper layer, and the request contents (for example, paper conveyance and image forming operation by the printer engine, memory allocation, file generation, etc.) Has been implemented directly.

  The handler layer 10 includes a fax control unit handler (hereinafter referred to as FCUH) 40 for managing a fax control unit (hereinafter referred to as FCU), and an image memory handler for allocating memory to the process and managing the memory allocated to the process. (Hereinafter referred to as IMH) 41. The MEU 42 controls the MLC 43. The SRM 39 and the FCUH 40 make a processing request for the hardware resource 4 by using the engine I / F 54 that can transmit the processing request for the hardware resource 4 by a predefined function.

  The multi-function apparatus 1 can process the processing commonly required for each application by the platform 6.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the compound machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. The multi-function apparatus 1 includes a controller 60, an operation panel 70, an FCU 80, a USB device 90, an IEEE 1394 device 100, an MLC 110, and an engine unit 120.

  The controller 60 includes a CPU 61, a system memory (MEM-P) 62, a north bridge (hereinafter referred to as NB) 63, a south bridge (hereinafter referred to as SB) 64, an ASIC 66, a local memory (MEM-C) 67, and an HDD 68. . The operation panel 70 is connected to the ASIC 66 of the controller 60. The MLC 43, FCU 80, USB device 90, IEEE 1394 device 100, and engine unit 120 are connected to the ASIC 66 of the controller 60 via a PCI bus. In the controller 60, the local memory 67, the HDD 68, and the like are connected to the ASIC 66, and the CPU 61 and the ASIC 66 are connected via the NB 63 of the CPU chip set. In this way, if the CPU 61 and the ASIC 66 are connected via the NB 63, it is possible to cope with a case where the interface of the CPU 61 is not disclosed. The ASIC 66 and the NB 63 are not connected via a PCI bus, but are connected via an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) 65. Thus, in order to control the execution of one or more processes forming the application layer 5 and the platform 6 in FIG. 1, the ASIC 66 and the NB 63 are connected via the AGP 65 instead of the low-speed PCI bus to prevent performance degradation. It is out.

  The CPU 61 performs overall control of the compound machine 1. The CPU 61 causes the NCS 31, DCS 32, OCS 33, FCS 34, ECS 35, MCS 36, UCS 37, SCS 38, SRM 39, FCUH 40, IMH 41, and MEU 42 to start and execute as processes on the OS, respectively, and to form the application layer 5. The copy application 22, the fax application 23, and the scanner application 24 are activated and executed. The NB 63 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 61, the system memory 62, the SB 64, and the ASIC 66. The system memory 62 is a memory used as a drawing memory or the like of the multifunction machine 1. The SB 64 is a bridge for connecting the NB 63 to the ROM, PCI bus, and peripheral device. The local memory 67 is a memory used as a copy image buffer and a code buffer.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an inspection procedure for inspecting whether or not the user matches when the address book registered before the security policy setting is re-registered to match the security policy in the present embodiment. .

  In the figure, when the inspection is started, the inspection is performed for each user (steps S101 and S102). If there is a problem, that is, if the user's security information does not match when re-registering the address book registered before the security policy setting to match the security policy, the user is considered to have a problem. Is held (steps S103 and S104). This processing is performed for all users, and when the processing is completed for all users (No in step S102), the held users are displayed on the operation panel 70 (step S105), and printing is executed when printing is performed (step S105). S106, S107) If printing is not performed, the process is terminated.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when automatic correction is performed. In the case of automatic correction, when automatic correction is started, the user is inspected (step S201), and then the target user is corrected (steps S202 and S203). As a result of the correction, if the target user has a mail address, the result is transmitted by mail (steps S204 and S205). Although not shown in the drawing, automatic correction is not performed, and a user who has a problem may be sent an email for correction, and the user (user) may make the actual change.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when the user is inspected when logging in for use and a warning is displayed if there is a problem with the security information. That is, when logging in, the user is inspected (step S301), and if there is a problem, a warning is displayed (steps S302 and S303), and then the main body is used (step S304), and again when logging out (step S305). An inspection is performed (step S306), and if there is a problem, a warning is displayed (steps S307 and S303), and the processing after step S304 is repeated. The logout may be disabled until there is no problem. If there is no problem in step S302, the process jumps to step S304 as it is and executes the process of step S304.

  3, 4, and 5 are performed by expanding a program stored in a ROM (not shown) into a RAM and executing the program by the CPU.

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
1) It is possible to check that the address book is appropriate for the security setting.
2) Since automatic correction is performed all at once, the management effort can be saved and security threats due to omission of settings can be reduced.
3) Since the correction result can be printed, it is not necessary to write down the processing result. 4) Since an e-mail can be sent to a user who needs correction, it is possible to save the administrator from notifying the user.
5) Since the user receives a warning that the user makes corrections at the time of use, it can be expected that the users make corrections themselves.
6) Since the use cannot be terminated unless it is corrected at the time of use, the correction is performed reliably. There are effects such as.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the compound machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the compound machine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the test | inspection procedure which test | inspects whether a user is in agreement, when it re-registers so that it may correspond with a security policy with respect to the address book registered before the security policy setting. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in the case of performing automatic correction | amendment. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in the case of performing a user's test | inspection when a user logs in for use and there is a problem in security information, and displaying a warning.

Explanation of symbols

1 Fusion machine 61 CPU
70 Operation Panel

Claims (2)

An address book that holds entry information including passwords of users who use the device body;
Address book inspection means for inspecting whether the address book holds entry information including the password that matches the security policy set in the apparatus main body,
When a user logs in to the apparatus main body, if it is determined that a password that does not match the security policy is used in the user check by the address book checking means, a warning that prompts correction to match the password with the security policy an image forming apparatus characterized in that e Bei and modifications warning means for performing, the. And an address book that you want to hold the entry information, including the user's password to use the instrumentation Okimoto body,
Address book checking means for checking whether the address book holds entry information including the password that matches a security policy set in the apparatus main body;
When the user logs in to the apparatus main body, if it is determined that a password that does not match the security policy is used in the user check by the address book checking means, the user logs out until the password is corrected to match the security policy. images forming device you characterized in that example Bei and logout Call means, for improper.

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