Image forming apparatus and authentication method
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorShohhei Moroi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.
Claims12
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- hardware resources including at least a scanner and a printer;
- a memory to store platform software that controls the scanner and the printer, and store software having at least an authentication function that performs user restriction when the software is installed into the image forming apparatus separately from the platform software;
- a user interface including a display;
- and
- processing circuitry configured to
- cause the display to display an authentication screen to input authentication information of a user before displaying a copy function screen for executing a copy function of the image forming apparatus, when the software is installed,
- receive the authentication information input to the authentication screen, and
- cause the display to display the copy function screen, in response to an authentication result based on the authentication information being successful.
A method for an image forming apparatus that includes hardware resources including at least a scanner and a printer, a memory to store platform software that controls the scanner and the printer, and store software having at least an authentication function that performs user restriction when the software is installed into the image forming apparatus separately from the platform software, and a user interface including a display, the method comprising:
- causing, by processing circuitry, the display to display an authentication screen to input authentication information of a user before displaying a copy function screen for executing a copy function of the image forming apparatus, when the software is installed;
- receiving, by the processing circuitry, the authentication information input to the authentication screen;
- and
- causing, by the processing circuitry, the display to display the copy function screen, in response to an authentication result based on the authentication information being successful.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by an image forming apparatus that includes hardware resources including at least a scanner and a printer, a memory to store platform software that controls the scanner and the printer, and store software having at least an authentication function that performs user restriction when the software is installed into the image forming apparatus separately from the platform software, and a user interface including a display, cause the image forming apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:
- causing the display to display an authentication screen to input authentication information of a user before displaying a copy function screen for executing a copy function of the image forming apparatus, when the software is installed;
- receiving the authentication information input to the authentication screen;
- and
- causing the display to display the copy function screen, in response to an authentication result based on the authentication information being successful.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.