# US 12,003,687 B1 · Image forming apparatus and control method with user authorization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,687 B1 - Document ID: US12003687B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/190,904 - Filed: 2023-03-27 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2023-03-27 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Ryuichi Aoyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003687B1 ## CPC - H04N 1/4433: {to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function} - G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job} - G06F 3/1238: {Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs} - G06F 21/36: by graphic or iconic representation - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract According to one embodiment, in a non-transitory storage medium, a computer program is recorded so that a computer of an image forming apparatus executes a code acquisition step, a transmission step, an authority setting acquisition step, and a reflection step. The code acquisition step is to acquire a code for acquiring authority setting information including execution authority indicating a function to be permitted to use among functions of the image forming apparatus. The transmission step is to transmit the acquired code to a server that issued the code. The authority setting acquisition step is to acquire the authority setting information from the server. The reflection step is to reflect the acquired authority setting information in the image forming apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an image forming apparatus to perform operations comprising: acquiring a code issued by a server, the code configured to instruct an operation for acquiring authorization setting information including an execution authorization indicating one of a plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus is permitted; transmitting the acquired code to the server; acquiring the authorization setting information from the server; and reflecting the acquired authorization setting information in an operation of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authorization setting information includes a valid period, the valid period defining a time the use of the image forming apparatus is permitted, and in response to determining that the valid period is invalid, the image forming apparatus ends the process and indicates a login failure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the authorization setting information includes identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus of a plurality of image forming apparatuses permitted for use. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the authorization setting information includes file execution information limiting permission to use the image forming apparatus to process an identified file. ### Claim 4 A control method for an image forming system including an image forming apparatus and an issuing server, the control method comprising: creating, by the issuing server, authorization setting information including an execution authorization indicating one of a plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus is permitted and file execution information limiting permission to use the image forming apparatus to process an identified file; issuing, by the issuing server, a code indicating the authorization setting information was created; acquiring, by the image forming apparatus, a code issued by the issuing server; transmitting, by the image forming apparatus, the acquired code to the issuing server; acquiring, by the image forming apparatus, the authorization setting information from the server; and reflecting, by the image forming apparatus, the acquired authorization setting information in an operation of the image forming apparatus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the authorization setting information includes a valid period, the valid period defining a time the use of the image forming apparatus is permitted, wherein the code indicating the authorization setting information includes the acquired valid period and is issued by the issuing server. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein in response to determining that the valid period is invalid, the image forming apparatus ends the process and indicates a login failure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the authorization setting information includes identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus of a plurality of image forming apparatuses permitted for use. ### Claim 8 An image forming apparatus comprising: a code acquirer configured to acquire a code issued by a server, the code configured to instruct an operation to for acquiring authorization setting information including an execution authorization indicating one of a plurality of functions of the image forming apparatus is permitted; a transmitter configured to transmit the acquired code to the server; an authorization setting acquirer configured to acquire the authorization setting information from the server; and a reflector configured to reflect the acquired authorization setting information in an operation of the image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is communicably coupled to a user terminal configured to: receive authorization setting information from a user; and send the authorization setting information to the image forming apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the authorization setting information includes a valid period, the valid period defining a time the use of the image forming apparatus is permitted. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in response to determining that the valid period is invalid, the image forming apparatus ends the process and indicates a login failure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the authorization setting information includes identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus of a plurality of image forming apparatuses permitted for use. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the authorization setting information includes file execution information limiting permission to use the image forming apparatus to process an identified file. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the code acquirer is a code reader configured to read a code presented by a user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the code presented by the user is one of a barcode or a two-dimensional code. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display and a control panel comprising a plurality of buttons configured to accept or reject a user operation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the code acquirer is a scanner.