Image Forming Apparatus and Image Forming System
AssigneeKyocera Mita Corporation
InventorSachiko Yoshimura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes an application management unit that detects a restricted function of which use by a given user is inhibited from among functions within an application. The image forming apparatus further includes a function monitoring unit that registers the restricted function detected by the application management unit, and inhibits the user from executing the restricted function.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a controller unit configured to control an operation of, and/or input or output of data with, at least a printer unit and a scanner unit responsive to instructions from an application;
- an application management unit configured to detect a restricted function of which use by a given user is inhibited from among a plurality of functions within the application;
- and
- a function monitoring unit configured to register the restricted function detected by the application management unit, intercept instructions sent from the application to the controller unit, determine whether an intercepted instruction requests the restricted function, and responsive to determining that the intercepted instruction does request the restricted function, inhibit the user from executing the restricted function.
An image forming system, comprising:
- a server device;
- and
- an image forming apparatus,
- wherein the server device comprises:
- a storage unit configured to store account data for each user, the account data including a restricted function of which use by the user is inhibited from among a plurality of functions within an application;
- and
- a communication unit configured to communicate with the image forming apparatus in order to provide requested account data, and
- wherein the image forming apparatus comprises:
- a controller unit configured to control an operation of, and/or input or output of data with, at least a printer unit and a scanner unit responsive to instructions from the application;
- a communication unit configured to communicate with the server device to request account data;
- an application management unit configured to retrieve the account data from the storage unit of the server device using the communication unit, and detect the restricted function regarding a given user from the retrieved account data;
- and
- a function monitoring unit configured to register the restricted function detected by the application management unit, intercept instructions sent from the application to the controller unit, determine whether an intercepted instruction requests the restricted function, and responsive to determining that the intercepted instruction does request the restricted function, inhibit the user from executing the restricted function.
An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
- controlling an operation of, and/or input or output of data with, at least a printer unit and a scanner unit responsive to instructions from an application;
- detecting a restricted function of which use by a given user is inhibited from among a plurality of functions within the application;
- registering the restricted function detected by the application management unit;
- intercepting instructions sent from the application for use in the controlling of the printer unit and scanner unit;
- determining whether an intercepted instruction requests the restricted function;
- and
- responsive to determining that the intercepted instruction does request the restricted function, inhibiting the user from executing the restricted function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.