Control apparatus and method for interacting with and controlling via a network authentication information required for image processing by an imaging device and computer-readable storage medium storing program for causing computer to function as the control apparatus

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as a control apparatus that is able to communicate over a network with an imaging apparatus a plurality of imaging apparatuses and a plurality of authentication information acquisition devices, which plurality of imaging apparatuses include respective display sections and execute respective jobs each which a display section and execute˜a job including at least one of an image formation job and an image processing job, whether the imaging apparatus any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses is permitted to execute the job being determined in accordance with an authentication result based on first authentication information acquired from a user by one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices which one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices corresponds to any of the plurality of imaging apparatuses, the control apparatus comprising:

• a corresponding image apparatus information storage section which stores correspondence information between said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices and said plurality of imaging apparatuses any of which is permitted to execute the job in accordance with the authentication result based on the first authentication information that the corresponding one of the plurality of authentication information acquisition devices has acquired;
• authentication screen transmitting means for transmitting, to any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses over the network, data of an authentication screen which is displayed on the display section of any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses and which prompts the user to make preparations to cause a corresponding one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices to acquire the first authentication information;
• control means for controlling the any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices over the network, so as to cause the any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices to acquire the first authentication information;
• authentication information receiving means for receiving, over the network, the first authentication information that the any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices has acquired;
• and
• permitting means for permitting any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses to execute the job, in accordance with the authentication result based on the first authentication information that the authentication information receiving means has received said any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses which is permitted by the permitting means to execute the job corresponding to, in the correspondence information stored in the corresponding imaging apparatus information storage section, a one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices which has transmitted the first authentication information to the authentication information receiving means.

An imaging apparatus control system comprising:

• (i) a control apparatus
• (ii) a plurality of imaging apparatuses;
• (iii)a plurality of authentication information acquisition devices;
• wherein said control apparatus is able to communicate over a network said plurality of imaging apparatuses and said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices, each of which plurality of imaging apparatuses includes a respective display section and executes respective jobs each and executing a job including at least one of an image formation job and an image processing job, whether any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses the imaging apparatus is permitted to execute the job being determined in accordance with an authentication result based on first authentication information that an authentication information acquisition device acquires from a user acquired from a user by one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices which one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices corresponds to one of said plurality of imaging apparatuses, and the control apparatus comprises:
• a corresponding imaging apparatus information storage section which stores correspondence information between said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices and said plurality of imaging apparatuses any of which is permitted to execute the job in 4 accordance with the authentication result based on the first authentication information that the corresponding one of the plurality of authentication information acquisition devices has acquired;
• authentication screen transmitting means for transmitting, any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses over the network, data of an authentication screen which is displayed on the display section of any said plurality of imaging apparatuses and which prompts the user to make preparations to cause a corresponding one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices to acquire the first authentication information;
• control means for controlling any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices over the network, so as to cause any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices to acquire the first authentication information;
• authentication information receiving means for receiving, over the network, the first authentication information that any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices has acquired;
• and permitting means for permitting any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses to execute the job, in accordance with the authentication result based on the first authentication information that the authentication information receiving means has received said any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses which is permitted by the permitting means to execute the job corresponding to, in the correspondence information stored in the corresponding imaging apparatus information storage section, a one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices which has transmitted the first authentication information to the authentication information receiving means.

A control method for controlling, by a control apparatus over a network, a plurality of authentication information acquisition devices that acquire from a user first authentication information required for authentication and (ii a plurality of imaging apparatuses that each includes a display section and executes respective jobs including at least one of an image formation job and an image processing job, wherein whether the any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses is permitted to execute the job is determined in accordance with an authentication result based on the first authentication information acquired from a user by one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices which one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices corresponds to any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses that the authentication information acquisition device acquires from the user, said control method comprising the steps of:

• (1) storing in a corresponding imaging information storage section correspondence information between said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices and said plurality of imaging devices any of which is permitted to execute the job in accordance with the first authentication information that the corresponding one of the plurality of authentication information acquisition devices has acquired;
• transmitting, by authentication screen transmitting means of the control apparatus, data of an authentication screen which is displayed on the display section of the any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses and which prompts the user to make preparations to cause a corresponding one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices to acquire the first authentication information, to any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses over the network;
• (2) controlling, by control means of the control apparatus, any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices over the network, so as to cause any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices to acquire the first authentication information;
• (3) receiving over the network, by authentication information receiving means of the control apparatus, the first authentication information that the any of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices has acquired;
• and
• (4) permitting, by permitting means of the control apparatus, the any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses to execute the job, in accordance with the authentication result based on the first authentication information that has been received in the step (3);
• wherein said any of said plurality of imaging apparatuses which is permitted by the permitting means to execute the job corresponding to, in the correspondence information stored in the corresponding imaging information apparatus storage section, a one of said plurality of authentication information acquisition devices which has transmitted the first authentication information to the authentication information receiving means.