# US 8,274,687 B2 · Image forming apparatus, access control method, and computer-readable recording medium recording access control program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,274,687 B2 - Document ID: US8274687B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/435,727 - Filed: 2009-05-05 - Published: 2009-11-26 - Granted: 2012-09-25 - Earliest claimed: 2008-05-26 - Assignees: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Shin Ohba; Eiichi Yoshida; Kenichi Matsumoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8274687B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/1287: {via internet} - 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 3/1239: {Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts} - G06F 3/1272: {Digital storefront, e.g. e-ordering, web2print, submitting a job from a remote submission screen} - G06F 3/1288: {in client-server-printer device configuration} - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes: a communication interface accessing Web addresses; a memory for storing predetermined addresses; a first determination unit for determining whether the image forming apparatus is in a first state that access of the image forming apparatus is limited to the predetermined addresses or a second state that the image forming apparatus is permitted to access any addresses; a second determination unit for determining whether a designated address is included in the predetermined addresses, when the image forming apparatus is in the first state; and a permission unit for giving to the communication interface permission to access the designated address, when the designated address is included in the predetermined addresses. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: a communication interface for accessing Web addresses; a memory for storing predetermined addresses; a first determination unit for determining whether said image forming apparatus is in a first state that access of said image forming apparatus is limited to said predetermined addresses or a second state that said image forming apparatus is permitted to access any addresses; a second determination unit for determining whether a designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, when said first determination unit determines that said image forming apparatus is in said first state; and a permission unit for giving to said communication interface permission to access said designated address, when said second determination unit determines that said designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, wherein in said first state, use of Web browser is permitted during only a predetermined period, and in said second state, the use of said Web browser is not restricted, and wherein the image forming apparatus keeps a count of printed sheets printed based on an image data received by said communication interface and does not keep the count when the image forming apparatus is in the first state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said second determination unit determines that said designated address is not included in said predetermined addresses, said permission unit prohibits said communication interface from accessing the designated address. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory previously stores at least one URL as said predetermined address. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying an image based on image data received by said communication interface. ### Claim 5 An image forming apparatus comprising a communication interface for accessing Web addresses; a memory for storing predetermined addresses; a first determination unit for determining whether said image forming apparatus is in a first state that access of said image forming apparatus is limited to said predetermined addresses or a second state that said image forming apparatus is permitted to access any addresses; a second determination unit for determining whether a designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, when said first determination unit determines that said image forming apparatus is in said first state; a permission unit for giving to said communication interface permission to access said designated address, when said second determination unit determines that said designated address is included in said predetermined addresses; a printer for printing out an image based on image data received by said communication interface; and a counter for keeping a count of printed sheets of paper at the time when said printer prints, wherein when said first determination unit determines that the image forming apparatus is in the first state, said counter does not keep a count of printed sheets of paper based on said image data received by said communication interface, wherein in said first state, use of said Web browser is permitted during only a predetermined period, and in said second state, the use of said Web browser is not restricted. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a scanner for scanning an image to obtain image data, wherein said communication interface uploads said image data onto said designated address. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an edit unit that performs an editing process on said image data uploaded by said communication interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said editing process includes at least one of an OCR process, a file format conversion process, a translation process and a bind process. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined addresses include a URL for giving a voice guidance. ### Claim 10 An access control method in an image forming apparatus including a communication interface for accessing Web addresses, and a memory for storing predetermined addresses, said access control method comprising the steps of: determining whether said image forming apparatus is in a first state that access of said image forming apparatus is limited to said predetermined addresses or a second state that said image forming apparatus is permitted to access any addresses; determining whether a designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, when said image forming apparatus is in the first state; and giving to said communication interface permission to access the designated address, when said designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, wherein in said first state, use of Web browser is permitted during only a predetermined period, and in said second state, the use of said Web browser is not restricted, and wherein the access control method keeps a count of printed sheets printed based on an image data received by said communication interface and does not keep the count when the image forming apparatus is in the first state. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The access control method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of prohibiting said communication interface from accessing the designated address, when said designated address is not included in said predetermined addresses. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The access control method according to claim 10, wherein said memory previously stores at least one URL as said predetermined address. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The access control method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying an image based on image data received by said communication interface. ### Claim 14 An access control method in an image forming apparatus including a communication interface for accessing Web addresses, and a memory for storing predetermined addresses, comprising the steps of: determining whether said image forming apparatus is in a first state that access of said image forming apparatus is limited to said predetermined addresses or a second state that said image forming apparatus is permitted to access any addresses; determining whether a designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, when said image forming apparatus is in the first state; giving to said communication interface permission to access the designated address, when said designated address is included in said predetermined addresses; printing out an image based on image data received by said communication interface; keeping a count of printed sheets of paper that is not based on image data received by said communication interface, when the image forming apparatus is in said first state; and keeping a count of printed sheets of paper, when the image forming apparatus is in said second state, wherein in said first state, use of Web browser is permitted during only a predetermined period, and in said second state, the use of said Web browser is not restricted. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The access control method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of: scanning an image to obtain image data; and uploading said image data onto said designated address through said communication interface. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an access control program executed by an image forming apparatus including a processor, a communication interface for accessing Web addresses, and a memory for storing predetermined addresses, said access control program causing said processor to execute the steps of: determining whether said image forming apparatus is in a first state that access of said image forming apparatus is limited to the predetermined addresses or a second state that said image forming apparatus is permitted to access any addresses; determining whether a designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, when said image forming apparatus is in the first state; and giving to said communication interface permission to access the designated address, when said designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, wherein in said first state, use of Web browser is permitted during only a predetermined period, and in said second state, the use of said Web browser is not restricted, and wherein the access control program keeps a count of printed sheets printed based on an image data received by said communication interface and does not keep the count when the image forming apparatus is in the first state. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when said second determination unit determines that said designated address is not included in said predetermined addresses, said permission unit prohibits said communication interface from accessing the designated address. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The access control method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of prohibiting said communication interface from accessing the designated address, when said designated address is not included in said predetermined addresses. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording an access control program executed by an image forming apparatus including a processor, a communication interface for accessing Web addresses, and a memory for storing predetermined addresses, said access control program causing said processor to execute the steps of: determining whether said image forming apparatus is in a first state that access of said image forming apparatus is limited to said predetermined addresses or a second state that said image forming apparatus is permitted to access any addresses; determining whether a designated address is included in said predetermined addresses, when said image forming apparatus is in the first state; giving to said communication interface permission to access the designated address, when said designated address is included in said predetermined addresses; printing out an image based on image data received by said communication interface; keeping a count of printed sheets of paper that is not based on image data received by said communication interface, when the image forming apparatus is in said first state; and keeping a count of printed sheets of paper, when the image forming apparatus is in said second state, wherein in said first state, use of Web browser is permitted during only a predetermined period, and in said second state, the use of said Web browser is not restricted.