System and method for authenticating a user of an image processing system

A system for authenticating a user of an image processing system, comprising:

• an authentication device corresponding to an image processing device and configured to receive user credentials;
• a first communications interface at the image processing device configured to transmit the user credentials to a monitoring server remotely connected to the image processing device via a network;
• a second communications interface at the monitoring server configured to receive the user credentials transmitted from the authentication device;
• a first module, at the monitoring server, configured to judge validity of the user credentials by comparing the received user credentials to stored user data;
• the monitoring server configured to allow access to a document manager server remotely connected to each of the monitoring server and the image processing device based on a result of said judging;
• the first communications interface at the image processing device configured to request access to at least one of a plurality of backend applications available at an application server remotely connected to each of the monitoring server, the document manager server and the image processing device via the network;
• a second module at the document manager server configured to determine that the at least one of a plurality of backend applications requires user authentication, and generate a template indicating user credential information necessary for a user to be authenticated at the at least one of a plurality of backend applications;
• and
• a third communications interface at the document manager server configured to transmit a request for at least the user credentials to the monitoring server, wherein
• the second module at the document manager server is further configured to complete the template indicating user credential information using the user credentials received from the monitoring server, which were previously transmitted to the monitoring server from the authentication device.

A system for authenticating a user of an image processing system, comprising:

• means for receiving user credentials at an authentication device corresponding to an image processing device;
• means for transmitting the user credentials to a monitoring server remotely connected to the image processing device via a network;
• means for judging, at the monitoring server, validity of the user credentials by comparing the received user credentials to stored user data;
• means for allowing access to a document manager server remotely connected to each of the monitoring server and the image processing device based on a result of said judging;
• means for requesting, at the image processing device, access to at least one of a plurality of backend applications available at an application server remotely connected to each of the monitoring server, the document manager server and the image processing device via the network;
• means for determining, at the document manager server, that the at least one of a plurality of backend applications requires user authentication;
• means for generating, at the document manager server, a template indicating user credential information necessary for a user to be authenticated at the at least one of a plurality of backend applications;
• means for transmitting, from the document manager sever, a request for at least the user credentials to the monitoring server;
• and
• means for completing, at the document manager server, the template indicating user credential information using the user credentials received from the monitoring server, which were previously transmitted to the monitoring server from the authentication device.