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US 8,898,084 B2Granted
Image formation apparatus capable of personal authentication, control method of image formation apparatus, and computer readable medium having software program stored therein
AssigneeKonica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTaketoshi Yamahata, Katsushi Sukigara, Koichi Nagata, Kana Yamauchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A general user given beforehand a proxy right by an administrator is allowed to register a special user having the right to use an apparatus in a range of the function right equal to that of himself by operating a special user setting window.
Claims14
An image formation apparatus comprising:
- an operation panel receiving an input of authentication information for personal authentication such that authentication can be verified;
- a storage device storing first right information for a plurality of general users;
- a general user setting permission portion permitting, when an authentication of an administrator is verified, initiation of a general user setting process for setting first right information of a general user from the plurality of general users;
- a general user registration portion registering, when said general user setting process is initiated, (i) information indicating whether a special right to set said second right information of the special user, different from the general user, is granted and (ii) function information indicating a function of which use right can be given to said special user, based on said first right information of said general user, in said storage device;
- a special right determination portion determining whether said general user, when authenticated, has a special right to set second right information of a special user, different from the general user, based on said first right information of said general user stored in said storage device;
- a processing unit permitting, when (i) said authentication of said general user is verified in said image formation apparatus and (ii) it is determined by said special right determination portion that said authenticated general user has said special right, initiation of a special user setting process for setting said second right information for the special user different from said authenticated general user whose first right information is already stored in said storage device;
- a processing unit registering, when said special user setting process is initiated, said second right information of said special user in said storage device separate from said first right information, within a range of said first right information corresponding to said authenticated general user when receiving permission of initiation of the special user setting process from the authenticated general user;
- a processing unit allowing, when said authentication of said special user is verified in said image formation apparatus, the use of at least one of a plurality of functions of the image formation apparatus according to said second right information of the special user, wherein said functions include a copy function, a print function, a scan function, a facsimile function, and a box function;
- and
- a processing unit invalidating said second right information of said special user registered in said storage device in response to satisfaction of a predetermined invalidation condition.
7 more elements
A control method of an image formation apparatus comprising the steps of:
- accepting, by an operation panel, an input of authentication information for personal authentication;
- performing personal authentication, in said image formation apparatus, based on the authentication information accepted in said step of accepting the input of authentication information;
- permitting initiation, in said image formation apparatus, of a general user setting process for setting first right information of a general user, when an administrator is authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication, said general user setting process includes registering (i) information indicating whether a special right to set second right information of a special user, different from the general user, is granted and (ii) function information indicating an image formation function of which use right can be given to said special user, based on said first right information of said general user;
- determining, in said image formation apparatus, whether said general user, when authenticated, has a special right to set said second right information of said special user, based on registered said first right information of said general user;
- permitting initiation, in said image formation apparatus, of a special user setting process for setting second right information for a special user different from a general user whose first right information is already set, when (i) said general user is authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication and (ii) it is determined by said step of determining that said general user authenticated by said step of performing personal authentication has said special right;
- when said special user setting process is initiated, registering said second right information of said special user within a range of said first right information corresponding to said general user authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication when receiving the permission of initiation of the special user setting process;
- when said special user is authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication, allowing at least one of a plurality of functions of said image formation apparatus, according to the second right information of the special user, wherein said functions include a copy function, a print function, a scan function, a facsimile function, and a box function;
- and
- invalidating, in said image formation apparatus, said second right information of said special user in response to satisfaction of a predetermined invalidation condition.
6 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium having a software program stored therein, said software program being installed in an image formation apparatus including a processor to cause the processor to execute the steps of:
- accepting an input of authentication information for personal authentication;
- performing personal authentication, in said image formation apparatus, based on the authentication information accepted in said step of accepting the input of authentication information;
- permitting initiation of a general user setting process for setting first right information of a general user, when an administrator is authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication, said general user setting process includes registering (i) information indicating whether a special right to set second right information of a special user, different from the general user, is granted and (ii) function information indicating an image formation function of which use right can be given to said special user, based said first right information of said general user;
- determining whether said general user, when authenticated, has a special right to set said second right information of said special user, based on registered said first right information of said general user;
- permitting initiation of a special user setting process for setting second right information of a special user different from a general whose first right information is already set, when (i) said general user is authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication and (ii) it is determined by said step of determining that said general user authenticated by said step of performing personal authentication has said special right;
- when said special user setting process is initiated, registering said second right information of said special user within a range of said first right information corresponding to said general user authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication when receiving the permission of initiation of the special user setting process;
- when said special user is authenticated in said step of performing personal authentication, allowing at least one of a plurality of functions of said image formation apparatus, according to the second right information of the special user, wherein said functions include a copy function, a print function, a scan function, a facsimile function, and a box function;
- and
- invalidating said second right information of said special user in response to satisfaction of a predetermined invalidation condition.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.