Control apparatus for communicating with an imaging apparatus and an authentication information acquisition device, communication system, control method, and computer-readable storage medium

A communication system, comprising:

• an imaging apparatus for executing a job including at least one of image formation and image processing;
• a plurality of authentication information acquisition devices for acquiring, from a user, authentication information necessary for authentication, and
• a control apparatus configured to communicate with the imaging apparatus and a selected one of the authentication information acquisition devices via a network interface,
• the control apparatus comprising:
• device driver means for controlling operation of the authentication information acquisition devices via the network interface so that the selected authentication information acquisition device acquires authentication information;
• authentication information receiving means for receiving, from the selected authentication information acquisition device via the network interface, the authentication information acquired by the selected authentication information acquisition device;
• operation control means for controlling the imaging apparatus in accordance with the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving means;
• transmission destination storage section in which identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device and identification information for identifying a selected one of a plurality of authentication servers that authenticates the user in accordance with the authentication information are stored so as to be correlated with each other;
• device identifying means for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device that has transmitted the authentication information to the authentication information receiving means;
• authentication information transmitting means (a) for acquiring, from the transmission destination storage section, the authentication server identification information corresponding to the identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device identified by the device identifying means, and (b) for transmitting, to the selected authentication server indicated by the identification information thus acquired, the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving means;
• and
• authentication result receiving means for receiving a result of authentication of the user from the selected authentication server, wherein
• the operation control means controls operation of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the result of authentication received by the authentication result receiving means.

A communication system including an imaging apparatus for executing a job including at least one of image formation and image processing, a plurality of authentication information acquisition devices for acquiring, from a user, authentication information necessary for authentication, a plurality of authentication servers configured to communicate with the imaging apparatus via a network interface, and a control apparatus configured to communicate with the authentication information acquisition devices and the authentication servers via the network interface,

• the control apparatus comprising:
• device driver means for controlling operation of the authentication information acquisition devices via the network interface so that a selected one of the authentication information acquisition devices acquires the authentication information;
• authentication information receiving means for receiving, from the selected authentication information acquisition device via the network interface, the authentication information acquired by the selected authentication information acquisition device;
• authentication information transmitting means for transmitting, to a selected one of the authentication servers, the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving means;
• transmission destination storage section in which identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device and identification information for identifying the selected authentication server that authenticates the user in accordance with the authentication information are stored so as to be correlated with each other;
• device identifying means for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device that has transmitted the authentication information to the authentication information receiving means;
• authentication information transmitting means (a) for acquiring, from the transmission destination storage section, the authentication server identification information corresponding to the identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device identified by the device identifying means, and (b) for transmitting, to the selected authentication server indicated by the identification information thus acquired, the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving means;
• and
• authentication result receiving means for receiving a result of authentication of the user from the selected authentication server, wherein
• the operation control means controls operation of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the result of authentication received by the authentication result receiving means,
• the selected authentication server comprising:
• authenticating means for authenticating the user in accordance with the authentication information received from the control apparatus;
• and
• operation control means for controlling the imaging apparatus in accordance with a result of authentication performed by the authenticating means.

A method for controlling, via a network interface, an imaging apparatus for executing a job including at least one of image formation and image processing and a plurality of authentication information acquisition devices for acquiring, from a user, authentication information necessary for authentication, the method comprising:

• a device driver step of controlling operation of the authentication information acquisition devices via the network interface so that a selected one of the authentication information acquisition devices acquires authentication information;
• an authentication information receiving step of receiving, from the selected authentication information acquisition device via the network interface, the authentication information acquired by the selected authentication information acquisition device;
• an operation control step of controlling the imaging apparatus in accordance with the authentication information received in the authentication information receiving step;
• a transmission destination storage step in which identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device and identification information for identifying a selected one of a plurality of authentication servers that authenticates the user in accordance with the authentication information are stored so as to be correlated with each other;
• a device identifying step for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device that has transmitted the authentication information in the authentication information receiving step;
• an authentication information transmitting step (a) for acquiring the authentication server identification information corresponding to the identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device identified in the device identifying step, and (b) for transmitting, to the selected authentication server indicated by the identification information thus acquired, the authentication information received in the authentication information receiving step;
• and
• an authentication result receiving step for receiving a result of authentication of the user from the selected authentication server, wherein
• the operation control means controls operation of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the result of authentication received in the authentication result receiving step.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a program for operating a computer as means of a control apparatus configured to communicate via a network interface with (i) an imaging apparatus for executing a job including at least one of image formation and image processing and (ii) a plurality of authentication information acquisition devices for acquiring, from a user, authentication information necessary for authentication, the control apparatus including:

• device driver means for controlling operation of the authentication information acquisition devices via the network interface so that a selected one of the authentication information acquisition devices acquires authentication information;
• authentication information receiving means for receiving, from the selected authentication information acquisition device via the network interface, the authentication information acquired by the selected authentication information acquisition device;
• operation control means for controlling the imaging apparatus in accordance with the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving means;
• transmission destination storage section in which identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device and identification information for identifying a selected one of a plurality of authentication servers that authenticates the user in accordance with the authentication information are stored so as to be correlated with each other;
• device identifying means for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device that has transmitted the authentication information to the authentication information receiving means;
• authentication information transmitting means (a) for acquiring, from the transmission destination storage section, the authentication server identification information corresponding to the identification information for identifying the selected authentication information acquisition device identified by the device identifying means, and (b) for transmitting, to the selected authentication server indicated by the identification information thus acquired, the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving means;
• and
• authentication result receiving means for receiving a result of authentication of the user from the selected authentication server, wherein
• the operation control means controls operation of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the result of authentication received by the authentication result receiving means.