# US 9,436,423 B2 · Cloud printing system permits unauthorized user to use MFP without exceeding constraints set for correlated quest account > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,423 B2 - Document ID: US9436423B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/300,357 - Filed: 2014-06-10 - Published: 2014-12-18 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-13 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Takayuki Doui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436423B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/1288: {in client-server-printer device configuration} - G06F 3/1212: {achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start} - G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job} - G06F 3/1236: {Connection management} - G06F 3/1237: {Print job management} - 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 3/1287: {via internet} - G06F 21/608: {Secure printing} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A cloud server includes a constraint setting portion configured to set at least one authorized account with which login operation is allowed and with which use of the information device is allowed, and to set constraints in use of the information device for each authorized account; and a use restriction portion configured to permit a user who has performed login operation with the authorized account to use the information device without exceeding constraints set for the authorized account. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cloud server for a cloud service, comprising: a hardware processor configured to: set an information device designated to a target device use of which is restricted; set, as at least one authorized account with which login operation is allowed and with which use of the information device is allowed, either one or both of a guest account for the information device and any one of user accounts identifying users already registered in the cloud server depending on settings entered, and to set constraints in use of the information device for each authorized account; permit a user who has logged into the cloud server with the authorized account to use the information device without exceeding constraints set for the authorized account; and correlate, when a user who has logged into the cloud server with the user account not set for the authorized account enters the guest account, the user account with the guest account; wherein the hardware processor permits the user who has logged into the cloud server with the user account not set for the authorized account to use the information device without exceeding constraints set for the quest account, provided that the quest account is correlated with the user account. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cloud server according to claim 1, wherein, when a user who has logged into the cloud server with the guest account enters the user account not set for the authorized account, the hardware processor permits the information device to execute only a job satisfying constraints set for the guest account among jobs registered in advance for the user account entered. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cloud server according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor automatically cancels, with respect to an authorized account, of the authorized accounts, which does not satisfy conditions set for a valid period, settings in which the user account or the guest account is set at the authorized account. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A cloud print system including the cloud server according to claim 1, and a printer functioning as a designated information device and executing a job given from the cloud server, wherein the hardware processor permits the user who has logged into the cloud server with the authorized account to enter a job into the printer without exceeding the constraints set for the authorized account. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cloud server according to claim 1, wherein the guest account correlated with the user account is registered in the information device in advance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cloud server according to claim 1, wherein the information device is an image processing device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cloud server according to claim 1, wherein the information device is an image processing device. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon a computer program executed in a cloud server for a cloud service, the computer program causing a computer included in the cloud server to perform processing comprising: target setting processing of setting an information device designated to a target device use of which is restricted; constraint setting processing of setting at least one authorized account with which login operation is allowed and with which use of the information device is allowed, and setting constraints in use of the information device for each authorized account, wherein either one or both of a guest account for the information device and any one of user accounts identifying users already registered in the cloud server is set as the authorized account depending on settings entered; use restriction processing of permitting a user who has logged into the cloud server with the authorized account to use the information device without exceeding constraints set for the authorized account; and account management processing of correlating, when a user who has logged into the cloud server with the user account not set for the authorized account enters the guest account, the user account with the guest account, wherein the use restriction processing includes permitting the user who has logged into the cloud server with the user account not set for the authorized account to use the information device without exceeding constraints set for the guest account, provided that the guest account is correlated with the user account. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein, when a user who has logged into the cloud server with the guest account enters the user account not set for the authorized account, the computer program permits the information device to execute only a job satisfying constraints set for the guest account among jobs registered in advance for the user account entered. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the constraint setting processing includes automatically canceling, with respect to an authorized account, of the authorized accounts, which does not satisfy conditions set for a valid period, settings in which the user account or the guest account is set at the authorized account. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the guest account correlated with the user account is registered in the information device in advance. ### Claim 12 A method for controlling use of an information device, the method comprising: setting, by a cloud server, an information device designated to a target device use of which is restricted; setting, by the cloud server, at least one authorized account with which login operation is allowed and with which use of the information device is allowed, and setting constraints in use of the information device for each authorized account, wherein either one or both of a guest account for the information device and any one of user accounts identifying users already registered in the cloud server is set as the authorized account depending on settings entered; permitting, by the cloud server, a user who has logged into the cloud server with the authorized account to use the information device without exceeding constraints set for the authorized account, wherein the cloud server further correlates, when a user who has logged into the cloud server with the user account not set for the authorized account enters the guest account, the user account with the guest account, and the cloud server permits the user who has logged into the cloud server with the user account not set for the authorized account to use the information device without exceeding constraints set for the guest account, provided that the guest account is correlated with the user account. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein, when a user who has logged into the cloud server with the guest account enters the user account not set for the authorized account, the cloud server permits the information device to execute only a job satisfying constraints set for the guest account among jobs registered in advance for the user account entered. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the cloud server automatically cancels, with respect to an authorized account, of the authorized accounts, which does not satisfy conditions set for a valid period, settings in which the user account or the guest account is set at the authorized account. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the guest account correlated with the user account is registered in the information device in advance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the information device is an image processing device.