Patent Publication Number: US-2017353626-A1

Title: Information processing apparatus, non-transitory computer readable recording medium, and information processing method

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Japanese Priority Patent Application JP2016-113554 filed Jun. 7, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, which executes a function that needs to confirm user&#39;s authority, a non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores a program, and an information processing method. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     There is known a technology for performing user authentication by log-in or the like when executing a function that needs to confirm authority, and executing the function only in the case where a user who has been successfully authenticated has authority for executing the function. Further, there is also known a technology for displaying an authentication window when receiving input of a user name from a user before executing log-in of the user. The user can select only functions that he/she has authority for executing via the authentication window. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the above-mentioned technology, it is desirable to further improve security of an apparatus that a user logs in. 
     An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes 
     a memory that stores an information processing program; and 
     a processor that executes the information processing program, in which 
     when the processor executes the information processing program, the processor 
     accepts a job execution instruction for executing a job, 
     determines whether or not a user who is logged in has authority for executing the job, 
     executes log-out of the user when determining that the user has the authority, and 
     executes the job after executing the log-out of the user. 
     A non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure stores a program. The program causes a computer of an information processing apparatus to: 
     accept a job execution instruction for executing a job; 
     determine whether or not a user who is logged in has authority for executing the job; 
     execute log-out of the user when determining that the user has the authority; and 
     execute the job after executing the log-out of the user. 
     An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes 
     accepting a job execution instruction for executing a job; 
     determining whether or not a user who is logged in has authority for executing the job; 
     executing log-out of the user when determining that the user has the authority; and 
     executing the job after executing the log-out of the user. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of best mode embodiments thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  shows a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  shows an operational flow of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  shows a window for selecting whether to execute log-out of a user or to continue a log-in state of the user; 
         FIG. 5  shows a functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 6  shows an operational flow of the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. 
     I. First Embodiment 
     (1-1. Hardware Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus) 
       FIG. 1  shows a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     An information processing apparatus according to each of the embodiments of the present disclosure is an image forming apparatus (e.g., MFP; Multifunction Peripheral) and will hereinafter be referred to as MFP. 
     An MFP  10  includes a controller circuit  11 . The controller circuit  11  includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), dedicated hardware circuits, and the like and performs overall operational control of the MFP  10 . A computer program that causes the MFP  10  to operate as the respective functional units (to be described later) is stored in a non-transitory computer readable recording medium such as a ROM. 
     The controller circuit  11  is connected to an image scanner  12 , an image processor  14 , an image memory  15 , an image forming device  16 , an operation device  17 , a storage device  18 , a network communication device  13 , and the like. The controller circuit  11  performs operational control of the respective devices connected thereto and sends/receives signals and data to/from those devices. 
     According to job execution instructions input by a user via the operation device  17  or a personal computer (not shown) connected to a network N, the controller circuit  11  controls drive and processing of mechanisms requisite for executing operational control of functions such as a scanner function, a printing function, and a copy function. 
     The image scanner  12  reads an image from a script. 
     The image processor  14  carries out image processing as necessary on image data of an image read by the image scanner  12 . For example, the image processor  14  corrects shading of an image read by the image scanner  12  and carries out other image processing to improve the quality of the image to be formed. 
     The image memory  15  includes an area that temporarily stores data of a script image read by the image scanner  12  or data to be printed by the image forming device  16 . 
     The image forming device  16  forms an image of image data and the like read by the image scanner  12 . 
     The operation device  17  includes a touch panel device and an operation key device that accept user&#39;s instructions on various operations and processing executable by the MFP  10 . The touch panel device includes a display device  17   a  such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) equipped with a touch panel. 
     The network communication device  13  is an interface used for connecting to the network N. 
     The storage device  18  is a large-volume storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores a script image read by the image scanner  12 , and the like. 
     (1-2. Functional Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus) 
       FIG. 2  shows a functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The CPU (processor) of the controller circuit  11  of the MFP  10  loads an information processing program stored in a ROM (memory), which is an example of a non-transitory computer readable recording medium, in a RAM and executes the programs to thereby operate as the functional blocks, i.e., a log-in execution unit  111  (log-in execution circuit), a job setting unit  112  (job setting circuit), a job accepting unit  113  (job accepting circuit), a log-out management unit  114  (log-out management circuit), an authority determination unit  115  (authority determination circuit), a log-out execution unit  116  (log-out execution circuit), and a job execution unit  117  (job execution circuit). 
     The log-in execution unit  111  executes log-in of a user. 
     The job setting unit  112  executes job setting. 
     The job accepting unit  113  detects job execution instructions input by a user. 
     The log-out management unit  114  determines whether to execute log-out of the user or to continue a log-in state of the user. 
     The authority determination unit  115  determines whether or not the user has authority for executing the job. 
     The log-out execution unit  116  executes log-out of the user. 
     The job execution unit  117  executes the job. 
     (1-3. Operation of Information Processing Apparatus) 
       FIG. 3  shows an operational flow of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The log-in execution unit  111  executes log-in of a user of the MFP  10  (Step S 101 ). Specifically, the log-in execution unit  111  causes the display device  17   a  to display a log-in window for performing user authentication. The log-in execution unit  111  detects, for example, a user ID and a password input by a user via the operation device  17 . The log-in execution unit  111  performs user authentication by respectively comparing the detected user ID and password with a user ID and a password registered in the storage device  18 . In the case where the user authentication has succeeded, the log-in execution unit  111  executes log-in of the user. 
     When the log-in execution unit  111  performs log-in of the user, the job setting unit  112  causes the display device  17   a  to display a home window (Step S 102 ). The “home window” is a window for presenting jobs (copy, scan, and the like) that the MFP  10  can execute. The job setting unit  112  detects a particular user operation input in the operation device  17  as a request for displaying a window for performing detail setting (job setting) of any of j obs displayed on the home window. In this example, the job setting unit  112  detects a request for display a window for performing detail setting of copy job (copy window). When the job setting unit  112  detects the request for displaying the copy window, the job setting unit  112  causes the display device  17   a  to display the copy window (Step S 103 ). When the job setting unit  112  causes the display device  17   a  to display the copy window, the job setting unit  112  detects a job setting request input by the user via the operation device  17 . The job setting unit  112  executes job setting based on the detected job setting request (Step S 104 ). Specifically, the job setting unit  112  sets either monochrome or color, concentration, magnification, paper size, and the like, as detail setting (job setting) of the copy job. 
     The job accepting unit  113  detects an execution instruction (job execution instruction) of a copy job input by the user via the operation device  17  (hereinafter, referred to simply as “job”) (Step S 105 ). Specifically, the job accepting unit  113  detects, as the job execution instruction, that the user operates a start button for starting the job. 
     When the job accepting unit  113  detects the job execution instruction, the log-out management unit  114  determines whether to execute log-out of the user or to continue a log-in state of the user (Step S 106 ). Accordingly, it is possible to reliably determine whether to execute log-out of the user or not before executing the job (in other words, before the user goes away from the MFP  10 ). Specifically, the log-out management unit  114  causes the display device  17   a  to display a window for selecting whether to execute log-out of the user or to continue the log-in state as shown in  FIG. 4  (selection window). The log-out management unit  114  detects a particular user operation input in the operation device  17  as a request for selecting execution of log-out (log-out request). For example, the log-out management unit  114  detects, as the log-out request, that the user selects “Yes” in the selection window shown in  FIG. 4 . When the log-out management unit  114  detects the log-out request, the log-out management unit  114  determines to execute log-out of the user. The log-out management unit  114  detects a particular user operation input in the operation device  17  as a request for selecting continuing of the log-in state (log-in continuing request). When the log-out management unit  114  detects the log-in continuing request, the log-out management unit  114  determines to continue the log-in state of the user. For example, the log-out management unit  114  detects, as the log-in continuing request, that the user selects “No” in the selection window shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     When the log-out management unit  114  determines to perform log-out of the user (Step S 106 : Yes), the authority determination unit  115  determines whether or not the user has authority for executing the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction (Step S 107 ). For example, in the storage device  18 , a user ID and a job name of a job that the user has authority for executing are stored in relation to each other. The authority determination unit  115  refers to the storage device  18 , searches for the user ID of the log-in user, and determines, in the case where the job name stored in relation to the user ID and the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction match, that the user has authority for executing the job. The authority determination unit  115  determines that the user has authority for executing the job also in the case where the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction is a job that does not need to confirm authority (job that any user can execute). For example, examples of the job that needs to confirm authority include color copy. Meanwhile, examples of the job that does not need to confirm authority include monochrome copy. 
     When the authority determination unit  115  determines that the user has authority for executing the job (Step S 107 : Yes), the log-out execution unit  116  executes log-out of the user (Step S 108 ). When the log-out execution unit  116  executes the log-out of the user, the log-out execution unit  116  notifies the job execution unit  117  of that the log-out execution unit  116  has executed the log-out of the user. 
     When the job execution unit  117  is notified of that the log-out execution unit  116  has executed the log-out of the user from the log-out execution unit  116 , the job execution unit  117  starts execution of the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction (Step S 109 ). When the job execution unit  117  finishes the execution of the job (Step S 110 ), the MFP  10  finishes the processing. 
     Meanwhile, in the case where the log-out management unit  114  determines to continue the log-in state of the user (Step S 106 : No), the log-out execution unit  116  does not execute log-out (which is different from Step S 108 ), and the authority determination unit  115  determines whether or not the user has authority for executing the job (Step S 111 ). The authority determination unit  115  determines whether or not the user who logs in the MFP  10  has authority for executing the job, similarly to Step S 107 . When the authority determination unit  115  determines that the user has authority for executing the job (Step S 111 : Yes), the authority determination unit  115  notifies the job execution unit  117  of that the user has authority for executing the job. 
     When the job execution unit  117  is notified of that the user has authority for executing the job from the authority determination unit  115 , the job execution unit  117  starts execution of the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction (Step S 112 ). When the job setting unit  112  detects a job setting request newly input from the user via the operation device  17  (Step S 114 : Yes) after the job execution unit  117  finishes the execution of the job (Step S 113 ), the MFP  10  executes the operation of Step S 105  and subsequent Steps again. Meanwhile, in the case where the job setting unit  112  does not detect a new job setting request within a particular time period (Step S 114 : No), the log-out execution unit  116  executes log-out of the user (Step S 115 ). 
     (1-4. Conclusion) 
     According to the present embodiment, immediately after determining whether or not a user who is logged in has authority for executing a particular job, the MFP executes log-out of the user, and then executes the job. 
     In order to determine whether or not a user has authority for executing a particular job, it is necessary that the user is logged in, but after determining the presence/absence of the authority, it is not necessary that the user is logged in. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when it is not necessary that the user is logged in (when determining the presence/absence of the authority), the MFP immediately executes log-out of the user. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the continuing time of the log-in state and improve the security. 
     Typically, when the MFP executes a job while continuing a log-in state of a user, the user may go away from the MFP without logging out after executing the job. In this case, another user can use the MFP that continues the log-in state of the user, which causes a security problem. 
     In contrast, in the present embodiment, the MFP executes log-out of the user and then executes the job. In other words, because the user is already logged out at the time when the MFP executes the job, there is no risk that the user goes away from the MFP without logging out after executing the job. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that another user uses the MFP that continues the log-in state of the user. As a result, it is possible to prevent another user from executing a function that needs to confirm authority by illegally using the log-in state of the user, thereby improving the security. 
     Meanwhile, in the case where the log-out management unit  114  determines to continue the log-in state of the user, the log-out execution unit  116  does not execute log-out of the user. Therefore, the user can newly execute job setting while continuing the log-in state. If log-out is always executed before executing a job, it takes much trouble to execute log-in of the user again in the case where the user wants to continuously use the MFP  10  after execution of one job is finished. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, in the case where the user wants to continuously use the MFP  10  after execution of one job is finished, it is possible to reduce the trouble of having to execute log-in of the user again. Meanwhile, even in the case where the log-out management unit  114  determines to continue the log-in state of the user, the MFP  10  executes log-out after a particular time period. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the security. 
     II. Second Embodiment 
     In the following embodiments and modified examples, descriptions on configurations, operations, and the like similar to those described above will be omitted, and different points will be mainly described. 
     According to the first embodiment, the MFP determines whether or not a user has authority for executing a job based on a log-in state of the user (Step S 101 ). In contrast, according to the second embodiment, first, the MFP determines whether or not there is a need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing a job to be executed. Then, only after the MFP determines that there is a need to determine the presence/absence of the authority for executing the job, the MFP executes log-in of the user. 
     (2-1. Functional Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus) 
       FIG. 5  shows a functional configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The controller circuit  11  of an MFP  10 A loads information processing programs stored in a ROM or the like, which is an example of a non-transitory computer readable recording medium, in a RAM and executes the programs to thereby operate as the functional blocks, i.e., the job setting unit  112  (job setting circuit), the job accepting unit  113  (job accepting circuit), a job determination unit  118  (job determination circuit), the log-in execution unit  111  (log-in execution circuit), the log-out management unit  114  (log-out management circuit), the authority determination unit  115  (authority determination circuit), the log-out execution unit  116  (log-out execution circuit), and the job execution unit  117  (job execution circuit). 
     The job setting unit  112  executes job setting. 
     The job accepting unit  113  detects job execution instructions input by a user. 
     The job determination unit  118  determines whether or not there is a need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing a j ob. 
     The log-in execution unit  111  executes log-in of the user. 
     The log-out management unit  114  determines whether to execute log-out of the user or to continue a log-in state of the user. 
     The authority determination unit  115  determines whether or not the user has authority for executing the job. 
     The log-out execution unit  116  executes log-out of the user. 
     The job execution unit  117  executes the job. 
     (2-2. Operation of Information Processing Apparatus) 
       FIG. 6  shows an operational flow of the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     The job setting unit  112  causes the display device  17   a  to display a home window (Step S 201 ). Unlike the first embodiment, at this point, the log-in execution unit  111  has not executed log-in of a user. 
     Steps from Step S 103  to Step S 105  are the same as those of the first embodiment. 
     When the job accepting unit  113  detects a job execution instruction (Step S 105 ), the job determination unit  118  determines whether or not there is a need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the job execution instruction (Step S 202 ). Specifically, in the storage device  18 , jobs that need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job are stored. The job determination unit  118  refers to the storage device  18 , and searches for the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction. When the job determination unit  118  detects, from the storage device  18 , the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction, the job determination unit  118  determines that there is a need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job. Meanwhile, when the job determination unit  118  cannot detect, from the storage device  18 , the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction, the job determination unit  118  determines that there is no need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job. Examples of the job that needs to determine presence/absence of authority include color copy. Examples of the job that does not need to determine presence/absence of authority include monochrome copy. 
     When the job determination unit  118  determines that there is a need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction (Step S 202 : Yes), the log-in execution unit  111  executes log-in of the user (Step S 203 ), similarly to Step S 101 . 
     When the log-in execution unit  111  executes log-in of the user, the log-out management unit  114  determines whether to execute the log-out of the user or not (Step S 204 ), similarly to Step S 106  in the first embodiment. 
     Steps from Step S 107  to Step S 115  are the same as those in the first embodiment. 
     Meanwhile, the job determination unit  118  determines that there is no need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction (Step S 202 : No), the job determination unit  118  notifies the job execution unit  117  of that there is no need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction. When the job execution unit  117  is notified, from the job determination unit  118 , of that there is no need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction, the job execution unit  117  starts execution of the job of which the job accepting unit  113  has accepted the execution instruction (Step S 205 ). When the job execution unit  117  finishes the execution of the job (Step S 206 ), the MFP  10  finishes the processing. 
     (2-3. Conclusion) 
     According to the present embodiment, first, the MFP determines whether or not there is a need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing a job to be executed. Then, only after the MFP determines that there is a need to determine the presence/absence of the authority for executing the job, the MFP executes log-in of the user. In other words, the MFP does not execute log-in of the user before executing a job that needs to confirm authority. Accordingly, it is possible to execute log-in of a user at the slowest timing. Therefore, by delaying the timing of log-in at the most, it is possible to reduce the continuing time of a log-in state of the user at the most and further improve the security. 
     Further, according to the present embodiment, when the MFP determines that there is no need to determine presence/absence of authority for executing a job, the MFP does not execute log-in of a user and executes the job. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the security. 
     3. Modified Example 
     In the first embodiment, the MFP executes log-in of the user when starting operation (Step S 101 ). This is an example where it is only necessary that the user is logged in at the time when determining whether or not the user has authority for executing a job. The MFP does not necessarily need to execute log-in of the user at the time when starting operation. In other words, on the assumption that the user is logged in, the MFP only needs to determine whether or not the user has authority for executing the job. For example, the MFP may execute log-in of the user after accepting a job execution instruction. 
     In the above-mentioned embodiments, log-in of a user is executed by detecting a user ID and password input from the user via the operation device  17 . Instead of this, for example, an IC card reader may be provided to the MFP and log-in of a user may be executed by the IC card reader reading an IC card held over the IC card reader by the user. 
     In the above-mentioned embodiments, it may be displayed on the copy window that the job needs to confirm authority. 
     It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.