Patent Publication Number: US-2016241703-A1

Title: Information processing system and device control method

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an information processing system and a device control method. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Electronic devices are known that have a service interface installed therein for enabling a smart device to remotely access and use a network interface, for example. 
     For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-41132 discloses a digital multifunction peripheral (MFP) that executes power mode switching/control based on a calculation result of a distance between the digital MFP and an identification information transmitting device that is carried by a user. Upon detecting that the identification information transmitting device has come close to the digital MFP or has entered a predetermined distance range from the digital MFP, the digital MFP is configured to switch the power mode to standby mode from power-saving mode, or automatically switch to a mode enabling print operations, for example. 
     Electronic devices such as printers, MFPs, and projectors may be connected to a network such as a LAN to be controlled by various terminal apparatuses such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal that is operated by a user, for example. 
     However, in a case where a plurality of electronic devices are connected to a network such as a LAN and a user wishes to use one electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices, the user may end up erroneously controlling an electronic device that the user has not intended to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An aspect of the present invention is directed to providing an information processing system and a device control method for preventing a user from erroneously controlling an electronic device that the user has not intended to use. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, an information processing system is provided that includes at least one terminal apparatus that is operated by a user, and at least one electronic device that is controlled from the terminal apparatus, wherein the terminal apparatus and the electronic device are configured to establish communication using a first communication interface having a first communication range and a second communication interface having a second communication range that is shorter than the first communication range. The electronic device includes a certification information transmitting unit configured to transmit certification information using the second communication interface, a verifying unit configured to verify whether the certification information is attached to a request from the terminal apparatus that is accepted using the first communication interface or the second communication interface, and an execution unit configured to execute a process according to the request accepted from the terminal apparatus if the certification information is attached to the request. The terminal apparatus includes a certification information receiving unit configured to receive the certification information that has been transmitted by the electronic device using the second communication interface, and a request unit configured to attach the certification information to the request and transmit the request along with the certification information to the electronic device using the first communication interface or the second communication interface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of a terminal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of an MFP according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of a smart device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a table illustrating an exemplary configuration of information stored in a PIN code information storage unit; 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of the MFP according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a table illustrating an exemplary configuration of information stored in an output job information storage unit; 
         FIG. 9  is a sequence chart illustrating exemplary process steps of a print process according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an example of a selection screen for selecting an electronic device as a print job submission destination; 
         FIG. 11  is a table illustrating an exemplary configuration of security code information stored in a security code storage unit; 
         FIG. 12  is a sequence chart illustrating exemplary process steps of a print process according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates an example of a setting screen for prompting a user to enter a PIN code and a user ID; 
         FIG. 14  is a sequence chart illustrating exemplary process steps of a display process implemented by an interactive whiteboard according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 15  is a block diagram illustrating another exemplary configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 16  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of a security beacon according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a sequence chart illustrating exemplary process steps of a print process according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 18  illustrates an example of an electronic device that receives transmissions from multiple security beacons. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     System Configuration 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an information processing system  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system  1  of FIG.  1  includes smart devices  10 A and  10 B, a personal computer (PC)  11 , a multifunction peripheral (MFP)  12 , an interactive whiteboard (IWB)  13 , and a projector  14 . 
     In the information processing system  1 , the smart devices  10 A and  10 B, the PC  11 , the MFP  12 , the IWB  13 , and the projector  14  are connected to a network N 1  such as a LAN. Note that in the following descriptions, the smart devices  10 A and  10 B may simply be referred to as “smart device  10 ” when their distinction is not particularly relevant. 
     The smart device  10  is an example of a terminal apparatus that is operated by a user. The terminal apparatus may be any device that can be operated by a user including a smartphone, a mobile phone, a notebook PC, and a tablet terminal, for example. The PC  11  is also an example of terminal apparatus that is operated by a user. 
     The MFP  12 , the IWB  13 , and the projector  14  are examples of an electronic device that can be controlled from the smart device  10 , for example. The electronic device provides services such as printing, screen rendering, capturing, and the like to a user via the network N 1 . The electronic device provides an interface to the network N 1 . 
     Also, the electronic device provides an interface used for short-range communication such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). Note that the interface for short-range communication provided by the electronic device does not necessarily have to be capable of establishing bidirectional communication as long as it is capable of establishing one-way communication from the electronic device to the smart device  10 . Note that the communication range of the short-range communication provided by the electronic device may be a distance of about several meters to several tens of meters from the electronic device, for example. 
     Note that short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC (Near Field Communication) may be used as the short-range communication provided by the electronic device. The electronic device uses short-range communication to transmit information to the smart device  10  as described below. 
     The MFP  12  is an example of an image forming apparatus. The MFP  12  includes an image capturing function, an image forming function, and a communication function, and may be used as a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, and a copying machine, for example. The IWB  13  is an example of an image display apparatus. The IWB  13  includes a display function and a communication function. The projector  14  is an example of an image projection apparatus. The projector  14  includes a projection function and a communication function. 
     Hardware Configuration 
     &lt;&lt;Computer&gt;&gt; 
     The PC  11  may be implemented by a computer  500  having a hardware configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , for example.  FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of the computer  500  according an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the computer  500  includes an input device  501 , a display device  502 , an external I/F  503 , a RAM  504 , a ROM  505 , a CPU  506 , a communication I/F  507 , and a hard disk drive (HDD)  508  that are interconnected via a bus B. Note that in some embodiments, the input device  501  and the display device  502  may be connected to the computer  500  when they need to be used, for example. 
     The input device  501  may include a keyboard, a mouse, and/or a touch panel, for example, and is operated by a user to input various operation signals to the computer  500 . The display device  502  may include a display, for example, and is configured to display processing results of the computer  500 . 
     The communication I/F  507  is an interface for connecting the computer  500  to various networks. The computer  500  may establish data communication with other computers via the communication I/F  507 . 
     The HDD  508  is a nonvolatile storage device storing programs and data. The programs stored in the HDD  508  may include an operating system (OS) corresponding to basic software controlling overall operations of the computer  500 , and application software (also simply referred to as “application” hereinafter) providing various functions under the control of the OS, for example. Note that in some embodiments, the computer  500  may include a drive apparatus such as a solid state drive (SSD) that uses a flash memory as a recording medium instead of the HDD  508 . 
     The external I/F  503  is an interface between the computer  500  and an external device. The external device may be a recording medium  503   a,  for example. The computer  500  may read information from and/or write information on the recording medium  503   a  via the external I/F  503 . Specific examples of the recording medium  503   a  include a flexible disk, a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a SD memory card, a universal serial bus (USB) memory, and the like. 
     The ROM  505  is a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can store programs and/or data even when the power is turned off. The ROM  505  may store programs and data such as a basic input/output system (BIOS) to be performed when the computer  500  is started, OS settings, network settings, and the like. The RAM  504  is a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily stores programs and/or data. 
     The CPU  506  includes a computing unit that reads a program and/or data from a storage device such as the ROM  505  and/or the HDD  508 , loads the program and/or data in the RAM  504 , and executes processes according to the program and/or data to control the overall operations and functions of the computer  500 . 
     The PC  11  may implement various processes as described below using the hardware configuration of the computer  500  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , for example. 
     &lt;&lt;Terminal Apparatus&gt;&gt; 
     The smart device  10  may be implemented by a terminal apparatus  600  having a hardware configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , for example.  FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of the terminal apparatus  600  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the terminal apparatus  600  includes a CPU  601 , a ROM  602 , a RAM  603 , an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Read Only Memory)  604 , a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) sensor  605 , an acceleration/direction sensor  606 , and a media drive  608 . 
     The CPU  601  controls overall operations of the terminal apparatus  600 . The ROM  602  stores basic input/output programs. The RAM  603  is used as a work area of the CPU  601 . The EEPROM  604  reads and writes data according to control of the CPU  601 . The CMOS sensor  605  captures an image of an object and obtains image data of the object according to control by the CPU  601 . The acceleration/direction sensor  606  may include an electromagnetic compass or a gyrocompass that detects terrestrial magnetism, and an acceleration sensor, for example. 
     The media drive  608  controls reading/writing (storing) of data with respect to recording media  607  such as a flash memory. The recording media  607  may be detachably loaded into the media drive  608  so that data recorded in the recording media  607  can be read from the recording media  607  and/or new data can be written (stored) in the recording media  607 . 
     The EEPROM  604  may store an OS to be performed by the CPU  601  and required association information for setting up a network, for example. Note that applications for executing various processes according to the present embodiment may be stored in the EEPROM  604  or the recording medi0  607 , for example. 
     The CMOS sensor  605  is an image sensor that converts light into an electrical charge to digitize an image of an object. The CMOS sensor  605  is not limited to a CMOS sensor but may be other types of image sensors such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor as long as the sensor can capture an image of an object. 
     In  FIG. 3 , the terminal apparatus  600  further includes an audio input unit  609 , an audio output unit  610 , an antenna  611 , a communication unit  612 , a wireless LAN communication unit  613 , a short-range wireless communication antenna  614 , a short-range wireless communication unit  615 , a display  616 , a touch panel  617 , and a bus line  619 . 
     The audio input unit  609  converts audio into audio signals. The audio output unit  610  converts audio signals into audio. The communication unit  612  transmits/receives wireless signals to/from a nearest base station using the antenna  611 . The wireless LAN communication unit  613  establishes wireless communication with an access point according to the IEEE80411 standard. The short-range wireless communication unit  615  establishes short-range wireless communication using the short-range wireless communication antenna  614 . 
     The display  616  may be a liquid crystal display or an organic electro-luminescence display that displays an image of an object and various icons, for example. The touch panel  617  may be, for example, a pressure sensitive panel or an electrostatic panel arranged on the display  616  that detects a touch position on the display  616  touched by a finger, a pen, or the like, for example. The bus line  619  may be, for example, an address bus or a data bus for electrically connecting the aforementioned parts and components of the terminal apparatus  600 . 
     The terminal apparatus  600  also includes a dedicated battery  618 . The terminal apparatus  600  is driven by the battery  618 . Note, also, that the audio input unit  609  includes a microphone into which audio is input. The audio output unit  610  includes a speaker from which audio is output. 
     The smart device  10  of the present embodiment may implement various processes described below using the hardware configuration of the terminal apparatus  600  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , for example. 
     &lt;&lt;Electronic Device&gt;&gt; 
     In the following, an exemplary hardware configuration of the MFP  12  as an example of an electronic device is described.  FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary hardware configuration of the MFP  12  according to the present embodiment. 
     In  FIG. 4 , the MFP  12  includes a main unit  700  and an operation unit  720 . The main unit  700  includes a transmission control unit  701 , a print control unit  702 , a communication control unit  703 , a scanner device  704 , a plotter device  705 , and communication I/Fs  711 - 713 . The operation unit  720  includes an operation setting display unit  721 , a communication control unit  722 , and a communication I/F  731 . The user may control the main unit  700  by operating the operation unit  720 . 
     The communication I/F  711  of the main unit  700  and the communication I/F  731  of the operation unit  720  are interconnected by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) so that they may communicate with one another. The operation setting display unit  721  of the operation unit  720  includes a user I/F for accepting settings from the user and displaying information to the user. The communication control unit  722  controls data handled by the communication I/F  731 , and transfers the data to the operation setting display unit  721  or the main unit  700 . The communication I/F  731  is a USB communication device. 
     The transmission control unit  701  of the main unit  700  manages transmission jobs such as email and folder transmissions. The print control unit  702  controls devices such as the scanner device  704  and the plotter device  705  to manage print jobs. 
     The communication control unit  703  controls data handled by the communication I/Fs  711 - 713  and transmits the data to the transmission control unit  701 , the print control unit  702 , or the operation unit  720 . Also, the communication control unit  703  transmits the data to the network N 1 . 
     The communication I/F  711  is a USB communication device. The communication I/F  712  is a communication device for long-distance communication. The communication I/F  712  may be implemented by a LAN, for example, and may be wireless or wired. The communication I/F  713  is a communication device for short-range communication. The communication I/F  713  may be implemented by Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), IrDA (Infrared Data Association), or the like. 
     Software Configuration 
     &lt;&lt;Smart Device&gt;&gt; 
     The smart device  10  according to the present embodiment may be implemented by a functional configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , for example.  FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of the smart device  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The smart device  10  may execute a relevant program to implement a device detecting unit  21 , an output job submitting unit  22 , a PIN code information storage unit  23 , a short-range communication receiving unit  24 , a device ID verifying unit  25  and an output execution request unit  26 . 
     The device detecting unit  21  detects an electronic device such as the MFP  12  that is capable of establishing short-range communication with the smart device  10  via the network N 1 . For example, if the electronic device has a fixed IP address, the device detecting unit  21  may have the IP address of the electronic device registered beforehand and detect the fixed IP address of the electronic device is capable of establishing short-range communication with the smart device  10 . Also, in other examples, the device detecting unit  21  may automatically detect an electronic device within the network N 1  using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), Bonjour, or the like. Note that SNMP and Bonjour are examples of techniques for automatically detecting an electronic device within the network N 1 . 
     The output job submitting unit  22  submits an output job along with a PIN code to the electronic device such as the MFP  12  that has been detected by the device detecting unit  21 , for example. The PIN code information storage unit  23  stores a device ID of the MFP  12  to which the output job has been submitted in association with the PIN code attached to the output job. 
     The short-range communication receiving unit  24  receives the device ID of the MFP  12  and a security code through short-range communication. Note that the communication range in short-range communication may be a distance of about several meters to several tens of meters, for example. The short-range communication receiving unit  24  may be able to receive the device ID of the MFP  12  and the security code from the MFP  12  if the smart device  10  is located within the communication range of short-range communication by the MFP  12 . Note that the communication range of short-range communication by the MFP  12  may be appropriately adjusted. The device ID verifying unit  25  determines whether the device ID received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  matches the device ID of the MFP  12  submitted along with the output job and stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23 . 
     If the device ID received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  and the device ID of the MFP  12  (electronic device that receives the output job submission) stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23  match, the output execution request unit  26  sends an output execution request to the MFP  12  through long-distance communication. At this time, the output execution request unit  26  sends the output execution request along with the security code received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  and the PIN code stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23 . 
     Note that the security code sent along with the output execution request indicates that the smart device  10  is within the communication range of short-range communication by the MFP  12 . Also, the PIN code sent along with the output execution request identifies the output job to be executed in response to the output execution request. 
     The PIN code information storage unit  23  may store information as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , for example.  FIG. 6  is a table illustrating an exemplary configuration of information stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23 . In  FIG. 6 , the PIN code information storage unit  23  stores the device ID of the MFP  12  to which the output job has been submitted in association with the PIN code that has been attached to the output job. 
     Using the information as illustrated in  FIG. 6  that is stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23 , the smart device  10  may be able to identify the PIN code that has been submitted to the electronic apparatus upon submitting the output job and send the identified PIN code along with the output execution request to the electronic device. 
     &lt;&lt;MFP&gt;&gt; 
     In the following, a functional configuration of the MFP  12  as one example of an electronic device is described. The MFP  12  of the present embodiment may be implemented by processing blocks as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , for example.  FIG. 7  is a process block diagram illustrating one exemplary functional configuration of the MFP according to the present embodiment. 
     The MFP  12  executes a relevant program to implement a device ID providing unit  31 , an output job submission receiving unit  32 , an output job information storage unit  33 , a security code generating unit  34 , a security code storage unit  35 , a short-range communication transmitting unit  36 , an output execution request receiving unit  37 , a security code verifying unit  38 , and an output execution unit  39 . 
     The device ID providing unit  31  provides its device ID (device ID of the MFP  12 ) to the smart device  10  that is capable of establishing long-distance communication with the MFP  12  via the network N 1 . The output job submission receiving unit  32  accepts the submission of the output job along with the PIN code from the smart device  10 . The output job information storage unit  33  stores the output job from the smart device  10  accepted by the output job submission receiving unit  32  and the PIN code submitted along with the output job in association with each other. 
     The security code generating unit  34  generates a security code. The security code generating unit  34  generates the security code to be a random value that varies with time. Also, the security code storage unit  35  stores the security code that has been generated by the security code generating unit  34 . 
     The short-range communication transmitting unit  36  transmits the security code and the device ID of the MFP  12  through short-range communication. The output execution request receiving unit  37  receives the output execution request along with the security code and the PIN code from the smart device  10  through long-distance communication. 
     The security code verifying unit  38  determines whether the security code received along with the output execution request matches a security code stored in the security code storage unit  35 . If the security code that has been received along with the output execution request is stored in the security code storage unit  35 , the output job execution unit  39  acquires from the output job information storage unit  33  the output job stored in association with the PIN code that was received along with the output execution request. Then, the output execution unit  39  executes the output job. 
     The output job information storage unit  33  may store information as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , for example.  FIG. 8  is a table illustrating an exemplary configuration of information stored in the output job information storage unit  33 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the output job information storage unit  33  may store the job name of the output job accepted from the smart devices  10 , the user ID of the user, and the PIN code accepted along with the output job in association with each other. By storing the information as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , even when multiple output jobs have been submitted to the MFP  12 , the MFP  12  may be able to identify an output job to be executed based on the PIN code transmitted along with the output execution request and execute the corresponding output job. 
     Processes 
     In the following, processes of the information processing system  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention are described in detail. 
     &lt;&lt;Print Process&gt;&gt; 
     The information processing system  1  according to the present embodiment may perform a print process as illustrated in  FIG. 9 , for example.  FIG. 9  is a sequence chart illustrating an exemplary sequence of process steps of a print process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that in  FIG. 9 , &lt;&lt;far&gt;&gt; represents long-distance communication, and &lt;&lt;near&gt;&gt; represents short-range communication. 
     To control an MFP  12  from the smart device  10 , the MFP  12  to be used must be specified. Accordingly, in step S 11 , the device detecting unit  21  of the smart device  10  detects one or more electronic devices such as the MFP  12  that are capable of establishing long-distance communication with the smart device  10  via the network N 1 . The output job submitting unit  22  may then select an MFP  12  to be used by the user from a list of electronic devices detected by the device detecting unit  21  as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , for example. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an example of a selection screen  1000  for selecting an electronic device that is to be the submission destination of a print job (output job). The selection screen  1000  of  FIG. 10  displays a list of electronic devices detected by the device detecting unit  21  to enable selection of an electronic device to be used. When the MFP  12  is selected as the electronic device to be used, for example, the output job submitting unit  22  may switch the selection screen  1000  to a setting screen  1010  to accept setting information required for executing the print job (output job). When a print button  1011  of the setting screen is pressed by the user, the output job submitting unit  22  may proceed to step S 12 . 
     In step S 12 , the output job submitting unit  22  submits the output job along with a PIN code to the MFP  12  that has been selected by the user. Note that a unique value that is randomly generated for each output job at the smart device  10  may be used as the PIN code. Also, the user need not be aware of the PIN code. 
     In step S 13 , the output job information storage unit  33  of the MFP  12  stores the output job in association with the PIN code accepted by the output job input receiving unit  32  from the smart device  10 . 
     In step S 14 , the short-range communication transmitting unit  36  of the MFP  12  periodically transmits its device ID (device ID of the MFP  12 ) and a security code to the smart device  10  through short-range communication at predetermine time intervals, for example. The short-range communication receiving unit  24  of the smart device  10  that is within the communication range of short-range communication by the MFP  12  receives the device ID of the MFP  12  and the security code from the MFP  12  through short-range communication. 
     Note that a random value that varies with time is generated as the security code. Thus, the security code that has been captured previously may not be valid. In step S 15 , the device ID verifying unit  25  determines whether the device ID received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  matches the device ID stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23  identifying the MFP  12  to which the output job was submitted. 
     If the device ID received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  matches the device ID stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23  identifying the MFP  12  to which the output job was submitted, the output execution request unit  26  sends an output execution request (print execution request) to the MFP  12  through long-distance communication in step S 16 . Note that the output execution request unit  26  sends the output execution request along with the security code received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  and the PIN code stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23 . 
     In step S 17 , the output execution request receiving unit  37  of the MFP  12  accepts the output execution request from the smart device  10  and the security code and the PIN code transmitted along with the output execution request through long-distance communication. 
     The security code verifying unit  38  verifies whether the security code received along with the output execution request is stored in the security code storage unit  35 . If the security code that has been received along with the output execution request is stored in the security code storage unit  35 , the output execution unit  39  proceeds to step S 18 . In step S 18 , the output execution unit  39  acquires from the output job information storage unit  33  the output job stored in association with the PIN code received along with the output execution request, and executes the acquired output job. 
     Note that because the security code is a random value that varies with time, the security code may be suddenly switched to a different value with the elapse of time. For example, the security code may be switched between the time the smart device  10  receives the security code from the MFP  12  in step S 14  and the time the smart device  10  sends the output execution request to the MFP  12  in step S 16 . 
     In such case, if the security code storage unit  35  only stores the current security code, verification of the security code by the security code verifying unit  38  in step S 17  would fail. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the security code storage unit  35  stores the current security code (newest version) and a previous security code (previous version) as illustrated in  FIG. 11 .  FIG. 11  illustrates an exemplary configuration of security code information stored in the security code storage unit  35 . 
     Note that the security code information stored in the security code storage unit  35  is merely one example, and in other examples the security code storage unit  35  may be configured to store the current security code and two or more previous security codes. 
     In the process illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the print job (output job) is submitted from the smart device  10 . In the information processing system  1  according to the present embodiment, a print job may also be submitted from the PC  11  and executed by the MFP  12  as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , for example. 
       FIG. 12  is a sequence chart illustrating another exemplary sequence of process steps of a print process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the print process of  FIG. 12  includes some process steps that are substantially identical to the process steps of  FIG. 9 , and as such, descriptions thereof may be omitted as appropriate. Note that in the print process of  FIG. 12 , it is assumed that the user ID and the PIN code used by the PC  11  and the smart device  10  are in synch with each other. Also, it is assumed that the PIN code is a fixed value. 
     To control an MFP  12  from the PC  11 , the MFP  12  to be used must be specified. Accordingly, in step S 21 , the PC  11  detects electronic devices such as the MFP  12  that are capable of establishing long-distance communication with the PC  11  via the network N 1 . The PC  11  prompts the user to select the MFP  12  to be used from a list of the detected electronic devices. 
     Also, the PC  11  may display a setting screen  1100  as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , for example, to accept a PIN code, a user ID, and setting information required for executing a print job (output job) from the user.  FIG. 13  illustrates an example of a setting screen for prompting the user to input the PIN code and the user ID. 
     In step S 22 , the PC  11  submits the print job (output job) along with the PIN code and the user ID input by the user to the MFP  12  selected by the user. In step S 23 , the output job information storage unit  33  of the MFP  12  stores the print job (output job) accepted from the PC  11  by the output job submission receiving unit  32  in association with the PIN code and the user ID. 
     In step S 24 , the short-range communication transmitting unit  36  of the MFP  12  periodically transmits a security code and a list of user IDs that are stored in the output job information storage unit  33  through short-range communication at predetermined time intervals, for example. 
     The short-range communication receiving unit  24  of the smart device  10  that is located within the communication range of short-range communication by the MFP  12  receives the user ID list and the security code from the MFP  12  via short-range communication. In step S 25 , the smart device  10  determines whether the user ID of the user operating the smart device  10  is included in the user ID list received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24 . 
     Note that in the process of  FIG. 12 , the device ID verifying unit  25  of the smart device  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 5  is replaced by a user ID verifying unit that determines whether the user ID of the user operating the smart device  10  is included in the user ID list received from the MFP  12 . 
     If the user ID of the user operating the smart device  10  is included in the user ID list received from the MFP  12 , the output execution request unit  26  proceeds to step S 26  and sends an output execution request (print execution request) to the MFP  12  through long-distance communication. The output execution request unit  26  sends the output execution request along with the PIN code stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23 , the security code received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24 , and the user ID of the user operating the smart device  10 . 
     Note that the PIN code, the security code, and the user ID transmitted to the MFP  12  along with the output execution request are information used by the MFP  12  for authentication and identification of the output job to be executed. Note that step S 26  may be executed through short-range communication or long-distance communication. Generally, in short-range communication, the data transmission rate is relatively low such that it is not suitable for transmitting a large amount of data such as print data. However, because the amount of data transmitted in step S 26  is relatively small, either short-range communication or long-distance communication may be used in this step. 
     In step S 27 , the output execution request receiving unit  37  of the MFP  12  accepts the output execution request accompanied by the security code, the PIN code, and the user ID from the smart device  10 . 
     The security code verifying unit  38  determines whether the security code accepted along with the output execution request is stored in the security code storage unit  35 . If the security code accepted along with the output execution request is stored in the security code storage unit  35 , the output execution unit  39  proceeds to step S 28 . In step S 28 , the output execution unit  39  obtains the output job that is stored in association with the PIN code and the user ID that has been accepted along with the output execution request from the output job information storage unit  33 , and executes the output job. 
     Note that in the processes illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 12 , the MFP  12  is controlled from the smart device  10 . In the information processing system  1  according to the present embodiment, for example, the IWB  13  may also be controlled from the smart device  10 . 
       FIG. 14  is a sequence chart illustrating an exemplary sequence of process steps of a display process implemented by the IWB  13 . Note that in  FIG. 14 , an exemplary case where the IWB  13  is controlled from the smart device  10  to implement read control and write control is described. It is assumed in the present example that any smart device  10  is able to use a read control function of the IWB  13 . On the other hand, it is assumed that only a smart device  10  that has received a security code from the IWB  13  is able to use a write control function of the IWB  13 . 
     Further, in  FIG. 14 , it is assumed that the smart device  10 A is in a location where it is unable to receive a security code from the IWB  13 , and the smart device  10 B is in a location where it is able to receive a security code from the IWB  13 . Because the smart device  10 A cannot receive a security code from the IWB  13 , the smart device  10  can perform read control operations such as screen sharing or screen capturing operations with respect to the IWB  13  as illustrated in step S 31 . 
     On the other hand, the short-range communication receiving unit  24  of the smart device  10 B can receive a security code and a device ID of the IWB  13  from the IWB  13  through short-range communication in step S 32 . 
     In step S 33 , the device ID verifying unit  25  of the smart device  10 B verifies the device ID of the IWB  13  received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24 . In step  34 , the output execution request unit  26  sends a data projection request (output execution request) to the IWB  13  through long-distance communication. The output execution request unit  26  sends the data projection request along with the security code received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24 . 
     In step S 35 , the IWB  13  accepts the data projection request along with the security code from the smart device  10 B through long-distance communication. The IWB  13  determines whether the security code accepted along with the data projection request corresponds to a security code that has been generated at the IWB  13 . 
     If the security code accepted along with the data projection request corresponds to a security code that has been generated at the IWB  13 , the IWB  13  proceeds to step S 36  and executes data projection according to the data projection request accepted from the smart device  10 B. 
     As can be appreciated, in the example of  FIG. 14 , the IWB  13  allows execution of different control operations from the smart device  10  depending on its distance from the IWB  13 . For example,  FIG. 14  may be applied to a classroom setting where the smart device  10 A is operated by a student, and the smart device  10 B is operated by a teacher such that only the teacher is able to execute data projection. Note that although the IWB  13  transmits a security code and the device ID of the IWB  13  to the smart device  10 B through short-range communication in step S 32  of  FIG. 14 , the device ID does not necessarily have to be transmitted in this step. If the device ID is not transmitted, the process of step S 33  may be omitted. 
     According to an aspect of the present embodiment, a smart device  10  that has acquired a security code from an electronic device through short-range communication is able to control the electronic device. In this way, a user may be prevented from erroneously controlling an electronic device that the user has not intended to control. 
     Second Embodiment 
     In the first embodiment described above, an electronic device is configured to transmit a security code. In a second embodiment of the present invention, a security beacon  18  is configured to transmit a security code instead of the electronic device. 
       FIG. 15  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an information processing system  1   a  according to the second embodiment. The information processing system  1   a  of  FIG. 15  includes the security beacon  18  in addition to the elements of the information processing system  1  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The security beacon  18  is a short-range communication device for transmitting a security code. In the present embodiment, electronic devices such as the PC  11 , the MFP  12 , the IWB  13 , and the projector  14  of the information processing system  1   a  are configured to receive a security code instead of transmitting a security code. The security beacon  18  may be attached to a microphone or a pointer device of the projector  14 , for example. 
     The security beacon  18  of the present embodiment may be implemented by functional elements as illustrated in  FIG. 16 , for example.  FIG. 16  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary functional configuration of the security beacon  18  according to the present embodiment. 
     The security beacon  18  executes a relevant program to implement a security code generating unit  41 , a security code storage unit  42 , a short-range communication transmitting unit  43 , and a group code storage unit  44 . 
     The security code generating unit  41  generates a security code. The security code generating unit  41  generates a random value that varies with time as the security code. Also, the security code storage unit  42  stores the security code generated by the security code generating unit  34 . The group code storage unit  44  stores a group code. 
     The group code is a unique fixed value that represents a group of electronic devices that are associated with the security beacon  18 . Also, the short-range communication transmitting unit  43  transmits the security code and the group code through short-range communication. 
     The information processing system  1   a  according to the second embodiment may perform a print process as illustrated in  FIG. 17 , for example.  FIG. 17  is a sequence chart illustrating an exemplary sequence of process steps of a print process. In step S 41 , the short-range communication transmitting unit  43  of the security beacon  18  periodically transmits the security code and the group code through short-range communication at predetermined intervals, for example. 
     The MFP  12  that is located within the communication range of short-range communication by the security beacon  18  receives the security code and the group code from the security beacon  18  through short-range communication. Note that in the example of  FIG. 17 , the security code generating unit  34  of the MFP  12  illustrated in the example of  FIG. 17  is replaced by a short-range communication receiving unit for receiving the security code and the group code from the security beacon  18  through short-range communication. 
     In step S 42 , the device detecting unit  21  of the smart device  10  detects an electronic device such as the MFP  12  that is capable of establishing long-distance communication with the smart device  10  via the network Ni. The output job submitting unit  22  may then select the MFP  12  to be used by the user from a list of electronic devices detected by the device detecting unit  21 . 
     In step S 43 , the output job submitting unit  22  submits a print job (output job) along with a PIN code to the MFP  12  selected by the user. In step S 44 , the output job information storage unit  33  of the MFP  12  stores the output job received by the output job submission receiving unit  32  from the smart device  10  in association with the PIN code. Also, in step S 45 , the MFP  12  sends the group code of the group to which it belongs to the smart device  10 . 
     In step S 46 , the short-range communication receiving unit  24  of the smart device  10  that is located within the communication range of short-range communication by the security beacon  18  receives the security code and the group code from the security beacon  18  through short-range communication. Also, in step S 47 , the MFP  12  that is located within the communication range of short-range communication by the security beacon  18  receives the security code and the group code from the security beacon  18  through short-range communication. 
     In step S 48 , the smart device  10  determines whether the group code received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  matches the group code received from the MFP  12  in step S 45 . 
     If the group code received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  matches the group code received from the MFP  12  in step S 45 , the output execution request unit  26  proceeds to step S 49  and sends an output execution request (print execution request) to the MFP  12 . The output execution request unit  26  sends the output execution request along with the security code received by the short-range communication receiving unit  24  and the PIN code stored in the PIN code information storage unit  23 . 
     In step S 50 , the output execution request receiving unit  37  of the MFP  12  accepts the output execution request, the security code, and the PIN code from the smart device  10  through long-distance communication. 
     The security code verifying unit  38  determines whether the security code accepted along with the output execution request is stored in the security code storage unit  35 . If the security code accepted along with the output execution request is stored in the security code storage unit  35 , the output execution unit  39  proceeds to step S 51 . In step S 51 , the output execution unit  39  obtains the output job that is stored in association with the PIN code accepted along with the output execution request from the output job information storage unit  33  and executes the output job. 
     Note that although the security codes transmitted by the security beacon  18  in steps  41 , S 46 , and S 47  of  FIG. 17  are accepted as is, security may be heightened by using electronic signatures or by pre-registering group information of each electronic device in each electronic device, for example. 
     In a case where an electronic device is configured to receive security codes from a plurality of security beacons  18  as illustrated in  FIG. 18 , for example, by pre-registering group information of each electronic device in each electronic device, the groups to which the electronic device belongs can be clearly set out. 
     Also, in another embodiment, one of the plurality of electronic devices included in the information processing system  1   a  of  FIG. 15  may be configured perform the functions of the security beacon  18 . Also, in another embodiment, pairing of an electronic device and a security beacon  18  may be implemented in advance, and stand-alone calculation of the current security code may be performed based on the pairing information and the current time. In the case where the electronic device is capable of performing stand-alone calculation of the security code, the electronic device would not have to receive the security code from the security beacon  18 . 
     In the case of implementing the stand-alone scheme as described above, the security code may be calculated as follows. In the stand-alone scheme, the security code may be determined by a certain formula. As a simple method, a security code generation formula using a pseudo-random algorithm, a unique ID of the security beacon  18  and the current time as parameters may be used, for example. 
     When a simple pseudo random number algorithm is used, a random number generated by the initial value may be uniquely determined. Note that in the present example, it is assumed that a pseudo-random algorithm that is determined between the security beacon  18  and the electronic device is provided. 
     In addition, a pseudo random number may be generated based on the sum of a hash value of the unique ID of the security beacon  18  and the current time (in seconds counting from 1970) as an initial value, and the generated pseudo random number may be provided as a security code. 
     Also, in the case of implementing the stand-alone scheme, pairing may be implemented as follows, for example. Because the electronic device is unaware of the unique ID of the security beacon  18 , when paired, the unique ID of the security beacon  18  may be registered in the electronic device. In the present example, it is assumed that pairing is implemented by a user input. 
     Also, in the case of implementing the stand-alone scheme, time synchronization may be implemented as follows. Because the current time is included in the security code generation formula, the time of the electronic device and the time of the security beacon  18  have to be synchronized. Thus, it is assumed in the present example that the times of the electronic device and the security beacon  18  are in synch before pairing the electronic device and the security beacon  18 . 
     Also, in the case of implementing the stand-alone scheme, time correction may be performed as follows, for example. Even when the times of the electronic device and the security beacon  18  are synchronized at the time of pairing, deviations may be created between the times of the electronic device and the security beacon  18  with the elapse of time. In order to correct such deviations, time information may be included in the information transmitted by the security beacon  18 , and the time information may be transmitted along with the security code to the electronic device via the smart device  10  when the smart device  10  submits an output execution request to the electronic device, for example. If the received time information is reliable, the electronic device may update the current time based thereon. In this way, the times of the security beacon  18  and the electronic device may be periodically synchronized and corrected. 
     Furthermore, in the case of implementing the stand-alone scheme, measures may be implemented to tolerate a certain amount of time deviations. Even if time correction is performed, time deviations may still be created when the electronic device is not used for a relatively long period of time, for example. 
     In this respect, for example, the calculation using the current time may be performed in increments of 5 minutes at both the electronic device and the security beacon  18 . In a verification process performed by the electronic device, security codes may be calculated using the exact time and the exact time ±5 minutes, and any of the security codes may be regarded as valid values in the verification process. In this way, a certain amount of time deviations may be tolerated between the electronic device and the security beacon  18 . 
     For example, if the current time at the security beacon  18  is “2014/07/31/15:05:07”, the security code may be calculated using the time “2014/07/31/15:00:05”. Also, if the current time at the electronic device is “2014/07/31/15:12:21”, the times used for calculating the security codes to be used in the verification process may be “2014/07/31/15:5:00”, “2014/07/31/15:10:00”, and “2014/07/31/15:15:00”. 
     As can be appreciated from the above, in the information processing systems  1  and  1   a  according to embodiments of the present invention, a user carrying a smart device  10  may come close to or in the vicinity of an electronic device that the user wishes to control, and the smart device  10  may in turn acquire a security code that is required for controlling the electronic device. In such a system, the smart device  10  would not receive a security code from an electronic device that is not in the vicinity of the smart device  10 , and in this way, the user may be prevented from erroneously controlling an electronic device the user does not wish to control (electronic device that is not in the vicinity of the smart device  10 ). 
     As described above, in the information processing systems  1  and  1   a  according to embodiments of the present invention, a user can be prevented from erroneously controlling an electronic device such as an MFP  12  that the user does not wish to control. 
     Although the present invention has been described above with reference to certain illustrative embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and numerous variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Note that the smart device  10  of the above described embodiments is an example of a terminal apparatus according to the present invention. The MFP  12 , the IWB  13 , and the projector  14  are examples an electronic device according to the present invention. 
     Also, the wireless LAN communication unit  613  and the communication interface  712  for long-distance communication are examples of a first communication interface, and the short-range wireless communication unit  615  and the communication interface  713  for short-range communication are examples of a second communication interface. The security code is an example of certification information. The PIN code is an example of identification information. The short-range communication transmitting unit  36  is an example of a certification information transmitting unit, and the security beacon  18  is an example of a certification information transmitting apparatus. 
     The present application is based on and claims the benefit of priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-027290 filed on Feb. 16, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.