Patent ID: 7167919

Claim:
A method for controlling access to a peripheral device by a user, wherein the peripheral device is accessible by the user based on centralized access management information accessible by a server, the method comprising: authenticating a user of a computer based on authentication information corresponding to the user; determining, at the server, whether the user is authorized to use at least one portion of features and/or services of the peripheral device; transmitting access management information for the user from the server to the computer, in case that authentication of the user is successful and the user is authorized to use at least one portion of the features and/or services of the peripheral device; transmitting the access management information for the user and a job requested by the user from the computer to the peripheral device; determining, at the peripheral device, whether a level of access to the peripheral device available to the user based on the transmitted access management information provides access to a feature and/or a service necessary to perform the job requested by the user; and performing the job requested by the user at the peripheral device in a case that the level of access provides access to the feature and/or service necessary to perform the job requested by the user.