Patent ID: 8060921

Claim:
A method for eliminating multiple submission of user credential data in a system comprising an imaging device (IDev), an authentication device, a single-sign-on server application (SSOSA) and multiple distinct restricted services wherein a unique credential is required for each service and each of said services exchanges a single-sign-on (SSO) token, received from said IDev, with said SSOSA to obtain a corresponding credential, wherein said IDev is connected to said authentication device and said services and said authentication device is connected to said SSOSA, said method comprising: receiving user sign-on credentials, from a user via an imaging device (IDev) API, wherein said credentials were received as user input on an IDev user input device on said IDev; authenticating said sign-on credentials with said authentication device comprising a processor and a memory; requesting, with said authentication device, a SSO token from said SSOSA, said SSO token being related to a user credential data table, which relates said SSO token to a plurality of unique sign-on credentials for each of a plurality of access-controlled IDev functions, services or applications and wherein said user credential data table and said credentials are stored and maintained by said SSOSA; receiving said SSO token from said SSOSA, at said authentication device; and sending said SSO token to said IDev, thereby enabling a user of said IDev to gain access to said plurality of access-controlled IDev functions, services or applications by sending said SSO token to one of said plurality of access-controlled IDev functions, services or applications for exchange with said SSOSA for a corresponding credential, wherein said SSO token provides access to said user's credential related to an access-controlled IDev service when exchanged, by said access-controlled IDev service for said user's credentials related to said access-controlled IDev service, when said SSO token is sent from said access-controlled IDev service directly to said SSOSA where said user's credentials are stored in said user credential data table.