Patent ID: 8627453

Claim:
A method of managing multiple security protocols and users of an imaging device, comprising: receiving a user request to use a desired imaging function of a plurality of imaging functions of the imaging device; determining whether the desired imaging function requires user authorization or authentication information; upon a negative determination, granting access to the desired imaging function without requesting said user authorization or authentication information; upon affirmative determination, determining a type of said user authorization or authentication information and requesting same; receiving said determined type of said user authorization or authentication information; determining whether the received said user authorization or authentication information is valid; if valid, executing the desired imaging function, otherwise preventing imaging or executing a default imaging option; and arranging the users into a plurality of workgroups, comprising arranging the users such that users in each workgroup have at least one common imaging function need and selecting for each workgroup an applicable security protocol from a plurality of security protocols such that users in each workgroup have a certain applicable security protocol.