By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Journal of Engineering -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by VerticalNews journalists, a patent by the inventor Akiyoshi, Kunihiro(Fukuoka, JP), filed on July 9, 2013, was published online on December 24, 2013.
The assignee for this patent, patent number 8614807, is Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP).
Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: "The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which can perform restriction of use and can obtain history information on status of use when the image forming apparatus provides user services related to image forming processes such as copying, printing, scanning and sending facsimile. In addition, the present invention relates to a user restriction method and a use history generation method.
"Recently, an image forming apparatus (to be referred to as a compound machine hereinafter) that includes functions of a printer, a copier, a facsimile, a scanner and the like in a cabinet is generally known. The compound machine includes a display part, a printing part and an image pickup part and the like in a cabinet. In the compound machine, three pieces of software corresponding to the printer, copier and facsimile respectively are provided, so that the compound machine functions as the printer, the copier, the scanner and the facsimile respectively by switching the software.
"Since the conventional compound machine is provided with each software for the printer, the copier, the scanner and the facsimile individually, much time is required for developing the software. Therefore, the applicant has developed an image forming apparatus (compound machine) including hardware resources, a plurality of applications, and a platform including various control services provided between the applications and the hardware resources. The hardware resources are used for image forming processes of a display part, a printing part and an image pickup part. The applications perform processes intrinsic for user services of printer, copier and facsimile and the like. The platform includes various control services performing management of hardware resource necessary for at least two applications commonly, execution control of the applications, and image forming processes, when a user service is executed.
"Since the image forming apparatus includes the platform that performs management of hardware resources used by at least two applications commonly, and that performs execution control and image forming processes, software can be developed efficiently, so that productivity for the machine can be improved.
"However, as for such compound machine, it is not desirable, from the viewpoint of security, that every user can use all functions of the printer, copier, scanner and facsimile without restriction. For example, it may be necessary to restrict use of the compound machine or use of some functions of the compound machine according to a section the user belongs to or according to a position of the user.
"The user of the compound machine uses functions of the printer, copier, scanner and facsimile for various purposes. Thus, by recording status of use such as a use purpose as history information, it becomes possible to strengthen security in consideration of past use status.
"However, since each piece of software is provided for each of the functions of the printer, the copier, the scanner and the facsimile according to the conventional compound machine, it is necessary to provide a security function to each piece of software for strengthening security of the compound machine. Thus, there is a problem in that enormous amounts of developing work is necessary and the structure of the software is complicated."
In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, VerticalNews editors also obtained the inventor's summary information for this patent: "An object of the present invention is provide an image forming apparatus, a user restriction method, a use history generation method and a program for easily realizing enhancement of security.
"The above object is achieved by an image forming apparatus, including:
"at least an application for providing a user service relating to an image forming process;
"an operation panel for receiving a key operation input;
"a user database in which user identification information for identifying an user of the image forming apparatus is included;
"a secure program used for determining whether the user service can be provided on the basis of the user identification information in the user database and another user identification information input by the user.
"According to this image forming apparatus, use of the image forming apparatus can be restricted to users registered beforehand, so that security improves for the image forming apparatus.
"In addition, the above object is achieved by an image forming apparatus, including:
"at least an application for providing a user service relating to an image forming process;
"an operation panel for receiving a key operation input;
"a secure program for requesting a user to input use information on use status of the image forming apparatus, and generating use history information on the use information; and
"a control program for obtaining a key event on the use information input from the operation panel, and sending the key event to the secure program.
"According to this image forming apparatus, use history can be recorded, so that security improves by using the use history.
"Since the new compound machine developed by the applicant has a distinctive structure including applications and the control service for providing a service necessary for at least two of the applications, it is easy to develop new software as a new application or as a new control service. Thus, it becomes easy to add software for realizing the security function by using the distinctive structure."
For more information, see this patent: Akiyoshi, Kunihiro. Image Forming Apparatus, User Restriction Method and Use History Generation Method. U.S. Patent Number 8614807, filed July 9, 2013, and published online on December 24, 2013. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?
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Keywords for this news article include: Software, Ricoh Company Ltd..
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