JP2009070086A - Information processor, access control method, and access control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor, an access control method, and an access control program, which provide high scalability for access control processing and easy customizability. <P>SOLUTION: Input of a request is received. Identification information unique to a method for producing a subrequest, subrequest kind information that associates the identification information with the kind of the subrequest, rule information that associates the subrequest with first permission information indicative whether to accept the request, and a subrequest summary information that associates the identification information with second permission information indicative of whether to accept the request are stored. A method for producing a subrequest is decided on the basis of the identification information and the subrequest kind information. On the basis of the method of producing the subrequest, the subrequest kind information and the rule information, a subrequest is produced. On the basis of the second permission information, whether to accept the request is determined. On the basis of the subrequest and the first permission information, whether to accept the subrequest is determined. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that controls access from a user, an access control method, and an access control program.

  An image of an information processing device such as a personal computer or a server, or a so-called MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) called a multi-function peripheral in which a copy function, facsimile (FAX) function, printing function, scanner function, etc. are housed in one housing In a forming apparatus, from the viewpoint of security, billing management, and the like, it is common to use a predetermined function after performing various access restrictions on a user. For example, in the case of an image forming apparatus, a copy function, a FAX transmission function, etc. can be used only by a specific user ID, a predetermined usage time zone or an age, etc. Or restrict access in time.

  In addition, such information processing apparatuses and image forming apparatuses are customized in order to adapt the access restrictions for the various functions described above according to the user's needs in order to better meet the needs. In recent years, it is demanded to perform such customization more quickly.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, when the access restriction set for a certain user and the access restriction set for the group to which the user belongs are set redundantly, the access restriction set for the user and the group are set. By referring to the access restriction relationship (inclusion relationship), it is possible to avoid unnecessary access restriction when the user uses the image forming apparatus.

JP 2006-190168 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, access control for a user and access control for a group are performed in one process, and when a change occurs in access control for a user, access control for the group is performed. There is also a problem that the process of performing access control is low in scalability, and the process of performing access control that is not necessary needs to be modified, making customization complicated and increasing the work load.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, an access control method, and an access control program that have high expandability of access control processing and can be easily customized. .

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is an information processing apparatus that executes an application related to an operation target selected by a user, and executes the application A plurality of input receiving means for receiving a request input comprising a plurality of instruction information, identification information unique to a method of generating a sub-request combining the instruction information included in the request, the identification information, and the Sub-request type information associated with a sub-request type, rule information associating a sub-request combining the instruction information with first permission information indicating whether or not a request for the sub-request is permitted, and the identification A second indicating whether or not the request of the request is permitted by aggregating the information and the first availability information Storage means for storing sub-request aggregate information associated with rejection information, and a method for generating a sub-request by combining the instruction information from the request based on the identification information and the sub-request type information Generating a sub-request included in the rule information by combining the instruction information included in the request based on the request receiving means, the method of generating the determined sub-request, the sub-request type information and the rule information; Sub-request generation means for determining whether or not to approve the request based on the second availability information; and the request for the sub-request based on the generated sub-request and the first availability information. Sub-request determination means for determining whether to accept or not To.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the instruction information includes the type to be operated, and the storage means includes the identification information and the type to be operated. And further storing the associated access control target information, wherein the request accepting unit determines a generation method of the sub-request related to the operation target type from the request based on the access control target information. It is characterized by.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 2, wherein the request receiving means defines the type to be operated as a variable and is included in the instruction information received by the input receiving means. The type to be operated is delivered to the defined variable, and the generation method of the sub-request related to the type to be manipulated defined in the delivered variable is determined.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the instruction information includes a type of the application, and the storage unit is provided in the information processing apparatus. Application configuration information is further stored, and application configuration determination means for determining whether or not the type of application included in the instruction information is included in the configuration information, the request reception means, Only when the application configuration determination unit determines that the type of application is included in the configuration information, the generation method of the sub-request related to the application is determined.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 4, wherein the application configuration determination unit determines that the configuration information does not include the type of the application that the input reception unit has received. , Deleting the type of application that the input receiving unit has received an input from the configuration information, and the request receiving unit indicates that the application that the input receiving unit has received an input is not included in the information processing apparatus Notifying the receiving means.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the input reception unit is configured for each sub-request, and the storage unit includes the input reception unit and the input request unit. Input reception transition information associated with the sub-request is further stored, and the input reception unit is switched according to the input reception transition information.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sub-request type information includes the type of the operation target, the identification information, and the type of the sub-request. The sub-request generation unit determines whether the sub-request determined by the sub-request reception unit is related to the type to be operated, and the type to be operated Only when it is determined that it is related to, a plurality of sub-requests included in the rule information are generated by combining the instruction information.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 6, wherein the instruction information further includes user identification information for identifying the user, and the input acceptance transition information is the user identification. The input receiving means related to information is configured higher than the input receiving means related to the sub-request.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the storage means further stores hardware configuration information constituting the information processing apparatus, and the input A hardware configuration determination unit that determines whether or not hardware necessary for executing the application for which the reception unit has received the input is present; and the request reception unit includes the hardware configuration determination unit. The generation method of the sub-request related to the application is determined only when it is determined that there is hardware necessary for executing the type of application that has received the input.

  The invention according to claim 10 is an information processing apparatus in which a user selects an operation target and executes an application related to the selected operation target for executing the application. A plurality of input receiving means for receiving a request composed of a plurality of instruction information, identification information indicating a method for generating a sub-request combining the instruction information included in the request, the identification information and the sub-request Sub-request type information that associates types, rule information that associates sub-requests that combine the instruction information, and first availability information that indicates whether or not requests for the sub-requests are allowed, the identification information, and the The first permission information is aggregated and the second permission information indicating whether or not the request of the request is permitted is related. Sub-request aggregated information, storage means for storing, request receiving means for determining a method for generating a sub-request by combining the instruction information from the request based on the identification information and the sub-request type information, , Based on the second request information, subrequest generation means for determining whether or not to approve the request, a method for generating the determined subrequest, the subrequest type information, and the rule information. Generating a sub-request included in the rule information by combining the instruction information included in the request, and determining whether or not to grant the request for the sub-request based on the generated sub-request and the first availability information Sub-request determining means for determining.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus in which a user selects an operation target and executes an application related to the selected operation target. A plurality of input accepting steps for accepting input of a request composed of a plurality of instruction information for executing, identification information indicating a method for generating a sub-request in which the storage means combines the instruction information included in the request, Rule information that associates sub-request type information that associates identification information with the type of sub-request, sub-request that combines the instruction information, and first availability information that indicates whether or not to accept the request for the sub-request. And collecting the identification information and the first availability information to approve the request for the request. Sub-request aggregate information associated with second permission / inhibition information indicating whether or not the request information is received from the request based on the identification information and the sub-request type information. A request receiving step for determining a method for generating a sub-request by combining the request, a method for generating a sub-request by the sub-request generating means, the sub-request type information, and the rule information. A sub-request generating step for generating a sub-request included in the rule information by combining the instruction information, and determining whether the request for the request is permitted based on the second availability information; In the generated sub-request and the first availability information Zui and characterized in that it comprises a and a sub-request determining step of determining whether or not accept a request of the sub-request.

  The invention according to claim 12 is characterized in that the invention according to claim 11 is executed by a computer.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of input accepting means accepts an input of a request made up of a plurality of instruction information for executing the application, and a storage means combines the instruction information included in the request. Whether to recognize identification information unique to a method for generating a request, subrequest type information in which the identification information is associated with the type of the subrequest, a subrequest combining the instruction information, and a request for the subrequest Sub-association of the rule information that associates the first availability information indicating, and the second availability information that indicates whether the request for the request is permitted by aggregating the identification information and the first availability information Request aggregation information is stored, and the request receiving means is based on the identification information and the sub-request type information. Determining a method for generating a subrequest by combining the instruction information from the request, and generating a subrequest based on the method for generating the determined subrequest by the subrequest generation unit, the subrequest type information, and the rule information. A sub-request included in the rule information is generated by combining the included instruction information, and it is determined whether or not the request for the request is permitted based on the second availability information. Since it is determined whether or not to accept the request for the sub-request based on the sub-request and the first availability information, the scalability of the access control process can be improved and the process can be easily customized. There is an effect.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the instruction information includes the type to be operated, and the storage means has the identification information and the type to be operated. Access control target information associated with the request, and the request receiving unit determines a generation method of the sub-request related to the operation target type from the request based on the access control target information. Therefore, even when a plurality of types of applications are provided, the expandability of the access control process can be improved, and the process can be easily customized.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the request accepting unit defines the type to be operated as a variable and is included in the instruction information received by the input accepting unit. The type to be operated is transferred to the defined variable, and the generation method of the sub-request related to the type to be operated defined in the passed variable is determined. Even in the case of an increase, the access control process can be easily maintained.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the instruction information includes the type of the application, and the storage unit includes the information processing apparatus. Application configuration determination means for further storing the application configuration information, and determining whether or not the type of application included in the instruction information is included in the configuration information, the request reception means Only when the application configuration determination means determines that the type of application is included in the configuration information, the generation method of the sub-request related to the application is determined. There is an effect that the processing can be prevented promptly.

  According to the invention according to claim 5, in the invention according to claim 4, when the application configuration determination unit determines that the type of application that the input reception unit has received is not included in the configuration information In addition, the input accepting unit deletes the type of application that the input accepting unit has accepted from the configuration information, and the input that the request accepting unit has received the input by the input accepting unit is not included in the information processing apparatus. Since the reception means is notified, it is possible to prevent the user from performing an access control process that does not exist by mistake, and to achieve consistency with the input received application.

  According to the invention according to claim 6, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the input reception unit is configured for each sub-request, and the storage unit is configured as the input reception unit. Since the input acceptance transition information associated with the sub-request is further stored and the input acceptance means is switched according to the input acceptance transition information, the screen operated by the user can be easily customized in the same manner as the sub-request. There is an effect.

  According to the invention according to claim 7, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the sub-request type information indicates the type of the operation target as the identification information and the sub-request. The sub-request generation unit determines whether the sub-request determined by the sub-request receiving unit is related to the type to be operated, and becomes the operation target. Only when it is determined to be related to the type, the instruction information is combined to generate a plurality of sub-requests included in the rule information, so that it is possible to prevent erroneous execution of access control processing that should not be controlled. There is an effect.

  According to the invention according to claim 8, in the invention according to claim 6, the instruction information further includes user identification information for identifying the user, and the input acceptance transition information is Since the input receiving means related to the user identification information is configured higher than the input receiving means related to the sub-request, the same access control processing can be applied to a plurality of users at once, and it is easy There is an effect that can be customized.

  According to the invention according to claim 9, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the storage unit further stores hardware configuration information configuring the information processing apparatus, and hardware The configuration determination unit determines whether there is hardware necessary for executing the application for which the input reception unit has received the input, and the request reception unit has received the input by the hardware configuration determination unit. Only when it is determined that the hardware necessary for executing the type of application exists, the generation method of the sub-request related to the application is determined, so that the user performs access control processing that does not exist by mistake. The effect that can be prevented more quickly is produced.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of input receiving means receives a request input composed of a plurality of instruction information for executing the application, and a storage means combines the instruction information included in the request. Identification information indicating a method for generating a sub-request, sub-request type information in which the identification information is associated with the sub-request type, a sub-request combining the instruction information, and whether to accept the request for the sub-request Associated with the first permission information indicating whether or not the request information is approved by aggregating the identification information and the first permission information. Sub-request aggregate information, and the request reception means is based on the identification information and the sub-request type information. And determining a method for generating a sub-request by combining the instruction information from the request, and determining whether or not the sub-request generating unit recognizes the request for the request based on the second availability information. The means generates the subrequest included in the rule information by combining the instruction information included in the request based on the method of generating the determined subrequest, the subrequest type information, and the rule information. Since it is determined whether or not the request for the sub-request is permitted based on the sub-request and the first availability information, the scalability of the access control process is enhanced even when the number of sub-requests increases. And the process can be easily customized.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the request includes a plurality of input receiving steps for receiving an input of a request including a plurality of instruction information for the plurality of input receiving units to execute the application. Identification information indicating a method of generating a subrequest that combines the instruction information, subrequest type information that associates the identification information with the type of the subrequest, a subrequest that combines the instruction information, and the subrequest A second rule indicating whether or not the request for the request is permitted by aggregating the rule information associated with the first permission / inhibition information indicating whether or not the request is permitted and the identification information and the first permission / inhibition information. A storage step for storing sub-request aggregate information associated with availability information; A request receiving step for determining a method for generating a subrequest by combining the instruction information from the request based on different information and the subrequest type information, and a method for generating the determined subrequest by a subrequest generating unit; Based on the sub-request type information and the rule information, the instruction information included in the request is combined to generate a sub-request included in the rule information, and the request for the request is recognized based on the second availability information. A sub-request generation step for determining whether or not the sub-request determination means determines whether or not the sub-request determination unit recognizes the request for the sub-request based on the generated sub-request and the first availability information. Steps, and so access control processing It is possible to increase the tonicity, an effect that the processing can be easily customized.

  Further, according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a program that allows a computer to execute the invention of the eleventh aspect of the present invention.

  Exemplary embodiments of an information processing apparatus, an access control method, and an access control program according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As an embodiment of the present invention, a multifunction machine called a so-called MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) in which an information processing apparatus has a copy function, a facsimile (FAX) function, a printing function, a scanner function, and the like in one housing An example applied to an apparatus having a printing function will be described. In the following description, the case where the information processing apparatus is applied to the above-described multifunction peripheral is described. However, the present invention can be applied to apparatuses other than the multifunction peripheral having functions other than the functions described above.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multifunction machine 1000 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 1000 includes an operation panel 100, an application unit 200, a request reception unit 300, a subrequest generation unit 400, a subrequest determination unit 4700, an application detection unit 450, and hardware detection. A unit 460 and a storage unit 470 are included. Furthermore, the storage unit 470 includes method identification information 4710, access control target information 4720, sub-request type information 4730, ACL setting information 4740, rule information 4700, application configuration information 4780, hardware configuration information 4790, The request aggregation information 4800, screen information 4810, and user information 4820 are mainly included. The rule information 4700 includes age rule setting information 4750, time rule setting information 4760, and new rule Z setting information 4770, and the sub-request determination unit 4700 includes the ACL determination unit 410, the age rule, The determination unit 420 includes a time rule determination unit 430 and a new rule Z determination unit 440.

  The operation panel 100 includes a display such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and designates various applications included in an application unit 200 described later, or setting information (for example, setting information for the user to use these applications). This is an interface for designating and inputting a user name, application type, usage time, user age, execution start instruction, number of copies, and the like.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the operation panel 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 100 includes a user selection screen 1010, an operation selection screen 1020, an application selection screen 1030, a detailed setting screen 1040, a time setting screen 1050, an age setting screen 1060, and a new rule. And a Z setting screen 1070. As shown in FIG. 2, each of these screens has a user selection screen 1010 as the highest order, and the display order up to each rule setting screen such as the lowest time setting screen 1050 is linked. The switching information regarding is stored in screen information 4810 described later.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user selection screen 1010 of the operation panel 100. As shown in FIG. 3, a user who uses the multifunction machine 1000 presses his / her user name from the user selection screen 1010 to display an operation selection screen 1020. This user information is stored in the user information 4820, and the content is displayed when the user calls the user selection screen 1010. The user selects and designates his / her user name from this screen.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation selection screen 1020 of the operation panel 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation selection screen 1020 displays an application (copy, scanner, FAX, etc.) operated by the user and other operations (document call, system setting, data transmission, etc.). The operation to be performed on 1000 is selected and designated from this screen. In the following description, these generic names for which the user accesses and operates the multifunction peripheral 1000 are referred to as access control targets.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example when the user selects “application” as the operation target on the operation selection screen 1020 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the user selects and designates an application to be operated from among a plurality of applications (copy, scanner, FAX, etc.) displayed on the application selection screen 1030.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a detailed setting screen 1040 for performing detailed setting when an application such as copy, scanner, FAX, or the like is selected on the application selection screen 1030 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, when an application is selected, output settings relating to that application (for example, in the case of copying, paper size, 2 in 1 aggregation presence / absence, color printing, output tray, etc.), application usage time, etc. Specify various detailed setting information such as time settings (for example, weekdays / holidays, available time zones, etc.), and age settings related to the usage target age of the application (for example, available only for those 21 to 30 years old) A selection screen is displayed.

  7 and 8 are examples of the time setting screen 1050 (FIG. 7) for specifying the time setting and the age setting screen 1060 (FIG. 8) for specifying the age setting in the detailed setting screen 1040 described above. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the time setting screen 1050, “business hours” is used as a classification of available time zones, week days are used as available days of the week, and “9:00 to 17:00” are specified as specific time zones. An example in which a time zone is set and the user performs an operation in this time zone is shown.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, in the age setting screen 1060, usage target ages such as 21 to 30 years old, 51 to 55 years old, etc. are set as ages that can use the application. An example in which “21 to 30 years old” is designated is shown. Note that a collection of various types of information specified or input by various types of users described above (a combination of various types of information) is called a request. In other words, the user makes one request to the multi-function peripheral 1000 by specifying the detailed setting information as described above in combination.

  As described above, when operating an application, the user designation, the usage time zone designation, and the age designation as described above are specified by the user himself. In such a case, for example, instead of specifying a user, whether the user can use the multi-function device 1000 by contacting the multi-function device 1000 with an ID (Identifier) card or the like. Security can also be ensured by performing a process such as determining whether or not the time zone used by the user is the correct time zone by referring to the timer information provided in the multi-function peripheral 1000. .

  Returning to FIG. 1, the application unit 200 performs processing other than image formation, such as processing related to image formation such as copy processing, FAX transmission processing, and scanner processing, processing for transmitting data subjected to scanner processing, processing for system maintenance, and the like. Software such as programs including As will be described later, after the processing by the application detection unit 450 and the hardware detection unit 460 is completed, the software includes a user name designated by the user on the operation panel 100, an access control target type, an application type, a usage time, a user When the designated information such as the age of the user, the execution start instruction, the number of copies, etc. is received, the software is activated to enter the standby state, and these various types of information are transmitted to the request reception unit 300.

  When the request receiving unit 300 receives specified information from the application unit 200 such as the user name, the type of access control target, the type of application, the usage time, the age of the user, the execution start instruction, the number of copies, and the like, from the storage unit 470 The method identification information 4710 shown in FIG. 9 is acquired. This method identification information 4710 is set in advance by a system administrator or the like. The method identification information 4710 is used to assemble information designated by the user and determine whether the subrequest generation unit 400 generates a subrequest as described later. Is for. FIG. 9 shows that a sub-request is generated by “method 3”.

  Returning to FIG. 1, when the request reception unit 300 receives the information specified by the user described above, the request reception unit 300 refers to the access control target information 4720 shown in FIG. 10 from the storage unit 470 and acquires the method identification information 4710. Is used as a key to read out which application is targeted and specify the type of the received access control target. Then, the request receiving unit 300, only when the access control target can be identified, the user name designated by the user, the type of access control target, the type of application, the usage time, the user age, the execution start instruction, the number of copies The method identification information 4710 is transmitted to the sub-request generation unit 400 in addition to the designated information such as, and the sub-request is generated from the designated information by the method described in the method identification information 4710. The request generation unit 400 is instructed. On the other hand, if it is not determined that it matches the read application, a message such as “You cannot perform this operation” is displayed on the operation panel 100.

  In the request receiving unit 300, when the type of access control target is received (for example, the type of operation such as “application” or “system”), the received type of access control target is converted into a variable. The converted variable is transmitted to the application generation unit 400. In the subsequent processing, various types of processing are performed on the type of the access control target as a form variable. In this way, even when the types of access control targets increase, if the access control target information 4720 is corrected, it is possible to cope with access control of the increased types of access control targets.

  The sub-request generation unit 400 generates a sub-request by combining information specified by the user received from the request reception unit 300. This sub-request is a combination of various types of information specified by the user on the operation panel 100 into small rules for controlling access. For example, ACL (Access Control List) setting, age, Time and other (new rule Z) refers to various concepts.

  Specifically, the sub-request generation unit 400 includes the user name specified by the user from the request reception unit 300, the type of access control target, the type of application, the usage time, the user age, the execution start instruction, the number of copies, etc. When the designated information and method identification information 4710 are received, the subrequest name information 4730 shown in FIG. 11 is referred to using the received method identification information 4710 as a key, and the subrequest name corresponding to the method identification information 4710 is acquired.

  Further, the sub-request generation unit 400 determines whether the type of the access control target received from the request reception unit 300 corresponds to the method identification information 4710, and the application of the sub-request type information 4730 shown in FIG. Judgment is made with reference to the type information. A sub-request is generated only when it is determined that the type of the access control target received corresponds to the method identification information 4710. On the other hand, when it is determined that the received application type does not correspond to the method identification information 4710, a message such as “You cannot perform this operation” is displayed on the operation panel 100.

  Further, the sub-request generation unit 400 uses rule information having the same sub-request name as the sub-request name acquired with reference to the method identification information 4710 (for example, ACL setting information, age rule setting information, time rule shown in FIG. 12). Setting information, new rule Z type information) is identified from the rule information 4700, the item name set in the identified rule information is read, the user name received from the request receiving unit 300, the type of access control target, A sub-request is generated by combining the same item names from information corresponding to the application type, usage time, user age, execution start instruction, number of copies, and the like.

  More specifically, for example, the sub-request generation unit 400 accesses the ACL setting information 4740 and sets “user name”, “application”, and “operation” in the “instruction information” item illustrated in FIG. By reading each name and receiving information from the request receiving unit 300, the user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, execution start instruction, number of copies, etc., "user name" “Application type” and “Execution start instruction” are extracted and a sub-request is generated. Then, the generated sub-request is transmitted to the ACL determination unit 410 of the sub-request determination unit 4000 as described later.

  In the example described above, the case where the sub request generation unit 400 generates a sub request from the ACL setting information 4740 has been described. However, when the user designates the time zone shown in FIG. 7 on the time setting screen 1050 of the operation panel 100, the information is received from the request receiving unit 300, and the time rule setting information 4760 of the rule information 4700 is accessed. 12B, each name of “time” and “user name” in the “instruction information” item of the age rule setting information 4750 shown in FIG. 12B is read, and from each information received from the request receiving unit 300, “ The user name "" usage time (9: 00-17: 00) "is extracted to generate a sub-request.

  Similarly, when the user designates an age range (age) on the age setting screen 1060 of the operation panel 100, the sub-request generation unit 400 accesses the age rule setting information 4750 and displays “ Each name of “lower limit age” and “upper limit age” described in the “instruction information” is read to generate a sub-request related to age.

  As described above, the sub-request generation unit 400 accesses various rule information set in the rule information 4700, reads each name described in the “instruction information”, and sends sub-requests regarding various rule setting information. Generate. Therefore, when the user newly registers new rule Z information 4770 as shown in FIG. 12 in the rule information 4700, the names “location” and “application” of the instruction information of the new rule Z information 4770 are read. Generate a sub-request for this new rule. In this case, a screen for setting a location rule is displayed on the operation panel 100, and the user can select a user name, a type of access control target, a type of application, a usage time, a user age, an execution start instruction, In addition to the information corresponding to the number of copies, etc., for example, information indicating the location “XXX branch” is input, and the sub-request generation unit 400 generates a sub-request related to the new rule indicating the location.

  Further, as will be described later, the sub-request generation unit 400 includes each determination unit of the sub-request determination unit 4700 (for example, an ACL determination unit 410, an age rule determination unit 420, a time rule determination unit 430, a new rule Z determination unit 440, etc. ), The subrequest shown in FIG. 13 is received when a result of determining whether or not to accept the request for the subrequest (hereinafter referred to as “permission information” indicating whether the subrequest is “permitted” or “denied”) is received. The aggregated information 4800 is accessed, the method identification information of the sub-request aggregated information 4800 that matches the method identification information 4710 received from the request receiving unit 300 is identified, and the final method is referred to by referring to the aggregated method corresponding to the method identification information. Thus, it is determined whether or not the instruction content designated by the user from the operation panel 100 should be executed.

  Specifically, when the method identification information 4710 received from the request receiving unit 300 is “method 3”, in FIG. 13, the aggregation method corresponding to “method 3” “permit if all rules are permitted” is set. With reference to this, it is determined whether or not the instruction content from the user should be executed. That is, if the permission information from each determination unit such as the ACL determination unit 410, the age rule determination unit 420, and the time rule determination unit 430, which will be described later, is not “permitted”, the instruction information specified by the user is displayed. Determine that it should not be executed.

  The sub-request determination unit 4000 receives the sub-request generated by the sub-request generation unit 400 and determines whether the content of the sub-request can be “permitted” or “denied”. ACL setting information 4740, age rule setting information 4750, time rule setting information 4760, ACL rule determination unit 410 corresponding to each rule information such as new rule Z setting information, and age rule determination unit 420 stored in rule information 4700 of unit 470 , A time rule determination unit 430, a new rule Z determination unit 440, and the like.

  As described above, each determination unit receives a subrequest corresponding to each determination unit from the subrequest generation unit 400, and the received subrequest is an instruction described in each setting information of the rule information 4700 shown in FIG. With reference to the information, a determination value indicating whether the sub-request should be “permitted” or “denied” is acquired, and the value is transmitted to the sub-request generator 400.

  More specifically, for example, when the ACL determination unit 410 receives a sub-request from the sub-request generation unit 400 when the user with the user name “Tanaka” “executes” the application “copy”, the process proceeds to FIG. “Permission” is acquired with reference to the determined value of the ACL setting information 4740 shown. In addition, when receiving a sub-request that the user name “Tanaka” is an age of 21 to 30 years old, the age rule determination unit 420 refers to the determined value of the age rule setting information 4750 shown in FIG. To get “permission”. Further, when the user “Tanaka” receives a sub-request that the time period for using the copy function is outside the business hours on holidays, the time rule determination unit 430 displays the time rule setting information shown in FIG. “Deny” is acquired with reference to the decision value of 4760.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the application detection unit 450 determines whether or not the application specified on the application selection screen 1030 of the operation panel 100 is stored in the hardware configuration information 4790 stored in the storage unit 470. Only when the designated application exists, information corresponding to the user name specified on the operation panel 100, the type of access control target, the type of application, the usage time, the age of the user, the execution start instruction, the number of copies, etc. It transmits to the hardware detection part 460 mentioned later. On the other hand, if the designated application does not exist, the operation panel 100 is notified of the fact and the application is deleted from the application configuration information 4780.

  In this application configuration information 4780, a list of applications incorporated in the MFP 1000 is stored in association with the application selection screen 1030 of the operation panel 100, and applications displayed on the application selection screen 1030 are incorporated. The same application as the application is displayed.

  When the hardware detection unit 460 receives from the application detection unit 450 information corresponding to the user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, execution start instruction, number of copies, and the like, When the hardware necessary for the specified type of application to operate is determined by referring to the hardware configuration information 4790, and the hardware required for the specified application is mounted Only various information specified on the operation panel 100 is transmitted to the request reception unit 300.

  The hardware configuration information 4790 includes the application type and hardware configuration information related to the execution of the application and its setting information (for example, if the specified type of application is a copy, the output tray setting and In addition, various setting information for printing a copy image such as the presence / absence of paper in the tray, etc. is stored, and the hardware detection unit 460 does not include hardware necessary for the designated application. For example, when the paper in the tray is empty, this is notified to the operation panel 100.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the relationship between the main parts of each part of the multifunction machine 1000 described above. As shown in FIG. 14, between the request reception unit 300, the sub-request generation unit 400, and the storage unit 470, an ACL determination unit 410, an age rule determination unit 420, and a time rule determination unit of a sub-request determination unit 4000 that determines a sub-request. Each determination unit such as 430 is configured. When the user newly determines a sub-request of “new rule Z”, it is added as one of the determination units in this way, and the various processes described above are performed on the sub-request.

  Next, an execution process performed in the above-described multifunction peripheral 1000 will be described. FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram when the user performs access control using the copy function in the application of the MFP 1000. In the following description, a case where the user “Tanaka XX” (age 25 years old) copies one document or the like outside business hours will be described.

  The user operates the operation panel 100, and the user name (Tanaka XX), access control target type (application), application type (copy), usage time (non-business hours), user age (25 years old) Then, the number of copies (1 copy) is input and the execution key is pressed to instruct execution start (step S1501). These various types of information input or instructed by the user are transmitted to the application detection unit 450.

  The application detection unit 450 reads the application type from the various pieces of information received from the operation panel 100, and determines whether or not the read application type exists in the application configuration information 4780 (step S1502). If it is determined that the type of the read application does not exist in the application configuration information 4780 (step S1502; No), the application is deleted from the application configuration information 4780, and that fact is transmitted to the operation panel 100 for processing. Is finished (step S1503).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the read application type exists in the application configuration information 4780 (step S1502; Yes), the received user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, and number of copies to be copied Each piece of information is transmitted to the hardware detection unit 460.

  When the hardware detection unit 460 receives information on the user name, the type of access control, the type of application, the usage time, the age of the user, and the number of copies from the application detection unit 450, the hardware detection unit 460 receives the hardware necessary for the specified type of application. Whether hardware is installed is determined by referring to the hardware configuration information 4790 (step S1504).

  If it is determined that the hardware necessary for the specified type of application is not installed (step S1504; Yes), the fact is transmitted to the operation panel 100 and the process is terminated (step S1505).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that necessary hardware is installed in the designated type of application (step S1504; No), the user name received from the application detection unit 450, the type of access control target, the type of application, and the usage Information on the time, the age of the user, and the number of copies is transmitted to the application unit 200 (step S1506).

  Thereafter, the application unit 200 activates a specified type of application from among the installed applications, puts the application into a standby state, and transmits the received various types of information to the request reception unit 300 (step S1507).

  The request receiving unit 300 reads the stored method identification information 4710 as shown in FIG. 9, specifies the target to be accessed with reference to the access control target information 4720 using the read method identification information 4710 as a key, It is determined whether the identified access control target is the same as the access control target received from the application unit 200 (step S1508). If it is determined that the identified access control target is not the same as the access control target received from the application unit 200 (step S1508; No), a message to that effect is transmitted to the operation panel 100, and the process ends (step S1510).

  On the other hand, when the request receiving unit 300 determines that the identified access control target is the same as the access control target received from the application unit 200 (step S1508; Yes), the method identification information 4710 read in step S1507, the application The user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, and number of copies received from the unit 200 are transmitted to the sub-request generation unit 400 and described in the method identification information 4710 The subrequest generation unit 400 is instructed to generate a subrequest by the method (step S1509).

  The sub-request generation unit 400 receives the method identification information 4710, the user name, the type of access control target, the type of application, the usage time, the age of the user, and the number of copies from the request reception unit 300. The sub-request type information 4730 is accessed using the identification information 4710 as a key, and a specific sub-request generation method corresponding to the identification information described in the method identification information is specified.

  For example, when the method identification information 4710 is “method 3”, as shown in FIG. 11, the “method 3” has three types of “ACL type”, “age rule type”, and “time rule type”. It can be seen that this is method identification information that generates a sub-request.

  Further, the sub-request generation unit 400 uses the sub-request information of the specified sub-request types “ACL type”, “age rule type”, and “time rule type” as keys, and ACL setting information 4740 stored in the rule information 4700. The age rule setting information 4750 and the time rule setting information 4760 are accessed to specify what kind of instruction information each of these setting information comprises. Then, according to the specified instruction information, a sub request is generated by combining the user name received from the request receiving unit 300, the type of access control target, the type of application, the usage time, the user age, and the number of copies. The subrequest is transmitted to the ACL determination unit 410, the age rule determination unit 420, and the time rule determination unit 430 of the subrequest determination unit 4000 (step S1511).

  In this example, the information input from the operation panel in step S1501 includes the user name (Tanaka XX), the type of access control target (application), the type of application (copy), the usage time (non-business hours), the user's Since the age (25 years old), the number of copies (1 copy), and the execution key (execution start instruction), the ACL determination unit 410 is combined with “Tanaka XX”, “copy”, and “execution start instruction”. A request is transmitted (step S1513). Similarly, the age rule determination unit 420 transmits a sub-request of “25 years old”, and the time rule determination unit 430 transmits a sub-request combining “non-business hours” and “Tanaka XX” (step S1514, S1515).

  Each determination unit of the sub-request determination unit 4000 compares each sub-request received in steps S1513 to S1515 with various setting information stored in the rule information 4700 as shown in FIG. Whether to “permit” or “reject” is obtained by referring to the determined value of each setting information (steps S1516 to S1518), and the acquired value is transmitted to the sub-request generation unit 400 (steps S1519 to S1521). ).

  Specifically, the ACL determination unit 410 acquires a determination value of “permitted” from the sub-requests “Tanaka XX”, “copy”, and “execution start instruction”, and the age rule determination unit 420 is “25 years old”. The decision value “permitted” is acquired from the sub-request, and the time rule determination unit 430 is determined to be “reject” from the sub-request combining “non-business hours” and “Tanaka XX” for the time rule determination unit 430 Values are acquired, and each of these values is transmitted to the sub-request generation unit 400.

  When the subrequest generation unit 400 acquires the determined values from the ACL determination unit 410, the age rule determination unit 420, and the time rule determination unit 430, the method identification information 4710 received from the request reception unit 300 in step S1509 is used as a key. With reference to the sub-request aggregation information shown in FIG. 18, an aggregation method that indicates how each decision value is aggregated is specified (step S1522).

  Specifically, since the method identification information is “method 3”, the user “Tanaka XX” finally operates on the operation panel 100 in step S1501, and “all small rules are permitted. Read the aggregation method “permitted”, determine the value “permitted” received from the ACL determination unit 410, the determination value “permitted” received from the age rule determination unit 420, and the “reception” received from the time rule determination unit 430. The decision values “reject” are compared and there is at least one “reject”. Therefore, these decision values are aggregated assuming that the overall request is also “reject”.

  Then, the decision values collected in step S1522 are transmitted to the request receiving unit 300 (step S1523), and the request receiving unit 300 further transmits that fact to the application unit 200 (step S1524). Then, the application unit 200 refers to the received determination value “reject” and transmits a notification to the effect that the execution of the application designated by the user is rejected to the operation panel 100 (step S1525). Specifically, a message such as “Mr. Tanaka cannot execute this operation outside business hours” is displayed.

  On the other hand, in step S1522, if all the determination values aggregated from the respective determination units are “permitted” (for example, the user “Tanaka XX” performs a copy operation during business hours, the time rule setting information 4760 is displayed. When a sub-request that satisfies the condition is generated), the sub-request generation unit 400 “permits” the request from the user as a whole and transmits the request to the request reception unit 300 (step S1523). The request reception unit 300 further transmits the determined value to the application unit 200 (step S1524). Then, the application unit 200 activates the application that has been in the standby state in step S1506, performs designated processing such as copy processing, and transmits the result to the operation panel 100 (step S1525). When the process of step S1525 ends, all the processes according to the present embodiment end.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of operation reception units 100 receives a request input including a plurality of instruction information for executing an application, and the storage unit 470 combines sub-instruction information included in the request. First information indicating whether or not a request for a subrequest and a subrequest combining the identification information unique to the method for generating the request, subrequest type information in which the identification information and the type of subrequest are associated, and a combination of the instruction information is permitted. The rule information in which the availability information is associated, and the sub-request aggregation information in which the identification information and the first availability information are aggregated to associate the second availability information indicating whether or not the request request is permitted. The request receiving unit 300 combines instruction information from the request based on the identification information and the sub-request type information. And determining the method for generating the sub-request, and combining the instruction information included in the request based on the method for generating the sub-request determined by the sub-request generating unit 400, the sub-request type information, and the rule information into the rule information. The subrequest included is generated, it is determined whether or not the request for the request is allowed based on the second availability information, and the subrequest determination unit 4000 determines the subrequest based on the generated subrequest and the first availability information. Since it is determined whether or not the request request is accepted, the scalability of the access control process can be enhanced and the process can be easily customized.

  In the present embodiment, the instruction information includes the type to be operated, and the storage unit 470 further stores the access control target information in which the identification information and the type to be operated are associated with each other, Since the request reception unit 300 determines the generation method of the sub-request related to the type to be operated from the request based on the access control target information, the access control process is performed even when a plurality of types of applications are provided. Can be enhanced and the process can be easily customized.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the request receiving unit 300 defines the type to be operated as a variable, and the operation panel 100 is passed to the variable that defines the type to be operated included in the instruction information received and received. The sub-request generation method related to the operation target type defined in the defined variable is determined, so that even if the types of access control targets increase, the access control process can be easily maintained. it can.

  In the present embodiment, the instruction information includes the type of application, the storage unit 470 further stores application configuration information included in the information processing apparatus, and the application detection unit 450 is included in the instruction information. It is determined whether or not the type of application is included in the configuration information, and the request reception unit 300 determines that the sub-request related to the application only when the application detection unit 450 determines that the type of application is included in the configuration information. Therefore, it is possible to promptly prevent the user from performing an access control process that does not exist by mistake.

  In the present embodiment, when application detection unit 450 determines that the type of application for which operation panel 100 has received an input is not included in the configuration information, the type for which operation panel 100 has received an input from the configuration information. And the request reception unit 300 notifies the operation panel 100 that the application for which the operation panel 100 has received an input is not included in the information processing apparatus. Therefore, an access control process in which the user does not exist by mistake is performed. Can be prevented, and consistency with the input accepted application can be achieved.

  In the present embodiment, operation panel 100 is configured for each sub-request, and storage unit 470 further stores input acceptance transition information in which operation panel 100 and the sub-request are associated with each other. Since the screen is switched according to the screen information 4810, the screen operated by the user can be easily customized as in the case of the sub-request.

  In the present embodiment, the sub request type information 4730 stores the type of the operation target in association with the identification information and the type of the sub request, and the sub request generation unit 400 is determined by the request reception unit 300. Multiple subrequests that are included in the rule information by combining the instruction information only when it is determined whether the related subrequest is related to the type to be operated, and is determined to be related to the type to be operated Therefore, it is possible to prevent erroneous execution of access control processing that should not be controlled.

  In the present embodiment, the storage unit 470 further stores the hardware configuration information that configures the information processing apparatus, and the hardware detection unit 460 is necessary for executing the application that the operation panel 100 has accepted the input. Only when the request reception unit 300 determines that the hardware necessary for executing the type of application received by the hardware detection unit 460 is present. Since the generation method of the related sub-request is determined, it is possible to more promptly prevent the user from performing an access control process that does not exist by mistake.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment described above, the sub-request generation unit 400 receives each information of the user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, and number of copies received from the request reception unit 300. Referring to the sub-request type information 4730 and the like, sub-requests for the ACL determination unit 410, the age rule determination unit 420, and the time rule determination unit 430 are generated, and the determined values are aggregated. However, as the number of each determination unit increases, the processing load is applied to the sub-request generation unit 400, and when the determination for one sub-request is corrected, the entire sub-request generation unit 400 is reviewed. You may need to fix it. Therefore, when each sub-determination unit generates a sub-request from each information of user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, and number of copies, each decision unit Will be described.

  FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a multifunction machine 2000 according to the second embodiment. The MFP 2000 according to the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the functions of the sub-request generation unit 400, the ACL determination unit 410, the age rule determination unit 420, and the time rule determination unit 430. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the MFP 2000 according to the second embodiment includes each information of the user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, and number of copies received from the request receiving unit 300. The sub-request is not generated by the sub-request generation unit, but is performed by the ACL determination unit, the age rule determination unit, and the time rule determination unit, which is different from the MFP 1000 according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the sub-request generation unit 1600 receives from the request reception unit 300 information on user name, access control target type, application type, usage time, user age, number of copies, and method identification information 4710. Upon receipt, the sub-request type information 4730 is accessed using the received method identification information 4710 as a key, and a specific sub-request generation method corresponding to the identification information described in the method identification information is specified (step S1701). ). If the method cannot be specified, the operation panel 100 is notified (step S1702).

  Then, information on the three types of subrequests of the specified subrequest generation method (for example, “ACL type”, “age rule type”, and “time rule type”), and various designations received from the request receiving unit 300 The transmitted information is transmitted to the ACL determination unit 410, the age rule determination unit 420, and the time rule determination unit 430, which are each determination unit (steps S1703 to S1705).

  Each determination unit of the sub-request determination unit 4000 generates a sub-request by referring to the sub-request type information 4730 from various specified information received in steps S1703 to S1705 (steps S1706 to S1708). Each type of setting information stored in the rule information 4700 as shown in the figure is compared, and whether each sub-request is “permitted” or “denied” is obtained by referring to the determined value of each setting information. These determination values are transmitted to the sub-request generation unit 1600 (steps S1520 to S1522). Thereafter, as in the first embodiment, the determination value is transmitted to the request reception unit 300, the application unit 200 is notified of this, and the information is displayed on the operation panel 100 (steps S1523 to S1525).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of operation panels 100 receives a request input including a plurality of instruction information for executing an application, and the storage unit 470 combines the instruction information included in the request. Identification information indicating a method for generating the request, sub-request type information in which the identification information and the type of the sub-request are associated, and a first permission / inhibition indicating whether or not the request for the sub-request and the sub-request combining the instruction information is permitted Storing rule information associated with information, and sub-request aggregate information in which identification information and first availability information are aggregated and associated with second availability information indicating whether or not a request for request is permitted, The request receiving unit 300 combines instruction information from the request based on the identification information and the sub-request type information. The subrequest generation unit 1600 determines whether to accept the request based on the second availability information, and generates the subrequest determined by the subrequest determination unit 4000. The sub-request included in the rule information is generated by combining the instruction information included in the request based on the method, the sub-request type information, and the rule information, and the sub-request is generated based on the generated sub-request and the first availability information. Therefore, even if the number of sub-requests increases, the scalability of the access control process can be improved, and the process can be customized more easily.

(Third embodiment)
In the first and second embodiments described above, each setting screen on the operation panel 100 displays the user selection screen as the top screen, and then sequentially displays the application type and the like. However, depending on the type of application used by the user, there are cases where it is desired to specify the user collectively. For example, there is a case where data scanned by a multifunction machine is to be transmitted to a plurality of users on the spot. In such a case, it is desirable to display the user selection screen after the operation selection screen is displayed. Therefore, a case where an operation selection screen is first displayed on the operation panel and then a user is designated will be described.

  FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a multifunction machine 8000 according to the third embodiment. The multifunction device 8000 according to the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the screen of the operation panel 100 and the screen transition information stored in the screen information 4810. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the MFP 8000 according to the third embodiment is different from the MFP 1000 according to the first embodiment in that the screen transition of the operation panel 100 is the highest in the operation selection screen. Is.

  FIG. 19 shows an example of the configuration of the operation panel 1800 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the operation panel 1800 has screen information such that the operation selection screen 1910 is the top screen, the user selection screen 1010 and the application selection screen 1030 are positioned in the next hierarchy, and the screen transitions between the screens. 1890.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation selection screen 1910 of the operation panel 100. As shown in FIG. 20, the user who uses the multifunction device 8000 first selects, for example, “data transmission” from the operation selection screen to determine what operation is to be performed on the multifunction device 8000. “User designation” is selected on the screen, a plurality of user names (for example, user names of transmission destinations) are designated from the user selection screen 1010, and other settings are performed on the detailed setting screen or the like.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the instruction information further includes user identification information for identifying the user, and the screen information 4810 indicates that the operation panel 100 related to the user identification information has received the sub-request. Therefore, the same access control process can be applied to a plurality of users at a time, and the operation panel 100 can be easily customized.

  FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the multifunction peripheral according to the first to third embodiments. As shown in the figure, the MFPs 1000, 2000, and 8000 have a configuration in which the controller 10 and an engine unit (Engine) 60 are connected by a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus. The controller 10 is a controller that controls the entire MFPs 1000 and 2000 and controls drawing, communication, and input from an operation unit (not shown). The engine unit 60 is a printer engine that can be connected to a PCI bus, and is, for example, a monochrome plotter, a one-drum color plotter, a four-drum color plotter, a scanner, or a fax unit. The engine unit 60 includes an image processing part such as error diffusion and gamma conversion in addition to a so-called engine part such as a plotter.

  The controller 10 includes a CPU 11, a north bridge (NB) 13, a system memory (MEM-P) 12, a south bridge (SB) 14, a local memory (MEM-C) 17, and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). 16 and a hard disk drive (HDD) 18, and the north bridge (NB) 13 and the ASIC 16 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 15. The MEM-P 12 further includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12a and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12b.

  The CPU 11 performs overall control of the multifunction peripherals 1000, 2000, and 8000. The CPU 11 includes a chip set including the NB 13, the MEM-P 12, and the SB 14, and is connected to other devices via the chip set.

  The NB 13 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 11 to the MEM-P 12, SB 14, and AGP 15, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 12, a PCI master, and an AGP target.

  The MEM-P 12 is a system memory used as a memory for storing programs and data, a memory for developing programs and data, a memory for drawing a printer, and the like, and includes a ROM 12a and a RAM 12b. The ROM 12a is a read-only memory used as a program / data storage memory, and the RAM 12b is a writable / readable memory used as a program / data development memory, a printer drawing memory, or the like.

  The SB 14 is a bridge for connecting the NB 13 to a PCI device and peripheral devices. The SB 14 is connected to the NB 13 via a PCI bus, and a network interface (I / F) unit and the like are also connected to the PCI bus.

  The ASIC 16 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing applications having hardware elements for image processing, and has a role of a bridge for connecting the AGP 15, PCI bus, HDD 18 and MEM-C 17. The ASIC 16 includes a PCI target and an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of the ASIC 16, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C 17, and a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory) that perform rotation of image data by hardware logic. Access Controller) and a PCI unit that performs data transfer between the engine unit 60 via the PCI bus. An FCU (Fax Control Unit) 30, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) 40, and an IEEE 1394 (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface 50 are connected to the ASIC 16 via a PCI bus. The operation display unit 20 is directly connected to the ASIC 16.

  The MEM-C 17 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 18 is a storage for storing image data, programs, font data, and forms. It is.

  The AGP 15 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card that has been proposed to speed up graphics processing. The AGP 15 speeds up the graphics accelerator card by directly accessing the MEM-P 12 with high throughput. .

  Note that the programs executed by the MFP 1000, the MFP 2000, and the MFP 8000 according to the present embodiment are provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like. The programs executed by the MFP 1000, the MFP 2000, and the MFP 8000 according to the present embodiment are files in an installable format or an executable format, and are CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, DVD. (Digital Versatile Disk) or the like may be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium.

  Furthermore, the programs executed by the MFP 1000, the MFP 2000, and the MFP 8000 according to the present embodiment are stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet, and are provided by being downloaded via the network. It may be configured. Further, the program executed by the MFP 1000, the MFP 2000, and the MFP 8000 according to the present embodiment may be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  The programs executed by the MFP 1000, the MFP 2000, and the MFP 8000 according to the present embodiment are the above-described units (request reception unit, sub-request generation unit, sub-request determination unit, hardware detection unit, application detection unit, etc.). As the actual hardware, the CPU (processor) reads the program from the ROM and executes it, so that the respective units are loaded onto the main storage device, and the request receiving unit and the sub-request generating unit A sub-request determination unit, a hardware detection unit, an application detection unit, and the like are generated on the main storage device.

  In the above-described embodiment, the multifunction device has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the multifunction device, and can be applied to various apparatuses and information processing apparatuses including a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer. .

  As described above, the information processing apparatus, the access control method, and the access control program according to the present invention are useful when performing application processing by performing access control in an information processing apparatus including a plurality of applications, and are particularly customized. It is suitable for the technology that performs access control for necessary applications.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a multifunction machine according to a first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a structure of the screen transition of the operation panel concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the user selection screen in the operation panel concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the operation selection screen in the operation panel concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the application selection screen in the operation panel concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the detailed setting screen of the application in the operation panel concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the time setting screen in the detailed setting screen of the application shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the age setting screen in the detailed setting screen of the application shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the method identification information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the access control object information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the subrequest kind information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part concerning 1st Embodiment. It is an example of the rule information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part concerning 1st Embodiment, (a) ACL setting information (b) Age rule setting information (c) Time rule setting information (d) The newly added rule It is a figure which shows the example of setting information. It is a figure which shows the example of the subrequest aggregation information memorize | stored in the memory | storage part concerning 1st Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the relationship of the process part concerning 1st Embodiment. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an execution procedure for performing access control in the multi-function peripheral according to the first embodiment. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the multifunctional device concerning 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an execution procedure for performing access control in a multifunction peripheral according to a second embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the multifunctional device concerning 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a structure of the screen transition of the operation panel concerning 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the operation selection screen in the operation panel concerning 3rd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the hardware constitutions of the multifunctional device concerning 1st, 2nd, 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 1800 Operation panel 200 Application part 300 Request reception part 400 1600 Sub request production | generation part 410 Judgment part 420 Age rule judgment part 430 Time rule judgment part 440 New rule Z judgment part 450 Application detection part 460 Hardware detection part 470 Storage part 1000 2000 8000 MFP 1010 User selection screen 1020 Operation selection screen 1030 Application selection screen 1040 Detailed setting screen 1050 Time setting screen 1060 Age setting screen 1070 New rule Z setting screen 1600 Sub request generation unit 1890 Screen information 1910 Operation selection screen 4000 Sub request determination unit 4700 Rule information 4710 Method identification information 4720 Access control target information 4730 Sub-request type information 4740 ACL Teijoho 4750 age rule configuration information 4760 hours rule configuration information 4770 new rules Z configuration information 4780 application configuration information 4790 hardware configuration information 4800 sub-request-intensive information 4810 screen information 4820 user information

Claims (12)

An information processing apparatus that executes an application related to an operation target selected by a user,
A plurality of input receiving means for receiving an input of a request composed of a plurality of instruction information for executing the application;
Identification information unique to a method of generating a subrequest that combines the instruction information included in the request, subrequest type information that associates the identification information with the type of the subrequest, and a sub that combines the instruction information Whether or not the request information is approved by aggregating the rule information that associates the request with the first availability information indicating whether or not the request for the sub-request is permitted, and the identification information and the first availability information. Storage means for storing sub-request aggregate information associated with second permission / inhibition information indicating:
Request accepting means for determining a method of generating a subrequest by combining the instruction information from the request based on the identification information and the subrequest type information;
Based on the method for generating the determined subrequest, the subrequest type information, and the rule information, the instruction information included in the request is combined to generate a subrequest included in the rule information, and the second availability Sub-request generation means for determining whether to approve the request based on the information;
Sub-request determining means for determining whether to grant a request for the sub-request based on the generated sub-request and the first availability information;
An information processing apparatus comprising: The instruction information includes the type to be operated,
The storage means further stores access control target information that associates the identification information with the type to be operated,
The request receiving means determines a generation method of the sub-request related to the type to be operated from the request based on the access control target information;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. The request accepting unit defines the type to be operated as a variable, and delivers the type to be operated included in the instruction information received by the input accepting unit to the defined variable. Determining a generation method of the sub-request related to the type to be operated defined in a variable;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2. The instruction information includes the type of the application,
The storage means
Further storing configuration information of the application provided in the information processing apparatus,
Application configuration determining means for determining whether or not the type of application included in the instruction information is included in the configuration information;
The request receiving means
Determining the generation method of the sub-request related to the application only when the application configuration determination unit determines that the type of the application is included in the configuration information;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The application configuration determination means includes
If it is determined that the configuration information does not include the type of application for which the input receiving unit has received an input, the type of application for which the input receiving unit has received an input is deleted from the configuration information;
The request receiving means
Notifying the input receiving means that the application that the input receiving means has received an input is not included in the information processing apparatus;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4. The input receiving means is configured for each sub-request,
The storage means
And further storing input acceptance transition information that associates the input acceptance means with the sub-request,
The input receiving means
Switching according to the input acceptance transition information,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The sub-request type information is
Storing the type of the operation target in association with the identification information and the type of the sub-request,
The sub-request generation means includes
It is determined whether or not the sub-request determined by the sub-request receiving unit is related to the type to be operated, and only when it is determined to be related to the type to be operated, the instruction information is Generating a plurality of subrequests included in the rule information in combination;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The instruction information further includes user identification information for identifying the user,
The input acceptance transition information is
The input receiving means related to the user identification information is configured higher than the input receiving means related to the sub-request;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 6. The storage means
Further storing hardware configuration information constituting the information processing apparatus,
Hardware configuration determination means for determining whether or not the hardware necessary for executing the application for which the input reception means has received the input exists,
The request receiving means
Determining a method for generating the sub-request related to the application only when the hardware configuration determination unit determines that there is hardware necessary to execute the type of application that has received the input;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: An information processing apparatus in which a user selects an operation target and executes an application related to the selected operation target,
A plurality of input receiving means for receiving an input of a request composed of a plurality of instruction information for executing the application;
Identification information indicating a method for generating a sub-request that combines the instruction information included in the request, sub-request type information that associates the identification information with the type of the sub-request, and a sub-request that combines the instruction information And rule information that associates the first availability information indicating whether or not to accept the request for the sub-request, and whether or not to accept the request for the request by aggregating the identification information and the first availability information. Storage means for storing sub-request aggregate information in association with second availability information shown;
Request accepting means for determining a method of generating a subrequest by combining the instruction information from the request based on the identification information and the subrequest type information;
Sub-request generation means for determining whether to approve the request based on the second availability information;
Based on the method for generating the determined subrequest, the subrequest type information, and the rule information, the instruction information included in the request is combined to generate a subrequest included in the rule information, and the generated subrequest And a sub-request determination unit that determines whether or not to approve the request for the sub-request based on the first availability information;
An information processing apparatus comprising: In an information processing apparatus in which a user selects an operation target and executes an application related to the selected operation target.
A plurality of input receiving steps for receiving input of a request composed of a plurality of instruction information for executing a plurality of input receiving means by the plurality of input receiving means;
Combining the instruction information with identification information indicating a method for generating a sub-request that combines the instruction information included in the request, a sub-request type information that associates the identification information with the type of the sub-request Whether the request for the request is approved by aggregating the rule information that associates the subrequest with the first availability information indicating whether or not to accept the request for the subrequest, and the identification information and the first availability information. Storage step for storing sub-request aggregate information associated with second permission / inhibition information indicating whether or not;
A request receiving step for determining a method for generating a sub-request by combining the instruction information from the request based on the identification information and the sub-request type information;
Sub-request generation means generates a sub-request included in the rule information by combining the instruction information included in the request based on the method of generating the determined sub-request, the sub-request type information and the rule information, A sub-request generation step for determining whether to approve the request based on the second availability information;
A sub-request determination step for determining whether or not the sub-request determination unit recognizes the request for the sub-request based on the generated sub-request and the first availability information;
An access control method comprising:   An access control program for causing a computer to execute the access control method according to claim 11.

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