JP2014110486A - Information processing unit, information processing method, program, and information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing unit, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system, capable of preventing erroneous transmission of information by confirming the validity of the destination specified before transmission in an information transmission method such as mail and facsimile that sets the destination for transmitting the information.SOLUTION: An information processing unit, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system include: management means for managing a valid period of destinations; acceptance means for accepting information to which the destination is specified; extraction means for extracting the destination specified in the information accepted by the acceptance means; determination means for determining whether an expired destination managed by the management means is contained in the destinations extracted by the extraction means; and suppressing means for suppressing the transmission of the information accepted by the acceptance means if an expired one is contained as a result of the determination made by the determination means.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for preventing erroneous transmission.

  When sending an e-mail or fax with a multi-function peripheral, it is possible to select and send an unintended destination because the selection of the destination is a manual task.

  Therefore, for example, a method is employed in which erroneous input is prevented by selecting from an address book in which mail addresses or fax numbers are registered, or by inputting the fax number twice.

  However, since the address book registered in the past is registered in the address book, if the maintenance is not performed properly, the company / customer who has already contracted or the address registered in the past and left as it is In the conventional method, it is possible to prevent erroneous input due to character input, but when sending an e-mail or fax, select an address that cannot be sent or should not be sent. It was not possible to prevent erroneous transmissions caused by.

  For example, for a contracted development company, even if it is exchanged by e-mail or fax during the contract period, it does not matter because the confidentiality obligation is imposed on the development contractor, but after the contract expires However, if it is possible to exchange by e-mail or fax, there is a problem because confidential information is sent to a company that is not obligated to maintain confidentiality. In addition, there is a possibility that the fax number may be transferred to another person or another department due to moving or the like. In that case, it becomes a problem because it is transmitted to a person who has nothing to do with it.

However, not all users who send e-mails or faxes know the contract period or the owner of the fax number has changed, so there is a mechanism to prevent such erroneous transmission. It has been demanded.
Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to an electronic mail distribution system that can prevent information leakage due to erroneously transmitted electronic mail.

JP 2009-64334 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 sets an expiration date for an encrypted email transmitted and determines erroneous transmission when the email has expired, and is set when the user transmits the email. It is not a confirmation that the destination is valid.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described problem, and in an information transmission method for transmitting information by setting a destination such as e-mail or fax, confirming whether the set destination is valid at the time of transmission. The purpose is to provide a mechanism for preventing erroneous transmission of information.

  The present invention is an information processing apparatus that controls transmission of information according to a set destination validity period, a management unit that manages the destination validity period, a reception unit that receives information in which a destination is set, Extraction means for extracting a destination set in the information received by the reception means, and destinations extracted by the extraction means that are managed by the management means and whose valid period has expired Determining means for determining whether or not the validity period has expired as a result of determination by the determination means, and a suppression means for suppressing transmission of information received by the reception means. Features.

  According to the present invention, in an information transmission method for transmitting information by setting a destination such as e-mail or fax, it is possible to prevent erroneous transmission of information by confirming whether the set destination is valid at the time of transmission. A mechanism can be provided.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the network which accommodates the multifunctional apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of a copying machine. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a hardware configuration of the scanner and printer shown in FIG. 2. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process in embodiment of this invention. It is an operation panel figure of a copying machine. Mail / fax creation screen of copying machine according to the present invention Copy machine destination selection screen in the present invention Effective period management table in the present invention Transmission permission application mail screen in the present invention Permission / non-permission confirmation web screen in the present invention

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network that accommodates the multifunction apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. These are called information processing systems. The multi-function device in the present embodiment is a copier having a data transmission / reception function. Also referred to as an information processing apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a copier 1001 is accommodated in a LAN 1006 made of Ethernet or the like together with a copier 1002, a facsimile machine 1003, a database / mail server 1004, and a client computer 1005 having functions equivalent to those of the copier 1001. . The copier 1001 is accommodated in the public line 1008 together with the facsimile machine 1007. The copying machine 1001 has a copy function and a facsimile function, and also has a data transmission function of reading a document image and transmitting image data obtained by the reading to each device on the LAN 1006. Further, since the copying machine 1001 has a PDL (Page Description Language) function, it is possible to receive and print a PDL image instructed from a computer connected on the LAN 1006. The copier 1001 stores an image read by the copier 1001 and a PDL image instructed from a computer connected to the LAN 1006 in a designated box area of the hard disk 2004 (FIG. 2) in the copier 1001. It is possible to print an image stored in the box area.

  The copier 1001 receives data and print settings read by the copier 1002 via the LAN 1006, stores the received data in the hard disk 2004 in the copier 1001, reflects the print settings in the copier, It is possible to print out. Further, it is possible to receive an image of the database / mail server 1004 via the client computer 1005 and the LAN 1006 and store it in the copying machine 1001 or print it out. The facsimile apparatus 1003 can receive data read by the copying machine 1001 via the LAN 1006 and transmit the received data.

  The database / mail server 1004 is a server device having a function of receiving data read by the copying machine 1001 via the LAN 1006, storing the received data as a database, and transmitting it as an e-mail.

By connecting to the database / mail server 1004, the client computer 1005 can acquire and display desired data from the database / mail server 1004, and can also read data read by the copier 1001 through the LAN 1006. It is possible to process and edit the received data.
The facsimile machine 1007 can receive the data read by the copying machine 1001 via the public line 1008 and print out the received data.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the copying machine 1001.

  The copying machine 1001 includes a controller unit 2000, to which a scanner 2070 as an image input device and a printer 2095 as an image output device are connected, and an operation unit 2012 is connected. The controller unit 2000 performs control for realizing a copy function for printing out image data read by the scanner 2070 by the printer 2095, and is connected to a LAN 1006 or a public line 1008 (WAN) to thereby obtain image information and devices. Controls to input / output information.

  Specifically, the controller unit 2000 includes a CPU 2001. The CPU 2001 starts up an operation system (OS) by a boot program stored in the ROM 2003, and is stored in an HDD (hard disk drive) 2004 on the OS. The application program is executed, and various processes are thereby executed. A RAM 2002 is used as a work area of the CPU 2001. The RAM 2002 provides a work area and an image memory area for temporarily storing image data. The HDD 2004 stores the application program and image data.

  Along with the ROM 2003 and the RAM 2002, the CPU 2001 includes an operation unit I / F (operation unit interface) 2006, a network I / F (network interface) 2010, a modem 2050, and an image bus I / F (image bus interface). ) 2005 is connected.

  An operation unit I / F 2006 is an interface with an operation unit 2012 having a touch panel, and outputs image data to be displayed on the operation unit 2012 to the operation unit 2012. Further, the operation unit I / F 2006 sends information input by the user in the operation unit 2012 to the CPU 2001.

  Next, the network I / F 2010 is connected to the LAN 1006 and inputs / outputs information to / from each device on the LAN 1006 via the LAN 1006. The modem 2050 is connected to the public line 1008 and inputs / outputs information via the public line 1008.

  An image bus I / F 2005 is a bus bridge for connecting a system bus 2007 and an image bus 2008 that transfers image data at high speed and converting the data format. The image bus 2008 is configured by a PCI bus or IEEE1394. On the image bus 2008, a raster image processor (hereinafter referred to as “RIP”) 2060, a device I / F 2020, a scanner image processing unit 2080, a printer image processing unit 2090, an image rotation unit 2030, and an image compression unit 2040 are provided. .

The RIP 2060 is a processor that develops a PDL code into a bitmap image. A scanner 2070 and a printer 2095 are connected to the device I / F 2020, and the device I / F 2020 performs image data synchronous / asynchronous conversion. A scanner image processing unit 2080 corrects, processes, and edits input image data. The printer image processing unit 2090 performs correction, resolution conversion, and the like corresponding to the printer 2095 for the print output image data. The image rotation unit 2030 rotates image data. The image compression unit 2040 compresses multi-value image data into JPEG data and binary image data into data such as JBIG, MMR, and MH, and performs decompression processing thereof.
Next, the hardware configuration of the scanner 2070 and the printer 2095 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the hardware configuration of the scanner 2070 and the printer 2095 shown in FIG.

  The scanner 2070 and the printer 2095 are integrally configured as shown in FIG. The scanner 2070 includes a document feeding unit 250. The document feeding unit 250 feeds documents one by one from the top to the platen glass 211 one by one, and each time the scanning operation of each document is completed, the document is fed. Is discharged from the platen glass 211 to a discharge tray (not shown). When the document is fed onto the platen glass 211, the scanner 2070 turns on the lamp 212 and starts moving the moving unit 213. The scanning of the original on the platen glass 211 is performed by the movement of the moving unit 213. During this scanning, the reflected light from the document is guided to a CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as “CCD”) 218 via each mirror 214, 215, 216 and lens 217, and an image on the document is on the imaging surface of the CCD 218. Is imaged. The CCD 218 converts an image formed on the imaging surface into an electrical signal, and the electrical signal is input to a control device (not shown) after being subjected to predetermined processing.

  The printer 2095 has a laser driver 321, and the laser driver 321 drives the laser emission unit 322 based on image data input from the control device. As a result, laser light corresponding to the image data is emitted from the laser light emitting unit 322, and this laser light is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 323 while being scanned. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 323 by the irradiated laser light, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image by the toner supplied from the developing device 324. In synchronization with the irradiation timing of the laser beam, the recording paper is fed from the cassettes 311 and 312 between the photosensitive drum 323 and the transfer unit 325 via the conveyance path, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 323 is transferred to the transfer unit 325. Is transferred onto the recording paper fed.

  The recording paper onto which the toner image has been transferred is sent to a fixing roller pair (heating roller and pressure roller) 326 via a conveyance belt, and the fixing roller pair 326 records the toner image on the recording paper by heat-pressing the recording paper. Fix on paper. The recording paper that has passed through the fixing roller pair 326 is discharged to the paper discharge unit 330 by the paper discharge roller pair 327. The paper discharge unit 330 includes a sheet processing apparatus that can perform post-processing such as sorting and stapling.

When the duplex recording mode is set, after the recording sheet is conveyed to the discharge roller pair 327, the rotation direction of the discharge roller pair 327 is reversed and guided to the refeed conveyance path 339 by the flapper 328. . The recording paper guided to the refeed conveyance path 339 is fed again between the photosensitive drum 323 and the transfer unit 325 at the timing described above, and the toner image is transferred to the back surface of the recording paper.
Next, the flow of processing in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 shows a flow from when the user transmits a mail / fax to when the valid period of the destination is determined and a permission application is transmitted to the administrator.
The contents transmitted by mail or fax are called “information”, and the mail address or fax number is called “destination”.

In step S401, the copier 1001 activates a mail / fax creation screen in response to a user operation. An example of the operation screen in the multifunction machine is shown in FIGS.
FIG. 5 is an operation panel diagram of the copying machine. An execution button (7001) / numerical key (7003) is provided, and UI transition is possible by a touch operation from the panel.

  FIG. 6 is a mail / fax creation screen of the copying machine. It has a subject (8001) / text (8002) input area, a destination selection button (8003), and a send execution button (8004). In the case of mail, the text and attached file are “information”, and in the case of fax, the scanned image data is “information”.

  In step S402, the copying machine 1001 accepts a destination selection according to a user operation. As a user operation, in order to select a destination to be transmitted, a destination selection button (8003) is pressed, a destination to be transmitted by the user is selected (9002) from the destination table screen (FIG. 7), and a destination determination button (9001) is selected. Will be pressed.

In step S403, the copying machine 1001 detects that the transmission button has been pressed in accordance with a user operation. As a user operation, a transmission execution button (8004) is pressed.
In step S404, the copying machine 1001 extracts one destination selected by the user and stores it in the memory.

  In step S405, the copying machine 1001 determines whether all the destinations selected by the user have been extracted. In the case of Yes, it progresses to S406, and in No, it returns to S404.

In step S406, the copying machine 1001 determines whether one or more destinations stored in the memory include destinations whose validity period has expired. If Yes, the process proceeds to S407, and if No, the process proceeds to S416. More specifically, the effective period management table managed by the copying machine 1001 is referenced to determine whether the effective period has expired by checking the destination. FIG. 8 shows an example of the effective period management table.
The effective period management table includes items of No. 501, name 502, destination 503, company name 504, effective period 505, and last transmission date 506.
In step S407, the copying machine 1001 temporarily sets transmission of “information” to a standby state (a process for suppressing transmission of “information” as it is).

In step S408, the copying machine 1001 makes a request to a predetermined administrator to confirm whether transmission is necessary (confirmation of permission or not). For example, a necessity confirmation mail is transmitted to the administrator via electronic mail. The transmission destination may be a user associated with the user who is currently logged in to the copying machine 1001. For example, the affiliation head may be considered. When a plurality of destinations have expired, an e-mail may be sent one by one, or a single e-mail may be sent with the contents repeated for each destination. .
In step S409, the client receives a necessity confirmation request.

In step S410, the client displays the received content. FIG. 9 shows an example of electronic mail. Here, the administrator refers to the destination name / address / company name / last transmission date / previous validity period / text, and confirms that there is no problem with the destination. Also, an instruction to access the ULR described in the mail text is issued. Note that the copier 1001 also functions as a WEB server.
In step S411, the client makes a connection request to the copying machine 1001.
In step S412, the copying machine 1001 connects in response to a request.

  In step S413, the copying machine 1001 determines whether a permitting input has been made or a non-permitting input has been made. If Yes, the process proceeds to S414. If No, the process proceeds to S415. For example, the determination is made based on the input from the browser screen of the client transmitted from the copying machine 1001 functioning as a WEB server. FIG. 10 shows an example of a screen displayed on the client. The administrator presses the permission button to permit it via this screen. In addition, a period for validating the destination is input. On the other hand, when not permitting, the non-permission button is pressed.

  In step S414, the copying machine 1001 performs processing for updating the valid period of the destination managed in the valid period management table. Here, when each of a plurality of destinations is input, a process for updating the validity period of each destination is performed.

  In step S415, the copying machine 1001 deletes a destination for which unauthorized entry has been made from destinations set in “information” for which transmission is temporarily in a standby state.

In step S416, the copying machine 1001 determines whether the destination is set in the “information” that is temporarily transmitted. In the case of Yes, it progresses to S417, and in No, it progresses to S418. Here, if all the destinations have been deleted in S415, the result is No. As another embodiment, it may be determined whether there is one whose destination is deleted. In that case, if it is not deleted, it will be Yes, and if it is deleted, it will be No. This is because if one of a plurality of destinations is canceled, the other destinations may have a high possibility of erroneous transmission.
In step S417, the copying machine 1001 transmits “information” to the set destination.
In step S418, the copying machine 1001 performs error processing. For example, a message indicating that transmission could not be performed is displayed on the operation panel.

  As described above, in an information transmission method for transmitting information by setting a destination such as e-mail or fax, a mechanism for preventing erroneous transmission of information by confirming whether the set destination is valid at the time of transmission. Can be provided.

  Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present invention can take embodiments as, for example, a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, or a storage medium (recording medium). The present invention may be applied to a system composed of these devices, or may be applied to an apparatus composed of a single device.

  In the present invention, a software program (in the embodiment, a program corresponding to the flowchart shown in the figure) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is directly or remotely supplied to the system or apparatus, and the computer of the system or apparatus Is also achieved by reading and executing the supplied program code.

  Accordingly, since the functions of the present invention are implemented by computer, the program code installed in the computer also implements the present invention. In other words, the present invention includes a computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention.

  In that case, as long as it has the function of a program, it may be in the form of object code, a program executed by an interpreter, script data supplied to the OS, and the like.

  As a recording medium for supplying the program, for example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card ROM, DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-R) and the like.

  As another program supply method, a client computer browser is used to connect to an Internet homepage, and the computer program of the present invention itself or a compressed file including an automatic installation function is downloaded from the homepage to a recording medium such as a hard disk. Can also be supplied. It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. That is, a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer is also included in the present invention.

  In addition, the program of the present invention is encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, distributed to users, and key information for decryption is downloaded from a homepage via the Internet to users who have cleared predetermined conditions. It is also possible to execute the encrypted program by using the key information and install the program on a computer.

  In addition to the functions of the above-described embodiments being realized by the computer executing the read program, the OS running on the computer based on the instruction of the program is a part of the actual processing. Alternatively, the functions of the above-described embodiment can be realized by performing all of them and performing the processing.

  Furthermore, after the program read from the recording medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion board or The CPU or the like provided in the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

1001 Copying machine (multifunction device)
1002 Copier 1003 Facsimile Device 1004 Database / Mail Server 1005 Client Computer 1006 LAN (Network)
1007 Facsimile machine 1008 Public line 2000 Controller unit (auto clear means, judgment means, control means)
2001 CPU
2004 HDD
2012 Operation unit (operation screen, display input means)
2070 scanner 2095 printer

Claims (8)

An information processing apparatus that controls transmission of information in accordance with a set destination validity period,
A management means for managing the validity period of the destination;
An accepting means for accepting information set with a destination;
Extracting means for extracting a destination set in the information received by the receiving means;
A determination unit that determines whether the destination extracted by the extraction unit includes a destination managed by the management unit that has expired;
An information processing apparatus, comprising: a deterring unit that deters transmission of information accepted by the accepting unit when a result of determination by the determining unit includes an expired valid period. As a result of the determination by the determination means, if there is information that has expired, the information received by the reception means is confirmed to be transmitted to a destination whose validity period has expired. In order to do this, necessity confirmation means for requesting necessity confirmation to a predetermined user,
In response to a confirmation request from the necessity confirmation unit, when an input indicating that transmission is permitted is obtained from the predetermined user, transmission to the destination set in the information received by the reception unit is suppressed by the suppression unit. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission unit that transmits the information. When the necessity confirmation means allows the content of the necessity confirmation to be transmitted to a destination whose validity period has expired, the content confirmation request includes a content requesting input of a new validity period to the predetermined user. To request confirmation of necessity,
In response to a confirmation request from the necessity confirmation unit, when a new valid period input is obtained from the predetermined user, among the destinations managed by the management unit, a new valid period input is made. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an update unit that updates the validity period.   In response to a confirmation request from the necessity confirmation unit, the transmission unit receives the input indicating that transmission is not permitted from the predetermined user, and then determines the determination from the destination set in the information received by the reception unit. 4. The information processing according to claim 2, wherein, as a result of determination by the means, the information whose transmission is suppressed by the suppression means is transmitted except for a destination determined to have expired. apparatus.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a multifunction peripheral. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus for controlling transmission of information according to a set destination validity period,
Administrative steps to manage the validity period of the destination;
An accepting step for accepting information for which a destination is set;
An extraction step of extracting a destination set in the information received by the reception step;
A determination step of determining whether the destination extracted by the extraction step includes a destination managed by the management step and having an expired validity period;
An information processing method comprising: a deterring step for deterring transmission of information accepted by the accepting step when a result of the judgment in the judging step includes an expired valid period. A program that can be executed in an information processing apparatus that controls transmission of information in accordance with a set destination validity period,
Management means for managing the validity period of the destination;
An accepting means for accepting information in which a destination is set;
Extracting means for extracting a destination set in the information received by the receiving means;
A determination unit that determines whether the destination extracted by the extraction unit includes a destination managed by the management unit and having an expired validity period;
A program that causes the information processing apparatus to function as a deterring unit that deters transmission of information received by the receiving unit when a determination result by the determining unit includes an expired valid period. . An information processing system capable of communicating between a client computer and an information processing apparatus that controls transmission of information according to a set destination validity period,
A management means for managing the validity period of the destination;
An accepting means for accepting information set with a destination;
Extracting means for extracting a destination set in the information received by the receiving means;
A determination unit that determines whether the destination extracted by the extraction unit includes a destination managed by the management unit that has expired;
An information processing system, comprising: a deterring unit that deters transmission of information accepted by the accepting unit when a result of the judgment by the judging unit includes an expired valid period.

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