JP7512697B2 - PROGRAM, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a program that executes processing according to the installation location.

The following patent document 1 describes a printer that stores information about its own installation location.

JP 2006-331436 A

Patent document 1 does not provide sufficient information regarding security when the printer's installation location is changed.

The present specification aims to provide a program, an information processing device, and an information processing system that can execute notifications in response to changes in the installation location of a device.

In order to solve the above problem, the program disclosed in the embodiment is a computer-readable program that receives instructions targeted at a device, and causes the computer to function as an information acquisition means for acquiring location information indicating the installation location of the device and security parameters related to the security of the device, and a notification means for notifying confirmation information that prompts the user to confirm the security parameters when the location information acquired by the information acquisition means indicates a change in the installation location and the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition means have not been changed, and when the location information acquired by the information acquisition means indicates a change in the installation location and the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition means have been changed, the notification of the confirmation information by the notification means is not executed. The information processing device and information processing system disclosed in the embodiment also have similar characteristics.

The technology disclosed in this specification can be realized in various forms, for example, as a control method, a recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc.

The technology disclosed in the embodiments can provide notifications in response to changes in the device's installation location.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printing system according to an embodiment. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the top page of a Web server started by the MFP is accessed by a Web browser of an information terminal. 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of a position change detection process of the MFP. 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of a position change flag reset process of the MFP. 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of a confirmation message display process of the MFP. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operation screen of an application. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operation screen of an application. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operation screen of an application.

Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a printing system 1 exemplified as one embodiment of the present application. The printing system 1 includes an information terminal 10 and an MFP 50. The printing system 1 is a system in which the information terminal 10 issues instructions to the MFP 50 for printing, scanning, fax transmission, etc., and the MFP 50 executes printing, etc.

The information terminal 10 mainly comprises a CPU 12, a memory 14, a network I/F 16, an LCD 18, and an input I/F 19. These components are capable of communicating with each other via a bus 21. The information terminal 10 is, for example, a notebook computer. Note that the information terminal 10 is not limited to a notebook computer, and may be an external terminal capable of other information processing, such as a stationary desktop computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. The configuration of the information terminal 10 shown in FIG. 1 is one example. For example, the information terminal 10 may also comprise an information terminal communication I/F for wireless communication with a mobile base station, a camera for capturing images, and the like.

The memory 14 stores an OS 23, an application 25, and a browser 27. The OS 23 is a program that provides overall control of the information terminal 10, and provides, for example, basic functions and services to the application 25. The OS 23 is, for example, an operating system such as Windows (registered trademark), MacOS (registered trademark), Linux (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), etc.

The application 25 is, for example, a program provided by the vendor of the MFP 50, and accepts print instructions and the like for the MFP 50. The CPU 12 executes the application 25 to provide various services and functions. The application 25 is, for example, an application program that changes the settings of the MFP 50, and causes the MFP 50 to print, scan, and send by fax. The application 25 creates, for example, image data for printing, and transmits the created image data for printing to the MFP 50, thereby causing the MFP 50 to perform a printing process. The application 25 also causes, for example, the MFP 50 to scan, and acquires the scan data read by the MFP 50. The application 25 also causes the MFP 50 to perform a process of sending data of a specified document by fax, based on, for example, an instruction from a user.

The browser 27 is a program that accesses a Web server on the Internet 77 or a Web server of the MFP 50, which will be described later. The CPU 12 executes the browser 27, for example, to transmit and receive data to and from the Web server of the MFP 50. In the following description, the information terminal 10 that executes the OS 23, the application 25, and the browser 27 on the CPU 12 may be described simply by the device name. For example, the description "the information terminal 10" may mean "the information terminal 10 that executes the OS 23, etc. on the CPU 12." In addition, the method of accessing the Web server is not limited to the method of executing the browser 27. For example, the information terminal 10 may access the Web server of the MFP 50 by the application 25 that performs printing, etc. In this case, the application 25 may transmit and receive data to and from the Web server using commands from the OS 23, etc. In addition, the information terminal 10 may not have the browser 27.

The memory 14 also includes a data storage area 32. The data storage area 32 is an area for storing data necessary for executing the OS 23, the application 25, and the browser 27. The network I/F 16 is a wireless interface for wireless communication with the router 75 and the network I/F 56 of the MFP 50. The information terminal 10 and the MFP 50 transmit and receive data to each other via the router 75, for example, via a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication for connecting the information terminal 10 and the MFP 50 is not particularly limited. For example, the information terminal 10 and the MFP 50 may be connected by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC (registered trademark). The information terminal 10 and the MFP 50 may also be connected by wired communication (such as a LAN cable) via the router 75.

For example, the information terminal 10 is configured with the router 75 as an access point, and can access the MFP 50 and the Internet 77 via the network I/F 16 and the router 75. Similarly to the information terminal 10, the MFP 50 is configured with the router 75 as an access point, and can access the information terminal 10 and the Internet 77 via the router 75.

For example, when setting up wireless communication that complies with the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication standard, the CPU 12 of the information terminal 10 executes the OS 23 and searches for a router 75 on the network. The CPU 12 receives an instruction to connect to the router 75 based on an operation input to the input I/F 19, and receives an encryption key (also called a network key) for the router 75. The CPU 12 executes a process to set up wireless communication with the router 75 based on the received encryption key, and connects to the router 75 via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) wireless communication.

The CPU 12 also executes the application 25 based on, for example, a user's operation input to the input I/F 19, transmits setup information to the MFP 50, and executes setup of the MFP 50. This setup information is, for example, information for wireless communication with the information terminal 10 and the router 75 via a wireless LAN, and is the SSID and encryption key of the router 75. That is, the setup information is information for connecting the MFP 50 to the wireless network to which the information terminal 10 is connected, and enabling communication between the information terminal 10 and the MFP 50 via the router 75. The MFP 50 executes setup to connect to the router 75 based on the setup information acquired from the information terminal 10, and when the setup is completed, communicates with the Internet 77 and the information terminal 10 via the router 75. This enables the information terminal 10 to issue print instructions, scan instructions, FAX transmission instructions, and the like to the MFP 50 via the router 75. Additionally, the MFP 50 may receive information such as an encryption key for the router 75 via the input I/F 60 of the MFP 50, which will be described later, and set up a connection with the router 75 and the information terminal 10.

The LCD 18 has a display screen that displays various information of the information terminal 10. Note that the device that displays various information of the information terminal 10 is not limited to an LCD, and may be other display devices such as an organic EL display.

The input I/F 19 is, for example, an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse. Note that the input I/F 19 of the information terminal 10 is not limited to a keyboard or a mouse, and may be, for example, a touch panel. The input I/F 19 detects user operations on the keyboard or mouse, and outputs an electrical signal in response to the detection.

The MFP 50 mainly comprises a CPU 52, a memory 54, a network I/F 56, an LCD 58, an input I/F 60, a printer unit 62, a scanner unit 63, and a fax unit 65. These components are capable of communicating with each other via a bus 64.

The CPU 52 executes processing according to the program 66 in the memory 54. The program 66 is a control program that executes printing processing, scanning processing, FAX transmission/reception processing, MFP 50 setting processing, etc. The printer unit 62 prints an image on a sheet (e.g., paper or OHP). The printer unit 62 may be configured to print using an inkjet method or an electrophotographic method. For example, when the program 66 acquires print image data from the information terminal 10, the printer unit 62 executes a print process of an image based on the print image data. The scan unit 63 has a reading sensor for reading an image from a document. For example, when the program 66 acquires a scan instruction from the information terminal 10, the program 66 executes the generation of scan data by the scan unit 63 and the transmission of the generated scan data. The FAX unit 65 also transmits and receives FAX data to and from other facsimile devices via a telephone line. For example, when the program 66 receives a fax transmission instruction from the information terminal 10, it transmits the image data included in the transmission instruction via the fax unit 65.

The program 66 also includes, for example, an EWS (short for Embedded Web Server) program that functions as a web server. The CPU 52 executes the EWS program to cause the MFP 50 to function as a web server. For example, when the MFP 50 is powered on and the CPU 52 executes the program 66 to start up the MFP 50 system, it executes the EWS program to start up the web server.

The memory 54 also includes a data storage area 68. The data storage area 68 is an area for storing data necessary for executing the program 66. The data storage area 68 stores password information 69, position information 70, a position change flag 71, and security setting information 73. The password information 69 is password information used for authenticating a Web server started by the MFP 50. For example, an initial password is set in the password information 69 when the MFP 50 is shipped from the manufacturing factory. This initial password is, for example, a password that is different (i.e., unique) for each MFP 50, and is described in a manual that is attached to the MFP 50 at the time of sale. Note that the same initial password may be used for multiple MFPs 50. For example, the same initial password may be set for MFPs 50 of the same model.

The location information 70 is information indicating the location of the MFP 50. In the location change detection process of FIG. 3 described later, the MFP 50 periodically acquires the location information 70 of the MFP 50 and determines whether the installation location of the MFP 50 has changed. For example, the MFP 50 compares the previously acquired location information 70 with the next acquired location information 70 to determine whether the installation location of the MFP 50 has changed. For example, the MFP 50 acquires, as the location information 70, the IP address of the MFP 50 set at that time (the IP address assigned to the network I/F 56).

The position change flag 71 also includes information indicating whether or not a change has occurred in the installation location of the MFP 50. For example, when the MFP 50 determines that a change in the installation location has occurred based on the position information 70, the MFP 50 changes the value of the position change flag 71. For example, when a change in the installation location has not occurred, the MFP 50 maintains the value of the position change flag 71 at a value indicating "zero." For example, when a change in the installation location has occurred, the MFP 50 changes the position change flag 71 to a value indicating "1." The position change flag 71 also includes information on the date and time when the change in the installation location was detected by the MFP 50. Therefore, the MFP 50 can determine the change in the installation location and the date and time when the change occurred based on the position change flag 71.

The security setting information 73 is information indicating that the security-related settings of the MFP 50 have been changed. For example, when the MFP 50 detects a change in the installation location of the MFP 50 based on the location information 70, the MFP 50 stores the security-related setting value at that time as the security setting information 73. The MFP 50 can determine whether the security setting has been changed after the installation location has been changed by using this security setting information 73 as a reference value. The security setting information 73 is an example of a security parameter of the present application. Note that the security parameter of the present application is not limited to a security setting value. For example, the security parameter may be a flag value indicating whether the security setting has been changed. For example, when the installation location has been changed, the MFP 50 resets the flag value to a value of "zero", and when the security setting has been changed thereafter, the flag value is set to a value of "1". In this case, the MFP 50 can also determine whether the security setting has been changed after the installation location has been changed by determining the flag value. Details of the password information 69, location information 70, location change flag 71, and security setting information 73 will be described later.

The memory 54 of the MFP 50 and the memory 14 of the information terminal 10 described above are configured by combining, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, HDD, and a buffer provided in the CPU. The memory 54 of the MFP 50 and the memory 14 of the information terminal 10 may be a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the above examples, non-transitory media also include recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. A non-transitory medium is also a tangible medium. On the other hand, an electrical signal carrying a program downloaded from a server on the Internet is a computer-readable signal medium, which is a type of computer-readable medium, but is not included in non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

The network I/F 56 of the MFP 50 is a wireless interface for wireless communication with the network I/F 16 of the information terminal 10 and the router 75. The LCD 58 has a display screen that displays various information of the MFP 50. The input I/F 60 is, for example, a touch panel that is integral with the LCD 58, and accepts user operations on icons, buttons, etc. displayed on the display screen of the LCD 58. The input I/F of the MFP 50 is not limited to a touch panel, and may be a hard key, etc.

Next, the web page of the web server started by the MFP 50 will be described. FIG. 2 shows the state in which the top page of the web server started by the MFP 50 is accessed by the web browser of the information terminal 10. Note that the display contents and display items of the web page shown in FIG. 2 are merely examples.

As shown in FIG. 2, the web browser 81 has a URL display field 83, an operation icon 85, and a web page display field 87. The URL display field 83 is displayed at the top of the web browser 81 and is a field that displays the URL of the web page accessed by the web browser 81. The operation icon 85 is an icon that accepts operation input to the web browser 81, such as updating the display content of the web page display field 87.

The web page display field 87 is a field that displays the web page accessed by the web browser 81. In FIG. 2, the web page display field 87 displays the top page of the web page of the MFP 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the top page displayed in the web page display field 87 displays an authentication information section 91, a tab 95, an item section 97, and a content display section 99. The authentication information section 91 displays a password input field 91A and a decision icon 91B. For example, when the information terminal 10 receives an operation input of clicking the decision icon 91B with the mouse of the input I/F 19, the information terminal 10 notifies the MFP 50 of the password entered in the password input field 91A. When the MFP 50 acquires the password from the information terminal 10, it executes authentication based on the acquired password. When the password entered in the password input field 91A matches the password in the password information 69, the MFP 50 determines that the authentication has been successful.

When the MFP 50 determines that the password authentication is successful, it displays a web page (not shown) that accepts various settings, including security settings, in the web page display area 87. Note that in the following explanation, the state before the authentication using the password is successful may be referred to as "pre-login," and the state after the authentication is successful may be referred to as "post-login." Figure 2 shows the web browser 81 before login.

The tab 95 is a selection icon for displaying multiple web pages in one web page display column 87 of the web browser 81. The item section 97 is a section that displays an item corresponding to the selected tab 95. The content display section 99 is a section that displays information corresponding to the selected item among the items displayed in the item section 97. The MFP 50 changes the display content of the web page display column 87 in response to the selection of the tab 95 or the selection of an item in the item section 97.

In the pre-login state shown in FIG. 2, the MFP 50 displays only one tab 95 displaying the word "General" in the Web page display area 87. In FIG. 2, the "Status" item in the item section 97 is selected, and information corresponding to the selected "Status" is displayed in the content display section 99. For example, in the pre-login state, the MFP 50 displays general information and setting items of the MFP 50, such as the remaining ink level in the printer section 62 and information on maintenance of the MFP 50, in the item section 97 and content display section 99 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the item section 97, etc.). The general information and setting items referred to here are, for example, setting items that are confirmed or set not only by the administrator of the MFP 50 but also by general users.

On the other hand, for example, the MFP 50 displays multiple tabs 95 other than "General" on the web page after login, and accepts various settings according to the selection of the tab 95, the item section 97, or the content display section 99. The various settings here include, for example, registering an address book for registering fax destinations, setting various functions such as printing, network settings such as the IP address of the MFP 50, and changing the password in the password information 69 (login password in the password input field 91A). Therefore, the MFP 50 of this embodiment can change various settings of the MFP 50 by authenticating on the web page using the password in the password information 69. The administrator of the MFP 50 inputs information on the web page after login, and changes the settings of the MFP 50.

The MFP 50 of this embodiment also has a function for setting an authority restriction function, an authentication inquiry function, and information related to the administrator's contact information (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as administrator information). The MFP 50 accepts the settings of the authority restriction function, the authentication inquiry function, and the administrator information (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as security settings) on a Web page after login. The authority restriction function here is a function for setting which functions (printing, scanning, faxing, copying, etc.) of the MFP 50 are permitted to be executed by the user who uses the MFP 50. When this authority restriction function is enabled, the MFP 50 performs user authentication in addition to the authentication using the Web page described above. In more detail, when the authority restriction function is enabled, the MFP 50 accepts login authentication for the MFP 50 based on, for example, an operation input to the input I/F 60. The MFP 50 changes the available functions for, for example, a login user who has been successfully authenticated for the MFP 50 and a user who has not been successfully authenticated based on the setting of the authority restriction function.

The MFP 50 also changes the functions available to each user who has successfully authenticated the MFP 50, based on the settings of the authority restriction function. This allows the authority of each user who uses the MFP 50 to be set in detail, improving the security level. For this reason, in the following explanation, authentication using the authentication information section 91 of the Web page shown in FIG. 2 above, which is used to change various settings of the MFP 50 after authentication, will be referred to as administrator authentication, and authentication using the input I/F 60, which is used to execute functions corresponding to the successfully authenticated login user, will be referred to as user authentication.

The authentication inquiry function is a function that queries the authentication server for authentication information for user authentication for the MFP 50. The authentication server here is, for example, an AD (short for Active Directory (registered trademark)) server that provides directory services such as information searches. Note that the authentication server is not limited to an AD server, and may be a server that can provide other directory services, such as an LDAP server that uses LDAP (short for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol).

In addition, the MFP 50 can execute a method of user authentication using, for example, the above-mentioned authentication server, as well as a method using a PIN code. For example, when the MFP 50 receives a predetermined operational input to the input I/F 60, it displays a screen on the LCD 58 for inputting a user ID and a PIN code. The MFP 50 performs user authentication using the input user ID and PIN code.

When the user authentication function using a PIN code is enabled, the MFP 50 performs user authentication by comparing the user ID and PIN code received by the input I/F 60 with the registration information (user ID and PIN code) that can be registered by the authority restriction function setting, i.e., the registration information stored in the MFP 50. A logged-in user who has been successfully authenticated can use the functions set by the authority restriction function. On the other hand, when the authentication inquiry function is enabled, the MFP 50 performs user authentication by comparing the user ID and PIN code received by the input I/F 60 with the information (such as a PIN code) obtained from the authentication server. Note that the method of user authentication is not limited to the above-mentioned method, and may be, for example, a method of identifying a user using an IC card.

The MFP 50 also accepts the setting of administrator information on the web page after login. The administrator information is, for example, information such as the administrator's email address, the administrator's telephone number, and the IP address of the PC used by the administrator. For example, when an error of a type previously selected by the administrator occurs on the MFP 50, the MFP 50 notifies the administrator of the error based on this administrator information.

The MFP 50 then stores the settings for the authority restriction function, authentication inquiry function, and administrator information, i.e., the security setting values, as the above-mentioned security setting information 73. The MFP 50 can determine whether the security settings have been changed by comparing the information stored in the security setting information 73 with the subsequent security setting values.

The security settings of the present application may be settings other than the above-mentioned authentication inquiry function settings, authority restriction function settings, and administrator information settings. For example, the security settings may include various settings that affect the security level of the MFP 50, such as the IP address settings of the MFP 50 and address book settings.

The position change detection process, position change flag reset process, and confirmation message display process executed by the MFP 50 will be described with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5. For example, when the power is turned on and the CPU 52 executes the program 66 to start up the system, the MFP 50 starts the processes shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5.

Furthermore, the flowcharts and sequence diagrams in this specification basically show the processing of the CPU 52 according to the instructions written in the program. That is, the processing of "obtaining", "determining", "comparing", "responding" and the like in the following description represents the processing of the CPU 52. The processing by the CPU 52 also includes hardware control. Note that "obtaining" is used as a concept that does not necessarily require a request. That is, the processing of the CPU 52 receiving data without a request is also included in the concept of "obtaining data". Furthermore, "data" in this specification is represented by a bit string that can be read by a computer. Data with the same substantial meaning but different formats is treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in this specification. Furthermore, the processing of "responding" and the like is performed by communicating information indicating the "response". Furthermore, the wording "response" and the like may be written to mean the information indicating the "response" and the like itself.

First, as shown in step (hereinafter simply referred to as S) 11 in FIG. 3, when the MFP 50 starts the location change detection process, it acquires current location information 70. When the MFP 50 executes S11, the MFP 50 acquires the IP address set in the MFP 50 as the current location information 70.

In S21, which will be described later, the MFP 50 stores the current IP address acquired in S11 as new location information 70 in the data storage area 68. In S23, the MFP 50 waits for a certain period of time and executes the process from S11 again. The MFP 50 uses the location information 70 in the data storage area 68 updated in S21 as the location information 70 acquired previously in S13. This makes it possible to detect a change in the installation location of the MFP 50 by comparing the previous and current location information 70. If the IP address has been changed, the MFP 50 executes S11 after the change to acquire the changed IP address as the current IP address. For this reason, the time for the wait process in S23 can be set to, for example, the processing time required to accept the change of the IP address. Note that if the IP address has not been set, for example, the MFP 50 acquires and stores information indicating that the IP address has not been set as the location information 70.

The MFP 50 is set with, for example, an IPv4 IP address. If the installation location of the MFP 50 is changed and the network to which it is connected is changed, there is a high possibility that the network part of the IP address of the MFP 50 will be changed. Therefore, in S13, the MFP 50 compares the network part of the IP address previously acquired with the network part of the current IP address acquired in S11, and if the values of the network parts match, it determines that the installation location has not been changed (S15: NO) and executes S21. Also, if the values of the network parts are different, the MFP 50 determines that the installation location has been changed (S15: YES) and executes S17. The MFP 50 can detect the network part based on, for example, the class of the IP address or the subnet mask. As a result, by comparing the network parts of the IP addresses, it is possible to detect a change in the installation location of the MFP 50 and execute control according to the change. The above-mentioned current IP address is an example of the first-time location information of the present application. Also, the previous IP address is an example of the second-time location information of the present application.

The method of detecting a change in installation location is not limited to the above method. For example, the MFP 50 may compare all values of the IP address, including the network portion and the host portion, and determine that a change in installation location has occurred if there is no match. The MFP 50 may also determine that only the host portion matches. For example, when an IPv6 IP address is used, the MFP 50 may use the prefix of the IP address as the network portion.

The location information 70 is not limited to the IP address of the MFP 50. The MFP 50 may store, for example, text information indicating the installation location of the MFP 50 as the location information 70. More specifically, the MFP 50 may receive text information indicating the installation location, such as "3F Room 205" or "Building B, 2nd floor," and store it in the data storage area 68 as the location information 70. Alternatively, the MFP 50 may store information on the affiliation of the user who uses the device, such as "Sales Department" or "Manager's Office," as the location information 70. If the text information of the previous location information 70 and the text information of the current location information 70 do not match, the MFP 50 may determine in S15 that the installation location has been changed. In this case, the location information 70 indicating the installation location or affiliation described above is an example of text information in this application.

The location information 70 may also be, for example, information about a GPS attached to the MFP 50, or information about an access point such as the SSID of the router 75 to which the MFP 50 is connected. Therefore, the location information of the present application may be any of a variety of information indicating the location of the MFP 50.

In S17, the MFP 50 sets the current date and time information and information indicating that the installation location has been changed (a value indicating "1", hereinafter referred to as "changed information") in the location change flag 71. This allows the MFP 50 to store the date and time information at the time when the change in installation location is detected in the location change flag 71. The MFP 50 can also update the location change flag 71 in response to the change in installation location. Note that the method of acquiring the current date and time information is not particularly limited. For example, the MFP 50 may acquire the date and time set in its own device, or may acquire date and time information from a server installed on the network.

After executing S17, the MFP 50 updates the security setting information 73 to the current information (S19). For example, the MFP 50 stores the security settings (setting values for the authority restriction function, authentication inquiry function, and administrator information) at the time of executing S19 as the security setting information 73. This allows the MFP 50 to store the security setting values at the time of detecting a change in the installation location in the security setting information 73. After executing S19, the MFP 50 executes the processes from S21 onwards as described above.

The process contents and process steps shown in FIG. 3 are merely examples. For example, the MFP 50 does not need to repeatedly execute the process in FIG. 3. For example, the MFP 50 may execute S17 and S19 in FIG. 3 when an IP address change is received on a page after logging in to a web page.

Next, as shown in S31 of FIG. 4, when the MFP 50 starts the position change flag reset process, it acquires information on the current date and time (S31). Next, the MFP 50 determines whether or not changed information has been set in the position change flag 71 (S33). If changed information has been set (S33: YES), the MFP 50 executes S35.

On the other hand, if information indicating that the installation position has not been changed (a value indicating "zero"; hereinafter, referred to as "no change information") has been set (S33: NO), the MFP 50 executes S39. The MFP 50 executes the process of S31 again after executing the standby process for a fixed period of time in S39. Therefore, the MFP 50 repeatedly executes the processes of S31, S33, and S39 until the position change flag 71 is updated to changed information in S17 of FIG. 3, that is, until the installation position is changed.

In S35, the MFP 50 determines whether one day or more has passed since the date and time indicated by the date and time information set in the location change flag 71. If the current date and time acquired in S31 is one day or more past the date and time of the location change flag 71 (S35: YES), the MFP 50 resets the location change flag 71 to no change information (S36). After executing S36, the MFP 50 executes S39.

As described below, in the process shown in FIG. 5, if the location change flag 71 indicates that there has been a change (S43: YES), the MFP 50 executes the process of S49, which prompts the user to check the security settings. On the other hand, if the location change flag 71 indicates that there has been no change (S43: NO), the MFP 50 does not execute S49. In other words, when one day has passed since the installation location was changed, the location change flag 71 is reset, and the process of prompting the user to check the security settings is stopped.

One day, which is the judgment criterion of S35, is an example of the predetermined time of the present application. As described above, the predetermined time of the present application is the time for which the notification prompting the administrator to check the security settings is continued. Here, even if an IP address is changed, if the user or administrator does not change, it may not be necessary to change the security settings. Therefore, even if the administrator recognizes the notification prompting the confirmation, if there is no need to change the security settings, the administrator ignores the notification and does not change the security settings. In this case, if the notification continues indefinitely, it may become an excessive notification and the operability of the administrator may decrease. Therefore, the predetermined time of the present application is a time that balances the time required for the administrator to recognize the notification content and the time limit to prevent excessive notification. The predetermined time is not limited to one day, but may be, for example, 12 hours, three days, one week, etc.

Furthermore, in S35, if the date and time acquired in S31 is less than one day after the date and time of the location change flag 71 (S35: NO), the MFP 50 determines whether the security settings have been changed from the date and time of the location change flag 71 (S37). The MFP 50 compares the setting value of the security setting information 73 stored in S19 of FIG. 3 with the security settings at the time of executing S37, i.e., the current security setting settings. This makes it possible to determine whether the security settings have been changed from the date and time of the location change flag 71.

The MFP 50 makes a positive judgment in S37 when at least one of the setting values of the authority restriction function, the authentication inquiry function, and the administrator information has been changed (S37: YES). Alternatively, the MFP 50 may judge whether or not to change the setting value based on a specific condition. For example, the MFP 50 may make a positive judgment in S37 when not only the authority restriction function is set to ON but also one or more users are registered in the function restriction function. The MFP 50 executes S36 when the security setting has been changed (S37: YES), and executes S39 when the security setting has not been changed (S37: NO). As a result, if the security setting has been changed since the date and time of the position change flag 71, the position change flag 71 can be reset and a notification that prompts the user to check the security setting can be stopped. This is because if the security setting has been changed since the date and time of the position change flag 71, it is highly likely that the administrator has reviewed and changed the security setting in response to a change in the installation location, and therefore there is little need to prompt the user to check the security setting. In this way, the MFP 50 will not reset the location change flag 71 until one day has passed since detecting a change in installation location and the security settings have not been changed.

The method of determining whether the security settings have been changed from the date and time of the location change flag 71 is not limited to the method using the security setting information 73 described above. For example, the MFP 50 may manage the update date and time of the security settings. Then, in S37, if the last update date and time of the security settings is after the date and time of the location change flag 71, the MFP 50 may make a positive determination in S37.

Next, the confirmation message display process executed by the MFP 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In the following description, the same content as in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 will be omitted as appropriate.

First, in S41 of FIG. 5, the MFP 50 determines whether or not there has been access from the information terminal 10. FIG. 6 shows an operation screen 101 of the application 25. For example, when the information terminal 10 accepts an operation input to start the application 25 via the input I/F 19, it displays the operation screen 101 shown in FIG. 6 on the LCD 18. Furthermore, when the information terminal 10 starts the application 25, it detects the MFP 50 present on the local network via the router 75, and displays a pop-up screen 103 for selecting the detected MFP 50, superimposed on the operation screen 101.

The information terminal 10, for example, associates the printer name of the MFP 50 with the IP address of the MFP 50 and displays them on the pop-up screen 103. The user selects the MFP 50 to be connected from among the MFPs 50 displayed on the pop-up screen 103, for example, by clicking the MFP 50 with the mouse pointer 105 of the input I/F 19, and clicks the OK icon 107 on the pop-up screen 103 to confirm the selection.

When the information terminal 10 receives an operation input such as clicking the OK icon 107 at the input I/F 19, the information terminal 10 starts a process of transmitting setup information, etc. to the MFP 50 selected on the pop-up screen 103 and connecting. If the MFP 50 detects a connection from this information terminal 10 at S41 in FIG. 5 (S41: YES), it executes S43. On the other hand, if the MFP 50 does not detect a connection from the information terminal 10 (S41: NO), it ends the process shown in FIG. 5 and executes the process from S41 again. This allows the MFP 50 to monitor access from the information terminal 10 during startup.

In S43, the MFP 50 determines whether or not changed information has been set in the position change flag 71, similar to S33 in FIG. 4 (S43). If no-change information has been set in the position change flag 71 (S43: NO), the MFP 50 ends the process in FIG. 5 and executes the process from S41 again. On the other hand, if changed information has been set in the position change flag 71 (S43: YES), the MFP 50 acquires current date and time information (S44). Next, similar to S35 in FIG. 4, the MFP 50 determines whether or not the current date and time acquired in S44 is one day or more after the date and time indicated by the date and time information set in the position change flag 71 (S45).

If one day or more has passed (S45: YES), the MFP 50 ends the process in FIG. 5 and executes the process again from S41. On the other hand, if one day or more has not passed (S45: NO), the MFP 50 determines whether the security settings have been changed from the date and time of the position change flag 71 (S47), similar to S37 in FIG. 4. Specifically, the MFP 50 obtains the setting value of the security settings at the time of executing S47 and compares it with the setting value of the security setting information 73 stored in the data memory area 68. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the security settings have been changed from the date and time of the position change flag 71.

If the security settings have been changed (S47: YES), the MFP 50 ends the process in FIG. 5 and executes the process from S41 again. On the other hand, if the security settings have not been changed (S47: NO), the MFP 50 responds with an instruction to display a confirmation message to the MFP 50 that attempted to connect in S41 (S49). After executing S49, the MFP 50 ends the process in FIG. 5 and executes the process from S41 again.

In addition, in the pop-up screen 103 shown in FIG. 6, the information terminal 10 accesses the MFP 50 based on clicking the OK icon 107, and then displays the operation screen 109 shown in FIG. 7 on the LCD 18. The information terminal 10 displays function icons 111 that accept instructions for setting and executing print, scan, and fax on the operation screen 109. The information terminal 10 also displays printer information 113, such as the IP address of the MFP 50 selected on the pop-up screen 103 in FIG. 4 and the amount of remaining ink, on the operation screen 109. The information terminal 10 also displays setting icons 115 that accept changes to the settings of the MFP 50 on the operation screen 109.

When the information terminal 10 receives a response in S49 in FIG. 5, that is, when it receives an instruction in S49 from the MFP 50 that has attempted to access in response to the selection in the pop-up screen 103 in FIG. 6, the information terminal 10 displays a confirmation message 117 on the operation screen 109. For example, the information terminal 10 displays the confirmation message 117 near the setting icon 115. The information terminal 10 may change the thickness or color of the characters in the confirmation message 117 to make the confirmation message 117 more noticeable than other displays. The confirmation message 117 is a message that prompts the user to confirm the security settings, such as "Are you sure you want to change the security settings?". This makes it possible to notify a message that prompts the user to confirm the security settings when the installation location of the MFP 50 has been changed (S43 in FIG. 5: YES). Note that when the information terminal 10 does not receive an instruction in S49, it displays the operation screen 109 without the confirmation message 117 (hidden).

If an administrator or the like operating the information terminal 10 recognizes the confirmation message 117 and determines that a change to the security settings is necessary, the administrator or the like can operate the information terminal 10 to change the security settings of the MFP 50. For example, the administrator or the like clicks on the settings icon 115 with the pointer 105. When the information terminal 10 detects the click operation of the settings icon 115, it displays a pop-up screen 119 superimposed on the operation screen 109 as shown in FIG. 8. The information terminal 10 displays the remaining amount of ink, the number of pages that can be printed with that remaining amount, etc. on the pop-up screen 119.

In addition, the information terminal 10 displays, on the pop-up screen 119, a link 121 for accessing the web page of the MFP 50 and an icon 123 for receiving an instruction to close the pop-up screen 119. When the information terminal 10 receives an operation of clicking the link 121 with the pointer 105, it calls the browser 27 from the application 25 and starts the web browser 81 (see FIG. 2). The information terminal 10 accesses the top page of the MFP 50 using the web browser 81 and displays the screen shown in FIG. 2 on the LCD 18. This allows the administrator or the like who operates the information terminal 10 to be guided to a web page for changing security settings. The administrator or the like can log in on the web page and change the security settings according to the user or the like whose installation location is to be changed.

The method of accessing the top page is not limited to the above-mentioned method of starting the Web browser 81 from the application 25. For example, the application 25 may have the function of the Web browser 81, and the top page may be accessed by the application 25. The screen that displays the confirmation message 117 is not limited to the operation screen 109 of the application 25. For example, the MFP 50 may display a message having the same content as the confirmation message 117 on the top page shown in FIG. 2. In this case, for example, when the top page is accessed, the MFP 50 may execute the determination processes of S43, S45, and S47 shown in FIG. 5, and when S49 is executed, the confirmation message 117 may be displayed on the top page. In this case, the administrator, etc., may be prompted to check the security settings.

Incidentally, the information terminal 10 is an example of an external terminal. The MFP 50 is an example of a device or an image forming apparatus. The CPU 52 is an example of a computer. The memory 54 is an example of a storage unit. The LCD 58 is an example of a display unit. The security setting information 73 is an example of a security parameter. The confirmation message 117 is an example of confirmation information. The CPU 52 that executes S11, S13, and S47 is an example of an information acquisition unit. The CPU 52 that executes S15 is an example of an installation position determination unit. The CPU 52 that executes S17 is an example of a flag setting unit. The CPU 52 that executes S35 and S37 is an example of a condition determination unit. The CPU 52 that executes the process of S36 is an example of a flag reset unit. The CPU 52 that executes S49 is an example of a notification unit.

According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects are achieved.
(1) When the installation location of the MFP 50 is changed, a confirmation message 117 can be displayed to prompt the administrator, etc., to check the security settings. By reviewing the security settings in response to a change in the installation location, the security level of the MFP 50 can be improved. On the other hand, even if the installation location has been changed, if the security settings have already been changed, the confirmation message 117 is not displayed. This prevents the administrator, etc., from being excessively prompted to check the security settings, and improves the convenience of the MFP 50.

(2) The MFP 50 can notify the information terminal 10 that has accessed the MFP 50 using a confirmation message 117. The MFP 50 can prompt the administrator or the like who operates the information terminal 10 to check the security settings.

(3) The notification means of the present application is not limited to the MFP 50. For example, the application 25 of the information terminal 10 may determine whether to change the installation location based on the location information 70, or whether to change the security settings based on the security setting information 73. In this case, the CPU 52 of the information terminal 10 is an example of a computer provided in an external terminal capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus of the present application. The information terminal 10 may acquire the location information 70 and the security setting information 73 from the MFP 50 by executing the application 25. The information terminal 10 may also determine whether to change the installation location and the security settings based on the information acquired from the MFP 50, and display a confirmation message 117 on the LCD 18. The CPU 52 executing the application 25 is an example of an information acquisition means of the present application.

This allows the information terminal 10 to determine the installation location, etc., and to notify the user operating the information terminal 10 using a confirmation message 117. The administrator operating the information terminal 10 can be prompted to check the security settings.

(4) The notification means of the present application may be the LCD 58 of the MFP 50. For example, when there is some operational input to the input I/F 60, the MFP 50 executes the determinations of S43 to S47 in FIG. 5. Then, when the MFP 50 determines negative in S47, the MFP 50 may display a confirmation message 117 on the screen displayed on the LCD 58. The MFP 50 may use the LCD 58 and the input I/F 60 to accept a change in security settings. Alternatively, the MFP 50 may execute the determinations of S43 to S47 in FIG. 5 when there is an operational input to display a login screen corresponding to the top page of FIG. 2 on the LCD 58. Then, when the MFP 50 determines negative in S47, the MFP 50 may display a confirmation message 117 on the login screen displayed on the LCD 58.

As a result, the MFP 50 can notify the user operating the input I/F 60 using a confirmation message 117 via the LCD 58. The administrator or the like operating the MFP 50 can be prompted to check the security settings. The administrator or the like can operate the input I/F 60 to take action to change the security settings.

(5) The MFP 50 compares the current (an example of the first time in this application) location information 70 acquired in S11 with the previous (an example of the second time in this application) location information 70, and if the installation location has been changed (S15: YES), sets changed information in the location change flag 71 (S17). The MFP 50 can detect a change in the installation location by comparing the location information 70 at different times. When the MFP 50 detects a change in the installation location, it can leave the detected information in the location change flag 71. By using this location change flag 71, the MFP 50 can quickly determine whether or not to display the confirmation message 117. In addition, information on whether or not a change in the installation location has occurred can be managed in the location change flag 71.

(6) If one day has passed since the installation location was changed (an example of the first condition of the present application), the MFP 50 resets the location change flag 71 and stops the process of prompting the user to confirm the security settings. This allows the confirmation message 117 to be displayed for a predetermined period of time and the notification process to end. This prevents the confirmation message 117 from being displayed excessively. Furthermore, if the security settings have been changed since the installation location was changed (an example of the second condition of the present application), the MFP 50 resets the location change flag 71 and stops the display of the confirmation message 117. This allows the confirmation message 117 to be displayed excessively if an administrator or the like has already changed the security settings in conjunction with a change in the installation location.

(7) For example, if the network portion of the IP address is changed due to a change in the organization in which the MFP 50 is installed or the affiliation of the user who uses the MFP 50, the MFP 50 can detect the change in the installation location. By prompting the user to review the security settings, the security settings can be set according to the new organization, etc.

(8) Furthermore, the location information of the present application is not limited to an IP address. For example, text information such as "3F Room 205" indicating the installation location of the MFP 50 may be used. In this case, the MFP 50 may determine that the installation location has been changed if the text indicated by the text information has been changed. In this way, if the text information indicating the installation location has been changed in conjunction with a change in the installation location, the MFP 50 can detect the change in the installation location and display a confirmation message 117.

(9) For example, if the authority restriction function was active before the installation location was changed, the IP address or user ID used by the user may change when the installation location is changed, so the contents of the authority restriction function must be reviewed. In addition, if the number of users increases or decreases when the installation location is changed, the settings of the authority restriction function must be reviewed. Therefore, in an MFP 50 having a function restriction function, encouraging a review of security settings when the installation location is changed is extremely effective in increasing the security level.

(10) For example, when the installation location is changed, the user IDs used by users and the number of users may change. In addition, the authentication server used may need to be changed. For this reason, it is necessary to review the user information registered in the authentication server. Therefore, in an MFP 50 having an authentication inquiry function, encouraging a review of security settings when the installation location is changed is extremely effective in increasing the security level.

(11) If the installation location is changed, the administrator may change, or the contact information for the same administrator may change. Therefore, in an MFP 50 in which administrator information can be set, encouraging a review of security settings when the installation location is changed is extremely effective in increasing the security level.

Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.
Specifically, for example, the MFP 50 may notify the confirmation information by a method other than text, for example, the MFP 50 may emit the confirmation message 117 by sound.
The above-mentioned content of the confirmation message 117 is merely an example. For example, the MFP 50 may display a warning message such as "A change in the printer's installation location has been detected. Please review your security settings."

3 to 5 are merely examples. For example, in the above embodiment, in both the process in FIG. 4 and the process in FIG. 5, the process of determining whether one day or more has passed since the date and time when the position change flag 71 was changed (S35, S45) and the process of determining whether the security settings have been changed (S37, S47) are executed. However, the MFP 50 may execute the above-mentioned processes in either the process in FIG. 4 or the process in FIG. 5.
Furthermore, when the MFP 50 makes a positive determination in S45 or S47 in the process of Fig. 5, the MFP 50 may execute a process of resetting the position change flag 71, similar to S36 in Fig. 4. In this case, the MFP 50 does not need to execute the process of Fig. 4.
Furthermore, the MFP 50 executes the processes of S33 and S43 by using the position change flag 71, but it is not necessary to use the position change flag 71. For example, instead of the processes of S33 and S43, the MFP 50 may execute the processes of S11, S13, and S15 in Fig. 3 and determine whether to change the installation position each time.
Furthermore, the MFP 50 may execute only one of S35 and S37 in the process of Fig. 4. Similarly, the MFP 50 may execute only one of S45 and S47 in the process of Fig. 5. That is, the MFP 50 may determine only one of the conditions that one day or more has passed or that the security settings are changed.
Furthermore, the MFP 50 does not need to execute both S35 and S37, and does not need to execute both S45 and S47.
Furthermore, the MFP 50 may execute the reset of the position change flag 71 in S36 under conditions other than S35 and S37. For example, the MFP 50 may execute S36 when a reset instruction is received from the user via the input I/F 60. In other words, the first and second conditions of the present application are not limited to the above conditions.
In addition, in S37 and S47, the MFP 50 determines whether the security settings have been changed from the date and time of the location change flag 71, but this is not limiting. For example, the MFP 50 may determine whether the security settings have been changed from a few hours before or a few hours after the date and time of the location change flag 71. In other words, the MFP 50 may determine whether the security settings have been changed based on the time before or after the installation location was changed.

In the above embodiment, the location information 70 and the security setting information 73 are stored in the MFP 50, but they may be stored in another location. For example, a server on a local network or on the Internet 77 may appropriately acquire and manage the location information 70 and the security setting information 73 from the MFP 50. The information terminal 10 may acquire the location information 70 and the security setting information 73 from the server and determine a change in the installation location or a change in the security setting.
In the above embodiment, the MFP 50 accepts changes to security settings, such as settings for the authentication inquiry function, settings for the authority restriction function, settings for administrator information, etc., on a web page after successful authentication. However, the MFP 50 may accept security settings on a web page before authentication, for example, as shown in FIG.
The MFP 50 may also be configured to have at least one of an authentication inquiry function, an authority restriction function, and an administrator information setting function.
Furthermore, the device of the present disclosure is not limited to a multifunction peripheral such as an MFP. For example, the device may be a printer, a fax machine, or a scanner. Furthermore, the device may be a device that does not form an image, such as a machine tool or a sewing machine.
Furthermore, the computer of the present disclosure is not limited to the CPU 52. The computer may be an ASIC or other logical integrated circuit, or may be configured in which the CPU, the ASIC, and other logical integrated circuit work together.

10 information terminal (external terminal), 50 MFP (device, image forming apparatus), 52 CPU (computer, information acquisition means, notification means, installation position determination means, flag setting means, condition determination means, flag reset means), 54 memory (storage unit), 58 LCD (display unit), 70 position information, 71 position change flag, 73 security setting information (security parameters).

Claims (13)

A computer readable program that receives instructions targeted to a device, comprising:
The computer,
an information acquiring means for acquiring location information indicating an installation location of the device and a security parameter related to security of the device;
a notification means for notifying confirmation information for prompting confirmation of the security parameters when it is determined that the location information acquired by the information acquisition means indicates a change in the installation location and that the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition means have not been changed since the installation location was changed ;
and make it work.
The program does not execute notification of the confirmation information by the notification means when it is determined that the location information acquired by the information acquisition means indicates a change in the installation location and that the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition means have been changed since the installation location was changed . The computer includes:
the computer is included in an image forming apparatus that is the device,
The information acquisition means includes:
acquiring the location information and the security parameters from a storage unit of the image forming apparatus;
The notification means includes:
2. The program according to claim 1, wherein, when an external terminal accesses the image forming apparatus, the confirmation information is transmitted to the external terminal that has accessed the image forming apparatus, and the confirmation information is notified by the external terminal. The device comprises:
An image forming apparatus,
The computer includes:
the computer is provided in an external terminal capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus,
The information acquisition means includes:
acquiring the location information and the security parameters from the image forming device;
The notification means includes:
2. The program according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether or not the installation position and the security parameters have been changed based on the information acquired from the image forming apparatus by the information acquisition means; and notifying the external terminal of the confirmation information. The computer includes:
The computer is included in an image forming apparatus having a display unit,
The information acquisition means includes:
acquiring the location information and the security parameters from a storage unit of the image forming apparatus;
The notification means includes:
The program according to claim 1 , further comprising: displaying the confirmation information on the display unit of the image forming apparatus. The information acquisition means includes:
The position information is acquired at a predetermined timing;
The computer,
an installation location determination means for comparing the location information acquired by the information acquisition means at a first time with the location information acquired by the information acquisition means at a second time that is a time prior to the first time, and determining whether or not the installation location indicated by the location information at the first time is different from the installation location indicated by the location information at the second time;
a flag setting means for setting a position change flag indicating whether or not a change in the installation position has occurred to a value indicating that a change has occurred, when the installation position determination means determines that the installation position is different;
and make it work.
The notification means includes:
5. The program according to claim 1, further comprising: notifying said confirmation information when a value indicating that a change has occurred is set in said position change flag and said security parameters have not been changed. The computer,
a condition determination means for determining whether or not at least one of two conditions is satisfied: a first condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since a value indicating that a change has occurred is set in the position change flag by the flag setting means, and a second condition that the security parameter is changed after a value indicating that a change has occurred is set in the position change flag by the flag setting means;
a flag resetting means for setting the position change flag to a value indicating that no change has occurred when the condition determining means determines that at least one of the conditions is satisfied;
The program according to claim 5, The location information is:
an IP address configured on the device;
The IP address is
A network unit and a host unit,
The notification means includes:
7. The program according to claim 1, further comprising: determining that the location information indicates a change in the installation location when at least the network portion of the IP address is changed. The device includes:
Text information indicating the installation location of the device is stored as the location information;
The notification means includes:
8. The program according to claim 1, further comprising: determining that the location information indicates a change in the installation location when the text information indicates a change in the text. The device comprises:
an authority restriction function for setting which functions of the device are permitted to be executed by a user of the device;
The security parameters are:
9. The program according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is a parameter for setting the authority limiting function. The device comprises:
an authentication inquiry function for inquiring to an authentication server to perform authentication of a user for the device;
The security parameters are:
10. The program according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is a parameter that sets whether or not the authentication inquiry function is enabled. The security parameters are:
11. The program according to claim 1, wherein the information is information relating to contact information of an administrator of the device. A control device is provided,
The control device includes:
An information acquisition process for acquiring location information indicating an installation location of a device and security parameters related to security of the device;
a notification process of notifying confirmation information for confirming the security parameters when it is determined that the location information acquired by the information acquisition process indicates a change in the installation location and that the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition process have not been changed since the installation location was changed ; and
Run
An information processing device that, when it determines that the location information acquired by the information acquisition process indicates a change in the installation location and that the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition process have been changed since the installation location was changed , does not notify the confirmation information by the notification process. An information processing system including a device and an external terminal capable of communicating with the device,
an information acquiring means for acquiring location information indicating an installation location of the device and a security parameter related to security of the device;
a notification means for notifying confirmation information for prompting confirmation of the security parameters when it is determined that the location information acquired by the information acquisition means indicates a change in the installation location and that the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition means have not been changed since the installation location was changed ;
Equipped with
An information processing system, which does not notify the confirmation information by the notification means when it is determined that the location information acquired by the information acquisition means indicates a change in the installation location and that the security parameters acquired by the information acquisition means have been changed since the installation location was changed .

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