Management of image forming apparatus based on user authentication

Abstract

An image forming apparatus connected via a network with an authentication server for user authentication based on biometric information about a user. The image forming apparatus is also connected with a managing server for managing an operation of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a transmission unit transmitting the biometric information about the user to the authentication server, a reception unit receiving use limit information corresponding to the biometric information about the user from the managing server, and a control unit controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus based on the use limit information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a first receiving unit implemented by circuitry and configured to receive biometric information of a user;   a second receiving unit implemented by the circuitry and configured to receive identification information of the user, which is distinct from the biometric information of the user;   a first authentication processing unit implemented by the circuitry and configured to perform a first user authentication process based on the received biometric information of the user; and   a second authentication unit implemented by the circuitry and configured to perform a second user authentication process based on the received identification information of the user when the first user authentication process is unavailable.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first connection unit implemented by the circuitry and configured to connect to a first authentication apparatus which implements user authentication using a biometric information storage that stores the biometric information of the user,   wherein the first authentication processing unit is further configured to perform the first user authentication process based on the received biometric information of the user using the first authentication apparatus, and   wherein the second authentication processing unit is further configured to perform the second user authentication process based on the received identification information of the user without using the received biometric information of the user when the first authentication apparatus is unavailable.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a second connection unit implemented by the circuitry and configured to connect to a second authentication apparatus which implements user authentication using a user identification information storage that stores the identification information of the user,   wherein the second authentication processing unit is further configured to perform the second user authentication process by authenticating the received identification information of the user, which is received by user input.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the first user authentication process is unavailable when, at least one of, a connection error occurs in the connection to the first authentication apparatus, the first authentication apparatus fails, and the first receiving device cannot receive the biometric information of a user.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first connection device is configured to connect, via a network, to the first authentication apparatus, which performs user authentication using the biometric information storage,   wherein the biometric information storage further stores the identification information of the user in association with the biometric information of the user, and   wherein the first authentication processing unit is further configured to transmit the received biometric information of the user and the received identification information of the user to the first authentication apparatus in the performance of the first user authentication process.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third receiving unit implemented by the circuitry and configured to receive information recorded in a recording medium; and   a third authentication processing unit implemented by the circuitry and configured to perform a third user authentication process in response to receipt of the information recorded in the recording medium.   
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 receiving biometric information of a user;   performing, using circuitry, a first user authentication process based on the received biometric information of the user when the first user authentication process is available; and   when the first user authentication process is unavailable:
 receiving identification information of the user, which is distinct from the biometric information of the user, and 
 performing, using the circuitry, a second user authentication process based on the received identification information of the user. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 connecting to a first authentication apparatus which implements user authentication using a biometric information storage that stores the biometric information of the user; and   performing the first user authentication process based on the received biometric information of the user using the first authentication apparatus; and   performing the second user authentication process based on the received identification information of the user without using the received biometric information of the user when the first authentication apparatus is unavailable.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 connecting to a second authentication apparatus which implements user authentication using a user identification information storage that stores the identification information of the user; and   performing the second user authentication process by authenticating the received identification information of the user, which is received by user input.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first user authentication process is unavailable when, at least one of, a connection error occurs in the connection to the first authentication apparatus, the first authentication apparatus fails, and the first receiving unit cannot receive the biometric information of a user.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 connecting, via a network, to the first authentication apparatus, which performs user authentication using the biometric information storage; and   storing the identification information of the user in association with the biometric information of the user; and   transmitting the received biometric information of the user and the received identification information of the user to the first authentication apparatus in the performance of the first user authentication process.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving information recorded in a recording medium; and   performing a third user authentication process in response to receipt of the information recorded in the recording medium.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer readable recording medium, comprising:
 a first authentication processing unit that when executed causes circuitry to perform a first user authentication process based on biometric information of the user which is received by a first receiving unit,   a second authentication processing unit that when executed causes the circuitry to perform a second user authentication process based on identification information of the user, which is received by a second receiving unit, when the first user authentication process is unavailable,   wherein the identification information of the user is distinct from the biometric information of the user and is used to identify users.   
     
     
         14 . The recording medium according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the first authentication processing unit, when executed, causes the circuitry to further perform the first user authentication process by transmitting the biometric information of the user to a first authentication apparatus which is connected via a network and which implements user authentication using a biometric information storage that stores the biometric information of the user, and   wherein the second authentication processing unit, when executed, causes the circuitry to perform the second user authentication process based on the received identification information of the user without using the received biometric information of the user when the first user authentication process is unavailable.   
     
     
         15 . The recording medium according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a second connection unit that when executed causes the circuitry to connect a second authentication apparatus which implements the user authentication using a user identification information storage that stores the identification information of the user,   wherein the second authentication processing unit, when executed, causes the circuitry to perform the second user authentication process by transmitting the identification information of the user, which is received by user input, to the second authentication apparatus, which is connected via a network and which implements user authentication using a user identification information storage that stores the identification information of the user.