Title of Invention

A METHOD FOR PROVIDING CUSTOMIZED SECURITY FOR A MULTI FUNCTION PERIPHERAL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for providing customized security for a Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP). The method involves creating user databases by an administrator of the MFP along with their names, data fields with its type, for example, string or numeric. Further, the method involves identifying one data field as a primary key for each database. This primary key plays the main role for authenticating the user to access his database. Therefore, the method allows the administrator to design different user databases depending on the need and also the corresponding authentication for different entry points. This method gives freedom to the administrator for customizing the security of the MFP.

Full Text

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to the field of Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP). More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for providing customized security for the MFP. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART As the name suggests, a Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP) is associated with various functionalities like, scanning, faxing, photocopying, and other network data transmission services. All these services involve use of resources in the form of some data or information. Further, these services consume additional information for transmission and reception of data. It is quite possible that unauthorised users access some privileged data from the MFP and hamper the MFP's security. As a result, user authentication is required for unauthorised use of data. There exist some techniques that solve the above-mentioned problem of unauthorized use of data in the MFP. One such technique has been disclosed in US Application Number 20060126100. The patent application uses a user-ID and password for authentication of the user. The method involves registering a user-ID, password and accessible-data according to user's input. Subsequently, only an authenticated user can access the authorised data. As a result, the use of the MFP and specific data of the MFP can be restricted according to the particular registered user. However, the method does not provide flexibility to the user in providing authentication for different information to different users. Further, the method uses one verification technique at the entry level only. As a result. the method is not completely robust and reliable. The present invention is designed to address these needs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a method for providing customized security for a Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP). Another object of the present invention is to create various user databases with desired number of data fields and accordingly design user authentication for accessing the entry points designed on the MFP. This allows the user to have customized security over the MFP. In the present invention a method has been proposed for creating user databases by an administrator of the MFP along with their names, data fields with its type, for example, string or numeric. The method involves identifying one data field as a primary key for each database. This primary key plays the main role for authenticating the user to access his database. For example, the primary key acts as a user id for authenticating authorised users to the database. To set the authentication for an entry point a user database should be selected. Once the user database is selected, all data fields except the primary key will be available for selection as the authenticating field or one of the authentication fields. Subsequently, each data entered by the user will be first verified against their corresponding data field type and their threshold lengths. If all authenticating data fields are same as user-entered data then authentication result is successful otherwise it fails. Therefore, the method allows the administrator to design different user databases depending on the need and also the corresponding authentication for different entry points. This method gives freedom to the administrator for customizing the security of the MFP. Accordingly, the present invention explains a method for providing customized security to a Muiti Functional Peripheral (MFP), the method comprising: a. Creating a plurality of user databases, each of the plurality of user databases comprising a plurality of data fields; and b. Setting authentication for an entry point to each of the plurality of databases using the corresponding one or more data fields as authenticating fields. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the ensuing drawings of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING Figure 1 depicts an exemplary block diagram of the logical view of a user database, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained. It should be understood however that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. The following drawing is not to be construed as limiting the invention and numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention in detail. The present invention relates to a method for creating user data bases by an administrator of a Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP) along with their names, data fields with its type, for example, string or numeric. The method involves identifying one data field as a primary key for each database. This primary key plays the main role for authenticating the users to access the databases. To access a particular database, the user selects that database. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a list of all entry points will be provided to the administrator for which the authentication can be set. These entry points will cover all service-setting apart from the services. For example services can be 'Copy', 'Fax' etc. So the authentication can be set for use of these features. Similarly, service-setting means setting different parameters related to that particular service. For example setting the color and printing option in copy feature require authentication so that only authenticated users can do the color copy. The presentation of entry point can be either in the form of a list or it can be displayed as a menu map of the MFP where each node represents an entry point. Subsequently, the user is authenticated by entering data in the selected user database. The user-entered data in the corresponding fields are verified against the authenticating data fields of all entries existing in the specified data base. If user-entered data matches with each of the existing entries then authentication is successful and the user can access the corresponding data and the services provided by the MFP. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the administrator of the MFP specifies a user database name, data fields with its type, maximum and minimum length, one data field as a primary key for authentication, and maximum user count. Once the above mentioned items are specified, a structure is created for an entry. An array with maximum user count for this structure is created and it will be associated with the user database name. The logical view of user data base and user entry structure is specified in Figure 1. This user database is then stored in the non-volatile memory of the MFP so that it can persist over next POWER ON. Further, new entries can be added to this user database by the administrator. Each entry in the user database should have a unique value for the primary key. This means that two entries existing in the same database cannot have the same primary key. Therefore, each user database will have a unique name and primary key. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the administrator can create multiple data bases based on the size of the nonvolatile memory available for this purpose in the MFP. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, more than one field can be used as the authenticating fields. However, the primary key must be used as one of the authentication fields. In order to set the authentication for an entry point, a user database should be selected. Once the user database is selected, its all data fields except the primary key will be available for selection as the authenticating field or one of the authentication fields. In such a scenario, the primary key will be automatically selected as one of the authenticating fields. If the user tries to use any entry point for which authentication is set, a user interface will be provided for entering all the authentication fields. All the user-entered data will be first verified against their corresponding data field type and their threshold lengths. If any of the user-entered data fails against this verification then user will be asked to enter the field again. Once the user has entered all the fields, then user-entered primary key will be searched among the entries present in the corresponding user database. If primary key is found then user-entered data will be verified against the authenticating data fields of the corresponding entry (for which the primary key has matched). If all authenticating data fields are same as user-entered data then authentication result is successful otherwise it fails. If primary key does not match with existing primary key present in database then also authentication fails. As a result, the present invention provides an administrator to design himself the different user databases depending on the need. Further, he can set different authenticating levels for different entry points. This facilitates the administrator in customizing the security of the MFP. The present invention has been limited to selecting only one database for setting the authentication on an entry point. However, it will be appreciated by a person ordinarily skilled in the art that the present invention can be extended where different fields of different database can work as authenticating fields while primary key of one of the selected data base (for authentication setting) can work as functional primary key . Further, in the present invention, the user database resides locally on the MFP. It can be extended where the user databases can be saved on a specified location on a remote server. The user database can be a simple data file. The data file corresponding to each user database can reside on the specified location. In this environment the authentication can happen locally (where the user data base will be imported on MFP) or it can be done on the server side itself (here MFP will send the user-entered data to the server). Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawing, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are possible and are apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart there from. WE CLAIM 1. A method for providing customized security to a Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP), the method comprising: a. Creating a plurality of user databases, each of the plurality of user databases comprising a plurality of data fields; and b. Setting authentication for an entry point to each of the plurality of databases using the corresponding one or more data fields as authenticating fields. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein setting authentication for an entry point comprises identifying at least one of the data field as a functional primary key for each of the plurality of databases. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a plurality of user databases comprises specifying a user database name, data fields with its type, maximum and minimum length, one data field as a primary key for authentication, and maximum user count. 4. The method of claim 2 and 3, wherein the user database name is unique for each of the plurality of the databases and primary functional key is unique for each of the entries in a database. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein one or more of other data fields serve as authenticating fields, the other data fields being the data fields except the primary key. 6. The method of claim 1, 2 and 4 further comprising: a. Entering the functional primary key and the one or more authenticating fields by a user of the MFP; and b. Providing access to the user for a database for which the functional primary key and the one or more authenticating fields has been verified. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein an administrator of the MFP creates the plurality of databases. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the administrator creates the plurality of databases based on the size of the non- volatile memory available for this purpose in the MFP. 9. A method for providing customized security for a Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP), substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

2662-CHE-2007 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 21-08-2013.pdf

2662-CHE-2007 AMENDED CLAIMS 21-08-2013.pdf

2662-CHE-2007 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 21-08-2013.pdf

2662-CHE-2007 FORM-13 21-08-2013.pdf

2662-CHE-2007 POWER OF ATTORNEY 21-08-2013.pdf

2662-che-2007-abstract.pdf

2662-che-2007-claims.pdf

2662-che-2007-correspondnece-others.pdf

2662-che-2007-description(complete).pdf

2662-che-2007-drawings.pdf

2662-che-2007-form 1.pdf