Title of Invention

A METHOD FOR ACCESS CONTROL AND TRACKING USING PROXIMITY CARDS IN MFP

Abstract

ABSTRACT This invention relates to a method for access control and tracking using proximity cards in MFP in which, any standard proximity cards are being used to authenticate accesses to the MFP for the user. After authenticating the user's unique number Is returned by authenticating server and is added to the scanned document and sent. The user specific details such as name, project name and contact information are retrieved from a synchronous server for the unique number and added dynamically to the document before rendering, thus making the transactions traceable and adding additional information dynamically without transmitting.

Full Text

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention in general relates to Multi Functional Peripheral (MFP) devices. More particularly this invention relates to a method for Access control and Tracking using Proximity Cards in MFP. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART The following references / US patent documents give a fair idea of the related art in the present scenario. US Patent Number: 6,388,761. - Multi Functional Peripheral. A multi-function peripheral device serves as a peripheral device for an information processing unit and is capable of simultaneously executing a plurality functions by multi-task processing. The multi-function peripheral device includes: a transmission/reception unit that transmits and receives data, for performing a plurality of functions, between the multi-function peripheral device and the information processing device; a transmission unit that transmits and receives data to and from a remote transmission device via a transmission line; and a reception speed control unit that, when the transmission unit and the transmission/reception unit operate simultaneously, reduces reception speed at which the transmission/reception unit receives data from the information processing device. US Patent Number: 6,373,582. - Multi Functional Peripheral. A multi-function peripheral device is capable of printing print data at high speed while in a print priority mode without disturbing the process of receiving and printing facsimile data. When print priority mode is selected or when no facsimile data is being received, a busy timer is set to, for example, 9 .mu.s to shorten a High level output busy signal duration time. This shortens the time interval between print data inputs, which in turn increases the amount of input print data per unit time and allows print data to be printed at higher speeds. When print priority mode is not selected and facsimile data is being received, the busy timer is set to, for example, 400 .mugs to lengthen the High level output busy signal duration time. This lengthens the time interval between print data inputs, which in turn allows more time to execute the process of receiving and printing facsimile data. Accordingly, the reception and printing of facsimile data are carried out smoothly. US Patent Number: 6,195,172. - Multi Functional Peripheral. A multi-function peripheral device serving as a peripheral device of an information processing device has a plurality of functions including a scanner function for retrieving an image from a document. The multi-function peripheral device uses multitask processing to execute at least a first task, which uses the scanner function, simultaneously with at least a second task. The multi-function peripheral device includes: a simultaneous operation determination unit that determines whether the first task using the scanner function is being performed simultaneously with the second task; and a retrieval speed control unit that reduces retrieval speed of the scanner function when the simultaneous operation determination unit determines that the first task using the scanner function is being performed simultaneously with the second task. Further, the US patent document no. 6,535,136 - Proximity card detection system, relates to usage of proximity cards to provide accesses control and tracking in MFP. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of this invention is to invent a method for Access control and Tracking using Proximity Cards in MFP. It is another object of invention to use proximity cards in MFPs so that the access will be authenticated. This invention relates to the field of MFP in which, any standard proximity cards are being used to authenticate accesses to the MFP for the user. After authenticating the user's unique number is returned by authenticating server and is added to the scanned document and sent. The user specific details such as name, project name, and contact information are retrieved from a synchronous server for the unique number and added dynamically to the document before rendering, thus making the transactions traceable and adding additional information dynamically without transmitting. Accordingly, the present invention comprises a method for access control and tracking using proximity cards in MFP comprising the steps of: a) authenticating access to the MFP for the user; b) returning the user's unique number by authenticating server; c) adding and sending the said unique number to the scanned document; d) retrieving the user specific details from the synchronous server at the receiving end for the unique number; and e) adding the user specific details dynamically to the document before rendering. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the Flow diagram of Card detection of the prior art. Figure 2 shows the structure and operation of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood however that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. The following description and drawings are 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 MFP using proximity card for authenticating accesses and dynamically adding user specific data for tracing. The user specific details such as name, project name, and contact information are retrieved from a synchronous server for the unique number and added dynamically to the document before rendering, thus making the transactions traceable and adding additional information dynamically without transmitting and thereby reducing the cost of adding user specific information to a transaction. The user is identified by the user's unique number that is returned by authenticating server and is added to the scanned document and sent. Before describing the various aspects and details of the present invention it will be useful to describe the context in which the invention is used. Consequently, a preliminary discussion that refers to Figures 1 and 2 is hereby provided. Figure 1 illustrates a card detection function. When the ambient light does not contain sufficient infrared light to activate wake-up circuit, the card detection function first determines if sufficient infrared energy has been detected by detector as illustrated by block 128 in Figure 1. In other words, block 128 is looking for the first "absence" of infrared energy, as required by the "absence-presence-absence" algorithm. Thus, under these conditions, no infrared energy will be detected at block 128 in Figure 1 and the first "absence" requirement of the "absence-presence-absence" algorithm is satisfied. If insufficient infrared energy is detected at block 128, the infrared emitter is turned on as illustrated by block 130 in Figure 1 to permit detection of the "presence" of infrared energy. The emitter remains activated for approximately 50 microseconds (mu.s) as illustrated by block 132. If, after the emitter is turned on, 50 mu.s have not elapsed, the software checks to see if infrared energy has been detected by the detector as illustrated by block 134. If no proximity card or other object is present, the infrared energy will not be reflected back towards the detector and the detector will not detect infrared energy. In this case, after the 50 mu.s of block 132 elapse, the emitter is deactivated as illustrated by block 136 and the card detection function returns a signal, as illustrated by block 138, that no proximity card or other reflective object was detected. After the wake-up circuit has detected an absence and then a presence of infrared energy as just described, the wake-up circuit then probes for the final "absence" requirement to complete the "absence-presence-absence" algorithm. To do this, the wake-up circuit first deactivates (or turns off) the emitter as illustrated by block 140 in Figure 1. After the infrared emitter is deactivated, there is a 100 microsecond delay as illustrated by block 142 in Figure 1. The 100 .mu.s delay must elapse before the detector is turned on to see if infrared energy is detected as illustrated by block 144. With the infrared emitter deactivated, no infrared energy emitted from emitter can be reflected back towards the detector and the 100 .mu.s delay helps to ensure that this is the case. Thus, the final "absence" requirement will be met. As a result, under these conditions where the emitter is off and the ambient light 16 does not contain sufficient infrared energy, no infrared energy will be detected, and the card detection function will return a signal to the main routine that a card or other object has been detected as illustrated by block 146. Figure 2 explains the method used in the invention in detail. In this embodiment there exist an MFP device 1 at location I.The use 1 at the location 1 flashes the access card .The card reader in the MFP 1 reads the unique card number .The MFP 1 gets the card number and sends it to the control server for authentication. The control server authenticates and returns user unique number from the database. If it is an invalid user "ZERO" is returned. MFP 1 gets the user number from control server. If number returned is not zero then this is stored In the MFP device. If the authentication is positive the user is allowed to access MFP IThen the user scans the document and sends it. The MFP1 adds the unique user number to the scanned document and send it to the receiver. At the receiving end MFP 2 receives the document .The MFP 2 retrieves the user number from the received documents, MFP 2 gets user specific information like name, project name, etc for the user number from local server 2 and adds it to the document before printing. Here server 1 and server 2 are local server located at location 1 and location 2 Also server 1 and server 2 are synchronized servers. Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, these embodiments are merely illustrative, and not restrictive of the invention. In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of components and/or methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that an embodiment of the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other apparatus, systems, assemblies, methods, components, materials, parts, and/or the like. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not specifically shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of embodiments of the present invention. Embodiments of the invention may be implemented by using a programmed general purpose digital computer, by using application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays, optical, chemical, biological, quantum or nano-engineered systems, components and mechanisms may be used. In general, the functions of the present invention can be achieved by any means as is known in the art. Distributed or networked systems, components and circuits can be used. Communication, or transfer, of data may be wired, wireless, or by any other means. It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. It is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention to implement a program or code that can be stored in a machine-readable medium to permit a computer to perform any of the methods described above. Additionally, any signal arrows in the drawings/Figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically noted. Furthermore, the term "or" as used herein is generally intended to mean "and/or" unless otherwise indicated. Combinations of components or steps will also be considered as being noted, where terminology is foreseen as rendering the ability to separate or combine is unclear. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, "a", "an", and "the" includes plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the present invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed herein. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes only, various equivalent modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize and appreciate. As indicated, these modifications may be made to the present invention in light of the foregoing description of illustrated embodiments of the present invention and are to be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosures, and it will be appreciated that in some instances some features of embodiments of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth. Therefore, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the essential scope and spirit of the present invention. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular terms used in following claims and/or to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any and all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims. WE CLAIM 1. A method for access control and tracking using proximity cards in MFP comprising the steps of: (a) authenticating access to the IVIFP for the user (b) returning the user's unique number by authenticating server; (c) adding and sending the said unique number to the scanned document; (d) retrieving the user specific details from the synchronous server at the receiving end for the unique number; and (e) adding the user specific details dynamically to the document before rendering. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user specific details include name, project name and contact information. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein after authentication when it is an invalid user "ZERO" value is returned. 4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein transmitting MFP gets the user number from control server. 5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein when number returned is not zero then the said number is stored in the MFP device. 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein when the authentication is positive the user is allowed to access MFP device. 7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein user specific information for the user number obtained from local server involves information like name, project name, etc 8! A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein local servers are located at both transmitting and receiving locations. 9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein local servers located at both transmitting and receiving locations are synchronized servers. 10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein user specific details are added dynamically at print time without actually sending it. 11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein this method is used to track all transactions done through a MFP. 12. A method for access control and tracking using proximity cards in MFP such as substantially herein described particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1235-che-2004 abstract duplicate.pdf

1235-che-2004 abstract.pdf

1235-che-2004 claims duplicate.pdf

1235-che-2004 claims.pdf

1235-che-2004 correspondence others.pdf

1235-che-2004 correspondence po.pdf

1235-che-2004 description (complete) duplicate.pdf

1235-che-2004 description (complete).pdf

1235-che-2004 drawings.pdf

1235-che-2004 form-1.pdf

1235-che-2004 form-13.pdf

1235-che-2004 form-19.pdf

1235-che-2004 form-26.pdf