An image forming device that executes an image forming program for real-time mechanical control and another program, using a single cache memory for the image forming program and said another program. The image forming device includes: a cache lockdown unit that executes a cache lockdown to lock down a storage area of the cache memory that stores at least a portion of the image forming program necessary for image formation processing; and a print unit that executes the image formation processing while the storage area is locked down.

An approach is provided for authenticating users of mobile devices for accessing printing devices. According to the approach, a short-range communications method is used to establish the identity of printing devices, and then authentication is performed using a Local Area Network (LAN)/Internet or mobile network connection. Embodiments include the use of two-phase authentication to provide additional security.

An image reading apparatus includes a manuscript reader, a communication device, a distance determination device, a manuscript leaving determination device, a controller, and an approaching person determination device. The manuscript leaving determination device determines whether a manuscript is left in the image reading apparatus. The communication device performs wireless communication with a portable device carried by a user. The approaching person determination device determines presence and absence of a person approaching the image reading apparatus. The controller transmits, to the portable device, warning information indicating a risk of information leakage when the distance determination device determines that a distance between the image reading device and the portable device has reached a predetermined first threshold value and the approaching person determination device determines that there is an approaching person in a state in which the manuscript leaving determination device has determined that a manuscript is left in the image reading apparatus.

An information processing apparatus includes a setting unit, a detector and a controller. The setting unit sets setting information associating a registered image obtained by reading an image with control information indicating whether input image data is to be stored or not. The detector detects the registered image from the input image data. The controller controls whether or not the input image data including the registered image is stored in a storage based on the setting information.

Control circuitry includes a converter and an arbitration unit. The converter is configured to convert a first signal based on a first communication standard to an internal second signal based on a second communication standard and output the internal second signal. The arbitration unit is configured to arbitrate between access of the internal second signal output from the converter and access of an external second signal, which is also based on the second communication standard, input from outside the control circuitry.

An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.

An image processing apparatus includes an image reading unit that reads an image of an original document, an image processing unit that processes image data of the image read by the image reading unit, and a suspension unit that suspends, if a predetermined pattern has been detected from the image read by the image reading unit, the image processing unit in an operation of processing the image data until the original document is removed from the image reading unit.

An import unit of an image forming apparatus performs control as follows. If an import target setting value corresponds to a device setting, the import unit determines whether the setting value complies with the security rule. If it is determined that the setting value complies with the security rule, the import unit executes the import processing of the setting value. If it is determined that the setting value does not comply with the security rule, the import unit does not execute the import processing of the setting value. Further, if an import target setting value corresponds to an individual setting, the import unit executes the import processing of the setting value regardless of the security rule.

An information processing apparatus includes a setting unit, a detector and a controller. The setting unit sets setting information associating a registered image obtained by reading an image with control information indicating whether input image data is to be stored or not. The detector detects the registered image from the input image data. The controller controls whether or not the input image data including the registered image is stored in a storage based on the setting information.

Provided is an authentication system that achieves simple single sign-on used by an MFP. A management application includes a first authentication-request unit that transmits an authentication request to a management server and delivers a token to an execution platform. The other application includes a second authentication-request unit that sends an authentication request together with the token to another server. The application-execution platform includes a token-delivery unit that delivers the token to the other application. The management server includes a first authentication unit that returns a token to the first authentication-request unit, a token-creation unit, and a second authentication unit that performs authentication for an inquiry from the other server that uses a token. The other server includes a third authentication-request unit that transfers an authentication request, and transfers an authentication OK message to the second authentication-request unit.