Microscope system, access-control assistance method, and computer readable medium

1. A microscope system comprising:

a microscope that acquires a microscopic image; and

a hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor is configured to perform processes comprising:

causing the microscope to perform a series of image-shooting operations for acquiring a plurality of microscopic images;

outputting an access code generated in response to a start of the series of image-shooting operations, the access code being used to access image-shooting information pertaining to the series of image-shooting operations;

assessing a validity of access from a communication terminal to the image-shooting information based at least on input information transmitted from the communication terminal and one of the access code and details of the access code; and

determining, based at least on one of terminal identification information for specifying the communication terminal and user identification information for specifying a user of the communication terminal, whether to allow at least one of changing of settings of the series of image-shooting operations and controlling of the microscope during intervals in the series of image-shooting operations to be performed,

wherein:

the hardware processor is configured to perform the assessing process and the determining process before completion of the series of the image-shooting operations,

the series of the image-shooting operations include at least time-lapse image-shooting operations, and

in the determining, the at least one of the changing of the settings and the controlling of the microscope is allowed to be performed during at least one of intervals between the time-lapse image shooting operations.

2. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to perform a process of outputting the access code to a display apparatus.

3. The microscope system of claim 2 , further comprising the display apparatus, the display apparatus being configured to display the access code output from the hardware processor.

4. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to perform a process of outputting the access code to a printing apparatus.

5. The microscope system of claim 4 , further comprising the printing apparatus, the printing apparatus being configured to print out the access code output from the hardware processor.

6. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to perform a process of outputting the access code to an e-mail server.

7. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to assess the validity of the access based on a result of a comparison between the input information and the one of the access code and the details of the access code.

8. The microscope system of claim 7 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to transmit the image-shooting information to the communication terminal in response to determining that the access is valid.

9. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to asses the validity of the access based at least on (i) one of the terminal identification information for specifying the communication terminal and the user identification information for specifying the user of the communication terminal, and (ii) a result of a comparison between the input information and the one of the access code and the details of the access code.

10. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to perform exclusive control for the at least one of the changing of the settings and the controlling of the microscope.

11. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to perform load control based on a number of communication terminals that request permission to access the image-shooting information.

12. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to generate the access code in response to the start of the series of image-shooting operations, and to generate a different access code for each series of image-shooting operations.

13. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein:

the hardware processor is configured to generate the access code in response to the start of the series of image-shooting operations,

the microscope system includes a plurality of microscopes, and

the hardware processor is configured to generate a different access code for each of the plurality of microscopes.

14. The microscope system of claim 1 , wherein the access code comprises a two-dimensional code.

15. The microscope system of claim 14 , wherein details of the two-dimensional code comprise a URL of a web page.

16. The microscope system of claim 1 , further comprising a storage that stores the plurality of microscopic images.

17. An access-control assistance method comprising performing, by using a control apparatus that controls a microscope:

causing the microscope to perform a series of image-shooting operations for acquiring a plurality of microscopic images;

outputting an access code generated in response to a start of the series of image-shooting operations, the access code being used to access image-shooting information pertaining to the series of image-shooting operations;

assessing a validity of access from a communication terminal to the image-shooting information based at least on input information transmitted from the communication terminal and one of the access code and details of the access code; and

determining, based at least on one of terminal identification information for specifying the communication terminal and user identification information for specifying a user of the communication terminal, whether to allow at least one of changing of settings of the series of image-shooting operations and controlling of the microscope during intervals in the series of image-shooting operations to be performed,

wherein:

the assessing and the determining are performed before completion of the series of the image-shooting operations,

the series of the image-shooting operations include at least time-lapse image-shooting operations, and

in the determining, the at least one of the changing of the settings and the controlling of the microscope is allowed to be performed during at least one of intervals between the time-lapse image-shooting operations.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein a program for causing a control apparatus that controls a microscope to perform processes comprising:

causing the microscope to perform a series of image-shooting operations for acquiring a plurality of microscopic images;

outputting an access code generated in response to a start of the series of image-shooting operations, the access code being used to access image-shooting information pertaining to the series of image-shooting operations;

assessing a validity of access from a communication terminal to the image-shooting information based at least on input information transmitted from the communication terminal and one of the access code and details of the access code; and

determining, based at least on one of terminal identification information for specifying the communication terminal and user identification information for specifying a user of the communication terminal, whether to allow at least one of changing of settings of the series of image-shooting operations and controlling of the microscope during intervals in the series of image-shooting operations to be performed,

wherein:

the assessing and the determining are performed before completion of the series of the image-shooting operations,

the series of the image-shooting operations include at least time-lapse image-shooting operations, and

in the determining, the at least one of the changing of the settings and the controlling of the microscope is allowed to be performed during at least one of intervals between the time-lapse image-shooting operations.