Image forming apparatus, function extending method and user authentication system

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a user authentication part executing authentication of a user;

a function enabling part enabling at least one function available for a first user based on authority of the first user set in advance when authentication of the first user executed by said user authentication part results in success; and

a function extending part extending at least one function available for the first user by adding authority set in advance for a second user in addition to authority of the first user when authentication of the second user executed by said user authentication part results in success with at least one function available for the first user being enabled, wherein

said function extending part specifies additional authority for authority of the first user corresponding to the status of the image forming apparatus at time of authentication of the second user executed by said user authentication part, and adds the specified authority of authority set in advance for the second user,

wherein the status of the image forming apparatus includes fax, copy, print and scan.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a display part capable of displaying various types of information,

wherein said display part displays at least one function enabled by said function enabling part in a form operable for the first user, also displays at least one extended function in a form operable for the first user when at least one function available for the first user is extended by said function extending part.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

whether or not lending authority to other users is allowed is set in advance for authority of the second user,

said function extending part adds to authority of the first user when authority of the second user is set to allow lending, while not adding to authority of the first user when authority of the second user is set to restrict lending.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a log recording part for recording log in accordance with execution of a job, wherein

said log recording part generates log data indicating the job performed by the first user is executed with authority of the second user and records said log data for the first user and the second user when a job is executed based on at least one extended function with at least one function available for the first user being extended by said function extending part.

5. A function extending method of extending at least one function available for a user in an image forming apparatus, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

(a) executing, by the image forming apparatus, user authentication of a first user;

(b) enabling at least one function available for the first user based on authority of the first user set in advance when authentication of the first user results in success;

(c) executing user authentication of a second user with at least one function available for the first user being enabled; and

(d) adding authority of the second user in addition to said authority of the first user based on authority set in advance for the second user, and extending at least one function

available for the first user when authentication of the second user results in success, and

in said step (d), additional authority for authority of the first user is specified corresponding to the status of said image forming apparatus at time of authentication of the second user executed in said step (c), and the specified authority of authority set in advance for the second user is added,

wherein the status of the image forming apparatus includes fax, copy, print and scan.

6. The function extending method according to claim 5 , wherein

in said step (b), at least one enabled function is displayed in a form being operable for the first user on a display part as at least one function available for the first user is enabled,

in said step (d), at least one extended function is displayed in a form being operable for the first user on said display part as at least one function available for the first user is extended.

7. The function extending method according to claim 5 , wherein

whether or not lending authority to other users is allowed is set in advance for authority of the second user, and

in said step (d), addition to authority of the first user is executed when authority of the second user is set to allow lending, while not executing addition to authority of the first user when authority of the second user is set to restrict lending.

8. The function extending method according to claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises the step of:

(e) recording log in accordance with execution of a job, and

in said step (e), when the job is executed based on at least one extended function with at least one function available for the first user being extended in said step (d), log data indicating the job performed by the first user and executed with authority of the second user is generated and recorded therein as log data of the first user and the second user.

9. An user authentication system comprising an image forming apparatus and an authentication server being capable of establishing data communication with each other,

wherein said image forming apparatus includes:

a user authentication part for giving a request for authentication to said authentication server and executing user authentication based on a result of authentication processing executed in said authentication server; a function enabling part for acquiring information relating to authority of a first user, and enabling at least one function available for the first user when said authentication processing of the first user results in success; and

a function extending part for acquiring information relating to a second user and extending at least one function available for the first user by adding authority set in advance for the second user in addition to authority of the first user when said authentication processing of the second user results in success with at least one function available for the first user being enabled,

said function extending part specifies additional authority for authority of the first user corresponding to the status of the image forming apparatus at the time of the authentication of the second user executed by said user authentication part, and adds the specified authority of authority set in advance for the second user,

wherein the status of the image forming apparatus includes fax, copy, print and scan, and

said authentication server includes:

an authentication processing part for executing said authentication processing responsive to said authentication request from said user authentication part;

a user information transmission part for transmitting information relating to the first user based on a request from said function enabling part, and

an additional authority transmission part for transmitting information relating to the second user based on a request from said function enabling part.

10. The user authentication system according to claim 9 , wherein said image forming apparatus further includes:

a display part capable of displaying various types of information, and

said display part displays at least one function enabled by said function enable part in a form operable for the first user, also displays at least one extended function in a form operable for the first user when at least one function available for the first user is extended by said function extending part.

11. The user authentication system according to claim 9 , wherein

whether or not lending authority to other users is allowed is set in advance for authority of the second user, and

said function extending part adds to authority of the user when authority of the second user is set to allow lending, while not adding to authority of the user when authority of the second user is set to restrict lending.

12. The user authentication system according to claim 9 , wherein said image forming apparatus further includes:

a log recording part for recording log in accordance with execution of a job, and

when a job is executed based on at least one extended function with at least one function available for the first user being extended by said function extending part, said log recording part generation log data indicating the job performed by the first user is executed with authority of the second user, and records said log data for the first user the second user.