Image processing apparatus, control method therefor, and computer-readable storage medium storing program for implementing the method

Abstract

An image processing apparatus capable of reducing the frequency of a user's inputting work for authentication information to improve the convenience. When the number of the logged-in users is one, the logged-in user is set as an executor of the predetermined function, and when the number of the logged-in users is two or more, the user is caused to select one of the logged-in users to set the selected one as the executor of the predetermined function.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image processing apparatus having a plurality of functions including a first function which is executable without a user authentication and a second function which is executable after the user authentication, the image processing apparatus comprising:
 at least one memory; and   at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory, wherein the least one processor performs:   displaying an operation screen including a first soft key for executing the first function and a second soft key for executing the second function.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs:
 setting a user authority for each of the plurality of functions;   wherein the user authority is set so that a first user is prohibited to use the first function after the user authentication and a second user is permitted to use the first function after the user authentication.   
     
     
         3 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2  wherein the processor further performs:
 permitting a user to use the first function without the user authentication; 
 prohibiting the first user to use the second function after the user authentication; and 
 permitting the second user to use the second function after the user authentication. 
 
     
     
         4 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , the image processing apparatus further comprising a touch panel display,
 wherein the processor further performs:   displaying the operation screen on the touch panel display to receive a touch operation for selecting one of the first and second soft keys.   
     
     
         5 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the first function is a copying function. 
     
     
         6 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs:
 displaying a login screen when the second soft key is selected without the user authentication.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the processor further performs:   prohibiting a first user, who logs in with the login screen, to use the second function, when the user does not have a user authority to use the second function; and   permitting a second user, who logs in with the login screen, to use the second function, when the second user has a user authority to use the second function.   
     
     
         8 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4  wherein the processor further performs
 displaying the operation screen on the touch panel display without the user authentication when the image processing apparatus is activated, and 
 displaying a login screen when the second soft key is selected by the touch operation. 
 
     
     
         9 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs:
 displaying a login screen when the second soft key is selected without the user authentication, and   not displaying another login screen after the user authentication when the second soft key is selected by a login user who does not have a user authority to use the second function.   
     
     
         10 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein a state without the user authentication is a state where an anonymous user logs in the image processing apparatus, and   a state after the user authentication is a state where a real-name user logs in the image processing apparatus.   
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling an image processing apparatus having a plurality of functions including a first function which is executable without a user authentication and a second function which is executable after the user authentication, the method comprising:
 displaying an operation screen including a first soft key for executing the first function and a second soft key for executing the second function.   
     
     
         12 . An image processing apparatus having a plurality of functions,
 the image processing apparatus comprising:   at least one memory; and   at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory, wherein the least one processor performs:   setting a user authority for each of the plurality of functions;   receiving a user operation for selecting a function among the plurality of functions;   permitting a user to use a first function selected by the user operation, in a case the user is not logged in with user specific login information and is permitted to use the first function;   displaying a login screen to input login information in a state the user is not logged in with user specific login information and is not permitted to use the second function selected by the user operation;   permitting a first user, corresponding to first specific login information input to the login screen, to use the second function, in a case the first user is permitted to use the second function, and   prohibiting the first user, corresponding to the first specific login information input to the login screen, to use the first function, in a case the first user is not permitted to use the first function,   wherein it is possible to set a predetermined function among the plurality of functions to permit the user to use the predetermined function in a state the user is not logged in with the user specific login information and not to permit the user to use the predetermined function in a state the user is logged in with the user specific login information.   
     
     
         13 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the least one processor performs:
 enabling to set the user authority for each of the plurality of functions to each of the user not logged in with the user specific login information and the first user.  14  The image processing apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the processor further performs:   displaying a first soft key for executing the first function and a second soft key for executing the second function in a same operation screen.   
     
     
         15 . The image processing apparatus according to claim  14 , the image processing apparatus further comprising a touch panel display,
 wherein the processor further performs:   displaying the operation screen on the touch panel display.   
     
     
         16 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the user specific login information including the first specific login information includes at least one of a user ID and a password. 
     
     
         17 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 12 , the processor further performs not displaying another login screen in a case the first user is not permitted to use the first function. 
     
     
         18 . A method for an image processing apparatus having a plurality of functions,
 the method comprising:   setting a user authority for each of the plurality of functions;   receiving a user operation for selecting a function among the plurality of functions;   permitting a user to use a first function selected by the user operation, in a case the user is not logged in with user specific login information and is permitted to use the first function;   displaying a login screen to input login information in a state the user is not logged in with user specific login information and is not permitted to use the second function selected by the user operation;   permitting a first user, corresponding to first specific login information input to the login screen, to use the second function, in a case the first user is permitted to use the second function, and   prohibiting the first user, corresponding to the first specific login information input to the login screen, to use the first function, in a case the first user is not permitted to use the first function,   wherein it is possible to set a predetermined function among the plurality of functions to permit the user to use the predetermined function in a state the user is not logged in with the user specific login information and not to permit the user to use the predetermined function in a state the user is logged in with the user specific login information.