1. An access control apparatus that controls access to a predetermined resource, comprising:
user relationship definition information defining a predetermined relationship of a user attempting to access the predetermined resource with a further user which is different from the user attempting to access;
indirect access control information defining an access right to the predetermined resource based on the predetermined relationship;
an indirect access right determining unit that detects the further user with which the user has the predetermined relationship based on the user relationship definition information, and determines an access right of the user based on the predetermined relationship with the detected further user and the indirect access control information,
direct access control information defining the access right to the predetermined resource on a per user basis or on a per user category basis; and
a direct access right determining unit that determines the access right of the user based on the direct access control information,
wherein the indirect access right determining unit determines the access right of the user based on an access right of the further user which further user access right is determined based on the direct access control information,
wherein, if a determination result by the direct access right determining unit is negative, the indirect access right determining unit determines the access right of the user.
2. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indirect access right determining unit grants the user the access right that is granted to the further user based on the direct access control information.
3. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if the indirect access control information defines that the same access right as the access right granted to the further user is granted to the user based on the predetermined relationship of the user with the further user, the indirect access right determining unit grants the user the access right that is granted to the further user based on the direct access control information.
4. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indirect access right determining unit recognizes the access right granted to the further user based on the direct access control information by querying the direct access right determining unit for the access right granted to the further user.
5. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user relationship definition information defines the relationship between the user and the further user based on a structure of an organization to which the user and further user belong.
6. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the relationship between the user and the further user may include at least one of a relationship between a boss and a subordinate thereof, a relationship between a secretary and a boss thereof, and a relationship between a deputy and a person for whom the deputy acts.
7. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user relationship definition information defines the relationship between the user and the further user based on positions of seats allocated to the user and further user.
8. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the relationship between the user and the further user is a relationship based on whether the seats are arranged in the same segment.
9. The access control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
an electronic data attribute management unit that, in response to a request for saving an identification information item of an encrypted electronic data item and a decryption key for the electronic data item, manages the identification information item of the electronic data item and the decryption key;
wherein, in response to an access request to the electronic data item, the access request containing the identification information item of the electronic data item, an identification information item of the user, and an access type, the indirect access right determining unit determines whether an access right specified by the access type is granted, and the decryption key is returned if the access right specified by the access type is granted.
10. An access control method for use in an access control apparatus that controls access to a predetermined resource, comprising:
a further user detecting step of detecting, based on entity user relationship definition information defining a predetermined relationship of a user attempting to access the predetermined resource with a further user which is different from the user attempting to access, the further user with which the user has the predetermined relationship, and storing a result of the detecting in a computer memory;
an indirect access right determining step of determining an access right of the user based on the predetermined relationship with the further user detected in the further user detecting step and indirect access control information defining an access right to the predetermined resource based on the predetermined relationship, and storing a result of the detecting in the computer memory;
a direct access right determining step of determining the access right of the user based on the direct access control information; and
accessing the predetermined resource in accordance with a result of the direct access right determining step,
wherein, in the indirect access right determining step, the access right of the user is determined based on an access right of the further user which further user access right is determined based on direct access control information defining the access right to the predetermined resource on a per user basis or on a per user category basis, and
wherein, if a determination result in the direct access right determining step is negative, the access right of the user is determined in the indirect access right determining step.
11. The access control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in the indirect access right determining step, the access right that is granted to the further user based on the direct access control information is granted to the user.
12. The access control method as claimed in claim 11, wherein, if the indirect access control information defines that the same access right as the access right granted to the further user is granted to the user based on the predetermined relationship of the user with the further user, the access right that is granted to the further user based on the direct access control information is granted to the user in the indirect access right determining step.
13. The access control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the access right granted to the further user based on the direct access control information is recognized in the indirect access right determining step by querying for the access right granted to the further user.
14. The access control method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the user relationship definition information defines the relationship between the user and the further user based on a structure of an organization to which the user and further user belong.
15. The access control method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the relationship between the user and the further user may include at least one of a relationship between a boss and a subordinate thereof, a relationship between a secretary and a boss thereof, and a relationship between a deputy and a person for whom the deputy acts.
16. A tangible computer readable medium having stored thereon an access control program that causes a computer to control access to a predetermined resource, the program causing the computer to execute:
a further user detecting step of detecting, based on user relationship definition information defining a predetermined relationship of a user attempting to access the predetermined resource with a further user which is different from the user attempting to access, the further user with which the user has the predetermined relationship;
an indirect access right determining step of determining an access right of the user based on the predetermined relationship with the further user detected in the further user detecting step and indirect access control information defining an access right to the predetermined resource based on the predetermined relationship; and
a direct access right determining step of determining the access right of the user based on the direct access control information,
wherein, in the indirect access right determining step, the access right of the user is determined based on an access right of the further user which further user access right is determined based on direct access control information defining the access right to the predetermined resource on a per user basis or on a per user category basis, and
wherein, if a determination result in the direct access right determining step is negative, the access right of the user is determined in the indirect access right determining step.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. (canceled)
2. (canceled)
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9. (canceled)
10. (canceled)
11. A metal obtained from a process for reducing the passive layer on the surface of the metal, the process comprising:
reacting a treatment composition comprising a non-metallic compound with metal ions in the passive layer of a metal, thereby forming an organometallic complex precipitate; and
removing the organometallic complex precipitate from the surface of the metal.
12. The metal of claim 11, wherein the reacting step is conducted in an aqueous solution comprising a wetting agent.
13. The metal of claim 12, wherein the non-metallic compound that is a thiuram.
14. The metal of claim 13, wherein the non-metallic compound is characterized by the general chemical formula (I),
wherein, m is an integer of 1 or 2; and
R1, R2, R3, and R4 are individually selected from the group consisting of C1-C10 linear alkyls, C3-C10 branched alkyls, C3-C10 cyclo-alkyls, and substituted and unsubstituted aryls.
15. The metal of claim 14, wherein the non-metallic compound is selected from the group consisting of tetramethylthiuram monosulfide, bis(dimethyldithiocarbamoyl) disulfide, tetrabenzylthiuram disulfide, tetraethylthiuram disulfide, tetrabutylthiuram disulfide, dipentamethylenethiuram tetrasulfide, and mixtures thereof.
16. The metal of claim 13, wherein the treatment composition further comprises a non-metallic compound that is a dithiocarbamate.
17. The metal of claim 16, wherein the additional non-metallic compound is characterized by the general chemical formula (II),
wherein, n is integer of 1 or 2;
o is an integer of 1 or 2;
R5 and R6 are individually selected from the group consisting of C1-C10 linear alkyls, C3-C10 branched alkyls, C3-C10 cyclo-alkyls, and substituted and unsubstituted aryls; and
Y is an element selected from Groups IA and IIIA of the periodic table.
18. The metal of claim 17, wherein the additional non-metallic compound is selected from the group consisting of sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, sodium dibenzyldithiocarbamate, sodium dibutyldithiocarbamate, and mixtures thereof.
19. The metal of claim 12, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of Groups IB through VIIB and VIII of the periodic table, including the elements having the atomic numbers of 58-71 and 90-103, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, lead, antimony, bismuth, mixtures thereof and alloys thereof.
20. The metal of claim 19, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, thallium, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof.
21. (canceled)
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30. (canceled)
31. An apparatus for removing the passive layer on the surface of a metal, comprising:
an enclosed shell having a inlet, an outlet, and at least two interior compartments, wherein the inlet, the compartments, and the outlet are fluidly connected;
a treatment composition comprising a non-metallic compound in at least one compartment near the inlet; and
the metal in at least one compartment located in fluid sequence after the compartment having the treatment composition;
wherein the non-metallic compound is capable of reacting with metal ions in the passive layer of the metal to form an organometallic complex precipitate.
32. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the non-metallic compound is selected from the group consisting of thiuram, dithiocarbamate, and mixtures thereof; and
wherein the reactive metal is selected from the group consisting of Groups IB through VIIB and VIII of the periodic table, including the elements having the atomic numbers of 58-71 and 90 103, aluminum, gallium, indium, thallium, germanium, tin, lead, antimony, bismuth, mixtures thereof and alloys thereof.
33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the non-metallic compound is selected from the group consisting of compounds characterized by the general chemical formula (I),
wherein, m is an integer of 1 or 2, and
R1, R2, R3, and R4 are individually selected from the group consisting of C1-C10 linear alkyls, C3-C10 branched alkyls, C3-C10 cyclo-alkyls, and substituted and unsubstituted aryls, or characterized by the general chemical formula (II),
wherein, n is an integer of 1 or 2,
o is an integer of 1 or 2,
R5 and R6 are individually selected from the group consisting of C1-C10 linear alkyls, C3-C10 branched alkyls, C3-C10 cyclo-alkyls, and substituted and unsubstituted aryls, and Y is an element selected from Groups IA and IIA of the periodic table, and mixtures thereof; and
wherein the reactive metal is selected from the group consisting of silver, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, hafnium, thallium, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof.
34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the non-metallic compound is selected from the group consisting of tetramethylthiuram monosulfide, bis(dimethyldithiocarbamoyl) disulfide, tetrabenzylthiuram disulfide, tetraethylthiuram disulfide, tetrabutylthiuram disulfide, dipentamethylenethiuram tetrasulfide, sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate, sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, sodium dibenzyldithiocarbamate, sodium dibutyldithiocarbamate, and mixtures thereof.