JP2006211202A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus capable of enhancing the security of image data printed on a recording medium. <P>SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus includes: a key information providing means 15 for providing a public key and a private key; an encryption means 17 for encrypting image data; a printer means 5 for printing the encrypted encryption data to the recording medium S; a scanner means 7 for reading the encryption data printed on the recording medium S; a decryption means 21 for decrypting the encryption data by using the private key; a key information entry means 22; and a key information discrimination means 23. The printer means 5 prints the public key on the recording medium in addition to the encryption data, and the key information discrimination means 23 compares the public key read by the scanner means 7 with the private key entered by the key information entry means and decrypts the read encryption data only when the public key is coincident with the private key. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus including a printer unit and a scanner unit.

  In general, when transmitting electronic image data to an outside party using e-mail or the like, the image data is encrypted and transmitted in advance in order to prevent the image data from being seen by a third party. .

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a person who transmits mail encrypts image data with a public key, and decrypts image data received by a person who receives mail using a secret key paired with the public key. Technology is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-257091

  However, although the prior art described in Patent Document 1 can keep image data secret on the network, it cannot print out the encrypted data obtained by encrypting the image data as it is. Therefore, once the image data is printed on the recording medium, the image data may be leaked to a third party, causing a problem in security management. Therefore, it is desired to increase the confidentiality of image data printed on a recording medium.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of enhancing the confidentiality of image data printed on a recording medium.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that a key information providing unit that assigns a public key and a secret key, an encryption unit that encrypts image data, and encrypted encrypted data are recorded. Printer means for printing on a medium, scanner means for reading encrypted data printed on a recording medium, decryption means for decrypting encrypted data with a secret key, key information input means, and key information determination means, The printer means prints the public key on the recording medium in addition to the encrypted data, and the key information determination means compares the public key read by the scanner means with the secret key input by the key information input means, and Only when the key matches, the read encrypted data is decrypted.

  The invention described in claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the printer means prints the public key on the back surface of the recording medium on which the encrypted data is printed.

  The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 1, wherein the key information providing means divides the public key into a plurality of parts and distributes them on the recording medium.

  The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 1, the printer means prints on the recording medium a reading condition for reading the encrypted data on the recording medium by the scanner means. To do.

  The invention described in claim 5 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the image processing apparatus includes a copy prevention means for prohibiting file storage and printing of the decoded image data. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, encrypted encrypted data is output to a recording medium, and only a specific person having secret key information can decrypt the encrypted data, so that the image data is stored in a confidential state on the recording medium. Even if the recording medium leaks to the outside, confidential information is difficult to leak to a third party, and the confidentiality of the image data output to the recording medium can be improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 4 illustrate an image processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The image processing apparatus 1 includes PC (personal computer) devices 3 and 4, a printer (printer means) 5 connected to one PC device 3, and a scanner (scanner means) 7 connected to the other PC device 4. . The image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment prints from the printer 5 to the recording medium S in a state where the image data created by one PC apparatus (PC1) 3 is encrypted, By reading with a scanner 7 connected to the other PC device (PC2) 4, the decoded image data is viewed on the screen.

  One PC device 3 incorporates a printer driver 9 which is software for controlling the printer 5.

  The printer driver 9 includes a key information providing unit 15 that assigns a public key k and a secret key, an encryption unit 17 that encrypts image data with the public key k acquired by the key information providing unit 15, and a copy prevention unit 19. It has. The key information giving means 15 can be created on the PC screen, and the public key k and the secret key are given by inputting information combining numbers and symbols. The copy prevention means 19 prohibits file saving and printing of the decrypted image data, and access control information for preventing duplication is embedded in the recording medium S. By printing the access control information on the recording medium S, when the scanner 7 reads the recording medium S and recognizes the access control information, file saving and printing operations of the decoded image data are locked.

  A scanner driver 10 that is software for controlling the scanner 7 is incorporated in the other PC device 4.

  The scanner driver 10 includes a decryption unit 21 for decrypting encrypted data encrypted with the public key k, a key information input unit 22 for inputting secret key information by a key operation, and a public key read by the scanner 7. k is provided with a key information discriminating means 23 for comparing k with the secret key input by the key information input means 22.

  Next, operations and effects of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. In the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the printer driver 9 is installed in one PC apparatus 3 and the scanner driver 10 is installed in the other PC apparatus 4 for use.

  A case of printing out encrypted data obtained by encrypting image data will be described. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, image data is created in one PC device 3 (step S10). When the printout start button is pressed, the created image data is sent to the encryption means 17 in the printer driver 9, and the encryption means 17 encrypts the image data into encrypted data (step S11). Next, the encrypted encrypted data is transmitted into the printer 5 and printed on the recording medium S (step S12). At this time, the encrypted data is printed in the designated printing area m of the recording medium S, and the information of the public key k given by the key information giving means 15 is printed out in the blank area n of the recording medium S. The printed recording medium S is mailed to a specific person outside the company, for example. In this case, a specific person is informed of the secret key information in advance.

  When a specific person receives the printed recording medium S, it sets the received recording medium S in a certain scanner 7 connected to his PC (the other PC device 4). When the recording medium S is set on the document table of the scanner 7 and the reading start button on the PC screen is pressed, the recording medium S on the document table is scanned, and the encrypted data printed on the recording medium S is read (step S13). ). At this time, the scanner 7 reads the public key k information printed on the recording medium S together with the encrypted data, and sends the read public key k information to the key information determination unit 23 in the scanner driver 10. When the information on the public key k is sent to the key information determination unit 23, a screen requesting input of a secret key appears on the desktop screen of the other PC device 4. When the private key information is input by the key information input means 22 (step S14), the public key k and the private key are compared by the key information determination means 23 (step S15). If the public key k and the private key match, the encrypted data is sent to the decrypting means 21, and the encrypted data is decrypted into the original image data (step S16). The decrypted image data is displayed on the desktop screen of the other PC device 4. The decrypted image data can be viewed from the desktop screen, but the image data cannot be saved in a file or printed.

  In the present embodiment, the encrypted data is printed on the recording medium S, and only a specific person who has the secret key information can decrypt the encrypted data, so that the image data is kept confidential in the recording medium S. Even if the recording medium S leaks to the outside, confidential information is difficult to leak to a third party, and the confidentiality of the image data printed on the recording medium S can be improved.

  Further, since file saving and printing of the decrypted image data is prohibited, a copy of the decrypted image data is not created, and the decrypted image data can be further prevented from leaking to a third party. .

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, parts having the same functions and effects as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. FIG. 5 shows an image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 shows an image processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 shows the third embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows such an image processing apparatus.

  In the second embodiment, the printer 5 prints the information on the public key k on the back surface of the recording medium S on which the encrypted data is recorded. In this way, since the public key k is printed on the back surface of the recording medium S, the public key k information and the encrypted data information can be read separately, and the public key k can be read reliably.

  In the third embodiment, the key information providing unit 15 divides the public key k into a plurality of parts, and the divided public keys k1 to k6 are distributed and printed in the blank area n of the recording medium S in all directions. Thus, since the divided public key k is distributed and printed in the blank area n of the recording medium S, it is more difficult to decipher the public key k, and the security can be further enhanced.

  In the fourth embodiment, when the encrypted data is output from the printer 5, the barcode information of the reading condition y for reading by the scanner 7 is printed on the recording medium S together with the information of the public key k. Here, the reading condition y at the time of reading by the scanner 7 means a resolution, a reading range, etc. at the time of reading image data. As described above, since the reading condition y is printed on the recording medium S in advance, it is not necessary to set the reading range and resolution on the PC screen, and the scanner operation is simple.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the third embodiment, the divided public keys k1 to k6 are distributed and printed in the blank area n of the recording medium S in all directions. However, printing is performed in the printing area m of the recording medium S, and encrypted data is printed. You may print on the back surface of the printed recording medium, or you may print separately on the front surface and back surface of a recording medium.

  In the above-described embodiment, one PC device 3 has a printer function, and the other PC device 4 has a scanner function. However, only one of the PC devices has both a printer function and a scanner function. You may make it comprise.

It is a control block diagram explaining the whole image processing device concerning a 1st embodiment. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a processing operation of the image processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is the schematic explaining the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the recording medium printed in the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (a) is a figure which shows encryption data, (b) is a figure which shows a decrypted image. It is a top view which shows the recording medium printed in the image processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, (a) is a figure which shows the surface of a recording medium, (b) is a figure which shows the back surface of a recording medium. It is a top view which shows the recording medium printed in the image processing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment, (a) is a figure which shows encryption data, (b) is a figure which shows a decoding image. It is a top view which shows the recording medium printed in the image processing apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment, (a) is a figure which shows the surface of a recording medium, (b) is a figure which shows the back surface of a recording medium.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Key information provision means 17 Encryption means 19 Duplication prevention means 21 Decryption means 22 Key information input means 23 Key information discrimination means 25 Public key division means

Claims (5)

  Key information providing means for assigning a public key and a secret key, encryption means for encrypting image data, printer means for printing the encrypted data on a recording medium, and reading the encrypted data printed on the recording medium A scanner unit, a decryption unit that decrypts the encrypted data with a secret key, a key information input unit, and a key information determination unit. The printer unit prints the public key in addition to the encrypted data on a recording medium, The key information discrimination means compares the public key read by the scanner means with the secret key input by the key information input means, and decrypts the read encrypted data only when the public key and the secret key match. An image processing apparatus.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printer unit prints the public key on the back surface of the recording medium on which the encrypted data is printed.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the key information providing unit divides the public key into a plurality of parts and distributes the public key on the recording medium.   2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printer means prints on the recording medium a reading condition for reading the encrypted data on the recording medium by the scanner means.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a copy prevention unit that prohibits file storage and printing of the decoded image data.

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