JP2007251634A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a useless copy output if there are secret papers. <P>SOLUTION: In this image forming apparatus including a reading part 102 for automatically sequentially feeding a plurality of originals and reading the originals and a copy inhibition ground tint pattern detecting part 105 for detecting a ground tint pattern for inhibiting copying from image information of the read originals, if the copy inhibition ground tint pattern detecting 105 detects a ground tint pattern that inhibits copying while the reading part 102 reads the plurality of originals, the subsequent original reading operation is temporarily interrupted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that prevents a copy-prohibited document from being copied.

  In recent years, as a security enhancement, a technique for suppressing copying by embedding a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern indicating copy prohibition in the background of an original to be prohibited from being copied has been proposed in order to prevent copying of confidential documents. When a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern indicating copy prohibition is detected from the image information of the read original, processing is performed so that the original is not copied.

  As techniques for prohibiting such document copying, for example, the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. Among them, Patent Document 1 detects a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern (background dot pattern) embedded in a background image included in image data of an original image from image data in order to reliably prevent confidential document reproduction processing, for example, copying. And a means for comparing the detected tint block pattern (background dot pattern) with a tint block pattern (background dot pattern) that prohibits the output stored in the storage area, and determining the identity thereof. Regardless of the type of original image, the image data of the original image can be output by checking the identity of the detected background pattern (background dot pattern) and the background pattern (background dot pattern) stored in the storage area. A technique for determining whether to prohibit is described.

  Patent Document 2 discloses complicated work such as paper replacement or paper cassette selection when an image pattern indicating that the document is prohibited from being copied is formed. In order to save the operation, the image processing apparatus generates print document data of a target image, generates pattern data of a dot pattern indicating that the document is prohibited from being copied, and print document There is a technique in which both are superimposed on the background of the data document so as to form this pattern data and combined into a single image, and the image data of this combined image is output to the image forming apparatus 3 to form an image. Are listed.

In addition, for example, the inventions described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are also known as related techniques.
JP 2004-274092 A JP 2004-260341 A JP 2004-221773 A JP 2004-166172 A

  However, in the above-described known example, when a copy-forbidden copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected, only the process of prohibiting the output of the copy is performed, and the copying operation is not stopped, and a specific process including a blank sheet is performed. Therefore, there are problems that the paper is wasted and that even an owner of a confidential document cannot copy the original.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a problem to be solved is to be able to prevent useless copy output when there is a confidential document. Another problem is that a confidential document can be copied if it is an owner of a confidential document or the like who owns the original.

  In order to solve the above problems, the first means includes a reading means for automatically conveying and reading a plurality of originals sequentially, and a detecting means for detecting a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying from image information of the read originals. In the image forming apparatus comprising: a means for temporarily interrupting the subsequent reading operation of the original when the detecting means detects a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern that is prohibited from being copied while the reading means is reading a plurality of originals. It is characterized by having.

  The second means includes a determination means for determining a print prohibition range of the original based on the detection result by the detection means, and detects a tint block pattern that prohibits copying when the reading operation is temporarily interrupted. The original document is provided with means for preventing the image information in the print prohibition range determined by the determination means from being printed on the recording paper.

  The third means is characterized in that the second means comprises means for printing a predetermined image (including a character string) indicating that printing is prohibited in a part of the printing prohibited range.

  The fourth means is characterized in that in the first means, when the tint block pattern prohibiting copying is detected by the detecting means, a means for displaying that the reading operation is interrupted is provided.

  According to a fifth means, in the first means, when the detection means detects the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits the copying, the operator manually resumes the interrupted reading operation and continues the copying operation of the remaining document. Means are provided.

  According to a sixth means, in the first means, when the detection means detects a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying, the operator manually stops the interrupted reading operation and cancels the copying operation of the remaining document. Means are provided.

  Seventh means includes detection means for detecting a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern from image information of the read document, and copy permission information detection means for detecting copy permission information embedded in the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern from the detected copy-forgery-inhibited pattern. In the image forming apparatus comprising: a copy permission information removing unit that removes the copy permission information; and a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected by the detecting unit, and when the copy permission information is detected by the copy permission information detecting unit, The copying permission information removing means includes means for removing the copying permission information from the image information of the original and printing it on a recording sheet.

  According to an eighth means, in the first means, when the specific ground pattern is detected by the detecting means and the copy permission information is not detected by the copy permission information detecting means, the recording paper of the image information of the original is used. It is characterized by comprising means for disabling printing on the printer.

  The ninth means includes means for printing a predetermined image (including a character string) indicating that copying is prohibited on the recording paper when the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper in the eighth means. It is characterized by that.

  The tenth means comprises means for displaying, in the first means, when the copy permission information is removed from the image information of the original by the copy permission information removing means and printing is performed on the recording paper. It is characterized by.

  The eleventh means is characterized in that, in the eighth means, when image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper, means for displaying that fact is provided.

  A twelfth means includes a display canceling means for canceling the display indicating that the image information of the document is not printed on the recording paper in the eleventh means, and the display is continued until the display is canceled by the display canceling means. It is characterized by.

  A thirteenth means is the twelfth means, comprising an administrator authority authenticating means for giving authentication with an administrator authority, and when the display is canceled by the canceling means, the administrator authority is required to be authenticated. It is characterized by that.

  A fourteenth means is the seventh to thirteenth means, wherein the copy permission information is invisible information.

  In the embodiment described later, the reading unit is the reading unit 102, the detection unit for detecting the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern detection unit 105 is the copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern detection unit 105, and the unit for temporarily stopping the reading operation is the system control unit 101. The determination unit provides the print prohibition range determination unit 106 and the unit for preventing the printing prohibition range image information from being printed on the recording paper includes a predetermined image (including a character string) indicating that printing is prohibited. The system control unit 101 includes a printing unit, a unit that removes copy permission information from image information of a document, and prints on a recording sheet, and a unit that prints a predetermined image (including a character string) indicating that copying is prohibited on the recording sheet. And means for displaying on the printing unit 104 that the reading operation has been interrupted, means for displaying that when copying permission information is removed and printing on recording paper, and a manuscript When the image information is not printed on the recording paper, the means for displaying that fact is displayed on the system control unit 101 and the display unit 107, the means for continuing the copying operation of the remaining document, and the means for canceling are the system control unit 101 and not shown. On the operation panel, the detection means for detecting a specific background pattern is recorded in the background pattern detection section 111, the copy permission information detection means is recorded in the copy permission information detection section 112, and the copy permission information removal means is recorded in the copy permission information removal section 113. The means for disabling printing on paper corresponds to the system control unit 101, the display release means corresponds to the system control unit 101, and the administrator authority authentication means corresponds to the administrator authority authentication part 114.

  According to the present invention, since the copy operation is stopped when a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern indicating a confidential document is detected, it is possible to prevent unnecessary copy output when there is a confidential document. In addition, when a tint block pattern including an invisible tint block pattern is detected, it is output as a non-copyable printed matter. Therefore, it is possible to copy only the original copy of confidential text and the like so that the copied copy cannot be copied again as a manuscript. it can.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus includes a system control unit 101, a reading unit 102, an image information storage unit 103, a printing unit 104, a copy prohibition copy-forgery-inhibited pattern detection unit 105, a print prohibition range determination unit 106, a display unit 107, and the like. These units are connected by a bus 108.

  The system control unit 101 includes a CPU and the like, and controls each unit to execute a sequence as an image forming apparatus. The reading unit 102 includes an image scanner (not shown), scans the document by irradiating the document with light and reflecting the reflected light to the image scanner via the optical system, and image information of the document with a predetermined resolution. Read. The image information storage unit 103 stores image information of the document read by the reading unit 102. The printing unit 104 is composed of, for example, an electrophotographic recording device or an ink jet recording device, acquires image information stored in the image information storage unit 103, and prints it on recording paper. The copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern detection unit 105 detects a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern from the image information of the document. The print prohibition range determination unit 106 determines the print prohibition range of the image information of the document based on the detection result detected by the copy prohibition tint block pattern detection unit 105. The display unit 107 includes an operation panel having various operation keys such as a numeric keypad, a start key, a function key, and a one-touch key, a liquid crystal display, and the like (not shown), and various operation command contents input by the operation keys and an image forming apparatus. Various information notified to the operator is displayed.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment. In the figure, the operator sets multiple originals, sets copy condition parameters such as color mode, duplex / single-sided printing, and consolidation, and presses the start key to start the copying operation. Reading is performed by the image scanner of the reading unit 102 (step S1). The image information of the document read by the reading unit 102 is stored in the image information storage unit 103, and the copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern detection unit 105 detects a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern from the image information (step S2). When a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected from the image information of the document, the system control unit 101 temporarily interrupts the reading operation of the remaining document on which the reading unit 102 is set (step S3). Further, the system control unit 101 displays a warning on the display unit 107 that "the reading operation has been temporarily interrupted because a copy-prohibited document is about to be copied" (step S4).

  If a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected, the print-prohibited range determination unit 106 determines the print-prohibited range of image information (step S5). For example, if a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is embedded on the entire surface of the document, the entire image information is determined as the print-prohibited range. If a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is embedded from the middle of the document, the copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is The detected part and after are determined as the print prohibition range. The system control unit 101 controls the printing unit 104 not to print the image information in the print prohibition range from the image information storage unit 103 (step S6), and to display a predetermined image indicating print prohibition in a part of the print prohibition range. Control is performed to print (step S7). The predetermined image indicating printing prohibition is, for example, a warning text as shown in FIG. 3 and an alphanumeric string identifying the date and time when the copying operation is performed and the image forming apparatus, and the printing position is arbitrarily changed within the printing prohibiting range. It can be so.

  If the copying operation is not resumed (step S8-No), the process is terminated as it is, and if it is resumed, the process is repeated from step S1 until the original is finished, and the process is terminated when the original is finished (step S10).

  As described above, in this embodiment, since the document in which the copy-forbidden copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected is processed and output to the recording sheet (an image indicating printing prohibition is printed), the recording sheet is moved to the image forming apparatus when the reading operation is interrupted. It can also be prevented that it stays inside.

  If the copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is not detected from the image information of the original by the copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern detection unit 105 (step S2-No), the system control unit 101 prints on the printing unit 104 according to the normal operation sequence. An operation is instructed (step S9).

  When a plurality of originals set at one time include copy-prohibited originals, all of the plurality of originals may correspond to confidential documents. In a configuration in which only a document for which a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is detected is processed and output such that image information cannot be determined, the document for which no copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is detected is output as it is. Further, in a configuration in which all image information of a plurality of originals to be read is stored and output only when no copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is detected, it is necessary to provide a large image information storage area. Since the printing operation starts after all the originals are read, it takes a long time to complete all the operations from reading to printing.

  On the other hand, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment temporarily suspends the reading operation when a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is detected. Therefore, when a plurality of originals are copied, copying is prohibited for a plurality of originals. If the original document is included, the copying operation is not completed. In addition, when the copy prohibition original is not included in the plurality of originals, the reading operation and the printing operation are sequentially performed in parallel, so that the copying operation can be completed in an optimum time.

  In addition, by displaying that the reading operation has been temporarily suspended because a copy-prohibited document has been copied, the operator can display the reason why the reading operation of a plurality of set documents has been interrupted. It can be determined from the case that the reading operation is not performed due to a failure or the like.

  Further, by not printing the image information in the print prohibition range, when a copy prohibition copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected, for example, the image information is filled so that characters cannot be discriminated and the recording paper is discharged. In comparison, consumption of printing agents such as toner and ink for painting can be suppressed. Further, by printing the warning text, it is possible to know the reason why the image information of the document is not printed on the recording paper, and it can be determined that the document is not printed due to a failure or the like. Since the warning text is printed with an alphanumeric string that identifies the time when the copying operation was performed and the image forming apparatus, it is also possible to know when and in which image forming apparatus the copy-prohibited document was to be copied.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention can continue or cancel the subsequent document reading operation at the operator's discretion even when a copy-prohibited copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected as a temporary interruption rather than stopping the reading operation. (Step S8). Since the reading operation is interrupted, it is not necessary to reset the copy condition parameter set before the start key is pressed when the subsequent document reading operation is continued. Note that resumption / cancellation of the copying operation in step S8 is instructed by input from an operation panel (not shown) of the image forming apparatus.

That is, according to this embodiment,
1) If a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying is detected while reading a plurality of documents, the subsequent reading operation of the document is temporarily suspended, so that the copying operation of a plurality of documents including a copy-prohibited document is completed. Can be prevented.
2) Since the image information in the print prohibition range is not printed when the reading operation is temporarily interrupted, the copy-prohibited document can be prevented from being copied.
3) Since a predetermined image (including a character string) indicating printing prohibition is printed in a part of the printing prohibition range, the user can understand why the image information of the document is not printed on the recording paper.
4) When a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying is detected, a reading sound is displayed on the operation panel and a warning sound is emitted. Can be understood.
5) When a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying is detected and the reading operation is interrupted, if there is no problem copying the remaining document, the copying operation is continued, and if there is a problem, the copying operation is canceled. can do.
There are effects such as.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus replaces the copy-forbidden copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern detection unit 105 and the print-prohibited range determination unit 106 shown in FIG. 1 with a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern detection unit 111, a copy permission information detection unit 112, a copy permission information removal unit, and The administrator authority authentication unit 114 is used. That is, the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment includes a system control unit 101, a reading unit 102, an image information storage unit 103, a tint block pattern detection unit 111, a copy permission information detection unit 112, a copy permission information removal unit 113, and a printing unit 104. , A display unit 107, an administrator authority authentication unit 114, and the like, and these units are connected by a bus.

  The system control unit 101, the reading unit 102, the image information storage unit 103, the printing unit 104, and the display unit 107 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The background pattern detection unit 111 detects a specific background pattern from the image information of the document. The copy permission information detection unit 112 detects invisible copy permission information embedded in a specific tint block pattern from the image information of the document. The copy permission information removing unit 113 removes the copy permission information detected by the copy permission information detecting unit 112 from the image information stored in the image information storage unit 103. The administrator authority authentication unit 114 authenticates the administrator authority using, for example, an ID and a password.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment. In the figure, an operator sets an original, sets copy condition parameters such as color mode, double-sided / single-sided printing, aggregation, etc., and presses the start key to start a copying operation. The original is read by the image scanner of the reading unit 102. Read (step S11). The document image information read by the reading unit 102 is stored in the image information storage unit 103, and the background pattern detection unit 111 detects a specific prohibited background pattern from the image information (step S12).

  When a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected from the image information of the document (step S12—Yes), the system control unit 101 causes the copy permission information detection unit 112 to detect the copy permission information (step S13). When the copy permission information is detected, the system control unit 101 removes the copy permission information from the image information stored in the image information storage unit 103 by the copy permission information removing unit 113 (step S14). As a result, the printing unit 104 acquires the image information of the document from which the copy permission information has been removed by the copy permission information removing unit 113 from the image information storage unit 103, and performs printing (step S15). Further, the system control unit 101 displays on the display unit 107 that “printing was performed with the copy permission information removed because a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern and copy permission information were detected” (step S16). In order to suppress copying by this display, the user tries to copy a manuscript such as a confidential document that is a combination of a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern and copy permission information, and performs processing so that the copied manuscript is not copied again. You can know what you did.

  On the other hand, when a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected from the image information of the original but the copy permission information is not detected (No in step S13), the read original is a non-copyable original, and the system control unit 101 performs printing. The unit 104 acquires the image information of the document from the image information storage unit 103 so as not to print (step S17), and prints a predetermined image indicating copy prohibition (step S18).

  The predetermined image indicating copy prohibition is, for example, a warning text as shown in FIG. 6, a date and time when the copy operation is performed, and an alphanumeric string identifying the image forming apparatus, and the printing position can be arbitrarily changed. At this time, the system control unit 101 also displays on the display unit 107 that “the specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern has been detected and the image information of the document has not been printed because the copy permission information has not been detected” (step S19).

  By not printing the image information of the original read in this way, when the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern is detected, for example, painting is performed to such an extent that characters of the image information cannot be discriminated, and the recording paper is discharged. Further, it is possible to suppress consumption of a printing agent such as toner or ink for painting. Further, by printing the warning text, it is possible to know the reason why the image information of the document is not printed on the recording paper, and it can be determined that the document is not printed due to a failure or the like. Since the warning text is printed with an alphanumeric string that identifies the time when the copying operation was performed and the image forming apparatus, it is also possible to know when and in which image forming apparatus the copy-prohibited document was to be copied. In addition, the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper by displaying that “the specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern was detected and the copy permission information was not detected, so the image information of the original was not printed”. The reason can also be known from the display unit 107. For example, when copying a plurality of originals, the operator often does not remove the recording paper until the copying operation is completed. If one of them has a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern and has no copy permission information, that is, a copy-disabled document is included, the copy-disabled document is displayed from the display on the display unit 108 before confirmation on the recording paper. Confirm that you were trying to copy. This display is continued until it is canceled (step S20), so that the next time the operator performs an operation, it can be confirmed from the display unit 107 that a document that cannot be copied has been about to be copied.

  By operating as described above, a manuscript in which a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern and copy permission information are combined in order to suppress copying of a confidential document, etc., can be copied only. It can no longer be copied.

  If a specific background pattern is not detected from the image information of the original by the background pattern detection unit 111 (No in step S12), the system control unit 101 performs a printing operation on the printing unit 104 according to a normal operation sequence. An instruction is given (step S21).

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when canceling the display of the display unit 107. When canceling the display of the display unit 107, the administrator authority authentication unit 114 first authenticates the administrator authority (step S31). For example, an ID and a password are used for authentication, and the display can be canceled only when the administrator authority is authenticated (step S32). In this way, since the administrator authority authentication is required to cancel the display, if a user who is not the owner of a manuscript such as a confidential document attempts copying, the display cannot be canceled until the administrator confirms it. Can not.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
1) When a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern and copy permission information are detected from the image information of the read document, the copy permission information is removed from the image information of the document and printing is performed on the recording paper. Can do. This makes it possible to copy only the original of confidential texts and the like, and it is impossible to copy the copied text again as a manuscript.
2) When a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected and no copy permission information is detected, the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper, so that only the original with a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern can be copied. it can.
3) When the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper, the operator does not print the image information of the original on the recording paper because a predetermined image (including a character string) indicating copy prohibition is printed on the recording paper. I can understand why.
4) When the copy permission information is removed from the image information of the original and printed on the recording paper, the fact is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the copy permission information is displayed because the operator has detected a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern and copy permission information. The removal can be notified.
5) When the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper, the fact is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the operator detects a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern and does not detect the copy permission information. It is possible to notify that the information has not been printed.
6) Since the image information of the original is continued until the display indicating that the image information is not printed on the recording paper is released, the image forming apparatus has a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern and no copy permission information even after the non-copyable original is copied. It can be confirmed that copying of an original, that is, an original that cannot be copied, has been attempted.
7) Since a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected, and the permission for administrator authority is required to cancel the indication that the image division method of the original has not been printed because no copy permission information has been detected, other than the administrator The display can be prevented from being canceled by the user or operator.
There are effects such as.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a print prohibition display in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a print prohibition display in Embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure when canceling the display on the display unit according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 System control part 102 Reading part 103 Image information memory | storage part 104 Printing part 105 Copy prohibition tint block pattern detection part 106 Print prohibition range determination part 106
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 107 Display part 108 Bus 111 Copy-forgery-inhibited pattern detection part 112 Copy permission information detection part 113 Copy permission information removal part 114 Administrator authority authentication part

Claims (14)

In an image forming apparatus comprising: a reading unit that automatically conveys and reads a plurality of documents sequentially; and a detection unit that detects a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying from image information of the read document.
When a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying is detected while the reading unit is reading a plurality of originals, the reading unit is provided with means for temporarily interrupting the reading operation of the subsequent originals. Image forming apparatus.   A determination unit that determines a print prohibition range of a document based on a detection result by the detection unit is provided. The document that has detected a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern that prohibits copying when the reading operation is temporarily stopped is determined by the determination unit. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for preventing printing of image information in a print prohibited range on a recording sheet.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for printing a predetermined image indicating that printing is prohibited in a part of the printing prohibited range.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying that the reading operation is interrupted when the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern prohibiting copying is detected by the detecting means.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for manually restarting the interrupted reading operation and continuing the copying operation of the remaining document when the detection means detects a tint block pattern prohibiting the copying. The image forming apparatus according to 1.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for manually canceling the interrupted reading operation and canceling the copying operation of the remaining document when the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern prohibiting the copying is detected by the detecting means. The image forming apparatus according to 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: detection means for detecting a specific background pattern from image information of a read document; and copy permission information detection means for detecting copy permission information embedded in the background pattern from the detected background pattern In
Copy permission information removing means for removing the copy permission information;
When the specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected by the detecting unit and the copy permission information is detected by the copy permission information detecting unit, the copy permission information is removed from the image information of the original by the copy permission information removing unit, and the recording paper is printed. An image forming apparatus comprising a printing unit.   And a means for disabling printing of image information of a document on a recording sheet when a specific copy-forgery-inhibited pattern pattern is detected by the detection means and no copy permission information is detected by the copy permission information detection means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for printing a predetermined image indicating that copying is prohibited on the recording paper when the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper.   2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying when copying permission information is removed from image information of a document by said copying permission information removing means and printing is performed on recording paper. .   9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for displaying when the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper.   12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a display canceling unit that cancels the display that the image information of the original is not printed on the recording paper, and the display is continued until the display is canceled by the display canceling unit. .   13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an administrator authority authenticating unit for giving authentication with an administrator authority, wherein authentication of the administrator authority is required when the display is canceled by the canceling unit. apparatus.   14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the copy permission information is invisible information.

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