JP2008061021A - Image processor, image processing method, image processing program and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily detect pattern information indicating copy inhibition for composite image data for which the pattern information is combined with original image data. <P>SOLUTION: An image data generation means 9 reads an original and generates image data. A pattern information composition means 13 combines the pattern information 5 indicating a copy inhibited page with the generated original image data and generates the composite image data. A pattern information detection means 15 detects the pattern information 5 from the composite image data. A composition control means 17 controls the pattern information composition means 13 so as to vary the position relation of the original image data with respect to the pattern information 5 and combine the composite image data again when the pattern information detection means 15 does not detect the pattern information 5. A printing means 19 prints the image data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, an image processing program, and a storage medium, and is suitable for use in a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a multi-function peripheral (MFP) equipped with a copy suppression function. The present invention relates to improvements in an apparatus, an image processing method, an image processing program, and a storage medium.

  In recent years, in order to meet the demand for improving document security in the market, pattern information indicating that a document is prohibited from being copied (copying) is embedded in a document in advance, and if the pattern information is detected, copying is performed by some means. Copiers with a function to suppress have been commercialized.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, the background information 3b made up of small dots on the paper 1 and message information 3b made up of slightly larger dots embedded in the background area 3a to prohibit copying. In addition, the pattern information 5 is printed, and the target document content is printed on the paper 1 to create a “contract”, for example.

  When the printed paper 1 is copied by a copying machine, as shown in FIG. 5B, message information 3b such as “copy prohibited” embedded in the background area 3a appears black in the copy 1a, or as shown in FIG. In addition, the background area 3a appears on the copy 1b, and the message information 3b becomes blank, and the copy operator is indirectly notified that the printed sheet 1 is prohibited from being copied. Suppressing copying.

  In the copy 1a, the reason why the message information 3b embedded in the background area 3a emerges black as shown in FIG. 5B is that the background area 3a is made into a small dot d1 as shown in FIG. 6A, while the message information 3b is shown in FIG. This is because the small dot d1 is less likely to be reproduced and reproduced than the large dot d2 by embedding the dot d2 larger than the dot d1 as in B.

  In the copy 1b, when the background area 3a appears black as shown in FIG. 5C, conversely, the background area 3a is set as a large dot d2 as shown in FIG. 6B and the message information 3b is set as a small dot d1 as shown in FIG. To obtain.

  When the printed paper 1 in which the pattern information 5 indicating copy prohibition is embedded in this way is copied by the copying machine, when the pattern information 5 is detected from the read image data, the image data of the copy prohibited page is displayed. A configuration in which document security is ensured by preventing printing output is possible.

  However, if the pattern information 5 that should be detected from the read image data is not detected, the image data of the copy-prohibited page is likely to be printed out.

Therefore, for example, in an image processing apparatus that performs image processing on a recording medium based on image data to which a tracking mark for specifying its own apparatus is automatically added as disclosed in JP-A-2005-43511 (Patent Document 1). , It is configured with confirmation means for confirming the presence or absence of the tracking mark output to the recording medium, confirming the presence or absence of the additional mark, and where the additional mark is not added A technology that makes it possible to confirm whether or not the above has been proposed.
JP 2005-43511 A

  However, in Patent Document 1 described above, the presence or absence of an additional mark is surely confirmed from the read image data, and when the additional mark is not added, only the location of the cause is confirmed. When the corresponding additional mark is not detected, it does not specifically indicate how to configure it so that it can be detected, and an improvement has been desired from the viewpoint of ensuring document security.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and an image processing program that make it easy to detect pattern information of image data in which pattern information indicating copy prohibition is embedded in advance. And to provide a storage medium.

  In order to solve such a problem, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention combines image data generation means for generating document image data from a document, and pattern information indicating copy-prohibited pages in the generated document image data. Pattern information combining means for generating composite image data, pattern information detecting means for detecting the pattern information from the composite image data, and the original image for the pattern information when the pattern information detecting means does not detect the pattern information The image forming apparatus includes a composition control unit that controls recombination of the composite image data in which the blank area is increased by changing the data composition relationship, and a storage unit that stores the image data.

  In the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the composition control means may be configured to variably control the positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information.

  In the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the composition control means may be configured to shift the document image data position with respect to the pattern information.

  In the image processing apparatus according to the present invention, the composition control unit may reduce the document image data corresponding to the pattern information.

  The image processing apparatus according to the present invention may be configured to include a printing unit that prints image data stored in the storage unit when the pattern information detection unit detects the pattern information.

  The image processing method according to the present invention also generates an image data generation step for generating document image data from a document, and generates composite image data by combining the generated document image data with pattern information indicating a copy-prohibited page. The pattern information combining step, the pattern information detecting step for detecting the pattern information from the combined image data, and when the pattern information detecting means does not detect the pattern information, the composition relationship of the document image data with the pattern information is varied. A composite control step for controlling recombination of the composite image data in which the blank area is increased, and a storage step for storing the image data.

  In the image processing method of the present invention, the composition control step may be configured to vary the positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information.

  In the image processing method of the present invention, the composition control step may be configured to shift the document image data position with respect to the pattern information.

  In the image processing method of the present invention, the composition control step may be configured to reduce the document image data corresponding to the pattern information.

  The image processing method of the present invention may be configured to include a printing step of printing the stored image data when the pattern information detection step detects the pattern information.

  Further, an image processing program according to the present invention is a computer for image processing that generates a document image data from a document and executes a function of generating combined image data by combining the document image data with pattern information indicating a copy-prohibited page. In addition, image data generation processing for generating the document image data, pattern information combination processing for combining the pattern information with the generated document image data, and pattern information detection processing for detecting pattern information from the combined image data And, when the pattern information is not detected in the pattern information detection process, the composition control process for controlling the recombination of the composite image data in which the blank image area is increased by changing the composition relation of the original image data to the pattern information And a storage process for storing the image data.

  In the image processing program of the present invention, the composition control process may be configured to vary the positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information.

  In the image processing program of the present invention, the composition control process may be configured to shift the document image data position with respect to the pattern information.

  In the image processing program of the present invention, the composition control process may be configured to reduce the document image data corresponding to the pattern information.

  The image processing program of the present invention may be configured to execute a printing process of stored image data when the pattern information detection process detects the pattern information.

  Furthermore, the storage medium of the present invention stores any one of these image processing programs.

  In such an image processing apparatus, image processing method, and image processing program according to the present invention, document image data is generated from an original by image data generating means, and pattern information is combined with the generated original image data by pattern information combining means. When the pattern information detecting unit detects the pattern information from the combined image data and the pattern information detecting unit does not detect the pattern information, the synthesis control unit detects the pattern information. Pattern information indicating copy prohibition before printing of the composite image data since the composite image data in which the composite relation of the original image data is changed and the composite image data in which the blank area is increased is recombined and the image data is stored in the storage means. It is easy to detect the pattern information from the combined image data.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information is variably controlled, it is easy to easily obtain composite image data in which the pattern information can be easily detected.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the position of the document image data with respect to the pattern information is shifted, it is particularly easy to easily obtain the composite image data in which the pattern information can be easily detected.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the original image data corresponding to the pattern information is reduced, similarly, it is easy to easily obtain composite image data in which the pattern information can be easily detected.

  In the present invention, when the pattern information is detected, the stored image data is printed, so that a copy of the composite image data that can easily detect the pattern information is obtained, and the copy-prohibited page is revealed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the leakage of copy-prohibited pages.

  Since the storage medium of the present invention stores any one of these image processing programs, these image processing programs can be handled in the form of a tangible object.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. The image processing method, the image processing program, and the storage medium storing the image processing method according to the present invention will be described in the course of describing the image processing apparatus.

  In FIG. 1, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an image data generation unit 9, a storage unit 11, a pattern information synthesis unit 13, a pattern information detection unit 15, a synthesis control unit 17, and a printing unit connected via a bus 7. 19, an operation display means 21, an interface means 23, and an image formation control means 25 for controlling them.

  Under the control of the image formation control unit 25, the image data generation unit 9 optically automatically reads, for example, a plurality of printed originals, and performs filter processing, scaling processing, γ processing, gradation processing, and the like. A known reading unit or scanner that generates electronic document image data, and the generated document image data is sequentially stored in the storage unit 11 for each page of the document. The storage means 11 will be described later.

  The image data generation means 9 has an automatic paper feed mechanism having a function of automatically feeding and reading a document of a plurality of pages.

  The pattern information synthesizing unit 13 reads out and synthesizes, for example, the pattern information 5 for the copy-prohibited page whose copying is to be prohibited from the generated document image data from the storage unit 11 under the control of the image forming control unit 25, and synthesizes the synthesized image. In addition to the function of generating data and replacing the image data page with the combined image data and storing it in the storage means 11, it has a function of recombining them as will be described later. The copy-prohibited page is specified from the operation display means 21, for example.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 described above, the pattern information 5 indicating the copy-prohibited page in the image data is “copy” that indicates copy prohibition that consists of large dots d2 in the background area 3a that consists of small dots d1. The message information 3b such as “prohibited” is embedded. The dot d1 in the background area 3a and the dot d2 in the message information 3b indicating copy prohibition can be reversed.

  The pattern information detection unit 15 reads out the composite image data stored in the storage unit 11 in units of pages under the control of the image formation control unit 25, and whether the pattern information 5 indicating a copy-prohibited page exists in the composite image data. When the presence of the pattern information 5 is not detected, that is, when the detection of the pattern information 5 has failed, the detection result is output to the synthesis control means 17.

  For example, the pattern information detection unit 15 detects the dot d1 from the background area 3a by a known pattern matching method, calculates the dot density by counting the number of dots within a predetermined area, and from the message information 3b area. The dot d2 is detected by the same pattern matching method, the number of dots within a predetermined area is counted, the dot density of the pattern information 5 is calculated, and for example, the identity determination preset and stored in the storage unit 11 is allowed. The threshold value (reference dot density) that is a value is compared with the calculated dot density, and if it is determined that it is not included in the threshold value (reference dot density), the absence of the pattern information 5 is detected as a detection result.

  As a pattern information detection method in the present invention, as described above, the dot is detected by the pattern matching method, the dot density within a predetermined area is calculated, and the presence / absence of the pattern information 5 is compared with a threshold value (reference dot density). In addition to the detection method, various methods such as detection based on the size of the dots forming the dots, the difference in the dot shape and the arrangement method, and detection based on the presence or absence of the dot pattern can be applied.

  When the pattern information detection unit 15 detects the non-existence of the pattern information 5 and outputs the detection result, the synthesis control unit 17 sends to the pattern information synthesis unit 13 the document image data and pattern information related to the composite image data. 5 has a function of controlling the recombination of the composite image data in which the composition relationship is changed and the blank area is increased. In other words, the document image data is displaced and output to the pattern information synthesizing unit 13 to recombine with the pattern information 5.

  As a method of increasing the blank area by changing the composition relationship in the composition control means 17, a method of displacing the positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5, more specifically, the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5. There is a method to shift the position.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, even if the document image data (marks in FIG. 2) for the pattern information 5 is reduced, the blank area can be increased.

  The positional displacement amount or the reduction amount of the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5 is stored in the storage unit 11 and is set by the operation display unit 21.

  The printing means 19 prints image data including the recombined image data from the storage means 11 under the control of the image formation control means 25 after the detection of the pattern information 5 and the recombination processing of the document image data. A monochrome or color printing engine.

  The operation display unit 21 inputs an original reading start instruction, sets the above-described threshold (reference dot density), etc., and inputs an instruction such as a positional displacement amount or a reduction amount of the original image data with respect to the pattern information 5, A liquid crystal touch panel having a function of displaying an operating state and serving as a display unit and an input unit disposed in the apparatus main body case (not shown) is controlled by the image formation control unit 25.

  The interface unit 23 reads out the image processing program from a hard disk (HDD), USB memory, flexible disk or other known external storage medium 29 storing an image processing program to be described later under the control of the image forming control unit 25. An input / output control unit for controlling

  As described above, the image formation control unit 25 includes the image data generation unit 9, the storage unit 11, the pattern information synthesis unit 13, the pattern information detection unit 15, the synthesis control unit 17, and the printing unit 19 connected via the bus 7. A CPU or the like for controlling the functions of the operation display means 21 and the interface means 23, and some of them may be substantially constituted.

  The storage unit 11 stores an operation program for the image formation control unit 25 and the like, and also generates image data such as generated image data, threshold value (reference dot density), composite image data, and recombined image data as described above. A readable / writable memory having a function of storing other instruction inputs such as a positional displacement amount or a reduction amount of the pattern information 5.

  Next, the operation of the image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the operation conceptual diagram of FIG.

  When the program is started, in step S1, a plurality of pages of paper 1 as a document is read by the image data generation unit 9 to execute image generation processing for sequentially generating document image data, and storage processing in the storage unit 11 In step S 2, the pattern information synthesizing unit 13 performs synthesis processing of the pattern information 5 on the document image data.

  In the subsequent step S3, the pattern information detection means 15 executes pattern information detection processing to determine whether or not the pattern information 5 indicating copy prohibition exists in the composite image data.

  If the pattern information 5 is detected in all the composite image data and the answer is YES, the process proceeds to step S4, the image data is printed by the printing means 19, and the process is terminated.

  For the composite image data, if the pattern information 5 that should originally exist is not detected and step S3 is NO, the composite control means 17 shifts the position of the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5 in step S5, and step S6. Then, the composition control means 17 controls the pattern information composition means 13 to recompose the pattern information 5 with the original image data, and returns to step S3. Thereafter, steps S3 to S6 are repeated.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when “ABCDEFGHI” is displayed as original image data in the read sheet 1, if this is not detected even if the pattern information 5 on this page is combined, “ABCDEFGHI” Is recombined with the pattern information 5 in a reduced state and printed out from the printing means 19.

  These execution processes are image processing programs according to the present invention, and the storage medium 29 according to the present invention stores these image processing programs. The image processing method according to the present invention may be considered by replacing those processes in the image processing program with processes.

  As described above, in the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the image data generating means 9 for reading the original and generating the image data, the storage means 11 for storing the image data, and the copy-prohibited page are shown in the stored original image data. The pattern information synthesizing means 13 for synthesizing the pattern information 5 to generate synthesized image data, the pattern information detecting means 15 for detecting the pattern information 5 from the synthesized image data, and the pattern information detecting means 15 include the pattern information 5 Is not detected, the composition control means 17 for controlling the recombination of the composite image data in which the original image data position with respect to the pattern information 5 is shifted or reduced to increase the blank area, and the printing means 19 for printing the image data. It has.

  Therefore, it is easy to determine whether the pattern information 5 is detected or not detected from the composite image data in which the pattern information 5 indicating copy prohibition is embedded and the composite image data.

  In addition, since the position displacement and reduction processing of the document image data and the pattern information 5 can be performed at high speed, the recombination processing speed of the composite image data is difficult to decrease, which is useful for a request for improving document security.

  However, in the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the function of the pattern information detecting means 15 is not limited to the function of increasing the blank area by shifting or reducing the position of the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5. Various techniques for varying the composition relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5 are possible as long as the technique is used to increase. The same applies to the image processing method and the image processing program of the present invention.

  In the present invention, if the image data generating means 9, the storage means 11, the pattern information synthesizing means 13, the pattern information detecting means 15, and the synthesis control means 17 are provided, the object of the present invention can be achieved. However, the printing means 19, the operation display means 21, and the interface means 23 are not essential, and the object of the present invention can be achieved as long as the storage means 11 can store the generated image data in a readable and writable manner. .

  Note that the image formation control means 25 is described separately in the above description, but the image data generation means 9, the storage means 11, the pattern information synthesis means 13, the pattern information detection means 15, the synthesis control means 17 and the like. It is possible to think that they are integrated, and the pattern information synthesizing means 13 and the synthesis control means 17 are also described separately in the above description, but the synthesis control means 17 is added to the pattern information synthesizing means 13. It is also possible.

  The image data generation unit 9, the storage unit 11, the pattern information synthesis unit 13, the pattern information detection unit 15, the synthesis control unit 17, and the image formation control unit 25 are not necessarily limited to the configuration connected via the bus 7. Even in a configuration in which a scanner as the image data generation unit 9, a storage unit 11, a pattern information synthesis unit 13, a pattern information detection unit 15, a personal computer as the synthesis control unit 17, and a printer as the printing unit 19 are connected via a network, for example. It can be implemented.

  In the above-described image processing method and image processing program according to the present invention, the positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5 is varied as a recombination process or process, and the position of the document image data with respect to the pattern information 5 is shifted. Even in the configuration in which the image processing is reduced, the same effect as that of the image processing apparatus can be obtained.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure explaining the positional displacement of the document image data in this invention. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image processing apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an operation concept diagram illustrating an operation of the image processing apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a sheet in which pattern information indicating copy prohibition is embedded. It is a figure explaining the dot expressing pattern information.

Explanation of symbols

1 Paper 1a, 1b Copy 3a Background area 3b Message information 5 Pattern information 7 Bus 9 Image data generating means 11 Storage means 13 Pattern information synthesizing means 15 Pattern information detecting means 17 Composition control means 19 Printing means 21 Operation display means 23 Interface means 25 Image formation control means 29 Recording medium d1, d2 dots

Claims (16)

Image data generating means for generating document image data from a document;
Pattern information synthesizing means for synthesizing pattern information indicating copy-prohibited pages with the generated document image data to generate synthesized image data;
Pattern information detection means for detecting the pattern information from the composite image data;
When the pattern information detection means does not detect the pattern information, a composition control means for controlling recombination of the composite image data in which the composition relation of the document image data with respect to the pattern information is changed to increase a blank area,
Storage means for storing the image data;
An image processing apparatus comprising: The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the composition control unit variably controls a positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the composition control unit shifts the document image data position with respect to the pattern information. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the composition control unit reduces the document image data for the pattern information. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit that prints the image data stored in the storage unit when the pattern information detection unit detects the pattern information. An image data generation step for generating document image data from a document;
A pattern information combining step for generating combined image data by combining pattern information indicating a copy-prohibited page with the generated document image data;
A pattern information detection step of detecting the pattern information from the composite image data;
When the pattern information detection unit does not detect the pattern information, a composition control step for controlling recombination of the composite image data in which the composition relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information is changed to increase the blank area,
A storage step for storing the image data;
An image processing method comprising: The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein the composition control step varies a positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the composition control step shifts the document image data position with respect to the pattern information. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the composition control step reduces the document image data with respect to the pattern information. The image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising a printing step of printing the stored image data when the pattern information detection step detects the pattern information. An image processing computer that generates a document image data from a document and combines the document image data with pattern information indicating a copy-prohibited page to generate a combined image data.
Image data generation processing for generating the document image data;
Pattern information combining processing for combining the pattern information with the generated document image data;
Pattern information detection processing for detecting the pattern information from the composite image data;
When the pattern information is not detected in the pattern information detection process, a composition control process for controlling recombination of the composite image data in which the composition relation of the document image data with respect to the pattern information is changed to increase a blank area;
A storage process for storing the image data;
An image processing program for executing 12. The image processing program according to claim 11, wherein the composition control process varies a positional relationship of the document image data with respect to the pattern information. The image processing program according to claim 12, wherein the composition control process shifts the original image data position with respect to the pattern information. The image processing program according to claim 12, wherein the composition control process reduces the document image data for the pattern information. The image processing program according to claim 11, wherein when the pattern information detection process detects the pattern information, a print process of the stored image data is executed. A storage medium for storing the image processing program according to claim 11.

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