JPH1097628A - Picture processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve verification management by matching information inputted by a signature with information inputted by a password and collating them with signature information and password information, which are previously registered. SOLUTION: It is judged whether the signature is that which is previously registered in a memory or not against signature input. When the signature is not registered, the invalidation of the signature is displayed on a touch panel. When the signature is registered, the inputted password is compared with the password associated with a selected individual name or a group name against the input of the password. Thus, security improves compared to verification by a single body and a medium is not used as in verification by an ID card. Thus, it is not necessary to carry the card and a trouble for managing the ID card of the user is saved and operability improves.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to management of use of an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine and a facsimile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when it is desired to limit the use of an image processing apparatus to a specific user or use group, or when managing the number of copies or facsimile use telephone charges for each user or use group, the image processing apparatus must be used. The determination of user / user group authentication has been made using an ID card, a password, or the like. There was one password in the group even when a plurality of persons were registered in the group in use.

[0003]

However, in the user / user group authentication using the ID card, the management of the ID card is difficult, and the number of I / Os exceeding the number of the user / user group is large.
I needed to issue a D card. When a plurality of persons belong to one group, a plurality of ID cards of the group must be issued or one ID card must be used by a plurality of persons, which is difficult to manage. Also, authentication by simply inputting a password has a problem in security.
If more than one person is registered in one group and one of them is deleted, the deleted person will be deleted without knowing the PIN, and processing such as changing the group's PIN will be required Met.

It is also conceivable to input a signature using a touch panel, but the signature is also incorrectly identified on a touch panel with a low resolution by judging only by the transition of the moving speed of the input point and the state of the moving position. The probability of was high.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a judging means for improving the authentication management of a user and a use group.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention manages the use permission of the apparatus in units of users or use groups. Sign input means for inputting a signature, password input means for inputting a password of a user or a use group, signature information input by the signature input means, and password information input by the password input means And collation means for collating signature information and personal identification number information registered in advance, and decision means for deciding permission or prohibition of use of the apparatus by the user based on the result of the collation means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus, wherein the signature input means uses a pen whose pen tip changes in thickness by a pen pressure on the touch panel as an input means, and a pen pressure sensing means for sensing a pen pressure of the signature; A moving speed detecting means for detecting a moving speed of the pen, and a moving position detecting means for detecting a moving position of the pen.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image processing apparatus, the signature collating means obtains the writing pressure information obtained by the writing pressure detecting means, the moving speed information obtained by the moving speed detecting means, and the moving position detecting means. The moving position information is compared with the pen pressure, moving speed, and moving position information registered in advance.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image input / output device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a reader unit 1 reads an image of a document, and outputs image data corresponding to the document image to a printer unit 2 and an image input / output control unit 3.
Output to The printer unit 2 records an image corresponding to image data from the reader unit 1 and the image input / output control unit 3 on recording paper. The image input / output control unit 3 is connected to the reader unit 1, and includes a facsimile unit 4, a file unit 5, a computer interface unit 7, a formatter unit 8, and a core unit 10.
Etc.

The facsimile unit 4 expands the compressed image data received via the telephone line, transfers the expanded image data to the core unit 10 and compresses the image data transferred from the core unit 10 to compress the image data. The compressed image data is transmitted via a telephone line. A hard disk 12 is connected to the facsimile unit 4 and can temporarily store received compressed image data.

A magneto-optical disk 6 is connected to the file unit 5, and the file unit 5 compresses the image data transferred from the core unit 10 and outputs the compressed image data along with an ID number for retrieving the image data. To memorize. or,
The file unit 5 searches for compressed image data stored in the magneto-optical disk 6 based on the code data transferred via the core unit 10, reads out the searched compressed image data, decompresses it, and decompresses the decompressed image. The data is transferred to the core unit 10.

The computer interface unit 7 is provided with a personal computer or a workstation (PC / PC).
WS) 11 and an interface between the core unit 10. The formatter unit 8 expands code data representing an image transferred from the PC / WSll into image data that can be recorded by the printer unit 2.

Although the core unit 10 will be described later, the core unit 10 includes a reader unit 1, a facsimile unit 4, a file unit 5,
Computer interface unit 7, Formatter unit 8
Controls the flow of data between the two.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2. The document feeder 101 of the reader unit 1 feeds the document one by one in order from the last page onto the platen glass 102, and after the reading operation of the document is completed, the platen glass 102
The upper original is discharged. When the document is conveyed onto the platen glass 102, the lamp 103 is turned on, the movement of the scanner unit 104 is started, and the document is exposed and scanned. The reflected light from the original at this time is reflected on mirror l
05, 106, 107 and lens 108
It is guided to a D image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 109. In this manner, the scanned image of the original is stored in the CCD 109.
The image data output from the CCD 109 and read by the CCD 109 is subjected to predetermined processing, and then transferred to the printer unit 2 and the core unit 10 of the image input / output control unit 3.

The laser driver 22l of the printer unit 2 drives the laser light emitting unit 201, and causes the laser light emitting unit 201 to emit a laser beam corresponding to the image data output from the reader unit l. This laser beam is applied to the photosensitive drum 20
2 and a latent image corresponding to the laser beam is formed on the photosensitive drum 202. A developer is attached to the latent image portion of the photosensitive drum 202 by a developing device 203. Then, at a timing synchronized with the start of the laser beam irradiation, the recording paper is fed from one of the cassettes 204 and 205, is conveyed to the transfer unit 206, and the developer attached to the photosensitive drum 202 is transferred to the recording paper. I do. The recording paper on which the developer is loaded is conveyed to the fixing unit 207, and the developer is fixed on the recording paper by the heat and pressure of the fixing unit 207. The recording paper that has passed through the fixing unit 207 is discharged by discharge rollers 208,
The sorter 220 stores the discharged recording paper in each bin, sorts the recording paper, and staples the sorted recording paper. Note that the sorter 220 stores the recording paper in the uppermost bin when the sorting is not set. When double-sided recording is set, the discharge roller 20
After the recording paper has been conveyed to the position of
Is rotated in the reverse direction, and guided to the re-feeding conveyance path 210 by the flapper 209. When multiple recording is set, the recording paper is guided to the re-feeding conveyance path 210 by the flapper 209 so as not to be conveyed to the discharge roller 208. The recording paper guided to the re-feeding conveyance path 210 is supplied to the transfer unit 206 at the timing described above.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the reader unit l. C
The image data output from the CD110 is subjected to analog / digital conversion in the A / D / SH unit 110, and
Shading correction is performed. A / D / SH part 11
The image data processed by the image processing unit 11 is transferred to the printer unit 2 via the image processing unit 1111 and the core unit 10 of the image input / output control unit 3 via the interface unit 113.
Transferred to The CPU 114 controls the image processing unit 111 and the interface 113 according to the setting contents set by the operation unit 115. For example, when the copy mode in which the trimming process is performed and the copy is performed by the operation unit 115 is set, the image processing unit 111 performs the trimming process and transfers the image data to the printer unit 2. When the facsimile transmission mode is set by the operation unit 115, the interface 113 transfers image data and a control command corresponding to the set mode to the core unit 110. Such a control program of the CPU 114 is stored in the memory 116, and the CPU 114 performs control while referring to the memory 116. The memory 116 is also used as a work area of the CPU 114.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the core unit 10. The image data from the reader unit 1 is transferred to the data processing unit 121, and the control command from the reader unit 1 is
Transferred to U123. The data processing unit 121 performs image processing such as image rotation processing and scaling processing, and image data transferred from the reader unit 1 to the data processing unit 121 responds to a control command transferred from the reader unit 1. Facsimile unit 4, file unit 5, computer interface unit 7 via interface 120
Transferred to Computer interface
The code data representing the image input through 7 is transferred to the data processing unit 121 and then transferred to the formatter unit 8 to be developed into image data. After the image data is transferred to the data processing unit 121, The data is transferred to the facsimile unit 4, the printer unit 2, and the file unit 5. The image data from the facsimile unit 4 is transferred to the data processing unit 121 and then to the printer unit 2, the file unit 5, and the computer interface unit 7. The image data from the file unit 5 is transferred to the data processing unit 121 and then to the printer unit 2, the facsimile unit 4, and the computer interface unit 7. The CPU 123 performs such control according to a control program stored in the memory 124 and a control command transferred from the reader unit 1. The memory 124 is also used as a work area of the CPU 123. As described above, it is possible to perform processing combining functions such as reading of an original image, printing of an image, transmission and reception of an image, storage of an image, input and output of data from a computer, and the like, centering on the core unit 10. .

Next, a method of authenticating a user and a use group of the image processing apparatus in the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

The operation unit 115 shown in FIG. 3 includes a liquid crystal display, a touch panel including transparent touch switches, and a keyboard. The operation of the image processing apparatus is performed using the touch panel and the keyboard, and the execution result and the error result of the operation are displayed on the touch panel.

FIG. 7 shows a screen at the time of signature input using the touch panel. Reference numeral 500 denotes a touch panel, reference numeral 701 denotes a sign input area, and reference numeral 702 denotes a sign input end key for instructing end of sign input, which is displayed as a soft key.

The signature input by the pen is displayed on touch panel 700.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for controlling the authentication of the signature of the image processing apparatus. First, when the power of the apparatus is turned on, a message prompting the user to input a signature is displayed on the touch panel, and the input of the signature is waited for (step S).
500), if there is any sign input, it is determined whether the sign is a sign registered in the memory in advance (step S501). If the signature is not registered, the invalidity of the signature is displayed on the touch panel, and step S5 is performed.
Return to 00. Step S for registered sign
Proceeding to 503, the personal name / group name registered in association with the signature is displayed. Wait for the personal name / group name to be used this time from the display (step S
504). If any selection is made, the input counter is initialized with the set number of retries for inputting the password (step S505), and the input of the password is waited for (step S506). If any password has been entered, the entered password is compared with the password associated with the personal name / group name selected in step S504 (step S507). Also, here, step S5
If the one selected in step 04 is a group name, the comparison may be made not with the password associated with the group name but with the password associated with the signature entered in step S500. Step S507
If the passwords do not match in the comparison in (1), the input number counter is decremented by one (step S508), and it is checked whether the input number counter is 0 (step S50).
9). If the input counter is 0, a password input error is displayed (step S510) and step S5 is performed.
Return to 00. If it is not 0, the process returns to step S506 and waits for the input of a password again. If the passwords match in step S507, the flow advances to step S511 to accept an operation of the image processing apparatus. The reception of this operation is repeated until the user gives an instruction to end the operation to the image processing apparatus (step S512). If there is an instruction to end the operation, the process returns to step S500.

FIG. 6 shows step S50 of the above embodiment.
0 is a flowchart of a sign determination control processing procedure using a pen whose pen tip changes in thickness depending on pen pressure when inputting a sign on the touch panel in step S501.

First, the signature log and the time for recording the log are cleared (step S600), and the keyboard and touch panel are monitored (step S601).

FIG. 8 shows a log of the input signature. Reference numeral 800 denotes a number for each set unit time, reference numeral 801 denotes an area when a signature is input by a pen, and reference numeral 802 denotes an input position on the touch panel by the pen. The data of the area and the input position is stored in the memory.

When the data of the area is 0 or the data of the input position is -1, it indicates that there is no sign input at that time.

Next, it is checked whether or not the signature input end processing has been performed (step S602). If not, the flow advances to step S603 to check whether or not the signature has been input. If there is a sign input, the area, position, and time of the pen input point are recorded in a memory as a log as shown in FIG.
604), and return to step S601. Step S603
If there is no sign input in step S6,
Return to 01. If the signature end processing has been performed in step S602, the log recorded so far is compared with the area, position, and time information for each signature registered in advance (step S605). Next, it is checked whether or not a signature within a preset tolerance has been input (Step S).
606). If the sign is within the allowable error, the sign valid processing is performed (step S607), and if not, the sign invalid processing is performed (step S608).
In the flowchart of FIG. 5 of the embodiment, the sign valid processing is the processing after step S503, and the sign invalid processing is the processing after step S502.

As described above, if the input of the signature is regarded as valid and the input of the personal identification number is valid, the use of the image processing apparatus is permitted. On the other hand, if the sign input is regarded as invalid, or if the input of the personal identification number is invalid even if the sign input is valid, use of the image processing apparatus is prohibited.

The input signature and password are used for user identification such as management of the number of copies for each user or use group and facsimile transmission management.

[0030]

According to the image processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the user is authenticated, the sign of the user and the password of the user or the use group are used as the authentication determination means. The security is improved as compared with the authentication using only one of them, and since the medium is not used unlike the authentication using the ID card, there is no need to carry the device, and the user does not have to manage the ID card and the like, and the operability is improved. be able to.

[0031] According to the sign input means according to the second aspect,
When a sign is input on the touch panel, the pen pressure can be sensed on the touch panel by using a pen whose thickness changes with the pen pressure for input. .

[0032] According to the signature collating means according to claim 3,
By using the writing pressure information, the position, and the moving speed information for the signature authentication and collating with the pen pressure, the moving speed, and the moving position information registered in advance, the authentication accuracy of the signature can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a reader unit and a printer unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a reader unit.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a core unit.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a signature authentication control processing procedure of the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a signature determination control processing procedure of the image processing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a signature input screen.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a signature log.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 reader unit 2 printer unit 3 image input / output control unit 4 facsimile unit 5 file unit 7 computer interface unit 8 formatter unit 10 core unit 11 personal computer / workstation (PC / WS)

Claims (8)

[Claims] In an image processing apparatus for managing permission of use of an image processing apparatus for each user or use group, a signature input means for inputting a signature of a user, and signature information input by the signature input means, Sign collation means for collating the registered signature information, user input means for inputting a user or use group registered in relation to the signature based on the result of the signature collation means, user or use group A password input means for inputting a password; and user information and a password registered in advance by combining the user information input by the user input means and the password information input by the password input means. An authentication unit that authenticates a user by collating with information, and, based on a result of the authentication unit, determine whether to permit or prohibit use of the image processing apparatus. An image processing apparatus comprising a determination unit. 2. The sign input means includes a pen pressure sensing means for sensing a pen pressure of a pen for sign input, a movement speed sensing means for sensing a movement speed of the pen, and a movement position for sensing a movement position of the pen. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensing unit. 3. The sign collating means includes a pen pressure information obtained by the pen pressure detecting means, a moving speed information obtained by the moving speed detecting means, and a moving position obtained by the moving position detecting means. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information is collated with the pen pressure, the moving speed, and the moving position information registered in advance in combination with the information. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signature input means is also used as a mode setting means for setting a processing mode of the image processing apparatus. 5. A method for permitting use of an image processing apparatus which manages permission of use of the image processing apparatus in units of a user or a use group, wherein a signature input step of inputting a signature of the user, and the input signature is registered in advance. A signature verification step of verifying the input signature, a first input step of inputting a user or a use group registered in association with the input signature according to a result of the signature verification, and the first input A second input step of inputting a password of a user or a use group input in the step, and the user information input in the first input step and the second input step.
An authentication step of collating the personal identification number entered in the input step with user information and a personal identification number registered in advance to authenticate the user, and permitting or prohibiting use of the image processing apparatus according to the authentication result. And a determining step of determining the use of the image processing apparatus. 6. The sign input step includes: a first sensing step of sensing pen pressure of a pen for sign input; a second sensing step of sensing a moving speed of the pen; and a moving position of the pen. The method according to claim 5, further comprising a third sensing step of sensing. 7. The authentication step includes: writing pressure information sensed in the first sensing step, moving speed information sensed in the second sensing step, and movement position information sensed in the third sensing step. Is the pen pressure information registered in advance,
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the method is compared with moving speed information and moving position information. 8. A method for permitting use of an image processing apparatus, characterized in that in the sign input step, a signature is input by also using a setting means for setting a processing mode of the image processing apparatus.