JP2001111971A - Image processor, control method therefor and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display attached information at least when the display matches the conditions regardless of a direct instruction from an operator in the case of displaying an image in which that attached information is embedded by electronic watermark processing. SOLUTION: Image information stored in an image storage means 106 is supplied to an attached information analytic means 112 and attached information is detected here. Besides, whether it is preset time or not is discriminated by a discriminating means 109 and at that time, a signal for permitting the display of the detected attached information is supplied to the attached information analytic means 112. The attached information analytic means 112 displays an image in which the attached information is embedded. Then, the attached information is controlled to be displayed only when a permission notice is supplied from the discriminating means 109.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a control method therefor, and a storage medium. It relates to a storage medium.

[0002] However, "image information" described in this specification includes all non-coded contents, and even if the information itself is text, it is not distinguished from image information such as a bitmap. If it is stored (recorded) in the form, it is called "image information".

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of network infrastructure,
The distribution of electronic media has increased significantly. Under such an environment, network security and protection of intellectual property rights and copyrights of distributed contents are important issues.

The most important factor for copyright protection is encryption protection. However, at present, there is no means to completely prevent the reproduction of source data once decrypted on the information receiving side or a copyrighted work that has not been encrypted from the beginning.

As a technical means for complementing this part, there is a technique called data hiding (hereinafter, digital watermarking).

[0006] Digital watermarks provide invisible markings (or "embedded information") on unencrypted (or decrypted) digital contents with the names of authors and publishers. This is a technology that enables detection of illegal copying and identification of its distribution channel.

[0007] One of the features of this digital watermarking technique is that the embedded information is inseparable from the content as a medium.

[0008] In order to add supplementary information such as copyright to a generally distributed medium (data), a method of displaying the information in a visible portion of the medium or writing the information in a header portion of a file can be used. In digital watermarking, information is added by directly weaving the information into the data structure of the medium, so even if the format is converted or the header information is lost due to general editing or processing, the embedded additional information is not lost. There are advantages that can be left.

[0009] Various image processing methods are used for attaching the additional information to the image information by the digital watermark. Typical methods include: a method using statistical properties, a method using local features, and a method using frequency space.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a main part of a device for attaching the digital watermark to image information.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a user operation unit, which is an interface for transmitting a user control request (instruction) for capturing (storing) and displaying image information to the apparatus. The input state of the operation unit 101 is transmitted to the MPU 102 in the figure. The MPU 102 transmits a status signal or data such as an image recording request or a display output request in accordance with control information (a program, a table, and the like) stored in the ROM 403 shown in the drawing in order to control a desired device in response to a user control request. send.

For example, in the image recording request, the MPU 1
In step 02, the image recording request is issued to the image information storage timing generation means 104. The image information record T
The image generation unit 104 generates an image capture timing for a preceding stage (not shown), and receives image information input by the image generation signal processing unit 105 in FIG. Storage unit control unit 1 for generating a storage unit control signal timing for receiving the storage image information output by the image storage unit 106
08 is generated.

Here, the above-mentioned first stage (not shown)
For example, a digital signal is fetched by a series of photoelectric conversion elements such as a CCD → analog signal processing such as CGS / AGC → A / D conversion, and the image information in the figure indicates a digital signal input. In that case, the timing signal 104 in the figure may be simply a trigger for capturing,
Sync of D may be generated. In the case of a mere trigger, a timing generator for generating the Sync of the CCD is required further in the preceding stage.

The obtained image information is source data and is an unencrypted work. Processing for embedding "extra information" in this image information (digital watermark insertion)
Is performed by the image input signal processing means 105 in FIG. For example, if the normal image processing involves information compression (image compression) processing, a scheme for performing the Weblet conversion for compression and the Weblet conversion for inserting a digital watermark together is performed.

As described above, the additional information itself corresponds to the name of the author, photographer, publisher, and the like. However, the additional information itself is written in the additional information attaching means 111 in advance.
The input itself is performed via the user operation unit 101 or P
It may be read from an interface (not shown) from C. If the supplementary information is written in an EEPROM or the like, it does not have to be written every time when the power is turned ON_OFF.

The supplementary information attaching means 111 converts the supplementary information itself into, for example, bitmap information, frequency information, establishment frequency information or the like as digital watermark information, and transfers it to the image input processing means 105. In the image input processing means 105,
The process of superimposing the watermark information on the image information is performed as described above.

For example, the MPU 102 responds to a user control request from the user operation unit 101 by generating a display output request to the storage unit control unit 108.

Thus, in response to the image display output request, the storage information after the digital watermark insertion stored in the image storage means 106 in FIG. 4 is output and transferred to the additional information analysis means 112 at the next stage. The incidental information analyzing means 112 detects (extracts) the inserted watermark information from the stored information, and analyzes the incidental information (as a signal) therefrom (recognition up to the contents is arbitrary). Then, the result is displayed on the display unit 110 as display information together with the image information.

There are various display methods (forms) as shown in FIG. For example, the captured image (stored information) itself is displayed as it is, and an index display (FIG. (A)) indicating only that the image contains supplementary information (watermark information) is displayed. The superimposed display on the original image information as the information ((b) in the figure) or the extraction display in which the embedded watermark information itself is a code and returns it to the accompanying information to display the contents ((c) in the figure) )).

The display device itself is not limited. LCD or CRT may be used. Of course, although not shown, it may be transferred as print information to a print recording device.

In this example, for the digital watermark once inserted, despite the fact that the additional information of the insertion source is held,
It is not directly displayed, but is extracted as watermark information from the stored information through the additional information analyzing means 112. Of course, the image information may be directly called from the supplementary information attaching means 111 to the display device.

In the configuration in which the watermark information is detected from the stored information, when the image storage means 106 is a removable card-like medium (recording medium) such as a flash memory or a hard disk, the image storage (recording) is performed. Situation and
This is because a case where the display status is different can be assumed.

Of course, it is not necessary to detect the additional information in the information of the recording medium on which the watermark is inserted and the image is recorded by another device. However, it is necessary that the watermark information inserted by the present apparatus can be read and reproduced at any time, even if it has been stored (recorded) on any medium in the past.

[0024]

In an image processing apparatus capable of inserting / displaying a digital watermark, an apparatus capable of reading / reproducing at any time as described above and a method therefor are disclosed. There is a risk that the design of the watermark used for the copyright certificate as a signature may be stolen and imitated. Also, it significantly reduces the evidentiality of the digital watermark.

The presence of a digital watermark includes a case where the design itself is disclosed and a case where the design itself is concealed. In the latter case, it is desirable that their presence does not appear as much as possible except when necessary. This is a state of an invisible watermark, and a viewer (appraiser) of the image as a third party
In other words, it does not recognize that information is added to the image or merely recognizes it as a pattern.

By using the extracted watermark information and attaching it to another image, it becomes a false name, and if it is submitted to a court or the like as circumstantial evidence, it becomes a false name.

Therefore, in the digital information society, in order to give the credibility to the electronic image, the user (apparatus user) needs to recognize the user (apparatus owner).
It is easy to guess that it is necessary to have only one watermark information disclosure means that does not involve an operation.

According to the present invention, when displaying an image in which additional information is embedded in a digital watermarking process, at least the display of the additional information meets a condition unrelated to a direct instruction from an operator. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus, a control method thereof, and a storage medium which enable the image processing to be performed in the same manner.

[0029]

To solve this problem, for example, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention has the following arrangement. That is, an image processing apparatus for inputting and displaying image information having additional information embedded in the electronic watermarking process, analyzing the image information to be displayed, and adding the additional information embedded in the electronic watermarking process Detecting means for detecting
Determining means for determining whether a condition set for the image information to be displayed is satisfied; and controlling display of the incidental information detected by the detecting means based on a determination result of the determining means. Display control means.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
An image processing apparatus capable of capturing digital image information and storing (recording) / reproducing the digital image information serves as a criterion for giving permission to disclose (display) incidental information in the electronic watermark, and serves as a parameter for the criterion. And determining means for setting the information to be determined and, in response to a display output request of the digital watermark content from a user (apparatus user), inputting the determination information and the information to be determined and determining whether or not the display is possible Have,
The display means is configured to display / hide the content of the watermark according to the result of the determination, and to provide the user with information to be determined, which is an input parameter of the determination means, from an information source other than the user operation unit. Based on the recognition of the device owner, it is possible to realize and provide only watermark information disclosing means without intervention of a user (device user).

[0031]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of the embodiment. Except for the device configuration and control related to the analysis and display of the supplementary information, the contents are substantially equivalent to those of the device configuration and control of FIG. 4 described above, and the description of the overlapping portions will be omitted.

A characteristic part of the present embodiment is a judging means 109 in the figure. The timer 107 shown in the figure is used as the above-mentioned information source to be determined.

Here, if the user selects reproduction of a stored image from the user operation unit 101 as a user control request, the MPU 102 sends a display output request to the storage control unit 108. The storage control unit 108 extracts the storage information from the image storage 106 and transfers it to the incidental information analysis unit 112.

The incidental information analyzing means 112 can extract the watermark information from the stored information and display it in an arbitrary form. The transmission of this watermark information to the display means depends on the judgment result of the judging means 109. The difference from the configuration of FIG. 4 is that the configuration is permitted only in the true case.

In this embodiment, the judgment information is output from the additional information attaching means 111. Of course, MPU10
2, it may be directly output, or a setting portion may be separately provided. With the configuration as shown in FIG.
If the attribute 11 records and holds the attribute when the watermark information was output at the time of capturing the image, it can be used as the determination information.

Here, the attribute may be any content.
In the present embodiment, the time information is used. For example, ROM
In the control program on the reference numeral 103, if it is described that the time at the time of image capture is reflected in the determination condition, the capture time is used as the determination information.
11 is kept. Then, in response to the user's display request, this time information is transferred as determination information to the determination means 109.

If the judgment criterion of the judging means coincides with the time information, the information to be judged is the time information from the timer 107 with respect to the time information, and the time coincidence is a condition for outputting the display information of the accompanying information. .

Of course, in the above configuration, if perfect matching is required, the content of the digital watermark can be viewed only once a day, and if only minute information matches, it can be viewed every hour. Becomes If the difference between the determination information and the information to be determined is recognized to some extent, it is possible to show the watermark content within a certain time width.

Of course, by changing the setting, it is possible to prohibit the display of the watermark content at a certain time from the capture time, or to show the watermark anytime during that time.

The control information is transmitted from, for example, the operation unit 1 by the user.
Even if the setting can be made from 01, if the image is locked after the image is captured, the confidentiality of the watermark is maintained for the image. Then, the release of the setting lock is performed by discarding the image signal, outputting the image signal outside the apparatus (transfer, banding).
It should be time.

For example, when the image storage means is a removable recording medium, the control information may be recorded on the medium, and the setting may be locked / released when the medium is inserted / removed.

This control information is not reflected in the accompanying information / watermark information itself.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the procedure of the watermark image display processing in this embodiment. It should be noted that FIG. 2 shows only the control flow relating to the display of the accompanying information of the watermark.
It is omitted because it is not limited by the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the "watermark image" display mode processing when the mode of the apparatus itself is roughly divided into a capture mode and a display mode.

In the display mode, first, judgment information is extracted from the additional information attaching means 111 (step S601).
Next, the determination of the information to be determined by the timer 107 is waited (step S602). If another important interrupt (error processing, etc.) occurs during the standby, the process exits the standby loop (step S603). Although the jump destination of the loop is the display of only the image information in step S609, if the cause of the interruption involves mode switching, a process of turning off the display may be considered.

When the determination information and the information to be determined are completed, the determination means 109 makes a watermark display determination (step S6).
04). This determination condition is as described above, and is omitted here. If the determination result is true, the process proceeds to the additional information extraction process in step S606, and if false, only the image information is displayed (step S609).

In the incidental information analyzing means 112, if the extraction of the electronic watermark is successful (step S607), the display of the image information and the incidental information is executed (step S608), otherwise, only the image information is displayed (step S608). S60
9).

Of course, since it is possible to extract only without confirming the contents of the watermark information, in that case, the watermark information is used as the image information of the supplementary information, and step S60 is performed.
Step S60 is performed without judging the success or failure of extraction as in Step 7.
8 unconditionally. Step S6
There are various criteria for judging the success / failure of extraction of 07, and there is no particular definition here, and this step itself may be omitted.

However, if it is to be noted that the additional information is to be extracted somewhat for technical feasibility, the additional information analyzing means first considers the storage information (superimposition of image information and watermark information) Information), the watermark information component is extracted from the information (for example, the extraction method differs depending on the method of superimposing the watermark). The watermark information is defined as a function (for example, a frequency characteristic, a phase characteristic, a probability distribution, and the like), and is converted into display information (image information such as a bitmap) and displayed as an image (FIG. 5). (B)). Of course, if the watermark information itself is code information, it is possible to understand the information content as character information (see FIG. 5C).

Regarding the name of the additional information analyzing means 112, the watermark information is not code information but image information.
If the information can be extracted only at the level of the watermark information, the name of the watermark information analysis means may be changed, and the intended view is the same.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a monitoring routine of the device control mode, in which mode switching is performed by flag processing. The flags include a reset flag set after a system reset, an image capture mode flag, and a display mode flag. This routine is processed by a time interruption by a timer in the present embodiment.

The processing routine is executed after the system reset.
After the initialization of the main processing is completed, the monitoring is always performed.
After the reset, if the reset flag is ON (step S610), each mode flag is turned OFF (step S615), and otherwise, the process proceeds to step S611.

In step S611, the user operation unit 10
1 monitors whether an image capture request has occurred. If there is a capture instruction from the user operation unit 101, the capture mode flag is turned on (step S612). Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S613.

In step S613, the user operation unit 10
1 monitors whether an image display request has occurred. If there is a display request, the display mode flag is turned on (step S614). Otherwise, a process of killing unnecessary flags (step S615, each mode flag OFF) is performed.

Of course, these flags may be used to trigger a control interrupt in the main processing routine of the apparatus. Monitoring of the flag may be performed by a timer processing routine. (The timer in this case is a timer dependent on the MPU 102, and may be provided separately from 107 in FIG. 1 or used together.)
Each mode process is performed by setting these mode flags.

<Second Embodiment> The above embodiment (first embodiment)
In the third embodiment, an example is described in which the information to be determined is provided from the inside of the device, and in particular, a built-in timer is used to restrict the display request of the digital watermark information with time.

However, in order to further improve the confidentiality of the supplementary information, it is needless to say that it is preferable that the information to be determined is set outside the operation of the user (apparatus user) outside the apparatus.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the apparatus is provided with information communication means, and the information to be determined is fetched from outside through the communication means. FIG.
FIG. 9 is a main block diagram of the second embodiment.

In the figure, reference numeral 201 denotes the information communication means described above, and its hardware configuration may be arbitrary. Although the information communication means is used, an infrared receiver may be used, or various sensors may be used. In the case of using various sensors, it may be referred to as a means for detecting an environment outside the device, rather than information communication. Here, the environment outside the apparatus may be temperature, humidity, magnetic force, or the like.

However, in the second embodiment, the information communication means will be described below. In such a case, the device communicates with another device, for example, from a transmitter installed in a building, attributes of the building (address, facility name, etc.).
Is transmitted, received by the information communication means 201 of the apparatus of the present invention, and used as the information to be determined.

FIG. 2 is substantially the same as FIG. 1 except for the addition of the information communication means 201 and the elimination of the illustration of the timer 107, and the description of the operation is duplicated.

For example, if the information to be determined is received by the information communication means 201 as time information, the subsequent setting and
The control may be the same as in the above embodiment.

If the information to be determined is received by the information communication means 201 as position (location) information, it is necessary to set the determination information in advance to obtain the position information. For example, if it is a digital camera owned by a newspaper company, a determination information for determining the location information of the company is set in the camera, and a transmitter that transmits an attribute indicating that this is a newspaper company to the building of the newspaper company is provided. If it is installed, a device configuration that can display the contents of the watermark only in this building becomes possible.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the image processing apparatus when the setting itself of the determination information is also set by an external device. In this case, the apparatus configuration is the same as that of FIG. 2 except that the setting information of the received determination information is transferred from the information communication unit 201 to the accompanying information attaching unit 111.

In the above configuration, when the information to be determined is position (location) information, it is possible to control so that the contents of the electronic watermark can be displayed only at the location where the determination information is set. The confidentiality of the content of the digital watermark is remarkably improved for other device users (users).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a watermark image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

When a display output request is issued from the MPU 102 in accordance with a user control request of the user operation unit 101,
The additional information attaching unit 111 outputs the determination information to the determining unit 109.
(Step S701).

Next, the apparatus sets the receiving operation of the information to be determined of the information communication means 201 to the Enable state (step S7).
02), receiving the information to be determined transmitted from the external transmission means (step S703).

When the information to be determined is received and confirmed (step S704), the information is transferred to the determination means 109 and the watermark display determination is performed (step S707). The reception state of the determined information is constantly monitored, and when a reception error occurs (step S705), only the image information excluding the watermark information is displayed (step S71).
1). The execution of step S706 is the same as in the first embodiment.

Determination means 10 based on determination information and information to be determined
If the determination result of step 9 is true (step S708), the additional information analyzing unit 112 extracts the additional information (step S709). If false, the process transits to S711.

If the extraction of the supplementary information is successful (step S710), the display means 110 displays the image information and the watermark information (the supplementary information) (step S7).
12). If extraction is not possible, only image information is displayed (step S711).

Of course, since it is possible to extract only without confirming the contents of the watermark information, in that case, the watermark information is used as the image information of the accompanying information, and the process proceeds to step S71.
Step S71 without determining the success or failure of the extraction such as 0
2 unconditionally. Step S7
The criteria for judging the success or failure of 10 extractions are not particularly defined, and the steps themselves may be omitted.

An obvious feature of the second embodiment is the presence of the judging means 109 which receives judgment information and information to be judged, and outputs a judgment result. There is additional information analysis means whose operation state changes according to the determination result.

<Third Embodiment> In the above-described embodiment, the relationship between the determination information for displaying the content as additional information of the attached digital watermark and the “stored information” itself by the digital watermark is not considered. Was. Of course, there was no restriction on making the correlation between the watermark information and the determination information itself, but the information passed through the image input means 105 did not return to the determination means.

Therefore, if the judgment information set in the additional information attaching means 111 is lost for some reason, even if the desired information is set as the information to be judged conventionally,
The determination means 109 has no other choice but to make the determination result false, and the result accompanying information analysis means 112 does not transfer the display information of the watermark information to the display means 110.

In the third embodiment, the judgment information is generated from the watermark information (or the supplementary information) extracted through the supplementary information analyzing means 112 based on the recorded information, so that the image storage information and the decision information are once integrated. Device configuration to be managed
Mention the method.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a main part of the third embodiment. The difference from FIG. 3 is that the output source of the above-mentioned judgment information is changed from the additional information attaching means 111 to the additional information analyzing means 112. It is a point that has been changed. The rest is substantially the same as in FIG. 3, and the description of the overlapping parts will be omitted.

As described above, the additional information analyzing means 112
In the third embodiment, the analysis result of the additional information analysis unit 112 is output to the determination unit 109 as the determination information, whereas the analysis result by the above is reflected only on the display information in the previous embodiment. A configuration is adopted in which the timing (order) of the watermark information analysis is different.

Although the judgment information setting information which is the basis of the judgment information is received from the information communication means 201 and inputted to the supplementary information attaching means 111, it may be set by other means.

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of the watermark image display processing according to the third embodiment.

In the watermark image display mode, first, the information communication means 201 is set to the determination target information enabled state (step S902). When there is a response to the information to be determined, reception starts (step S903), and the determination of the information to be determined is waited for (step S904). During the standby, reception errors and interruptions are monitored (steps S905 and S906).

When the information to be determined is determined, the incidental information analyzing means 112 which is a feature of the third embodiment next provides
Extraction of additional information / judgment information is performed (step S
907). Here, the additional information indicates the state of the watermark information. If the extraction of each of the supplementary information and the determination information is successful (step S908), the determination information is input to the determination unit 109 (step S909).

The extraction of the supplementary information / judgment information is based on the embodiment described above. However,
Since the judgment information needs to be recognized by the device, not by visual inspection,
It is easier to perform the extraction / judgment process by superimposing the code information on the image.

If the determination result by the determination means 109 using the determination information and the information to be determined is true (step S91)
0), the display information extracted by the analysis means 112 is transferred to the display means 110 and displayed (step S91).
2). If the result of step S910 is false, only the image information is displayed and the watermark information is not displayed (step S91).
1).

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
In an image processing apparatus for storing and displaying an image in which additional information is superimposed on image information as watermark information, additional information analyzing means for analyzing and extracting watermark information (additional information) from stored information of the image including the watermark information l12 is provided,
A process of transferring the display information of the analyzed watermark information (additional information) to the display unit 110 only under a certain condition, defining the determination information as the display condition and the information to be determined as the parameter, and inputting them. By providing determination means 109 for making a determination as above, and providing the information to be determined, which is an input parameter of the determination means 109, from an information source other than the user operation unit 101, It is possible to realize and provide only watermark information disclosing means without user (device user) operation.

Further, by providing a communication means for the information to be determined in the image processing apparatus, it is not necessary to set the information to be determined in advance, and it is possible to prohibit data tampering (fraud) by setting outside the apparatus.

Therefore, according to the present proposal, the provision of the unique watermark information disclosing means without user (device user) operation based on the recognition of the user (device owner) enables the digital watermark in the digital information society. Can significantly improve the credibility of digital information, and contribute significantly to prevention of false names and perjuries in digital information.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.) or may be applied to an apparatus composed of one device.

Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or a recording medium) storing a program code of software for realizing the functions (each means) of the above-described embodiment to a system or an apparatus, and to provide the system or the apparatus with the storage medium. It is needless to say that the present invention is also achieved when the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the device reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. By executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code. Do some or all of the actual processing,
It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by the processing is also included.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into the memory provided in the function expansion card inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. Needless to say, the CPU included in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0092]

As described above, according to the present invention, when displaying an image in which supplementary information is embedded by electronic watermarking, at least display of the supplementary information is directly instructed by the operator. Can be performed when a condition irrelevant to the condition is met.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part in an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main part, which is a modification of the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a main part of a normal device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example of a digital watermark attached image.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a watermark image display process according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a watermark image display process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a watermark image display process according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a main part according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a watermark image display process according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 User operation unit 102 MPU 103 ROM 104 Image information storage Timing generation unit 105 Image input signal processing unit 106 Image storage unit 107 Timer 108 Storage unit control unit 109 Judgment unit 110 Display unit 111 Additional information attachment unit 112 Additional information analysis unit 201 Information Communication means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/387 F-term (Reference) 5B017 AA06 BA07 BB02 BB10 CA07 CA12 CA14 CA16 5B057 CA08 CA12 CA16 CB08 CB12 CB16 CC01 CE06 CH09 DA16 DB02 DB09 DC19 DC30 5C063 AB03 AB07 AC01 CA23 CA40 DA03 DA07 DA13 DB09 EB03 EB37 5C076 AA14 BA06

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus for inputting and displaying image information having incidental information embedded by a digital watermarking process, analyzing image information to be displayed and embedding the information by a digital watermarking process. Detecting means for detecting additional information, determining means for determining whether a condition set for the image information to be displayed is satisfied, and detecting means based on a determination result of the determining means. An image processing apparatus comprising: a display control unit configured to control display of the detected incidental information. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is confidential information in the additional information as condition information. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is received from a predetermined external device by communication. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit determines whether to receive predetermined information from a predetermined external device through communication. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is time information for setting a display timing of the additional information.
Item 4. The image processing apparatus according to any one of Items 3 to 3. 6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is environmental information around the apparatus. 7. A control method of an image processing apparatus for inputting and displaying image information having incidental information embedded by electronic watermark processing, comprising analyzing image information to be displayed and performing electronic watermark processing. A detecting step of detecting the additional information embedded in, a determining step of determining whether or not a condition set for the image information to be displayed is satisfied, and, based on a determination result of the determining step, A display control step of controlling the display of the incidental information detected by the detection means. 8. A storage medium for storing a program code which functions as an image processing apparatus for inputting and displaying image information having incidental information embedded by electronic watermarking processing when read and executed by a computer. A detection step of analyzing the image information of the display target to detect additional information embedded in the electronic watermarking process; and determining whether or not a condition set for the image information of the display target is satisfied. A storage medium storing a determination step and a program code functioning as a display control step of controlling display of incidental information detected by the detection means based on a determination result of the determination step.