JP2002305643A - Facsimile machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a facsimile machine capable of specifying the transmission destination of an illegally utilized image when the transmitted image is illegally utilized. SOLUTION: In the case of using multi-address communications, picture data read from an image are stored (S31), transmission destinations to which no transmission has been made are selected (S32), the stored picture data are copied (S33), identification information is embedded in the copied picture data as an electronic watermark (S34), the resultant picture data are transmitted to the transmission destination (S35), the stored picture data are copied, identification information different from the above identification information is embedded in the copied picture data as an electronic watermark and the resultant copied picture data are transmitted to the transmission destinations to which no transmission has been made until finishing transmission of the copied picture data to all of the transmission destinations (No in S36).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus having a function of embedding a digital watermark in image data read from an image and a function of transmitting image data to a plurality of destinations using broadcast communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a digital signature is used to embed a signature or logo mark of a sender as invisible watermark information in image data obtained by reading an image to be transmitted, and the image data in which the watermark information is embedded is embedded. A facsimile apparatus for transmitting has been proposed. When the facsimile apparatus is used, it is difficult for a person who intends to use the image illegally to delete or falsify the electronic watermark. When the right is infringed, the signature or logo mark or the like embedded in the image is restored by using the original image in which the digital watermark is not embedded and the image that has been illegally used, thereby obtaining the right. Infringement.

[0003] When performing facsimile communication, a facsimile apparatus first instructs a user to input a plurality of destination telephone numbers using a ten-key pad, a one-touch dial key, or the like, and then issues a transmission start instruction. Accept input,
When the user instructs the start of transmission by operating the start key, the image of the document set on the scanner is read and converted into image data, and the image data is transmitted to the transmission destination. Send the same image to the destination.

[0004]

A conventional facsimile apparatus is used in any of the destinations such as when the same image is transmitted to different destinations, when the transmitted image is illegally leaked, or when the transmitted image is illegally copied. In some cases it was not possible to determine whether the fraud was committed. Also, when performing broadcast communication, the same image data is transmitted to different destinations, so when different digital watermarks are embedded in a plurality of destinations, broadcast cannot be used. Send operation is required.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and checks the identification information when an image is illegally used by embedding invisible identification information different for each transmission destination in image data. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a facsimile apparatus capable of specifying a transmission destination of an illegally used image. Another object of the present invention is to
In the case of using broadcast communication, the same image can be easily transmitted to a plurality of destinations by embedding invisible identification information different for each destination in each image data,
Another object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus that can identify a transmission destination of an illegally used image by checking the identification information when the image is illegally used. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus which can prevent forgery or deletion of identification information by a person who tries to use an image illegally by using a digital watermark.

[0006]

A facsimile apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a facsimile apparatus for transmitting image data by embedding invisible identification information, wherein the different identification information is embedded for each destination of image data. It is characterized by having. According to the first invention, by embedding identification information in image data obtained by reading an image to be transmitted and transmitting the image data to a transmission destination, when the transmitted image data is restored as an image, the restored image is visually recognized. Impossible identification information exists. Since the identification information differs depending on the transmission destination, when an image is illegally used, the transmission destination of the illegally used image can be specified by checking the identification information. Further, since the identification information is invisible, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the image quality.

A facsimile apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that when transmitting to a plurality of destinations by using broadcast communication, the facsimile apparatus includes means for embedding the identification information different for each destination of image data. . According to the second invention, by embedding the identification information in the image data obtained by reading the image to be transmitted and transmitting the image data to each transmission destination using broadcast communication, the transmitted image data is restored as an image. In the restored image, invisible identification information exists. Since the identification information differs depending on the transmission destination, the same image can be easily transmitted to a plurality of transmission destinations.
When an image is illegally used, the destination of the illegally used image can be specified by checking the identification information.

[0008] A facsimile apparatus according to a third invention is characterized in that the identification information is a digital watermark. In the third invention, when restoring identification information from an image transmitted with the identification information embedded therein, it is necessary to use the image and the original image before the identification information is embedded. Forgery or deletion of identification information by a person who intends to use it can be prevented.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. The facsimile apparatus is based on ITU (International Telecommunication Union) -T Recommendation It operates according to the procedures of 30 standard communication standards. A CPU 1 is a main control unit of the facsimile apparatus, and an NCU (network control unit) 31 connected to a telephone line 3 via a bus 2, a modem 32 connected to the NCU 31, a scanner 4, an image processing unit 5, CODEC
(Encoder / decoder) 6, RAM 7, image memory 8, printer 9, operation unit 10, display unit 11, ROM 12, etc., and control each unit of the apparatus in accordance with a control program stored in ROM 12 for transmission / reception. Execute the process.

The CPU 1 reads a procedure signal for controlling transmission / reception processing according to a predetermined communication protocol, image data transmitted via the telephone line 3 or a scanner 4, and appropriately processes the image data with the image processing unit 5. When image data encoded using the CODEC 6 is transmitted and received using the modem 32, line control is performed using the NCU 31, and required procedure signals and image data are transmitted and received via the telephone line 3. The RAM 7 is a memory for temporarily storing various data at the time of execution of transmission / reception processing.
The number of pages of the image data recorded in the image memory 8 composed of the above, the telephone number of the transmission destination to which the image data is to be transmitted, and the like are stored. When receiving transmitted image data,
Since the image data is encoded, the CPU 1 temporarily stores the image data in the image memory 8 and then stores the image data in the image memory 8.
, And transfers the image data to the CODEC 6 for decoding. The decoded image data is sent to the printer 9 and printed by the printer 9.

An operation unit 10 is a display unit 1 on which an operation state of the facsimile apparatus, an input instruction to a user, and the like are displayed.
A start key 10a for instructing the user to start execution of transmission processing, a numeric keypad 10b for inputting a telephone number of a transmission destination, and a function key necessary for operating the facsimile apparatus while the user sees 1 are not shown. One-touch dial keys 10c, 10c,... For inputting a one-touch telephone number of a specific transmission destination registered in advance in the registration unit are provided. The CPU 1 stores in the RAM 7 a telephone number input using the numeric keypad 10b or a telephone number assigned to the operated one-touch dial key 10c. When a plurality of telephone numbers are input using the numeric keypad 10b, all the input telephone numbers are input.
When c, 10c,... are operated, all the telephone numbers assigned to the one-touch dial keys 10c, 10c,.

When the start key 10a is operated, C
The PU 1 reads an image of a document set by the user on the scanner 4 to generate image data, stores the image data in a buffer 5a of an image processing unit 5 that temporarily stores the image data, and stores the image data in the buffer 5a. By embedding identification information using a known technique for embedding a digital watermark in a facsimile image, encoding the image data in which the identification information is embedded using a CODEC 6, and transmitting the image data through a telephone line 3, Is stored in the image memory 8. As the identification information, the telephone number of the transmission destination, the transmission time, and the like are used. Note that the name, logo mark, or the like of each transmission destination may be registered in advance for each transmission destination, and the name, the logo mark, or the like may be used.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the procedure of transmission processing by the CPU 1 of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention. The CPU 1 accepts transmission of an image.
At this time, the CPU 1 displays the procedure required for image transmission on the display unit 11 so that the user sets the document to be transmitted on the scanner 4 and sets the telephone number of the transmission destination, resolution, transmission priority, and the like. It is instructed to input using the operation unit 10 (S11). When the telephone number of the transmission destination is input, the CPU 1 determines whether or not to perform the broadcast communication (S12).

After the user inputs one telephone number using the numeric keypad 10b or operates one one-touch dial key 10c, a function key or a start key to be operated when the input of the telephone number is completed 10
When a is operated, the CPU 1 determines not to perform the broadcast communication (NO in S12), and stores the inputted telephone number in RA.
It is stored in M7, and then it is determined whether to start transmission (S13). If the start key 10a has not been operated, it is determined that transmission has not started yet (N in S13).
O) Reception of resolution, transmission priority, etc. is continued.

When the start key 10a is operated,
It is determined that transmission start has been commanded (YES in S13),
The CPU 1 reads the image of the original set on the scanner 4 and stores it as image data (S14), stores the image data in the buffer 5a of the image processing unit 5, and processes the telephone number and the transmission time stored in the RAM 7 by image processing. The unit 5 embeds the image data in the stored image data as a digital watermark as identification information (S15), encodes the image data using the CODEC 6, and transmits the encoded image data to the destination having the telephone number via the telephone line 3 (S16). ), End the transmission process. The user saves the transmitted image in the form of a document or image data before embedding identification information.

In step S12, after the user inputs a plurality of telephone numbers using the numeric keypad 10b, or operates a plurality of one-touch dial keys 10c, the function keys to be operated when the input of the telephone numbers is completed. When the start key 10a is operated, the CPU 1 determines that broadcasting is to be performed (YES in S12), stores all the input telephone numbers in the RAM 7, and then determines whether or not to start transmission. (S17). If the start key 10a has not been operated, it is determined that transmission has not been started yet (NO in S17), and reception of resolution, transmission priority, and the like is continued. If the start key 10a is operated, it is determined that transmission start has been commanded (YE in S17).
S), the CPU 1 reads the image of the document set on the scanner 4 and converts it into image data (S18), and stores and saves the image data in the RAM 7 (S31).

Next, the CPU 1 selects a telephone number of a destination to which image data has not been transmitted from among the telephone numbers (S32), copies the image data stored in the RAM 7, and copies the image data to the image processing unit 5. (S3)
3). The telephone number and the transmission time stored in the RAM 7 are embedded as identification information in the image processing unit 5 as digital watermarks in the copied image data (S34), and the image data is encoded using the CODEC 6 and transmitted through the telephone line 3. The transmission to the destination having the telephone number is completed, and the completion of the transmission to the destination is stored in the RAM 7 (S35).
Finally, the CPU 1 determines whether or not transmission to all transmission destinations has been completed (S36). If there is a non-transmission destination (NO in S36), the process returns to S32, and the telephone of the non-transmission destination is called. Select a number.

When the transmission to all the transmission destinations is completed (YES in S36), the transmission processing ends. The user saves the transmitted image in the form of a document or image data before embedding identification information.

In the case of using the facsimile apparatus as described above, an image transmitted to a destination or a part or all of an image transmitted to a plurality of destinations using a broadcast is illegally leaked. When or when illegally copied, by using the image stored by the user and the image to be inspected, by a known technique, by extracting the identification information present in the image, The destination to which the image has been transmitted can be specified. When the identification information used not only the destination telephone number and the transmission time, but also the telephone number of the transmission source, or the name or logo of the transmission source registered in advance, the image was transmitted. The source can also be specified. Therefore, when the right of the image transmission source is violated, it is possible to indicate that the right is infringed by the transmission destination.

The present invention can be similarly applied to the facsimile apparatus of the present embodiment even when the facsimile apparatus is connected not to a telephone line but to the Internet. In addition, the above communication is performed according to ITU-T Recommendation T.30.
30 non-standard procedures can be performed. In the case of performing a broadcast communication, a group of a plurality of destinations is registered in advance, and for example, a user operates a function key assigned to the group to input a telephone number of each destination. Is also good.

[0021]

According to the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, by embedding invisible identification information that differs for each destination in image data, the identification information is embedded in the image data obtained by reading the image to be transmitted, and When the transmitted image data is restored as an image by transmitting the image data, the restored image has invisible identification information. Since the identification information differs depending on the transmission destination, when an image is illegally used, the transmission destination of the illegally used image can be specified by checking the identification information. Further, since the identification information is invisible, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the image quality.

In the case of using broadcast communication, identification information that is invisible and different for each transmission destination is embedded in each image data, so that the identification information is embedded in image data obtained by reading an image to be transmitted. When the transmitted image data is restored as an image by transmitting the image data to each transmission destination using the broadcast communication, the restored image has invisible identification information. Since the identification information differs depending on the transmission destination, the same image can be easily transmitted to a plurality of transmission destinations. Further, when the image is illegally used, the illegally used image is checked by checking the identification information. Can be specified.

When restoring identification information from a transmitted image by embedding identification information by using a digital watermark, it is necessary to use the image and the original image before the identification information is embedded. It is possible to prevent forgery or deletion of identification information by a person who tries to use an image illegally. Further, when it is known that identification information for identifying a transmission destination is embedded in a transmitted image, the present invention has an excellent effect, for example, fraud can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a transmission process of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a transmission process of the facsimile apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CPU 3 Telephone line 31 NCU 32 Modem 4 Scanner 5 Image processing part 7 RAM

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus for transmitting image data by embedding invisible identification information, comprising: means for embedding the different identification information for each destination of image data. 2. A facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for embedding the different identification information for each destination of the image data when transmitting to a plurality of destinations using broadcast communication. apparatus. 3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is a digital watermark.