JP2005311836A - Image forming device and image forming device system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device capable of performing original authentication and tracing a copying route and to provide a paper sheet in which the electronic watermark therefor is embedded. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming device is provided with an image reading part 12 for reading an image from an original, a high-strength electronic watermark extracting part 155 for extracting first electronic watermark information from the image read by the image reading part 12, a low-strength electronic watermark extracting part 157 for extracting second electronic watermark information from the image read by the image reading part 12, an electronic watermark changing part 158 for changing the electronic watermark information read by the low-strength electronic watermark extracting part 157 to electronic watermark information added with information relating to the image forming device 1, and a copy image forming part 159 for forming a copy image obtained by embedding the electronic watermark information read by the high-strength electronic watermark extracting part 155 and the electronic watermark information changed by the electronic watermark changing part in the image read by the image reading part 12 as an electronic watermark. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that reads a digital watermark from a document with a digital watermark that embeds information in the formed image, copies the image by processing the digital watermark, and the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus system in which are connected via a communication line.

Conventionally, there is a digital watermark, which is a technique for embedding information in an image by making minute changes in the image. This digital watermark is used, for example, to confirm the originality (that is not different from the original) of a copied image (hereinafter referred to as original authentication), to embed copyright information and to claim copyright, Is used to track the copy path by rewriting (adding information) for each copy. Further, in Patent Document 1 below, when only one type of (highly durable) digital watermark can be read with respect to an image in which two types of digital watermarks having different copy resistance are embedded, the image is copied once. An image processing apparatus is described that determines that the image is a copy and prohibits the grandchild copy.
JP 2002-36892 A

  However, in the background art described above, the digital watermark is changed when the copy path is traced. Therefore, the original authentication cannot be performed. If the original authentication can be performed, the reverse is true.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, an image forming apparatus capable of performing original authentication and tracking a copy path, and an image forming apparatus capable of tracking a copy path in an information processing apparatus. The purpose is to provide a system.

  An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 is an image forming apparatus for copying an image in which digital watermark information is embedded, a reading unit that reads the image from a document, and a first digital watermark from the image read by the reading unit. First extraction means for extracting information, second extraction means for extracting second digital watermark information different from the first digital watermark information from the image read by the reading means, and the second extraction Changing means for changing the second digital watermark information read by the means to digital watermark information to which information related to the image forming apparatus is added; first digital watermark information read by the first extraction means; And forming means for forming a copy image in which the electronic watermark information changed by the changing means is embedded as electronic watermark information in the image read by the reading means Equipped with a.

  The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 is the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first digital watermark is copied when the deterioration strength when copied is copied a first predetermined number of times. The digital watermark is stronger than the deterioration intensity at which the first digital watermark information can be read by one extraction means, and the second digital watermark has a lower deterioration intensity when copied than the first predetermined number of times. The second digital watermark information is weaker than a deterioration strength that cannot be read by the second extraction unit when the second digital copy is made a predetermined number of times.

  An image forming apparatus according to a third aspect is the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, further comprising storage means for storing apparatus identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus, wherein the changing means includes The device identification information is changed to be added to the second digital watermark information read by the second extraction means.

  An image forming apparatus according to a fourth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the user inputs user identification information for identifying a user of the image forming apparatus. The information processing apparatus further includes an input unit, and the change unit changes the second digital watermark information read by the second extraction unit to add the user identification information.

  An image forming apparatus according to a fifth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the second digital watermark information read by the second extraction unit, and the image forming apparatus. Further comprising a transmission means for transmitting information related to the information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus via a communication line when the second digital watermark information is read by the second extraction means. Features.

  The image forming apparatus system according to claim 6 is an image forming apparatus system in which an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus are connected by a communication line, and the image forming apparatus reads an image in which electronic watermark information is embedded from a document. A reading means; a first extracting means for extracting first digital watermark information from the image read by the reading means; and a second different from the first digital watermark information from the image read by the reading means. Second extraction means for extracting electronic watermark information, second electronic watermark information read by the second extraction means, and information related to the image forming apparatus are secondly extracted by the second extraction means. Transmitting means for transmitting the digital watermark information to the information processing apparatus when the digital watermark information is read, and the digital watermark information changed by the information processing apparatus An image obtained by reading the changed electronic watermark information received by the receiving means, the first electronic watermark information read by the first extracting means, and the changed electronic watermark information received by the receiving means. And forming means for forming a copy image embedded as digital watermark information in the information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus forms an image in which the second digital watermark information and a document relating to the second digital watermark information have been copied. Path information storage means for associating and storing copy path information related to the apparatus, and second receiving means for receiving the second digital watermark information and information related to the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus And the copy path information stored in the path information storage means associated with the second digital watermark information received by the second reception means, The new copy path information is changed to add information related to the image forming apparatus received by the second receiving means to obtain new copy path information, and the new copy path information is newly updated with a smaller amount of information than the new copy path information. Updating means for storing the new digital watermark information in association with the new digital watermark information in the path information storage means, and second transmission means for transmitting the new digital watermark information to the image forming apparatus as the changed digital watermark information. The first digital watermark is a digital watermark whose deterioration strength when copied is stronger than the deterioration strength with which the first extraction means can read the first digital watermark information when the first predetermined number of times is copied. When the second digital watermark is copied for a second predetermined number of times that is less than the first predetermined number of times when the deterioration strength of the second digital watermark is copied, The second digital watermark information is a digital watermark that is weaker than the deterioration intensity at which it cannot be read.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the image in which the first digital watermark information and the second digital watermark information are embedded is read from the document by the reading unit, and the first image is read from the image read by the reading unit. The electronic watermark information is read by the first extracting means, and the second electronic watermark information different from the first electronic watermark information is read by the second extracting means from the image read by the reading means, and the second extracting means The information related to the image forming apparatus is added by the changing means to the second digital watermark information read by the means and changed, and the first digital watermark information read by the first extracting means and the changing means are used. The changed second digital watermark information is embedded in the image read by the reading unit as a digital watermark by the forming unit to form a copy image.

  Therefore, the first digital watermark is not changed by copying, and the second digital watermark is changed so that information related to the image forming apparatus copied by copying is added. Information (for example, confirmation of the original copy image) can be confirmed, and the copy path of the copy image can be confirmed by the second digital watermark.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first digital watermark is read by the first extraction means when the deterioration strength of the first digital watermark is copied for the first predetermined number of times. The second digital watermark is stronger than the degradation strength that can be reproduced, and the second extraction watermark is copied by the second extraction means when the degradation strength when copied is copied for a second predetermined number of times that is less than the first predetermined number of times. Since the electronic watermark information is weaker than the deterioration strength at which the electronic watermark information of 2 cannot be read, even if the original electronic image is copied by the conventional image forming apparatus, the first electronic watermark is deteriorated even if the second electronic watermark is deteriorated. The watermark hardly deteriorates, and the information related to the original image can be confirmed by the first digital watermark (for example, confirmation of the original copy image), and the number of copies can be determined by the degree of degradation of the second digital watermark. It can be constant.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the image forming apparatus stores apparatus identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus by the storage unit, and the digital watermark information read by the second extracting unit. In addition, since the change unit adds the device identification information, the image forming apparatus (copy path) on which the copy image has been copied can be confirmed by the second digital watermark.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the digital watermark information that is input by the user using the input unit and the second extraction unit reads the user identification information for identifying the user of the image forming apparatus. In addition, since the change to add the user identification information is performed by the changing means, it is possible to confirm the operator (copy path) who has copied the copy image by the second digital watermark.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the second digital watermark information read by the second extraction unit and the information related to the image forming apparatus are converted into the second digital watermark information by the second extraction unit. Is read by the transmission means to the information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus via the communication line, so that the copying path can be traced in the information processing apparatus.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus system in which the image forming apparatus and the information processing apparatus are connected by a communication line, the image forming apparatus reads an image in which digital watermark information is embedded by a reading unit. The first digital watermark information is read from the image read by the reading means, the first digital watermark information is read by the first extracting means, and the second digital watermark information different from the first digital watermark information is read from the image read by the reading means Is read by the second extraction means, and the second digital watermark information read by the second extraction means and information related to the image forming apparatus are read by the second extraction means. The digital watermark information that has been transmitted to the information processing apparatus by the transmission means and changed by the information processing apparatus is received by the reception means. The first electronic watermark information read by the extracting means and the modified electronic watermark information received by the receiving means are formed by the forming means to embed the modified digital watermark information in the image read by the reading means as the electronic watermark information. Is done.

  On the other hand, in the information processing apparatus, the copy path information related to the image forming apparatus on which the document related to the second digital watermark information has been copied and the second digital watermark information are stored in the path information storage unit in association with each other. The second digital watermark information and the information related to the image forming apparatus are received by the second receiving unit from the image forming apparatus, and the information related to the image forming apparatus received by the second receiving unit is The copy path information stored in the path information storage means associated with the second digital watermark information received by the second receiving means is added by the updating means to form new copy path information. Path information and new digital watermark information having a smaller amount of information than the new copy path information are associated with each other and stored in the path information storage means, and new digital watermark information is transmitted by the second transmission means. It is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.

  Accordingly, the amount of information to be embedded as a digital watermark can be reduced as compared with the case where the copy path information is embedded as a digital watermark, and the digital watermark itself does not include the copy path information and thus has a cryptographic effect. Can do. Further, since the first digital watermark has a stronger deterioration strength when copied than the second digital watermark, even when the original digital image is copied by a conventional image forming apparatus, the second digital watermark is deteriorated. The first digital watermark hardly deteriorates, the information related to the original image can be confirmed by the first digital watermark (for example, confirmation of the original copy image), and the number of times of copying can be determined by the degree of degradation of the second digital watermark. Can be estimated.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an operation unit 11, a reading unit 12, an image data storage unit 13, a printing unit 14, and a control unit 15. The control unit 15 includes an operator ID storage unit 151, an operator management unit 152, a device ID storage unit 153, a reading control unit 154, a high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155, an original authentication unit 156, a low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157, An electronic watermark changing unit 158 and a copy image forming unit 159 are provided.

  The operation unit 11 is for an operator to operate the image forming apparatus 1 and has an appearance shown in FIG. 2, for example. Various operation keys 111 and a display 112 are provided. The operator uses the operation unit 11 to accept, for example, an instruction to start copying (pressing the start key 111a) and an input of the operator's user ID 112a and password 112b. When the operation unit 11 receives a copy start instruction (pressing the start key 111a), the operation unit 11 transmits the copy start instruction to the reading control unit 154. In addition, when the input of the operator's user ID and password is received, the operation unit 11 transmits the user ID and password to the operator management unit 152. When the operation unit 11 receives a use permission instruction from the operator management unit 152, the operation unit 11 enables the operation of the operation unit 11 to permit the operator to use the image forming apparatus 1. When the operation unit 11 receives a use non-permission instruction from the operator management unit 152, the operation unit 11 displays the ID input screen (FIG. 2) again and invalidates operations other than inputting the user ID and password. The operator is not allowed to use the image forming apparatus. When the operation unit 11 receives from the original authentication unit 156 that the original authentication has not been established, the operation unit 11 does not perform the copy, for example, “The original image has been falsified. Copying is cancelled.” Is displayed on the display 112.

  The image reading unit 12 reads an image from a document and writes it as image data in the image data storage unit 13. When receiving an instruction from the reading control unit 154, the image reading unit 12 starts reading an image. The image data storage unit 13 stores image data and includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The printing unit 14 prints the image stored in the image data storage unit 13 on a recording sheet. When the printing unit 14 receives from the original authentication unit 156 that the original authentication is unsuccessful, the printing unit 14 does not perform printing.

  The control unit 15 controls the entire image forming apparatus 1 and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM, and the like. The operator ID storage unit 151 stores a set of a user ID (identifier) and a password, and includes, for example, a RAM. The operator management unit 152 receives the user ID and password of the operator from the operation unit 11, checks whether or not the received user ID and password pair is stored in the operator ID storage unit 151, and is stored. If so, a use permission instruction is transmitted to the operation unit 11. If the received set of user ID and password is not stored in the operator ID storage unit, the operator management unit 152 transmits a use non-permission instruction to the operation unit 11.

  The device ID storage unit 153 stores a device ID for identifying the image forming apparatus 1 and includes, for example, a ROM. The reading control unit 154 controls the image reading unit 12 to operate when a copy start instruction is received from the operation unit 11.

  The high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155 extracts information on a digital watermark that is embedded in the image read by the image reading unit 12 and has high resistance strength by copying, for example, a digital watermark formed by 3 dots at a resolution of 600 dpi. Is. This information is, for example, original authentication information. The high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155 transmits the read digital watermark information to the original authentication unit 156 and the copy image forming unit 159.

  The original authentication unit 156 performs original authentication based on the digital watermark information received from the high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155. For original authentication, for example, digital watermark information is analyzed to confirm originality (whether the image has been tampered with). If the original authentication is unsuccessful, the original authentication unit 156 transmits a message to that effect to the operation unit 11 and the printing unit 14.

  The low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157 extracts information of a digital watermark that is embedded in the image read by the image reading unit 12 and has low resistance strength due to copying, for example, a digital watermark formed by one dot at a resolution of 600 dpi. Is. This information is, for example, information on the image forming apparatus copied so far and its operator. The low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157 transmits the read digital watermark information to the digital watermark change unit 158.

  The digital watermark changing unit 158 reads the device ID from the device ID storage unit 153 and receives the device ID read from the device ID storage unit 153 and the operator management unit 152 in the digital watermark information received from the low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157. New digital watermark information to which the user ID is added is created and transmitted to the copy image forming unit 159.

  The copy image forming unit 159 reads the image data from the image data storage unit 13, and receives the digital watermark information received from the high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155 as the high-intensity digital watermark from the digital watermark change unit 158. The digital watermark information is embedded as a low-intensity digital watermark, and this image data is written into the image data storage unit 13 again.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control flow in the image forming apparatus 1. A control flow in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S1, the operation unit 11 displays a user ID and password input screen (FIG. 2) on the display and accepts input of the user ID 112a and password 112b. When the operation unit 11 receives an input of a user ID and password by the operator, the operation unit 11 transmits the user ID and password to the operator management unit 152. The operator management unit 152 checks whether or not the received set of user ID and password is stored in the operator ID storage unit 151. If not stored, the operator is not authenticated (NO in step S1), and step 1 is repeated. If it is stored, it is determined that the operator has been authenticated (YES in step S1), and the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, the operation unit 11 checks whether or not the press of the start key 111a by the operator is accepted until the press is accepted (NO in step S3). When the pressing of the start key 111a is accepted (YES in step S3), the operation unit 11 transmits a copy start instruction to the reading control unit 154, and proceeds to step S5. In step S <b> 5, the reading control unit 154 receives an instruction to start copying and instructs the image reading unit 12 to read an image. The image reading unit 12 reads an image from a document and writes it in the image data storage unit 13.

  In step S7, the high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155 reads the image data from the image data storage unit 13, reads the high-intensity digital watermark information embedded in the image, and uses the information (original authentication information) as the original authentication unit. 156 and the copy image forming unit 159. In step S9, the original authentication unit 156 analyzes the received digital watermark information (original authentication information) to confirm the originality of the image, and when the originality is not confirmed (original authentication is unsuccessful). (NO in step S9), the fact is transmitted to the operation unit 11 and the printing unit 14, and the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the operation unit 11 displays a message indicating that copying is not performed, and the printing unit 14 does not perform printing related to the copying.

  If the originality of the image is confirmed (original authentication is successful) in the branch of step S9 (YES in step S9), the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157 reads the image data from the image data storage unit 13, reads the low-intensity digital watermark information embedded in the image, and changes the information (copy path information) to the digital watermark. To the unit 158.

  In step S13, the digital watermark changing unit 158 acquires a user ID from the operator management unit 152, and creates new digital watermark information by adding the user ID to the digital watermark information received from the low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157. The digital watermark information is transmitted to the copy image forming unit 159. In step S15, the digital watermark information received from the high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155 is stored in the image data storage unit 13 as the high-intensity digital watermark, and the digital watermark information received from the digital watermark change unit 158 is stored as the low-intensity digital watermark. The image data is embedded in the image data storage unit 13 again. In step S17, the printing unit 14 prints an image of the image data stored in the image data storage unit 13 on a recording sheet.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the original authentication information is obtained from the high-intensity digital watermark, and the high-intensity and low-intensity digital watermarks are respectively extracted from the original image in which the copy path information is embedded from the low-intensity digital watermark. When the original authentication fails using the read original authentication information (high-strength digital watermark information), the copying is prohibited. When the original authentication is successful, the read copy path information The change was made by adding the user ID and the device ID of the operator related to the current copy to (low-strength digital watermark information), embedding it again as an electronic watermark, and printing it as a copied image. As a result, copying of a falsified image is prohibited, and the route through which the image has been copied can be known.

  Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, when an image forming apparatus is connected to a network and an information processing apparatus (for example, a PC (personal computer)) for managing a copying path is connected to the network, and the image forming apparatus performs copying. In addition, by transmitting information related to the image forming apparatus to the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus collectively manages a copy path in the image forming apparatus connected to the network. In the present embodiment, a number (path number) corresponding to the copy path information is assigned, and the image forming apparatus embeds the path number as a digital watermark in the copy image.

  Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 shows an image forming apparatus 1 ′ connected to the network 2 and a PC (information processing apparatus) 3 that manages the path of copying performed by the image forming apparatus 1 ′ connected to the network 2. It is a block diagram which shows a function structure. The image forming apparatus 1 ′ includes a communication unit 160 that communicates with the PC 3 via the network 2 in addition to the functions of the image forming apparatus 1 in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the path number associated with the copy path information is embedded in the image as a low-intensity digital watermark. In the image forming apparatus 1 ′, the digital watermark information (path number) read by the low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157 is transmitted to the PC 3 by the communication unit 160. In addition, the communication unit 160 acquires a user ID and a device ID from the operator management unit 152 and the device ID storage unit 153, respectively, and transmits them to the PC 3.

  The PC 3 includes a communication unit 31, a copy path information management unit 32, and a copy path information storage unit 33. The communication unit 31 communicates with the image forming apparatus 1 ′ via the network 2, receives digital watermark information, a user ID, and a device ID from the image forming apparatus 1 ′ and passes them to the copy path information management unit 32. . The copy route information storage unit 33 stores the copy route information and the route number associated with the copy route information in association with each other. The copy path information management unit 32 adds the device ID and the user ID to the copy path information stored in the copy path information storage unit 33 corresponding to the path number (digital watermark information) received from the image forming apparatus 1 ′.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the image forming apparatus 1 and the PC 3 in the image forming apparatus system. It is shown that the process of the step attached with the same reference numeral as in FIG. 3 is the same process as in the case of FIG. 3 (first embodiment). Therefore, the description of the processing with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3 is omitted.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 ′, in step S21, the low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157 reads out the image data from the image data storage unit 13, reads out the information of the low-intensity digital watermark embedded in the image, and the information (path) Number) to the communication unit 160. In step S23, when the communication unit 160 receives the path number from the low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 157, the communication unit 160 acquires the device ID from the device ID storage unit 153 and the user ID from the operator management unit 152. The device ID and user ID are transmitted to the PC 3. In step S <b> 25, the copy image forming unit 159 receives a new route number from the PC 3 via the communication unit 160. In step S27, the digital watermark information received from the high-intensity digital watermark extraction unit 155 is stored in the image data storage unit 13 as the high-intensity digital watermark, and the path number received from the PC 3 (communication unit 160) as the low-intensity digital watermark. The image data is embedded in the image data storage unit 13 again.

  On the other hand, in PC 3, in step S 31, when the communication unit 31 receives a path number, a device ID, and a user ID from the image forming apparatus 1 ′, it transmits them to the copy path information management unit 32. In step S33, when the copy path information management unit 32 receives the path number, the device ID, and the user ID, the copy path information corresponding to the received path number is stored in the copy path information storage unit 33. The received device ID and user ID are added. In step S <b> 35, the copy path information management unit 32 associates the path number with the new copy path information to which the apparatus ID and the user ID are added, and transmits the path number to the image forming apparatus 1 through the communication unit 31.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when copying is performed by the image forming apparatus connected to the network, the information is sent to the PC connected to the network, and the copy path is stored. Further, a route number having a smaller amount of information than the copy route information is assigned to the copy route information, and this route number is embedded in the copy image as digital watermark information. Accordingly, copy path information in the image forming apparatus connected to the network is collectively managed in the information processing apparatus, and the image copy path can be easily traced. In addition, information to be embedded as a digital watermark can be reduced, and the route number itself does not have information on the copy route, and thus has a cryptographic effect.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the thing of the said embodiment, The aspect described below can be employ | adopted. In the present embodiment, an image of a document (paper) is copied on recording paper. However, the image is not necessarily copied from paper to paper. Copying in the present invention refers to copying from electronic data to electronic data, Includes reading from paper to electronic data and printing from electronic data to paper.

  In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention copies an image with an embedded digital watermark, but the original authentication information is embedded with a high-intensity digital watermark and the copy path information is embedded with a low-intensity digital watermark. When the original image is copied by a conventional image forming apparatus, the high-intensity digital watermark is hardly deteriorated. Therefore, when copying is performed by the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, original authentication can be performed. In addition, since the low-intensity digital watermark easily deteriorates, it can be estimated how many times it has been copied based on the deterioration degree.

  In this embodiment, when using the image forming apparatus, the operator is requested to input a user ID and a password, and the user ID obtained thereby is embedded in a copy image as a digital watermark as copy path information. However, this user authentication does not necessarily have to be performed. If user authentication is not performed, only the device ID of the image forming apparatus may be used as the copy path information.

  In this embodiment, the copy path information read from the low-intensity digital watermark is displayed on the operation unit 11 when the original authentication fails. For example, the image forming apparatus is provided with a copy path display function, Copy route information may be displayed when requested by the operator.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the external appearance of the operation part in one Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the image forming apparatus system in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of an image forming apparatus system in a second embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 11 Operation part (input means)
12 Image reading unit (reading means)
14 Printing section (printing means)
155 High-intensity digital watermark extraction unit (first extraction means)
157 Low-intensity digital watermark extraction unit (second extraction means)
158 Digital watermark changing unit (changing means)
159 Copy image forming section (forming means)
153 Device ID storage unit (storage means)
160 Communication unit (transmission means)
2 Network (communication line)
3 Information processing device 31 Communication unit (reception means)
32 Copying route information management unit (update means)
33 Copy route information storage unit (route information storage means)

Claims (6)

In an image forming apparatus for copying an image in which electronic watermark information is embedded,
Extraction means for reading the image from the document;
First extraction means for extracting first digital watermark information from the image read by the reading means;
Second extraction means for extracting second digital watermark information different from the first digital watermark information from the image read by the reading means;
Changing means for changing the second digital watermark information read by the second extraction means to digital watermark information to which information related to the image forming apparatus is added;
Formation of forming a copy image in which the first digital watermark information read by the first extraction unit and the digital watermark information changed by the change unit are embedded in the image read by the read unit as digital watermark information An image forming apparatus.   The first digital watermark is a digital watermark that is stronger than the deterioration strength at which the first digital watermark information can be read by the first extraction means when the deterioration strength when copied is copied a first predetermined number of times. When the second digital watermark is copied for a second predetermined number of times when the deterioration strength when copied is less than the first predetermined number of times, the second digital watermark information is output by the second extracting means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a digital watermark weaker than a deterioration intensity that cannot be read. A storage unit for storing device identification information for identifying the image forming device;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit changes the second electronic watermark information read by the second extracting unit to add the device identification information. An input unit that allows the user to input user identification information for identifying the user of the image forming apparatus;
The image according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit changes the second digital watermark information read by the second extracting unit to add the user identification information. Forming equipment.   The second digital watermark information read by the second extraction unit and the information related to the image forming apparatus are communicated when the second digital watermark information is read by the second extraction unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit to an information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus. In an image forming apparatus system in which an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus are connected by a communication line,
The image forming apparatus includes:
Reading means for reading an image in which digital watermark information is embedded from a document;
First extraction means for extracting first digital watermark information from the image read by the reading means;
Second extraction means for extracting second digital watermark information different from the first digital watermark information from the image read by the reading means;
The second digital watermark information read by the second extraction unit and the information related to the image forming apparatus are processed when the second digital watermark information is read by the second extraction unit. Transmitting means for transmitting to the device;
Receiving means for receiving digital watermark information changed by the information processing apparatus from the information processing apparatus;
A copy in which the first digital watermark information read by the first extraction unit and the changed digital watermark information received by the reception unit are embedded as digital watermark information in an image read by the reading unit Forming means for forming an image,
The information processing apparatus includes:
Path information storage means for storing the second digital watermark information in association with copy path information related to the image forming apparatus on which the document relating to the second digital watermark information has been copied;
Second receiving means for receiving the second digital watermark information and information related to the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus;
Image formation received by the second receiving means is added to the copy path information stored in the path information storing means associated with the second digital watermark information received by the second receiving means. Change to add information relating to the apparatus to obtain new copy path information, and associate the new copy path information with new digital watermark information having a smaller amount of information than the new copy path information. Updating means for storing in the information storage means;
Second transmission means for transmitting the new digital watermark information to the image forming apparatus as the changed digital watermark information,
The first digital watermark is a digital watermark that is stronger than the deterioration strength at which the first digital watermark information can be read by the first extraction means when the deterioration strength when copied is copied a first predetermined number of times. When the second digital watermark is copied for a second predetermined number of times when the deterioration intensity when copied is less than the first predetermined number of times, the second digital watermark information is output by the second extraction means. An image forming apparatus system, wherein the watermark is weaker than a deterioration intensity that cannot be read.

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