JP2007080208A - Image generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve information security of an image file without increasing a manufacturing cost, in an image generation device for generating the image file. <P>SOLUTION: When a main control part of an image generation device receives an encrypted password A2 from a server device, the main control part stores it in an HDD by converting it to a file. When image data are created (when the image data are read by a scanner or the like) (Y in S21), information related to the created image data is acquired (S22) and a file A is created based on the image data and the information related to the created image data (S23). Next, the main control part analyzes and decrypts the encrypted password A2 stored in the HDD and acquires an original password A1 (S24). The password A1 is set in the file A (S25) and the file A is stored in the HDD (S26). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image generation apparatus that generates an image file.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for transmitting a stored image or file from a user computer to a server, setting a password on the server side based on the transmission information, and encrypting and storing the password. Has been.
In Patent Document 2, when an image forming apparatus stores image data sent from a terminal device on a network in an internal hard disk, the password of the terminal device is encrypted to create an encrypted file and decryption information. A technique for printing out image data when the encrypted file is returned to the terminal device and decryption information is transmitted from the terminal device is disclosed.
JP 2002-351841 A JP 2005-043989 A

As a function of an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine, a function of storing image data and information about the image data as a file in a hard disk (HDD) of the image forming apparatus or transmitting it to a server apparatus having a database or a file storage function It has been known.
In any of these cases, since information security for HDDs and files is not implemented, if the files stored in the HDDs and HDDs of the image forming apparatus and server apparatus are stolen, confidential information and personal information will be transferred to the outside. There is a possibility of leakage.
Therefore, it is conceivable to add a password to the file generated by the image forming apparatus to prevent leakage of information generated by the image forming apparatus. However, if the password is known to others, information will be leaked, so it can be considered that the password is encrypted.
Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a technique for encrypting and storing a password.
However, the technique of Patent Document 1 relates to a means for creating a cipher, and is not a technique for attaching a cipher to a file or the like to protect the confidentiality of the file or the like.
Further, the technique of Patent Document 2 has a problem in that password encryption is performed in the image forming apparatus, which increases the processing burden in the image forming apparatus and increases the manufacturing cost of the image forming apparatus.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to achieve information security of an image file without causing an increase in manufacturing cost for an image generation apparatus that generates an image file.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in an image generating apparatus that generates an image file, a receiving unit that receives an encrypted password from outside via a network, and a decryption that decrypts the password received by the receiving unit Means for setting the decrypted password in the generated image file, and first storage means for storing the image file after setting the password in a storage device. Device.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image generating apparatus according to the first aspect, a transmission unit that transmits an image file stored in the storage device to the predetermined transmission destination via the network, and a transmission of the transmission unit And erasing means for erasing the image file transmitted later from the storage device.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image generating device according to the second aspect, when the password is received by the receiving unit, an image file stored by setting another password in the storage device is stored. A determination unit for determining presence or absence, and when there is an image file stored by setting another password according to the determination by the determination unit, the other password is deleted from the image file, and the decryption unit And a second storage unit for storing in the storage device an image file to which the new password is added by the changing unit. It is characterized by that.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, information security can be performed on an image file by setting a password. In addition, since this password is encrypted and given to the image generating apparatus, the password is not stolen and information security can be improved. However, since password encryption is not performed inside the information generation apparatus, the manufacturing cost of the information generation apparatus can be reduced.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, after the password-set image file is transmitted to a predetermined transmission destination, the same file in the storage device is deleted, so even if the storage device capacity is limited, the image file Can be accumulated.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the password can be changed, it is possible to prevent leakage of the image file even if the image generation device or the storage device is stolen by a person who knows the old password. .

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the system of FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 and server apparatuses 2 and 3 are connected to each other via a LAN 4.
The image forming apparatus 1 implements the image generating apparatus of the present invention. In this example, the image forming apparatus 1 is a digital copying machine called a so-called multifunction machine. The image forming apparatus 1 is a scanner 11 that reads an image of a document, and a sheet based on the data of the read image. From a printer engine 12 that forms an image by electrophotographic method, a communication control device 13 that communicates with the LAN 4, a hard disk (HDD) 14, a main control unit 15 that centrally controls the entire image forming device 1, and the like. Composed.
First, as shown in FIG. 2, the server apparatus 2 sets a password A1 (S1), encrypts the password A1 using a predetermined encryption method (S2), and uses the encrypted password A2 as the image forming apparatus 1. (S3).
As shown in FIG. 3, when the main control unit 15 of the image forming apparatus 1 receives this password A2 (Y in S11), it stores it in the HDD 14 as a file (S12).
If the file B with some password already set exists in the HDD 14 (Y in S13), the encrypted password A2 stored in the HDD 14 is analyzed and decrypted to obtain the original password A1. (S14). Then, the password B1 set from the file B is deleted (S15), a new password A1 is set in the file A (S16), and the file A is stored in the HDD 14 (S17).

As shown in FIG. 4, when the image data is created (when the scanner 11 reads the image data) (Y in S21), the main control unit 15 also acquires information about the created image data ( S22), file A is created based on this image data and information relating to the created image data (S23).
Next, the main control unit 15 analyzes and decrypts the encrypted password A2 stored in the HDD 14, and acquires the original password A1 (S24). Then, the password A1 is set for the file A (S25), and the file A is stored in the HDD 14 (S26).
As described above, information security can be performed on the file A by setting a password. In addition, since the password is encrypted and given to the image generation apparatus 1, the password is not stolen and information security can be improved. However, since password encryption is not performed inside the information generation apparatus 1, the manufacturing cost of the information generation apparatus can be reduced.
Further, since the password is changed (S16), even if the image generation apparatus 1 or the HDD 14 is stolen by a person who knows the old password, the leakage of the file B can be prevented.
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the main control unit 15 transmits the file A stored in the HDD 14 to the server device 3 (S27).
As shown in FIG. 5, the server apparatus 3 that has received this (Y in S31) stores the received file A in its internal HDD (S32). Then, the notification of the completion of reception of the file A is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 (S33).
Returning to FIG. 4, when the main control unit 15 receives the notification of the completion of reception (Y in S28), it deletes the data of the file A from the HDD 14 (S29).
Thus, since the file A in the HDD 14 is deleted after the file A after the password is set, the file can be stored even if the capacity of the HDD 14 is limited.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a LAN including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart of the process which a server apparatus performs. 5 is a flowchart of processing executed by the image forming apparatus. 5 is a flowchart of processing executed by the image forming apparatus. It is a flowchart of the process which a server apparatus performs.

Explanation of symbols

1 Image generation device 14 Storage device

Claims (3)

In an image generation device that generates an image file,
A receiving means for receiving an encrypted password from the outside via a network;
Decryption means for decrypting the password received by the reception means;
Setting means for setting the decrypted password in the generated image file;
First storage means for storing the image file after setting the password in the storage device;
An image generation apparatus comprising: Transmission means for transmitting the image file stored in the storage device to the predetermined transmission destination via the network;
Erasing means for erasing the image file transmitted after transmission by the transmitting means from the storage device;
The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A determination means for determining the presence or absence of an image file stored by setting another password in the storage device when the password is received by the receiving means;
When there is an image file stored by setting another password according to the determination by the determination unit, the receiving unit deletes the other password from the image file and decrypts it by the decryption unit. Change means to add the received new password,
Second storage means for storing in the storage device an image file to which a new password has been added by the changing means;
The image generating apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

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