JP2009237052A - Image forming apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reflect information on copying restriction attached to a copying origin document to the copying destination document regardless of the number of sheets of documents to be copied. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with: a first generating means for generating document information by reading a plurality of documents to be copied; an extraction means for extracting copying restriction information attached to the plurality of documents to be copied; a second generating means for generating document information for the copying document without any copying restriction information among the document information generated by the first generating means by attaching copying restriction information which is acquired by the extraction means; and an output means for outputting the copying document according to the document information which is generated by the second generating means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for giving copy restriction information to a document.

For a copy-prohibited document, a predetermined code, an image generated based on this code, and the like are printed on a sheet of paper together with the document. When this is set, a mechanism has been proposed in which the copying machine reads this information together with the original, recognizes that the original is a copy-prohibited object, and stops the copying process relating to this original (see Patent Document 1). ).
JP 2002-305646 A

  By the way, when one document to be copied is printed on a plurality of sheets, the user sets a plurality of sheets on an automatic paper feeder (ADF) or the like in order to save time. In general, the copying machine is instructed to copy. However, the same code is not necessarily added to all the sheets to be copied. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to reflect information on copy restrictions added to a copy source document on the copy destination document regardless of the number of copy target documents.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, first generation means for reading a plurality of copy originals to generate original information, acquisition means for acquiring copy restriction information, and original information generated by the first generation means For the ones to which the copy restriction information is not attached, by adding the copy restriction information acquired by the acquisition means, the second generation means for generating the document information of the copy original, and the second generation means Output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated in this manner.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided first generation means for reading a plurality of copy originals to generate original information, extraction means for extracting copy restriction information added to the plurality of copy originals, For the original information generated by the first generation means without the copy restriction information, the copy restriction information acquired by the extraction means is added to generate original information of the copy original. 2 generating means and output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated by the second generating means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided acquisition means for acquiring additional mode information representing a mode of adding copy restriction information to a copy original, first generation means for reading a plurality of copy originals and generating original information, Copy restriction based on extraction means for extracting copy restriction information added to the plurality of copy originals, additional mode information acquired by the acquisition means, and copy restriction information extracted by the extraction means A second generation unit configured to generate document information of the copied document by adding information to the copied document; and an output unit configured to output the copied document according to the document information generated by the second generation unit. And

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the third aspect, the second generation unit is configured to use the first generation unit for the copy original to which copy restriction information is not added. It is characterized in that the copy prohibition information added to the original document to be read first is added.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the third aspect, when the plurality of different copy restriction information is extracted by the extraction unit, the second generation unit is configured to output the additional mode information and the copy restriction information. Based on the information, new copy restriction information is generated, and the generated copy restriction information is added to the copy original.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the third aspect, when a plurality of different copy restriction information is extracted by the extraction unit, the second generation unit selects one copy restriction information. The selected copy restriction information is added to the copy original.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the fifth or sixth aspect, the second generation unit adds the copy restriction information only to the original to which the copy restriction information is not added. It is characterized by performing.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, the second generation unit is configured to apply the copy restriction information to which the copy restriction information is added. Copy restriction information is added to the corresponding copy document as it is.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the third aspect, the acquisition unit includes a unit for reading the additional mode information stored in an external storage medium.

  The invention according to claim 10 is the configuration according to claim 3, further comprising a display unit and an input unit, and when the acquisition unit acquires a plurality of the additional aspect information, the second generation unit Displays that fact on the display unit, and determines the one additional mode information based on the information input from the input unit.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the third aspect, the second generation means collectively reads the plurality of copy originals and extracts the copy restriction information with respect to the plurality of originals. The first operation mode for generating the document information of the copied document, the reading of the copied document, the extraction of the copy restriction information, and the generation of the document information of the copied document for each document. It is characterized by determining which one of the second operation modes to be executed is adopted.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the eleventh aspect, the second generation unit selects the first operation mode or the second operation mode according to the number of copies.

According to the first or thirteenth aspect of the present invention, copy restriction information is added to a document to which copy restriction information is not attached in accordance with the copying process.
According to the invention described in claim 2 or 14, the copy restriction information added to the other originals is added to the original without the copy restriction information accompanying the copying process.
According to the third or fifteenth aspect of the present invention, copy restriction information based on the additional mode information acquired by the acquisition means and the copy restriction information extracted by the extraction means is added along with the copying process.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the copy prohibition information added to the first read original is compared with the original to which no copy restriction information is added. Added.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, new copy restriction information is generated and added based on the additional mode information and the copy restriction information along with the copying process.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when a plurality of different copy restriction information is extracted during the copying process, one copy restriction information is selected and added.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, copy restriction information is selectively added to a document to be copied to which copy restriction information is not added.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the copy restriction information is retained for the copy original document to which the copy restriction information is added.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the additional mode information can be acquired from the external storage medium.
According to the invention described in claim 10, it is possible to present that a plurality of additional mode information has been acquired, and the user can select one additional mode information.
According to the invention described in claim 11 or 12, it is possible to selectively determine the operation mode related to the copying process of the image forming apparatus.

<Example>
1. Configuration FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10, a card reader 11, an image forming unit 12, a printing unit 13, a communication unit 14, a storage unit 15, an input unit 16, a display unit 17, and a bus 18. Is done.

The control unit 10 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). As a first function, the card reader 11, the image forming unit 12, the printing unit 13, the communication unit 14, the storage unit 15, Signals are exchanged between the input unit 16 and the display unit 17, and these units are controlled. As a second function, the copy prohibition code added to the original document (the original to be copied) and other information (information stored in the storage unit 15, input from the card reader 11 or the input unit 16) And a copy prohibition code to be added to the copy destination original (copy original). Details of the method for generating and adding the copy prohibition code will be described later.
In the following, “original” refers to the content of information formed (printed) on a sheet of recording material (paper) using a predetermined method or a paper on which the information is printed. This information is a concept including not only character information but also image information.

  The card reader 11 is a device that reads information recorded on the IC card 20. Specifically, an IC card 20 insertion slot and a data transfer circuit (not shown) are provided, and when the IC card 20 is inserted into the card reader 11, information stored in the IC card 20 is read out. . The read information is transferred to the storage unit 15.

  The image forming unit 12 is roughly divided into a scanner unit (not shown) and an image processing processor (not shown). Under the control of the control unit 10, the document forming process and the copy prohibition code are generated and added. Specifically, the document is read by the scanner unit, the document information is stored as image data such as bitmap data, and the document information is output to the printing unit 13 or the communication unit 14 as necessary. If the copy prohibition code is added to the document, the copy prohibition code is extracted together with the document information and transmitted to the control unit 10. When the control unit 10 receives a request for adding a copy prohibition code from the control unit to each sheet, the copy prohibition code is added to the document information of the document to be printed on the sheet for each sheet. 13 or the communication unit 14. More specifically, it is as follows.

  The scanner unit includes an optical system (light source, imaging lens), a drive system (line sensor), and a paper transport mechanism (not shown). The light source is, for example, a fluorescent lamp, and irradiates light onto a sheet (that is, a document) on which a visible image is formed. The imaging lens forms an image of reflected light from the object to be picked up at the position of the line sensor. The line sensor scans the paper according to a predetermined scanning direction, receives the imaged light, generates an image signal corresponding to the light, and outputs the image signal. For example, the line sensor includes an image sensor that can image in three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue), and generates image signals of these three colors. Then, the image processor performs processing such as A / D conversion and shading correction on the image signal to generate image information corresponding to one surface of the paper. The size and gradation of the generated image information are arbitrary. For example, an A4 size (210 mm × 297 mm) is read with an input resolution of 600 dots per pixel (pixels), and each dot has an 8-bit gradation (256 floors). Data). When a predetermined copy prohibition code is attached as image information (background pattern) to the read document, the image processor extracts this. Specifically, the image analysis process is performed on the bitmap data acquired by the scan process, the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern image data added to the document is discriminated, and the copy prohibition code corresponding to the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern data is specified. The identified code is supplied to the control unit 10, and the description content is interpreted.

  Although the method of embedding the copy prohibition code in the document is arbitrary, the reader is not inconvenienced in reading the document, and when the document is scanned, the copy prohibition code is not leaked as much as possible. It is preferable that it is an aspect. Even when the code added to the copy source document is added to the copy destination document as it is, it is not always necessary to use the same format of the copy prohibition code. In short, the control unit 10 is information (copy prohibition code) to be added to all the sheets constituting the copy destination document based on the copy prohibition code added to at least one sheet of the copy source document. To decide.

  The description content of the copy prohibition code is arbitrary. For example, the copy prohibition code includes a document identification ID and flag information indicating prohibition or permission of the copy of the document. Alternatively, the information may be information related to a user who is prohibited or permitted to copy, information that restricts the number of copies, execution time, and the like, as well as copying prohibited / permitted. Alternatively, it may be information describing the content of restrictions on the output mode (printing on paper, copying (transfer) of document information, etc.). In short, the copy prohibition code is information describing the content of the output process for the copy source document performed by the image forming apparatus.

  The printing unit 13 includes an image forming unit (not shown), and performs printing processing on a sheet according to the image data generated by the image forming unit 12 under the control of the control unit 10. The image forming unit is provided for each color toner of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), for example, each of which includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, It has a transfer part (both not shown). The photosensitive drum is a drum-shaped member that rotates around a shaft at a predetermined speed, and is charged to a predetermined potential by a charging unit. The exposure unit irradiates the charged photosensitive drum with laser light to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing unit develops a toner image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum. The transfer unit transfers each color toner image developed on the photosensitive drum to a document conveyed from the paper feed tray in accordance with image formation. When the toner image on the paper is fixed, the paper is discharged out of the apparatus. If the image data supplied from the image forming unit 12 is an original in which a copy prohibition code is embedded, the original (text, image, chart, etc.) and an image such as a copy-forgery-inhibited pattern reflecting the copy prohibition code are printed on paper. Will be.

  In this embodiment, it is assumed that the document is printed on only one side of the paper, but it is also possible to deal with the case where the document is printed on both sides. Specifically, the image forming unit 12 is provided with a conveyance mechanism that reverses the sheet, and when the one-side reading process is completed, the sheet is reversed and the back-side reading process is performed.

  The communication unit 14 is a network interface and transmits the image data generated by the image forming unit 12 to another apparatus.

  The storage unit 15 is a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, and a hard disk, and is used as a work area for the control unit 10. The storage unit 15 stores a program for operating the image forming apparatus 1 and data read from the card reader 11. The document information and copy prohibition information output from the image forming unit 12 and various information input from the input unit 16 are stored. In addition, the owner of the IC card 20 is registered in the storage unit 15 in advance.

  The input unit 16 includes an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel, and the user issues various commands such as copying to the image forming apparatus 1 via the input unit 16, as well as conditions and parameters related to copying and the like. Information (for example, the number of copies and the allocation method) can be input. In addition, when the user has the authority to select an additional pattern for adding a copy prohibition code, information related to one additional mode desired by the user can be input.

  The display unit 17 is a liquid crystal display or the like, and performs guide display for allowing the user to input various information and commands from the input unit 16.

  The IC card 20 is an information recording medium having a semiconductor storage element such as an IC chip and a processor responsible for data transfer with the outside. The IC card 20 is necessary for the user to cause the image forming apparatus 1 to perform copying. For example, the administrator of the image forming apparatus 1 issues one card to each user. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating information stored in the IC card 20. As shown in FIG. 5A, the IC card 20 has an authority (hereinafter referred to as an additional authority) for reflecting a user ID for identifying a user and a copy prohibition code added to the copy source document to the copy destination document. ) And information (hereinafter referred to as an additional pattern) that describes an additional mode of a copy prohibition code that is recognized by the user when the user has the authority. FIG. 5B shows an example of information stored in the IC card 20 possessed by a certain user. This user is identified by the user ID of 01234 and has the authority to reflect the copy prohibition code added to the copy source document on the copy destination document, and can add the copy prohibition code with the additional pattern C. Indicates that it is recognized. The contents of this additional pattern will be described later. The IC card 20 is an example of a portable external storage medium, and the information recording mode is not limited to this, and other media such as a magnetic card may be used.

2. Operation 2-1. Operation example 1
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. In this example, at least the first (first) document includes a copy prohibition code, but the second and subsequent documents cannot be visually recognized by the user as to whether a copy prohibition code is included. And This is because a copy prohibition code is added to the first page and is not added to other pages, thereby realizing a copy prohibition of the entire document while reducing the printing cost. Considering the fact that there are many.

  As shown in the figure, the user first sets a plurality of originals to be copied on the ADF (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 1, and then sets the IC card 20 on the card reader 11. Unless the information from the card reader 11 is received, the control unit 10 does not accept an operation such as a copy command from the user via the input unit 16. When information is extracted from the IC card 20, the control unit 10 performs user authentication. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the read user ID is an ID registered in the storage unit 15. If it is confirmed that the user ID is registered, it is determined whether or not there is an authority to reflect the copy prohibition code of the copy source document on the copy destination document based on the authority information read from the card reader 11 (S101). ).

  If the ID is not registered or there is no authority, the control unit 10 displays that fact on the display unit 17. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 does not allow such a user to reflect the copy prohibition code of the copy source document on the copy destination document. As described below, the reason why the user who has the authority to add the copy prohibition code is limited to a certain person is that when a document including a page to which the copy restriction code is added is copied, This is because the content of restrictions described in the copy prohibition code added to the copied manuscript may be relaxed depending on the content of the permitted additional pattern. If the ID is not registered or there is no additional authority, the copy of the original document (= the original document that does not include the copy prohibition code) is added with the copy prohibition code among the originals to be copied. Copying may be performed for a document on a page that is not, or may not be performed on a document on all pages.

  When the user authentication is completed, a document reading process is performed on the first document, and a document and a copy prohibition code are extracted. The control unit 10 transfers the extracted document information and copy prohibition code to the printing unit 13 as they are, and printing processing is performed. That is, the first original is copied with the same copy prohibition code as the original copy prohibition code added (S102).

  Subsequently, the second original is read to determine whether or not a copy prohibition code has been added (S103). If it has been added (S103; Y), copying is performed with the copy prohibition code added to the document as it is (S105). If not added (S103; N), the copy prohibition code extracted from the first original is added to the second original data and printed (S104). The same processing is performed for the third and subsequent sheets, and when all the sheets are copied, the copying of the original is completed (S106; Y).

  According to the above operation example, even if the copy prohibition code is printed only on the first copy of the original document, the copy prohibition code is added to all sheets of the copied document. As a result, an action that was possible with a copy source document (for example, an action of individually copying a document other than the first one) cannot be performed on a copied document. That is, the effect of suppressing the copy of the original is improved with the copy process of the original.

2-2. Operation example 2
Next, another operation example of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5A to 5F. Hereinafter, a case where a document is printed on a total of four sheets will be described. In FIGS. 5A to 5F, the left side represents the copy source document, and the right side represents the copy destination document (copy result). The numbers 1 to 4 represent the first, second, third, and fourth originals, respectively. Note that the number of sheets does not necessarily match the number of pages of the document, and is the order when set on the ADF (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 1, that is, the order of scanning. Also, in the figure, a document represented as a blank sheet represents a document to which no copy prohibition code is added, and a sheet with a hatched line is a document to which some copy prohibition code is added. Represents that.

  First, the outline of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. First, the point that the card reader 11 reads information from the IC card 20 and performs user authentication is the same as in the operation example 1 (S201). Hereinafter, it is assumed that the user ID has been registered and it is confirmed that the user ID has additional authority. Further, the additional pattern included in the read information is stored in the storage unit 15. Subsequently, the image forming apparatus 1 starts reading a document in order from the first sheet. First, the first original is read (S202). At this time, if a copy prohibition code is added, the copy prohibition code is also extracted. The additional pattern extracted in S201 and the information of the first copy prohibition code (the fact that the copy prohibition code is not extracted if the copy prohibition code is not extracted, and the copy prohibition code is extracted if it is extracted) Based on the content of the copy prohibition code), the content of the copy prohibition code (hereinafter referred to as an addition mode) to be added to the copy destination of the first original is determined (S203). Then, the determined addition mode is added to the first original of the copy destination (S204). In this manner, an addition mode is determined and a copy prohibition code is added to each original in the determined mode.

Next, a specific method for determining the additional mode described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) to 5 (f).
First, an example of the addition process shown in FIG. In this case, when the copy prohibition code is added to the first copy of the original document and the copy prohibition code is not added to the second to fourth copies, the additional processing is performed according to the additional pattern A as an additional mode. The result is shown. With the additional pattern A, the same copy prohibition code is added to the first sheet, and the same copy prohibition code as the first sheet is added to the second and subsequent sheets only when the copy prohibition code is not added. Is.
That is, in this case, the same copy prohibition code as the copy prohibition code added to the first sheet is added to all the second and subsequent originals. As a result, the same code is added to all sheets of the copied document. In this additional pattern A, it is possible to read the originals one by one and perform the additional mode determination processing and the additional processing in the determined mode, but all the originals (four originals) are processed. After reading all together, an addition mode may be determined for each document, and finally, a process for adding a copy prohibition code may be performed for four sheets.

Next, an example shown in FIG. 5B will be described. This is the same as FIG. 5A in that the addition processing is performed according to the addition pattern A, but the same code as that of the first sheet is added to the third sheet of the copy source document. Different from the example shown in (a). When the additional pattern A is applied, for the third sheet, the same copy prohibition code as the copy prohibition code attached to the third original of the copy source is attached to the third original of the copy destination. However, since this is the same as the first copy prohibition code, as a result, the same copy prohibition code is attached to all sheets of the copied document as in FIG.
When processing is performed according to the additional pattern A, if different codes are detected from a plurality of documents, the control unit 10 stops the copy processing after the detected time point. In the case of an operation mode in which the addition mode is determined for a plurality of read originals at once, if the process is stopped at the time of the detection, it is not necessary to execute the copy prohibition code addition process (printing). Unnecessary toner and ink are not consumed.
The reason for performing such error control is that, for example, when there is only one type of copy prohibition code, it is considered that a copy prohibition code read error has occurred. Alternatively, in a situation where various copy prohibition codes can be included in a copy target document, the application of this additional pattern A is effective when it is desired to prohibit such different documents from being copied at once.

  As described above, according to the additional mode shown in FIG. 5 (a) or FIG. 5 (b), even if the copy prohibition code is printed only on some sheets of the copy source document, A copy prohibition code is added to the paper. As a result, an action that was possible with a copy source document (for example, an action that attempts to copy other than the first page individually) is not possible with a copied document. That is, the effect of suppressing document duplication is improved with the copying process.

  Next, the example of FIG. 5C will be described. In this example, the addition process is performed according to the addition pattern B. The additional pattern B means that when a copy prohibition code different from the copy prohibition code extracted in the previous document is extracted from the second and subsequent originals, the copy prohibition code extracted later for the original Is added. For the original from which the copy prohibition code has not been extracted, the first copy prohibition code extracted from the read original is added. In FIG. 5C, a copy prohibition code is attached to the first and third originals in the copy source document, but the contents of the two copy prohibition codes are different. In this state, typically, the first copy group consisting of a total of two copies of the first and second pages with the copy prohibition code added only to the first page, and the copy prohibition code only on the same first page. This may occur when the second document group consisting of a total of two sheets, the third sheet and the fourth sheet, to which A is added, is bundled and set in the ADF.

When the additional pattern B is applied to such a copy source document, the result is as shown on the right side of FIG. That is, for the second original, since no copy prohibition code is added to the original, the copy prohibition detected on the first original is the same as in FIG. 5 (a) or (b). The same copy prohibition code as the code is added. Subsequently, when the third original is read and a copy prohibition code having a content different from that of the already extracted copy prohibition code is extracted, the copy prohibition code added to the third original is added. For the fourth sheet, the same code as the code detected for the first sheet is added as in the second sheet.
As a result, two types of copy prohibition codes are added to the copy destination document. Since the copy prohibition code is newly assigned to the second and fourth sheets, the copy prohibition effect is improved in that an act of copying these originals alone can be prevented. For the third sheet, the original copy prohibition information is also retained for the copy destination document.

In the example of FIGS. 5D to 5F, the adding method is not sequentially determined for each original, but all original groups to be copied (first to fourth in the figure). Is adopted, the copy prohibition code is extracted, and the addition mode is determined based on all the extracted codes.
First, the example of FIG. 5 (d) will be described. In this example, as in FIG. 5 (c), a copy source document including two or more types of copy prohibition codes is processed according to the additional pattern C. The additional pattern C means that the same code is added as it is for a document with a copy prohibition code attached to the copy source document, while all the copies copied by the control unit 10 for those without a code. This is a process of synthesizing prohibited codes to generate and add new codes. As a result, as shown in the figure, codes different from the extracted code are respectively added to the second and fourth originals of the copy destination.
Here, “combining” codes means that, for example, copy prohibition codes 1 and 2 are extracted from the first sheet and the third sheet, respectively, and copy prohibition code 1 restricts users who are permitted to copy to user group A. If the copy prohibition code 2 restricts the users who are permitted to copy to the user group B, the copy prohibition code to be synthesized is a user belonging to either the user group A or the user group B. The content is to permit copying. However, the method of synthesizing the copy prohibition code is not limited to this, and other existing algorithms can be used.

Next, the example of FIG. 5 (e) will be described. In this example, as in FIG. 5D, a copy source document including two or more types of copy prohibition codes is processed according to the additional pattern D. The additional pattern D means that the same copy prohibition code is added as it is to a document with a copy prohibition code attached to the original copy, while the control unit 10 extracts the one without the copy prohibition code. All the copy prohibition codes are compared, one copy prohibition code having the strictest copy prohibition content is specified, and the specified copy prohibition code is assigned.
In the example shown in the figure, as a result of comparison between the copy prohibition code attached to the first sheet and the copy prohibition code attached to the third sheet, the latter is identified as having the strictest prohibited content. A copy prohibition code attached to the third sheet is added to the second and fourth originals.
Here, the determination as to whether or not the content of the copy prohibition is the strictest is made based on, for example, the number of users who are permitted to copy. Specifically, the copy prohibition codes 1 and 2 are extracted from the first and third sheets, respectively. The copy prohibition code 1 is a copy permission target user, and the copy prohibition code 2 is a copy permission target user. Is the content that there are five persons, the copy prohibition code 2 is selected. However, the method for specifying one copy prohibition code from a plurality is not limited to this, and other algorithms may be used. Or, conversely, a code with the most lenient content may be specified and added.

Next, the example of FIG. 5 (f) will be described. In this example, as in FIG. 5D, a copy source document including two or more types of copy prohibition codes is processed according to the additional pattern E. The additional pattern E means that the above-mentioned copy prohibition code is synthesized and added to all the copy destination originals regardless of whether or not the copy original code is attached to the original copy. Is.
As a result of this processing, as shown in FIG. As described above, the synthesis method is arbitrary. For example, the copy prohibition codes 1 and 2 are extracted, the copy prohibition code 1 restricts the users who are permitted to copy to the user group A, and the copy prohibition code 2 restricts the users who are permitted to copy to the user group B. If the content is to be copied, a copy prohibition code having the content of permitting copying to either user A or B is generated. In this case, since the copy restriction is newly imposed on the second and fourth sheets, the effect of preventing the copy is improved, while the copy restriction is substantially relaxed on the first and fourth sheets, and the user group A It becomes possible to allow copying of the entire document to any of users B and B.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as shown below, for example.

  The copy prohibition code is not necessarily added to the document, and may be acquired separately from the document. For example, a sheet in which only a copy prohibition code is printed (hereinafter referred to as a copy prohibition sheet) may be introduced on a sheet on which a document is not printed.

  For example, the following method can be considered as a method for realizing copy restriction by using a copy prohibition sheet. When receiving a copy instruction from the user, the image forming apparatus 1 displays a message requesting a copy-prohibited sheet after user authentication. The user sets a copy prohibition sheet distributed in advance by the administrator of the image forming apparatus 1 on the platen glass. When the copy prohibition sheet is scanned and the copy prohibition code is extracted, the determination and addition of the copy prohibition code described above is started.

  In addition, a storage medium or paper in which the function of the IC card 20 and the copy prohibition function are integrated may be introduced. Specifically, a user ID, an additional authority, an additional pattern, and at least one copy prohibition code are recorded on the copy prohibition sheet, and this information is read by the image forming apparatus 1 so that the additional pattern, the copy prohibition code, The addition mode may be determined based on the above.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case of performing copying (printing on paper) has been described. However, the read original document (and attached copy prohibition code) is stored in the image forming apparatus 1 as data such as a bitmap. Information that restricts the output of the original document, such as the above-described copy prohibition code, may be added to the processing that is stored in the unit 15 and transferred to the external device. Specifically, when the user instructs storage to the storage unit 15 or transfer to an external apparatus, the image forming apparatus 1 requests information stored in the IC card 20 or the copy prohibition sheet, and After determining / adding the copy prohibition code to be added to the original document data stored (or transferred) based on this, the storage (or transfer) may be performed.

  Further, the number of additional patterns stored in the IC card 20 is not limited to one, and a plurality of additional patterns may be stored. For example, when the image forming apparatus 1 recognizes that the additional patterns A, C, and D are stored, the display unit 17 displays that the three can be selected, and the user selects one of them. Prompt. Alternatively, the additional pattern may not be stored in an external storage medium such as the IC card 20 but may be input by the user via the input unit 16 every time a copy instruction is given.

  One user may have a plurality of copy prohibition codes and / or additional patterns (or both) and a plurality of copy prohibition sheets. In this case, for example, the plurality of copy prohibition sheets are all read into the image forming apparatus 1, and the control unit 10 analyzes at least one of the contents of the additional pattern and the copy prohibition code, and adds the additional pattern and the copy to be used for the copying process. At least one of the prohibition codes may be determined according to a predetermined algorithm.

  In the embodiment described above, an operation mode (hereinafter referred to as “operation mode 1”) in which reading processing, addition mode determination processing, and addition processing are sequentially performed one by one, and an operation mode (hereinafter referred to as “operation mode 2”) collectively performed at a time. In the case of using an additional pattern to which either aspect can be applied as in the operation examples shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the image forming apparatus 1 does so. May be displayed on the display unit 17 to specify whether the user selects a desired operation mode. Alternatively, even if information specifying this operation mode is stored in the beginning (first sheet) of the document, the IC card 20, or the copy prohibition sheet, the image forming apparatus 1 reads this information and sets the operation mode. Good.

  Further, the control unit 10 may set this operation mode according to the number of copies designated by the user. For example, the operation mode 1 is set when the number of copies is a part, and the operation mode 2 is set when the number of copies is two or more.

  In addition, when the image forming apparatus 1 extracts the copy prohibition code from the first original (first sheet), the additional pattern A (first copy prohibition code) regardless of the presence or absence of copy prohibition information for the second and subsequent sheets. In the case where the copy prohibition code is not extracted from the first sheet, the additional process may be performed according to the additional pattern stored in the IC card 20 or the like.

  Programs for executing the above-described functions by the image forming apparatus 1 include a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk (HDD (Hard Disk Drive), FDD (Flexible Disk Drive), etc.)), and optical recording medium (optical disk (CD (CD)). Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), etc.), magneto-optical recording medium, semiconductor memory and other computer-readable recording media can be provided. It can also be downloaded via a network such as the Internet.

2 is a functional block diagram of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating information stored in an IC card 20. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another operation example of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. It is an example of the addition aspect of a copy prohibition code. It is another example of the addition aspect of a copy prohibition code. It is another example of the addition aspect of a copy prohibition code. It is another example of the addition aspect of a copy prohibition code. It is another example of the addition aspect of a copy prohibition code. It is another example of the addition aspect of a copy prohibition code.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus, 10 ... Control part, 11 ... Card reader, 12 ... Image forming part, 13 ... Printing part, 14 ... Communication part, 15 ... Memory | storage part, 16 ... input unit, 17 ... display unit, 18 ... bus, 20 ... IC card.

Claims (15)

First generation means for generating a document information by reading a plurality of documents to be copied;
An acquisition means for acquiring copy restriction information;
Original information of a copy original is generated by adding the copy restriction information acquired by the acquisition means to the original information generated by the first generation means without the copy restriction information. Second generation means;
An image forming apparatus comprising: output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated by the second generation means. First generation means for generating a document information by reading a plurality of documents to be copied;
Extraction means for extracting copy restriction information added to the plurality of copy originals;
The original information of the copy original is generated by adding the copy restriction information acquired by the extraction means to the original information generated by the first generation means without the copy restriction information. Second generation means;
An image forming apparatus comprising: output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated by the second generation means. Acquisition means for acquiring additional mode information representing a mode of adding copy restriction information to a copy original;
First generation means for generating a document information by reading a plurality of documents to be copied;
Extraction means for extracting copy restriction information added to the plurality of copy originals;
Second generation for generating original information of a copy original by adding copy restriction information based on the additional mode information acquired by the acquisition means and the copy restriction information extracted by the extraction means to the copy original Means,
An image forming apparatus comprising: output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated by the second generation means. The second generation means adds the copy prohibition information added to the original to be read first read by the first generation means to the original to which no copy restriction information is added. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. When a plurality of different copy restriction information is extracted by the extraction unit, the second generation unit generates new copy restriction information based on the additional mode information and the copy restriction information, and the generated The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein copy restriction information is added to the copy original. When a plurality of different copy restriction information is extracted by the extraction unit, the second generation unit selects one copy restriction information and adds the selected copy restriction information to the copy original. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second generation unit adds the copy restriction information only to the original to which the copy restriction information is not added. 7. 8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second generation means adds the copy restriction information to the corresponding copy original as it is for the copy original to which copy restriction information is added. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the acquisition unit includes a unit that reads the additional mode information stored in an external storage medium. A display unit and an input unit;
When a plurality of the additional mode information is acquired by the acquisition unit, the second generation unit displays the fact on the display unit, and one additional mode information based on the information input from the input unit The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The second generation means performs reading of the plurality of copy originals and extraction of the copy restriction information for the plurality of originals in a lump, and then generates document information of the copy originals. And the second operation mode in which the reading of the document to be copied, the extraction of the copy restriction information, and the generation of the document information of the copied document are executed for each document are determined. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second generation unit selects the first operation mode or the second operation mode according to the number of copies. First generation means for reading a plurality of copy originals and generating original information;
An acquisition means for acquiring copy restriction information;
Original information of a copy original is generated by adding the copy restriction information acquired by the acquisition means to the original information generated by the first generation means without the copy restriction information. Second generation means;
A program that functions as output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated by the second generation means. Computer
First generation means for generating a document information by reading a plurality of documents to be copied;
Extraction means for extracting copy restriction information added to the plurality of copy originals;
The original information of the copy original is generated by adding the copy restriction information acquired by the extraction means to the original information generated by the first generation means without the copy restriction information. Second generation means;
A program that functions as output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated by the second generation means. Computer
Acquisition means for acquiring additional mode information representing a mode of adding copy restriction information to a copy original;
First generation means for generating a document information by reading a plurality of documents to be copied;
Extraction means for extracting copy restriction information added to the plurality of copy originals;
Second generation means for generating original information of a copy original by adding copy restriction information based on the additional mode information acquired by the acquisition means and the copy restriction information extracted by the extraction means to the copy original. When,
A program that functions as output means for outputting a copy original in accordance with the original information generated by the second generation means.

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