JP2010098721A - Print processing apparatus and print processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus which can print a document enabling truth/falsehood decision easily and certainly. <P>SOLUTION: The print processing apparatus is provided with: an embedded character information generation unit which generates embedded character information which is information for embedding character information output from a raster image processing unit in characters; and an own character information embedding unit which embeds the generated embedded character information in the characters. Moreover, it is provided with an own character information and perimeter character information embedding unit which embeds the own character information and the perimeter character information in the printed characters. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a print processing apparatus and a print processing method capable of printing a document that can be easily and reliably determined for authenticity.

  Increasingly, receipts and purchase orders are printed using a personal computer. However, a document printed using an image forming apparatus such as a conventional printer can be easily forged or altered.

  In this regard, a technique has been proposed in which identification information is generated from document data to be printed, and the identification information is combined with a background image of the document to be printed (for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, this technique has a problem that the authenticity of the document cannot be determined if the printed document is damaged or discolored due to aging.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-7442

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a print processing apparatus and a print processing method capable of printing a document that can be easily and reliably determined for authenticity.

  The present invention relates to a raster image processing unit for generating and outputting character raster data representing one character from the character code representing one character, and a character raster with a digital watermark by embedding the character code in the character raster data as a digital watermark. There is provided a print processing apparatus including an information embedding unit that outputs data and a printing unit that performs printing from character raster data with a digital watermark.

  According to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to generate a printed matter that can easily and accurately confirm the authenticity of each character or graph.

It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of an image processing apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the outline | summary of a process of an image processing apparatus. It is a flowchart of the other example which shows the outline | summary of a process of an image processing apparatus. 2 is a software module block diagram for information embedding processing performed by the print processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. It is a software module block diagram of an information embedding part. It is an example of the bitmap image data input from the raster image processing unit. It is an example of bitmap image data after embedding embedded character information. It is a software module block diagram for the information embedding process which the printing processing apparatus of 2nd Embodiment performs. It is a software module block diagram of the information embedding part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of printing of a receipt. It is a figure which shows the example of the forged receipt. It is a software module block diagram of the information embedding part which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a software module block diagram of the information embedding part which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example which embeds numerical information in a graph.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a print processing apparatus and a print processing method of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The print processing apparatus is installed between a host computer such as a personal computer and an image forming apparatus such as a printer and the image processing apparatus. The print processing apparatus can be formed integrally with the image forming apparatus or can be separate.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus includes a CPU 101 that is an arithmetic device, a north bridge 102 connected to the CPU 101, and a system memory 103 connected to the north bridge 102. The north bridge 102 refers to an LSI that controls information distribution in the image processing apparatus.

  Connected to the north bridge 102 are a network interface 104, an input / output unit 105, a page memory 106, a data storage unit 107, a system ASIC 108, and an image processing ASIC 109 which is an ASIC for performing image processing.

  The input / output unit 105 sends image data to the image forming unit 110. The image forming unit 110 forms an image based on the received image data.

  FIG. 2A is a flowchart showing an outline of processing of the image processing apparatus of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A, the image processing apparatus receives data for printing from a host computer such as a personal computer in operation 201.

  The image processing apparatus performs an information embedding process described later on the document data received from the host in operation 202. In this information embedding process, for example, the image processing apparatus embeds its own character information, which is information of the character itself to be printed, in the character.

  The image processing apparatus performs image attribute analysis in operation 203 and classifies data to be printed into Text, Graphics, and photo. The image processing apparatus performs raster calculation in operation 204, performs gamma conversion in operation 205, and performs halftone processing in operation 206.

  Here, the information embedding process may be performed as the operation 202A instead of the operation 202 between the raster calculation of the operation 204 and the gamma conversion of the operation 205. In addition, the information embedding process may be performed as the operation 202B instead of the operation 202 between the halftone process of the operation 206 and the data encoding of the operation 207. When the information embedding process is performed at the position of the operation 207A or the position of the operation 202B, compared with the position of the operation 202, there is less risk of the embedded information being disturbed by the image processing.

  The processing from the operation 202 to the operation 202B is performed by the CPU 101 using software.

  The image processing apparatus encodes the data in operation 207 and sequentially stores the data in the data storage unit 107. The image processing apparatus sequentially reads and decodes the data stored in operation 208. The processing from the operation 207 to the operation 208 is performed by the system ASIC 108.

  The image processing apparatus performs thinning in operation 209, and outputs the thinned data to the PWM engine in operation 210. The processing of the operation 209 is performed by the image processing ASIC 109. The PWM engine may constitute the image forming unit 110. The thinning process of this operation 209 can be omitted.

  FIG. 2B is a flowchart of another example showing an outline of processing of the image processing apparatus of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2B, the image processing apparatus receives data for printing from a host computer such as a personal computer in operation 220.

  The image processing apparatus performs image attribute analysis in operation 221, performs raster calculation in operation 222, encodes data in operation 223, and sequentially stores the data in the data storage unit 107. The image processing apparatus sequentially reads and decodes the data stored in operation 224.

  The image processing apparatus performs filtering with a filter in operation 225, and performs information embedding processing in operation 226. The image processing apparatus performs gamma conversion in operation 227 and performs halftone processing in operation 228.

  The image processing apparatus may perform the information embedding process as the operation 226A after the operation 228 instead of the operation 226.

  The image processing apparatus performs thinning in operation 229, and outputs the thinned data to the PWM engine in operation 230.

  By configuring the information embedding process in the latter stage of the raster operation, the embedding process can be performed for each character even when the data received from the host computer is Postscript (registered trademark).

(First embodiment)
The print processing apparatus according to the present embodiment generates a raster image processing unit that generates character raster data representing one character from the character code representing one character, and embeds the character code in the character raster data as a digital watermark. An information embedding unit that outputs character raster data with digital watermark and a printing unit that performs printing from character raster data with digital watermark are provided.

  FIG. 3 is a software module block diagram for information embedding processing performed by the print processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, a host computer 300 such as a personal computer includes a document creation application 301 for creating a document, a printer driver 302 for printing a document created by the document creation application 301, and a print processing apparatus. A setting application 303 for setting the operation.

  The print processing apparatus 310 receives PDL (Page Description language) data output from the printer driver 302, and outputs character raster data (hereinafter referred to as bitmap image data) and character information expressed by a bitmap. A raster image processing unit 311, an information embedding unit 312 that performs information embedding processing, and a control unit 313 that controls operations of the raster image processing unit 311 and the information embedding unit 312.

  The operation of the control unit 313 is set by the setting application 303. The information embedding unit 312 outputs the bitmap image data to the print engine 320 that is a printing unit.

  FIG. 4 is a software module block diagram of the information embedding unit 312. As shown in FIG. 4, the information embedding unit 312 includes a self-character information embedding unit 401 and an embedded character information generating unit 402.

  The embedded character information generation unit 402 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311. The embedded character information generation unit 402 generates embedded character information that is information for embedding from the character information. For example, when the character information is “A”, the ASCII code which is the character code is 0x41 (1000001). The embedded character information generation unit 402 generates embedded character information that is data for specifying “A”. The embedded character information is, for example, 1000001.

  The self-character information embedding unit 401 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311. The self-character information embedding unit 401 embeds the embedded character information input from the embedded character information generation unit 402 for each character in the bitmap image data of the input character. The self-character information embedding unit 401 embeds the embedded character information input from the embedded character information generation unit 402 into the bitmap image data of the input character as a digital watermark for each character.

  FIG. 5 is an example of bitmap image data input from the raster image processing unit 311. As shown in FIG. 5, “A” is configured by combining rectangular figures.

  FIG. 6 is an example of bitmap image data after the embedded character information is embedded as a digital watermark. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the embedded character information is embedded by inverting a rectangular figure at a position determined for each character in advance. In FIG. 6, 16-bit information is embedded.

  As described above, the print processing apparatus 310 according to the present embodiment includes the embedded character information generation unit 402 that generates embedded character information that is information to be embedded in characters from the character information output from the raster image processing unit 311. A self-character information embedding unit 401 that embeds the generated embedded character information in the character. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to generate a printed matter that can easily and accurately confirm the authenticity of each character.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a software module block diagram for information embedding processing performed by the print processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, a host computer 300 such as a personal computer includes a document creation application 301 for creating a document, and a setting application 303 for setting the operation of the print processing apparatus.

  The print processing apparatus 310 directly generates a bitmap image from the output of the document creation application 301, outputs a bitmap image and character information, a bitmap generation unit 711, an information embedding unit 312, a control unit 313, Is provided.

  The information embedding unit 312 includes a self-character information embedding unit 401 and an embedded character information generating unit 402.

  The embedded character information generation unit 402 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the bitmap generation unit 711. The embedded character information generation unit 402 generates embedded character information that is information for embedding from the character information. For example, when the character information is “A”, the ASCII code is 0x41 (1000001). The embedded character information generation unit 402 generates embedded character information that is data for specifying “A”. The embedded character information is, for example, 1000001.

  The self-character information embedding unit 401 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the bitmap generation unit 711. The self-character information embedding unit 401 embeds the embedded character information input from the embedded character information generation unit 402 for each character in the bitmap image data of the input character.

  As described above, the print processing apparatus 310 according to the present embodiment embeds embedded character information in characters to be printed without using a printer driver. Therefore, there is an effect that the configuration becomes simpler and the manufacturing cost can be kept low.

(Third embodiment)
In the print processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, for example, the information embedding unit 312 embeds an adjacent character code, which is a character code of a character adjacent to one character of interest, as character watermark data as a digital watermark and outputs character raster data with a digital watermark To do.

  The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in that the configuration and operation of the information embedding unit 312 are different, and the other configurations are the first embodiment and the second embodiment. This is the same as the embodiment.

  FIG. 8 is a software module block diagram of the information embedding unit 312 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the information embedding unit 312 includes an embedded character information generation unit 802 and a self-character information peripheral character information embedding unit 801.

  The embedded character information generation unit 802 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311 or the bitmap generation unit 711. The embedded character information generation unit 402 generates embedded character information that is information for embedding from the character information.

  The embedded character information includes self-character information that is information for specifying a character to be printed, that is, the character code, and peripheral character information that is information for specifying an adjacent character, that is, an adjacent character code. For example, when the character string “13,542” is printed, the self-character information “4” is information for specifying “4”, and the peripheral character information is “5” or “2”. Information.

  The self-character information peripheral character information embedding unit 801 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311 or the bitmap generation unit 711. The self-character information peripheral character information embedding unit 801 embeds the embedded character information input from the embedded character information generation unit 802 for each character in the input bitmap image data of the character. The self-character information peripheral character information embedding unit 801 embeds the embedded character information input from the embedded character information generation unit 802 for each character as a digital watermark in the input bitmap image data of the character.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a print example of a receipt. As shown in FIG. 9, “2” is embedded as “2” as self-character information and “circle” is embedded as peripheral character information.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a forged receipt. As shown in FIG. 10, “2” next to the circle is copied next to “1”. However, the “circle” in the peripheral character information of the character copied next to “1” does not match “1” in the actual peripheral character information. Therefore, it can be determined that the image has been forged.

  As described above, the print processing apparatus 312 according to the present embodiment embeds the self-character information and the peripheral character information in the character to be printed by the self-character information peripheral character information embedding unit 801. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to determine impersonation more easily.

(Fourth embodiment)
The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in that the configuration and operation of the information embedding unit 312 are different, and the other configurations are the first embodiment and the second embodiment. This is the same as the embodiment.

  FIG. 11 is a software module block diagram of the information embedding unit 312 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the information embedding unit 312 includes a character information embedding condition determining unit 1101, a process selecting unit 1102, a first embedded character information generating unit 1103, a self-character information embedding unit 1104, and a second embedding unit. A character information generation unit 1105, a peripheral character information embedding unit 1106, and a character code image combining unit 1107 are provided.

  The character information embedding condition determination unit 1101 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311 or the bitmap generation unit 711. The character information embedding condition determination unit 1101 determines whether characters to be printed are numbers or non-numeric characters from the input character information, and outputs the determination result to the process selection unit 1102.

  The selection processing unit 1102 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311 or the bitmap generation unit 711, and inputs a determination result from the character information embedding condition determination unit 1101. The selection processing unit 1102 sends the input bitmap image data, character information, and the determination result to the first embedded information generation unit 1103 and the self-character information embedding unit 1104 when the determination result is a number, and the determination result is other than a number. In this case, the information is output to the second embedded information generating unit 1105 and the peripheral character information embedding unit 1106, respectively.

  The first embedded character information generation unit 1103 generates own character information that is information for specifying the characters to be printed from the input character information, and outputs the generated information to the own character information embedding unit 1104.

  The self-character information embedding unit 1104 inputs bitmap image data, character information, and a determination result from the process selection unit 1102. The self-character information embedding unit 1104 embeds the determination result and the self-character information input from the first embedded character information generation unit 1103 as a digital watermark for each character in the input bitmap image data of the character, and combines the character code image Output to the unit 1107.

  Here, the first embedded character information generation unit 1103 also generates peripheral character information, and the self-character information embedding unit 1104 is configured to embed the self-character information and the peripheral character information together as a digital watermark for each character. You can also.

  The second embedded character information generation unit 1105 generates peripheral character information that is information specifying peripheral information of characters to be printed from the input character information, and outputs the peripheral character information to the peripheral character information embedding unit 1106.

  Here, the peripheral character information is information for specifying a character or graphic adjacent to the character to be printed. Even when the inputted character information is a ruled line, peripheral character information of the ruled line is generated.

  The surrounding character information embedding unit 1106 inputs bitmap image data, character information, and a determination result from the processing selection unit 1102. The peripheral character information embedding unit 1106 embeds the determination result and the peripheral character information input from the second embedded character information generation unit 1105 as digital watermarks in the bitmap image data of the input character. The peripheral character information embedding unit 1106 embeds the peripheral character information as a digital watermark in the ruled line even when the object to be printed is a ruled line. The peripheral character information embedding unit 1106 outputs the embedded image to the character code image combining unit 1107.

  The character code image combining unit 1107 combines the images input from the self-character information embedding unit 1104 and the peripheral character information embedding unit 1106 into one image and outputs the image to the print engine 320.

  As described above, the print processing apparatus 312 of this embodiment embeds embedded character information in ruled lines. Therefore, there is an effect that the authenticity determination can be performed more strictly.

(Fifth embodiment)
The print processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a raster image processing unit that generates and outputs graph raster data that is raster data representing a graph object, and a data file that includes the graph object. An information embedding unit that embeds a code representing a numerical value in the graph raster data as a digital watermark and outputs the graph raster data with the digital watermark, and a printing unit that performs printing from the graph raster data with the digital watermark.

  The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment and the second embodiment in that the configuration and operation of the information embedding unit 312 are different, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. This is the same as the embodiment. The fifth embodiment is different in that it can be applied even when the object to be printed is a graph.

  For example, a graph object generated by spreadsheet software may be collectively handled as a data file together with a numerical value representing the position of the node of the object such as a bar or line indicated by the graph object with respect to the graph axis. This numerical value may be a numerical value indicating the distance itself such as pt, pixel, or mm as a unit in the software in which the data file is handled, or may be a numerical value associated with a distance such as a circle or a case. . In the fifth embodiment, a numerical value that is the basis of such a graph object is embedded in the raster data of the graph object.

  FIG. 12 is a software module block diagram of the information embedding unit 312 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 12, the information embedding unit 312 includes a character information embedding condition determining unit 1101, a process selecting unit 1102, a first embedded character information generating unit 1103, a self-character information embedding unit 1104, and a second embedding unit. A character information generation unit 1205, a numerical information embedding unit 1206, and a character code image combining unit 1107 are provided.

  The character information embedding condition determination unit 1101 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311 or the bitmap generation unit 711. The character information embedding condition determination unit 1101 determines whether characters to be printed are numbers or non-numeric characters from the input character information, and outputs the determination result to the process selection unit 1102.

  The selection processing unit 1102 inputs bitmap image data and character information from the raster image processing unit 311 or the bitmap generation unit 711, and inputs a determination result from the character information embedding condition determination unit 1101. The selection processing unit 1102 sends the input bitmap image data, character information, and the determination result to the first embedded information generation unit 1103 and the self-character information embedding unit 1104 when the determination result is a number, and the determination result is other than a number. In this case, the information is output to the second embedded information generating unit 1205 and the numerical information embedded unit 1206, respectively.

  The first embedded character information generation unit 1103 generates own character information that is information for specifying the characters to be printed from the input character information, and outputs the generated information to the own character information embedding unit 1104.

  The self-character information embedding unit 1104 inputs bitmap image data, character information, and a determination result from the process selection unit 1102. The self-character information embedding unit 1104 embeds the determination result and the self-character information input from the first embedded character information generation unit 1103 in the input bitmap image data of the character as a digital watermark, and sends it to the character code image combining unit 1107. Output.

  Here, the first embedded character information generation unit 1103 may also generate peripheral character information, and the self-character information embedding unit 1104 may embed the self-character information and the peripheral character information together as a digital watermark.

  The second embedded character information generation unit 1205 generates numerical information that is information for specifying numerical information regarding the graph to be printed from the input character information, and outputs the numerical information to the numerical information embedding unit 1206.

  The numerical information embedding unit 1206 inputs bitmap image data, character information, and a determination result from the processing selection unit 1102. The numerical information embedding unit 1206 embeds the determination result and the numerical information input from the second embedded character information generation unit 1205 as an electronic watermark in the input bitmap image data of the graph. The numerical information embedding unit 1206 outputs the embedded image to the character code image combining unit 1107.

  The character code image combining unit 1107 combines the images input from the self-character information embedding unit 1104 and the numerical information embedding unit 1206 into one image and outputs the combined image to the print engine 320.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example in which numerical information is embedded in a graph. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the numerical information embedding unit 1206 embeds numerical information using a rectangular figure 1302 in the outline of the graph 1301.

  As described above, the print processing apparatus 312 of this embodiment embeds embedded character information in a graph. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to more accurately determine the authenticity of not only a normal document but also a graph.

310: Print processing apparatus,
311: raster image processing unit,
312: Information embedding unit,
313: control unit,
401: Self-character information embedding unit,
402: Embedded character information generation unit.

Claims (5)

A raster image processing unit that generates and outputs character raster data representing one character from the character code representing one character;
An information embedding unit that embeds the character code in the character raster data as a digital watermark and outputs character raster data with a digital watermark;
A printing unit for printing from the character watermark data with digital watermark;
A printing processing apparatus comprising: The information embedding unit is
2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an adjacent character code, which is a character code of a character adjacent to the one character, is also embedded as an electronic watermark in the character raster data and the electronic watermark-added character raster data is output. The information embedding unit is
If the one character is a number, the character code is embedded in the character raster data,
3. The print processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein if the one character is not a number, the adjacent character code is embedded in the character raster data. A raster image processing unit for generating and outputting graph raster data representing a graph object;
An information embedding unit that embeds a code representing a numerical value that is the basis of the graph object included in the data file including the graph object as an electronic watermark in the graph raster data, and outputs the graph raster data with the electronic watermark;
A printing unit for printing from the graph raster data with digital watermark;
A printing processing apparatus comprising: A raster image processing unit generates and outputs character raster data representing one character from the character code representing one character,
An information embedding unit embeds the character code in the character raster data as a digital watermark and outputs character raster data with a digital watermark,
A printing processing method, wherein a printing unit performs printing from the character watermark data with digital watermark.

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