JP2011004113A - Image reading apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that a third person successfully copies security documents without any restriction.SOLUTION: When an output object has security information printed thereon and is placed on a platen, an image reading apparatus reads beforehand the security information. Image forming apparatus 1003 and 1004 are controlled in accordance with the security information and password authentication results to determine whether an copy operation and the platen should be locked.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus that reads an image of a document, and an image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus.

  Conventionally, in order to read a document, an image reading apparatus generally reads a document table on which the document is placed, an image reading unit that reads the document placed on the document table, and a document placed on the document table. For the purpose of shielding external light and pressing the document, a document cover is provided that covers the document table so that it can be opened and closed with one side of the document table as a pivot. The image reading device may be used alone or may be used by being incorporated in a facsimile machine, printer, copier, or a combination thereof, and the image obtained by the image reading unit of the image reading device is recorded in a sheet form. It has come to be designed to print out to a carrier or output to a terminal connected to a network.

  In such an image reading apparatus, a document on the document table is taken away or discarded by a third party, and there is a risk that the document is lost or the contents described in the document are leaked to the third party. When the image reading apparatus is connected to the network, when placing an original on the document table and issuing a reading instruction from the terminal to the image reading apparatus, there is no one in front of the document table until the image reading instruction is issued. There is a risk that the document will be removed from the document table by a third party. Again, there is a risk of losing the original or leaking the contents described in the original to a third party.

  Also, there is a risk that a document that you want to protect from your desk will be taken away by a third party and copied without permission. In this case, copying may be repeated indefinitely, resulting in a tremendous information leak.

As a solution to the conventional problems,
In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the image reading apparatus is provided with a key for holding the document cover covering the document table in a closed state.

  In the device described in Patent Document 2, a password is given to each user, the document cover is locked by password authentication, the document reading operation is completed, and the operation of unlocking the document cover again by password authentication is performed. It is what you want to do.

  In the device described in Patent Document 3, a wireless tag for individually identifying a plurality of users and the tag are managed. When the user is near the document table, a signal from the wireless tag is detected and the document table is not locked. When the user is not near the document table, the signal from the wireless tag is not detected and the document table is locked.

JP 2001-33895 A JP-A-10-124645 Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-084440

  However, the conventional image forming apparatus has the following problems.

  Regarding the one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-33895, there is a problem that the user himself / herself performs the document cover locking and unlocking operations every time, and the locking operation tends to be complicated and lacks usability.

  Regarding the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-125391, when it is necessary to read a large number of documents, the password assigned to the user must be entered every time the document cover is opened and closed. Lack. Further, if the document cover is left locked, a third party who does not know the password cannot open the document cover and cannot use the image reading apparatus.

  With respect to those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-246920, if the user is a registered user, the document cover can be freely opened and closed, meaning that the document can be read by the third party without restriction, and the document owner himself However, it cannot meet the demand for preventing leakage of the contents of the manuscript. Further, there is a problem that the user cannot determine the operation of locking and unlocking the document cover for each document and each document only by allowing the user to open and close the document cover.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to overcome the problems of the image reading apparatus having the lock function in the above-described conventional apparatus, and in the image reading apparatus, the locking and unlocking operation and the print output are performed for each original, for each job, for each user. An object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-use image reading apparatus that can be performed appropriately.

  The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above-described problems, and includes the following configuration as one means for solving the above-described problems.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention has a lock function for holding a state in which the cover placed on the surface on which the document is placed of the document table is opened and closed by the cover. It also has a security information generation unit with embedded security information, prints the information on a document, reads the security information on the platen, performs the operation requested by the user with the embedded security information, and locks the platen Determine whether to do or not.

  The operation requested by the user is to determine whether or not the document table is locked during copying of the document, and whether the password level is user unit, job unit or document unit. When a document is taken away by a third party, if the password is requested by the security information, and the password is incorrect, the document table is locked to prevent the occurrence of confidential information leakage. be able to.

  According to the present invention, in an image reading apparatus including an image reading unit that reads a document placed on a document table and an openable / closable document cover that covers the document table, a security information generating unit that generates security information and the document cover include: A lock unit for locking in the closed state; a reading unit for reading the security information printed on the document; and a lock control unit for controlling the lock unit based on the security information.

  In the present invention, the user prints security information together with the contents of the document in advance when the user wants to limit or protect the document and the copy of the document for security protection or a third party.

  When copying a document on which security information is printed, when the user places an original on the platen, the security information is pre-scanned and the contents of the security information embedded in the original are read.

  Then, in order to determine whether or not to permit copying, a password input is requested.

  Information related to the copying operation and password information determined mainly for each user, each copying job, and each document are embedded. When a document is placed on the document table, the document reading unit performs a pre-reading operation and reads security information. If the password authentication is wrong, the platen is locked. If the password is correct, the platen is not locked.

  Passwords can be determined on a user basis, on a document basis, or on a copy job basis. In other words, first, security information is read to determine which security level password is set. If it is determined on a per-user basis, the password is authenticated by referring to the list of users and passwords. The list may be a storage unit of the image forming apparatus main body or a print server on a network. If the password decided by the user can be entered, the document table is not locked.

  If the password converted into the printed security information matches the entered password, the document table is not locked, even if determined on a document basis. The document platen is locked with a password determined by the user, and a password can be set for each document. The security level can be higher. In addition, a common password may be set for each job, not for each document, and it is flexible.

  In other words, for example, when a document set consisting of two or more presentation materials is output, a password is required for the first page. After that, password authentication is omitted from the security information printed for each document. It is.

  In other words, the password is embedded in the first document, and the second and subsequent pages are checked for continuity with the first page.

  In the security information, information regarding whether or not the document table is always locked at the time of pre-scanning can be embedded. For this reason, when placed on the platen and pre-scanned, the platen is locked and the security level can be increased.

  The security information is at least one of an encrypted character string, a number, a symbol, a mark, a barcode, a digital watermark, and a background pattern that becomes apparent when copying.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a digital print unit showing a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. 1 shows an external perspective view of an image reading apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an MFP (1D system) according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart in 1st embodiment of this embodiment. It is an input screen in the first embodiment of the present embodiment It is security information in the first embodiment of this embodiment It is security information in the second embodiment of this embodiment It is security information in the second embodiment of this embodiment It is security information in the second embodiment of this embodiment It is an input screen in the first embodiment and the second embodiment of this embodiment. It is an input screen in the first embodiment of the present embodiment It is a flowchart in 2nd embodiment of this embodiment. It is an input screen in 2nd embodiment of this embodiment.

(First embodiment)
Outline of Apparatus Configuration Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Description will be made using an image forming apparatus. Although the image forming apparatus will be described by an electrophotographic method, the characteristic points of the control, especially the matters described in the claims, are claimed to be within the scope of the claims even in the image forming apparatus having the document table. To do.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the digital print unit, and is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the digital print unit.

  Here, one or a plurality of print servers 1001, client PCs 1002, color MFPs 1004 (Multi Function Printers) and monochrome MFPs 1003 connected to the network exist.

  The print server 1001 has two roles. The first is information transmission / reception with the outside of the digital print unit. Image information and setting information of the submitted job are first input to the print server, and when the job is completed, information such as status is notified to the outside. Have a role. The other is management control inside the digital print unit. Jobs input from outside and jobs generated inside the digital print unit are centrally managed by the print server and are inside the digital print unit. The status of all devices and all jobs can be monitored, and control such as job suspension, setting change, printing restart, job duplication, movement, and deletion can be performed.

  The client PC 1002 refers to a PC (personal computer) handled by the user. The role of editing input application files, printing instructions, or printing ready files, and monitoring of devices and jobs managed in the print server. And has a role to assist in control. Of course, the client PC 1002 includes an electronic device (for example, a FAX or a scanner) that can transmit a print job to the printer.

  The color MFP 1004 and the monochrome MFP 1003 are image forming apparatuses having various functions such as scanning, printing, and copying. Since the color MFP 1004 and the monochrome MFP 1003 have different speeds, costs, and the like, it is necessary to use them according to each application.

  The image reading apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2 is generally called a scanner. When the image reading apparatus 10 is used alone as shown in FIG. 2, or as shown in FIG. 3, the image reading unit of the copier 30 that is an image forming apparatus. May be used as

  The image reading apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can be used by being incorporated not only in a copying machine but also in a printer, a facsimile, and a composite device thereof. The incorporated image forming apparatus is limited to only a copying machine. It is not something.

  The image reading apparatus 10 includes a glass platen 11 on which a document is placed, an openable / closable cover 12 that presses the document placed on the platen 11 from above, a light source 13 that irradiates an image surface of the document, and an image surface of the document. An image which is a photoelectric conversion unit having a function of performing photoelectric conversion of the reflected light from the plurality of mirrors 14 and 14 and the lens 15 that guide the reflected light from the CCD, and performing various image processing on the obtained electrical signal The processing unit 16 and the like are configured as main parts. The image processing unit 16 has image processing functions such as a CCD (not shown), A / D conversion, S / H, shading correction, masking correction, zooming, and LOG stitching. The image processing unit 16 is connected to a network via a communication cable 19 and can transmit, receive, and read image information to other devices via the network cable 19.

  The communication cable 19 is also connected to a control circuit 20 that controls the image reading apparatus 10. When a document reading signal is input through the network cable 19, the control circuit 20 causes the image reading device 10 to start reading an image.

  Also provided is a lock control means for controlling the locking and unlocking of the document cover.

  FIG. 4 shows the flow of this embodiment.

  The user first requests output of security information to be printed on a document in advance.

  The following information is mainly embedded in the security information to be embedded.

1. At what security level is the password set for the original?
Embed information about.

1. There are two types of password settings. Enter the password in any case,
(1) User authentication type password If the user name and the password determined by the user are authenticated by the password determined for each user as shown in FIG. Allow. On the other hand, if the password authentication is wrong three times in succession, the document table is locked so that the document placed on the document table cannot be shaken. The allowable number of password authentications may be one or five. The allowable number of times may be embedded in the security information printed on the document. The number has little meaning, and determines whether or not to lock the document table depending on the result of password authentication. 5 may be a display unit of the image forming apparatus or may be displayed on the user's client PC.

(2) Document management type password In this form, a password can be set for each original document. Users can set passwords for specific output items instead of user passwords when outputting in advance.

  Therefore, since the password can be set for each document rather than the user password, there is an effect of increasing the security level. The document also has a security level, and even if the original is taken away by a third party who knows the user password and tries to copy it, the user password does not perform the copying operation. Further, if the password authentication failure is in the hand of a person who should not have the original document, the password authentication failure is determined as theft of the original document, and the document table is locked. By performing such an operation, it is possible to protect the document without touching the document.

  If the password authentication is wrong three times in succession, the platen is locked so that the document placed on the platen cannot be shaken. The allowable number of password authentications may be one or five.

  First, the user checks whether or not the image reading apparatus 10 is being used by another computer, and places the document on the document table 11 so that the image surface faces downward. When the cover 1212 is pressed, the light source scans the image surface of the document and reads the security information.

  The key 18 is automatically locked and the cover 12 cannot be opened. On the other hand, the user then returns to the operation unit on the image forming apparatus or the computer used by the user, and transmits a document reading start signal to the control circuit 20 by remote control.

  Then, a user authentication type or document management type password is input.

  FIG. 4 is a user interface for the user to input a password.

  When the document is pre-scanned, the display unit as shown in FIG.

  When the authentication is completed, the light source 13 moves in the direction of the arrow Kl while irradiating light, and scans the image surface of the document. The reflected light image from the image plane is imaged on the CCD via a plurality of mirrors 14 and lenses 15 and is photoelectrically converted into electric signals here.

  The image signal that is an electrical signal is transmitted to the computer network via the communication cable 19 when the image reading apparatus 10 is used alone. When the image reading device 10 is used as an image reading unit as shown in FIG. 2, after the image processing unit 16 performs various image processes, the image forming unit 30 forms an image. Is transmitted to the unit 31.

  If the user is not in front of the image reading apparatus again, the user moves to the image reading apparatus 10, inputs the password, opens the key 18, opens the cover 12, and removes the document.

  Frequent password entry occurs when a password is set for each document. However, when a password is set for each document, it is considered that the document itself is valuable, and it is highly necessary to be careful in performing the copying operation. For this reason, it is considered necessary to enter a password when copying documents frequently.

  To avoid cumbersome document copying, security information for each job may be added, or information may be added for each user.

  Accordingly, since the cover 12 is locked and cannot be opened during the reading operation of the image reading apparatus 10 based on the security information, other users cannot inadvertently open the cover 12, and the document It is possible to prevent the loss of information and the leakage of secret information. In addition, the original can be read reliably. Furthermore, by being locked, it can be easily identified whether or not the image reading apparatus 10 is reading an image, and the troublesomeness in use can be eliminated.

  Next, the image forming unit 31 of the image forming apparatus will be described.

  The image forming unit 31 scans the surface of an image control unit 32, a laser element 33, and a photosensitive drum 34 (to be described later) with a laser beam, which converts an electric signal sent from the image reading device 101 into a signal for driving a laser. A polygon scanner 35, an image forming unit 36 including a photosensitive drum 34, which will be described later, a fixing unit 37 disposed on the most downstream side, and the like are configured as main components.

  Further, the above-described image forming means 36 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 34 that is arranged in the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 34 that is rotatably supported in the direction of the arrow and in the vicinity thereof. A primary charger 38, a developing device 39 for developing an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 34, a transfer charger 40 for transferring a toner image on the photosensitive drum 34 to a transfer paper P, and a transfer residual toner attached to the photosensitive drum 34 The main components are a cleaner 41 that removes charge, an auxiliary charger 42 that removes static electricity, a pre-exposure lamp 43 that removes residual charges, and the like.

  The sheet P supplied from any one of the sheet supply cassettes 50 and 51 is conveyed by a sheet conveyance path 54 having a conveyance roller pair 52 and 53, further conveyed to a registration roller pair 55, and visualized by the developing device 39. The toner image on the photosensitive drum 34 is fed onto the transfer charger 40 in synchronization with the timing. The sheet P to which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 20, and then conveyed by the conveyance unit 44 and sent to the fixing unit 37. Then, the sheet P on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit 37 is discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 45 and sequentially stacked. Sheets include plain paper, thin resin sheets that are substitutes for plain paper, postcards, cardboard, sealed letters, and plastic thin plates.

  The display unit 56 is an operation unit and display of the image forming apparatus, and performs command input from the operator, notification of the state of the apparatus to the operator, and the like.

  Using a belt, a roller, or the like, a document on the document table can be discharged from the document table by the discharge unit, and a dedicated document discharge box for storing and holding the document discharged by the discharge unit is provided. When it is determined that the document on the document table has been misplaced when the document cover is locked for more than a predetermined time, the lock control unit operates the discharge unit to place the document on the document table in the document discharge box 57. Send out and unlock the document cover to prevent other users from using the document table. By using the document discharge box as a box with a key, the confidentiality of the discharged document can be maintained. The document discharge box may be configured to be unlocked by a limited operation such as a key operation by a specific administrator or an administrator password. It should be noted that the time taken to forget the original on the original table after being placed on the original table is set to 1 minute from the end of copying in this embodiment. It may be longer or shorter than this time.

  Also, before it is determined that the original has been misplaced and before the original is discharged into the original discharge box, an operation is performed to notify the display unit 56 of the image forming apparatus that there is an original on the original table, and the original is collected so that it cannot be misplaced Prompt the user. As a notification to the user, the user name and “There is a document on the document table” are notified. Further, after a certain period of time from the copying operation, it is determined that the user has forgotten to remove the document, and the user name and a message “There is a document on the document table. Please remove the document” are urged to remove the document. After a certain period of time, a notification that “the document will be discharged into the document discharge box in minutes” is issued. At that time, it is desirable to operate with a sound such as a beep.

  The notification operation is performed for 1 minute, which is 1 minute shorter than the time when the document is discharged to the document discharge box.

  Security information will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The security information referred to in this embodiment is at least one of a bar code, a two-dimensional symbol, an encrypted character string, a number, and a symbol.

  Barcode symbol (Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS X 0500 is a general term for information carriers that display information and make it machine-readable by combining a high optical reflectance part and a low optical reflectance part. User information and password information can be embedded in a dimension symbol).

  If the security information is a one-dimensional barcode, in FIG. 6, the first number is the user ID, and then the number is the password. The same applies to FIG. 7, where the first character is the user ID, and then the number is the password.

  Instead of letters and numbers here, symbols and kanji may be used.

  Such security information is added to a document output request. In this embodiment, when security information addition is checked as shown in FIG. 8, an input screen as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed, and the type of barcode symbol and what information is entered are determined. Here, a one-dimensional barcode as shown in FIG. 6 or a two-dimensional barcode as shown in FIG. 7 can be selected.

  If additional information is selected for each user, the password registered for the user is included in the security information. User registration is listed in the print server list. Alternatively, it may be stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the image forming apparatus.

  Then, the position for printing the security information in the document is determined and output.

  A storage medium (or recording medium) on which a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded is supplied to the system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus is stored in the storage medium. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by performing part or all of the actual processing and the processing is included.

  Furthermore, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function is determined based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the CPU or the like provided in the expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

(Second embodiment)
A second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. The configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS.

  In the second embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not to lock the document table before inputting the password in the security information.

  The user can select the security level of the document by embedding in the security information whether the document table is locked during copying of the document. In other words, when it is not desired to leave the image forming apparatus during copying of the document or to remove it from the document table, the document table may be set to be locked.

  Also, usability may be impaired due to frequent password entry, such as when copying continuously. Therefore, it is embedded in the security information so that the document table is not locked even during copying.

  That is, in the security information, if it is a one-dimensional barcode, it is determined that locking is not performed if the first character string is 0, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, it is determined whether or not the leading number is locked, and the character between the spaces is the user ID, and the character after that is the password. The same applies to FIG. 11, where it is determined whether the first character is locked or not, and the character between the spaces is the user ID, and the subsequent character is the password.

  Follow the flow as shown in FIG.

  In this embodiment, when security information addition is checked as shown in FIG. 10, it is possible to select whether to lock the document table during copying as shown in FIG.

  When this check is entered, the original is read and automatically embedded in the security information so that the original cover is closed and locked.

Claims (4)

In an image reading apparatus comprising an image reading unit for reading a document placed on a document table and an openable / closable document cover for covering the document table,
Security information generating means for generating security information; locking means for locking the document cover in a closed state; reading means for reading the security information printed on the document; and a password authentication function;
An image reading apparatus comprising: a lock control unit that controls the lock unit based on the security information and password authentication. In an image reading apparatus comprising an image reading unit for reading a document placed on a document table and an openable / closable document cover for covering the document table,
Security information generating means for generating security information; locking means for locking the document cover in a closed state; reading means for reading the security information printed on the document; and a password authentication function;
An image reading apparatus comprising: a lock control unit that controls the lock unit based on the security information and password authentication; a notification unit that performs a notification operation according to a lock state time; and a box that discharges a document.   The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document table is locked when the password is not authenticated.   The security information is at least one of a bar code, a two-dimensional symbol, an encrypted or non-encrypted character string, a number, and a symbol. An image reading apparatus according to claim 1.

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