JP2012218281A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a preview function for display subject to concealment by a method matching the characteristic of variable data in each field.SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus has a means for making a concealment setting in units of record fields, a means for determining whether or not the concealment setting has been made for a variable data printing job, a means for imaging by performing concealment processing to the variable data when it is determined that the concealment setting has been made, a means for switching concealment imaging processing of the variable data of characters to either imaging after performing concealment processing to character data or concealing processing to an image produced by imaging the character data, a means for generating preview data by synthesizing image data of common data and image data resulting from the concealing processing, and a means for transmitting the preview data to a client.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to a preview function of a variable data printing system for concealing and displaying in accordance with the characteristics of each variable data.

  For printing such as direct mail, variable data printing (VDP) is used in which printing is performed by combining print data common to pages and variable data that changes for each page. In normal VDP, a system administrator, a print operator, or the like confirms print contents in advance. In VDP, there are many printed materials in which personal information such as addresses and names are variable data, but it is a problem from the viewpoint of personal information protection that anyone can read all variable data by prior confirmation. For example, you can know the variable data area and color in order to check whether the imposition and color are as you intended, and your name to identify the reprint page for partial recovery. It only needs to be readable only as the key data.

  In conventional test printing, in the generation of a PDL command on the host side, a specific character or figure is converted into a PDL command with a secret attribute, and the readable print of the secret portion is controlled depending on whether or not authentication is possible (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-173720 A

  In recent years, from the viewpoint of ecology and cost reduction, it is required to confirm in advance by a preview function rather than trial printing that is actually printed on paper and output. However, since the prior art realizes concealment by extending the PDL command, it is difficult to apply to the preview as it is.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a preview function for concealing display by a method according to the characteristics of variable data for each field.

The present invention
In variable data printing system,
Means (601, 612) for setting confidentiality for each record field;
Means for analyzing a variable data print job and determining whether the concealment setting is made (S903);
Means (S907 to 910) for performing concealment processing on the variable data when the determination unit determines that the concealment setting is performed;
According to the concealment setting, the concealment image conversion processing of character variable data is performed after concealment processing is performed on character data, or whether concealment processing is performed on an image obtained by imaging character data. Means for switching (S906);
Means for synthesizing the image data of the common data and the image data obtained as a result of the concealment processing to generate preview data (S806);
Means for transmitting the preview data to the client (50) (S807)
An image processing apparatus comprising:

  In the variable data printing preview, a concealment method can be set for each field in accordance with the characteristics of the variable data, so that the personal information can be concealed and displayed so as not to interfere with the work desired by the preview.

  Further, by concealing the image after the image is formed on the variable data of the character data, the concealment can be realized without impairing the recognition of the correct character drawing area.

1 is a block diagram of a system including a computer as an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram of a typical image forming apparatus system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Diagram showing an example of the data structure of a VDP job Figure showing an example of a record database The figure which shows an example of the setting screen of field layout information The figure which shows an example of a character secrecy setting screen The figure which shows an example of an image secrecy setting screen Explanatory drawing of character number matching replacement processing Explanatory drawing of character partial mask replacement processing Explanatory drawing of concealment processing after imaging of character data VDP job preview processing flowchart Secret RIP processing flowchart

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Example 1]
First, an image forming system to which each embodiment described below can be applied will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a basic configuration of an image forming system (image processing apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming system according to the present embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 10, a print server 20, a file server 30, and client PCs 40 and 50. The image forming apparatus 10, the print server 20, the file server 30, and the client PCs 40 and 50 are communicably connected via a network 60 such as a LAN or a WAN.

  The image forming apparatus 10 has various functions such as scanning, printing, and copying.

  The print server 20 manages the input print job and the image forming apparatus 10 connected via the network 60. The print server 20 can monitor the status of all print jobs with the image forming apparatus 10 connected thereto, and performs control such as print job suspension, setting change, print restart, job duplication, transfer, and deletion. be able to.

  The file server 30 stores a database related to variable data used for variable data printing, for example, a customer database including customer data such as a destination, an address, and a name.

  The client PC 40 has a function of issuing an application file print instruction to the image forming apparatus 10. When a print instruction is issued, a VDP job is sent to the image forming apparatus 10. Further, the client PC 40 has a function of assisting in monitoring and controlling the image forming apparatus 10 and the print job managed in the print server 20. The operator can check the job status and the like using the client PC 40.

  The client PC 50 has a function of making a variable data printing preview request to the image forming apparatus 10. When a preview request is made, preview data is received from the image forming apparatus 10 and displayed on the screen by a preview program. The client PCs 40 and 50 may be the same PC.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The control unit 201 controls each functional unit connected via the system bus 213 and controls the entire operation of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The operation unit 202 is for an operator to make various inputs, and includes various keys. From this operation unit 202, it is possible to issue a reprint instruction or a job cancel instruction.

  The display control unit 203 performs various displays and is configured by a display device such as an LCD or LED. The display control unit 203 displays a suspend record detection notification message during printing and prompts the operator to perform the next process.

  The VDP job receiving unit 204 receives a VDP job input from the client PC 40 via the print server 20 and transmits the received VDP job to the VDP job analyzing unit 205 if there is a VDP job processing instruction. To do.

  The VDP job analysis unit 205 refers to the VDP job received from the VDP job reception unit 204 and the record database 214 stored in the file server 30 and sequentially analyzes them. At this time, the link destination 215 of the master object and the VDP (variable data) object referred to by the record is referred to, whether or not the object can be accessed is confirmed, and they are associated with each other. Then, the VDP job analysis unit 205 transmits the analyzed record to the post-analysis record storage unit 206.

  The post-analysis record storage unit 206 stores the record received from the VDP job analysis unit 205.

  The RIP unit 207 performs RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing on the image data after VDP job analysis according to an instruction from the control unit 201. The RIP-completed object created during the RIP process is stored in the RIP unit 207 as necessary so that it can be reused.

  The printing unit 208 receives the image data RIPed by the RIP unit 207 and performs a printing process. A required medium is requested on the basis of print information added to each record in the printing unit 208, and is output in a finish setting or a specified output method.

  The preview request reception unit 209 receives a preview request from the client PC 50 and transmits a VDP job held in the image forming apparatus 10 or the print server 20 to the VDP job analysis unit 205.

  The preview data generation unit 210 causes the RIP unit 207 to perform RIP processing on the analyzed image data of the VDP job instructed by the preview request. If the data field of the record is set to be concealed, the concealment processing unit 211 performs the concealed RIP process. Then, the RIP image data is synthesized to generate preview data.

  The concealment processing unit 211 causes the RIP unit 207 to perform RIP processing in a form in which variable data is concealed according to the concealment setting of the data field. The secret processing may be performed after the variable data is concealed and then RIPed, or may be concealed after the RIP.

  The preview data transmission unit 212 transmits the preview data received from the preview data generation unit 210 to the requesting client PC 50.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of a VDP job according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The VDP job includes field layout information 301, confidential setting information 302, and record data 303. The field layout information 301 is information related to the layout on the paper of each data field included in the record. In addition to the position and size, attributes related to drawing, such as font and alignment of character data, expansion / contraction of graphic data, and overlapping order of fields are included. The secret setting information 302 is data for storing the secret setting of each data field. The record data 303 is variable record data. It may be real data or extraction conditions from a database.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplarily showing the first part of the spreadsheet data read from the record database 214 stored in the file server 30 in accordance with the extraction condition from the database stored in the record data 303. Reference numerals 401 to 407 denote record data or data fields in the database. 401 is a customer number, 402 is a name, 403 is an address, 404 is age, 405 is a link destination of a master file, 406 is a link destination of object 1, and 407 stores link destination information of object 2.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for setting the field layout information 301 in the example of FIG. Reference numeral 508 denotes a sheet, and figures 501 to 507 corresponding to the data fields 401 to 407 are arranged on the sheet using an input device such as a mouse. In addition, drawing attributes such as font and alignment of character data are set on a field attribute setting screen (not shown).

  6A and 6B are diagrams showing examples of screens for setting the confidential setting information 302. FIG. 6A shows a setting screen for character data, and FIG. 6B shows a setting screen for image data (including images and graphics).

  Hereinafter, a specific example of display based on the confidential setting in the case of character data will be described.

  When “Conceal processing” 602 is selected, the following concealment method can be set.

  When “Hide” 603 is selected, nothing is displayed in the field.

  When “Replace” 604 is selected, the display is replaced with the designated replacement character. Furthermore, when “the same number of characters as data” 605 is set to ON, the number of characters in the variable data is set to OFF, and when set to OFF, the number of characters that can fit in the field is replaced with replacement characters (see FIG. 7A). If you also want to keep the number of digits, such as passwords, confidential, set it to OFF. Further, when “display the beginning of the character string” 606 and “display after the character string” 607 are turned ON, the partial masking of the character string becomes possible (see FIG. 7B).

  When “Concealment after imaging” 608 is selected, the image concealment process can be performed on the image after the RIP of the variable data (see FIG. 7C). This concealment method is capable of correctly recognizing the area occupied by the character string, but is characterized by the fact that the contents of the character string, the number of characters, etc. can be concealed, and is effective for checking whether characters do not protrude from the frame. For example, when concealment is performed on a field of character data for which a variable pitch font is set, even if the same number of characters as the data is replaced, there is a possibility that the area occupied by the original character data is different. Then, since it is not possible to accurately check whether the character does not protrude from the frame, it is preferable to turn on “Concealment after imaging”. For the image concealment process, for example, “mosaic”, “low resolution”, “shaded” or the like can be selected.

  Further, as for the secret setting in the case of image data, when “Conceal processing” 613 is selected, the following secret method can be set. “Hide” 614 that does not display, “Replace” 615 that displays a specific image, “Image processing” 616 that performs image processing such as “mosaic”, “low resolution”, and “shaded” can be set. .

  FIG. 8 shows a basic flow from when the image forming apparatus 10 receives a VDP job until it receives a preview request and transmits preview data to the request source.

  First, the VDP job receiving unit 204 receives a VDP job transmitted from the client PC 40 (S801). The VDP job received here is, for example, a job in the PPML (Personalized Printer Marked Language) format.

  Next, the preview request receiving unit 209 receives the preview request transmitted from the client PC 50 (S802). The preview request includes the identifier of the VDP job to be previewed. The identifier of the VDP job is notified to the client PC 40 when the VDP job is received in S801, or a list of identifiers of VDP jobs that can be previewed is acquired from the image forming apparatus 10. In the latter case, a list of information for identifying the job such as the job owner name and job name is displayed on the screen of the client PC 50, and the user is allowed to select the information, and the identifier of the VDP job for the selected item is stored in the preview request. Send a preview request. The preview request receiving unit 209 acquires a VDP job corresponding to the identifier of the VDP job included in the preview request from the VDP job receiving unit 204 (S803), and transmits the VDP job to the VDP job analyzing unit 205 to analyze the VDP job (S804). ).

  In S805, the preview data generation unit 210 receives the analyzed record information, and causes the concealment processing unit 211 to perform the RIP process in a form in which the record data is concealed according to the concealment setting. The preview data generation unit 210 generates preview data by synthesizing the images generated in S805 (S806).

  The preview data transmission unit 212 transmits the preview data generated in S806 to the client PC 50 that has requested the preview, and ends the processing flow. The preview data may be transmitted after all the data is prepared, or may be stream-transferred in the order in which the data is generated. When receiving the preview data, the client PC 50 activates the preview program and displays the preview data.

  FIG. 9 shows a detailed flow of the concealed RIP process in S805 when the preview data generating unit 210 generates an image subjected to the RIP process in a form in which the record data is concealed according to the concealment setting.

  First, the preview data generation unit 210 obtains a record to be subjected to RIP processing from the post-analysis record storage unit 206 (S901), further obtains a field therein (S902), and transmits it to the concealment processing unit 211. The concealment processing unit 211 determines whether or not concealment is set in the field (S903), and if concealment is not set, the variable data is transmitted to the RIP unit 217 as it is to perform RIP processing (S904). If the concealment setting is set, if the concealment setting is “non-display” (S905), the process proceeds to S911 without generating an image. If it is determined in S905 that the secret setting is other than “non-display”, it is determined whether it is before imaging or after imaging (S906).

  In the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B, if variable data is character data and “replacement” character concealment is set, it is determined that it is before imaging, and if other concealment is set. Determine after imaging. If it is determined in S906 that the image is not yet imaged, the concealment processing unit 211 performs concealment processing on the variable data (S907), and passes the result to the RIP unit 207 for image formation (S908). If it is determined in S906 that the image has been converted, the variable data is transferred to the RIP unit 207 to be imaged (S907), and the concealment processing unit 211 performs concealment processing on the resulting image (S908). When the processing of S903 to S910 is completed for the variable data of one field, the concealment processing unit 211 determines whether the processing has been completed for all the target fields (S911). If it is determined that all the fields in the record have not been processed, the process returns to S902 to continue the process for the next field. If it is determined that all the fields have been processed, the concealment processing unit 211 further determines whether the processing has been completed for all the targeted records (S912). The process ends. If it is determined that all the records to be processed have not been processed, the process proceeds to S901, and the next record is promoted. If it is determined that all the target records have been processed, the process ends.

(Other examples)
In the first embodiment, preview data is generated by performing a concealment process according to the concealment setting information 302 for all preview requests. However, the access right to the preview request sender and the transmission PC system may be inquired to determine whether or not the processing is concealed by the access right. Alternatively, a plurality of concealment settings for each access right may be stored in the concealment setting information 302, and the concealment setting may be switched according to the access right. By doing so, it is possible to control whether the secret processing is performed according to the access right and what kind of the confidential processing is performed in which field.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 20 Print server 30 File server

Claims (4)

In variable data printing system,
Means (601, 612) for setting confidentiality for each record field;
Means for analyzing a variable data print job and determining whether the concealment setting is made (S903);
Means (S907 to 910) for performing concealment processing on the variable data when the determination unit determines that the concealment setting is performed;
According to the concealment setting, the concealment image conversion processing of character variable data is performed after concealment processing is performed on character data, or whether concealment processing is performed on an image obtained by imaging character data. Means for switching (S906);
Means for generating preview data by synthesizing the image data of the common data and the image data resulting from the concealment processing (S806) and means for transmitting the preview data to the client (50) (S807)
An image processing apparatus comprising: The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the concealment setting unit can set any one of non-display, replacement, and image processing. In variable data printing system,
A concealment setting step (601, 612) for concealment setting for each record field;
Analyzing a variable data print job and determining whether or not the concealment setting has been made, a concealment setting determination step (S903);
When it is determined by the secret setting determination step that the secret setting has been made, a secret image forming step (S907 to 910) for concealing the variable data to form an image,
According to the concealment setting, in the concealment image forming step of the character variable data, whether the character data is concealed and then imaged or whether concealment processing is performed on the image obtained by characterizing the character data. A secret imaging order switching step of switching (S906);
The preview data generation step (S806) for generating the preview data by synthesizing the image data of the common data and the image data as the result of the secret image forming step, and the preview data generated by the preview data generation step to the client (50). Preview data transmission process for transmission (S807)
An image processing control method comprising: The image processing control method according to claim 3, wherein the concealment setting step can set any one of non-display, replacement, and image processing.