JP2013123197A - Image processing apparatus and image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of creating, when outputting image data to which tracking information is added, tracking information on the basis of output conditions of an output device.SOLUTION: A server device receives image data transmitted from an input device via a communication network, and transmits the image data to an output device via a communication network. The server device includes a storage unit 301 that stores output conditions of the output device, a tracking information creating unit 302 that creates tracking information on the basis of the stored output conditions of the output device, and an image composition processing unit 304 that combines and outputs the created tracking information and the image data.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for outputting image data to which trace information patterned as image data input management information is added.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a digital copying machine having a copy function, a facsimile machine, a scanner, a printer, a document box (a function for using stored images for re-output) and the like as a composite function has been put into practical use. The digital copying machine can receive image data transmitted from various input devices connected to the communication network by connecting to a communication network such as the Internet. Further, it is possible to connect an image database for storing image data to a communication network and distribute the image data to various output devices connected to the communication network.
In this way, when an environment in which image data can be easily used via a communication network is constructed, image data is exchanged among an unspecified number of users, and image data leakage, duplication, Problems such as tampering will occur. Therefore, a technique for adding input management information (input device number, serial number, user ID, etc.) to the image data has been developed to restrict the use of the image data and prevent leakage.

  For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-260, a setting condition that recognizes whether an image needs to be managed when storing an image in a storage device, and enables output management when the stored image that needs to be managed is transmitted to the outside. By applying color conversion or digital watermark synthesis processing to the image data and sending it, the information embedded in the digital watermark is restricted in usage (the image is displayed normally when the image is displayed on the display, but appears when the image is printed. Output control such as restricting or preventing the use of image data and preventing leakage of image data, etc., by using control data that enables printing of unprinted images or prohibiting copying itself) The point that becomes possible is described. In Patent Document 2, the tracking data generated based on the recognition signal sent from the external device and the tracking data generated based on the color LBP body number are combined, and the combined data is combined with the YMCK image data. The point that the composite image data is generated is described. Further, in Patent Document 3, copy prohibition information for prohibiting copy, copy prohibition release information for canceling copy prohibition under a specific condition, and tracking information pattern for specifying an image forming source are arranged in an internal area. An image processing apparatus is described in which background information in which a pattern of update tracking information is arranged in an end region is combined with foreground information and formed.

In the apparatus described in the above-mentioned patent document, it is described that image data to which tracking information such as a digital watermark is added is output. The image data to which such tracking information is added is transmitted to a server apparatus via a network. When image data is transmitted to an output device after accumulation, there is a problem that the output method of tracking information cannot be changed in the output device.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of generating tracking information based on output conditions of an output device when outputting image data to which tracking information is added. Is.

  An image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus for receiving image data transmitted from an input device via a communication network and transmitting the image data to an output device via the communication network, wherein the output device A storage unit that stores an output condition related to, and a tracking information generation unit that generates tracking information that identifies the input device added to the image data based on the output condition of the output device stored in the storage unit; And an image composition processing unit for synthesizing the tracking information and the image data.

  With the above configuration, the present invention can generate the tracking information based on the output condition of the output device when outputting the image data to which the tracking information is added.

It is a block block diagram regarding the image processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block block diagram regarding a color conversion process and a tracking information generation process in the first image data processing apparatus. It is a block block diagram regarding the color conversion process and tracking information generation process in a 2nd image data processing apparatus. 1 is a system configuration diagram related to an image processing system using a plurality of image processing apparatuses. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions regarding a server apparatus. It is a block block diagram regarding the tracking information generation process in a server apparatus. 6 is an explanatory diagram regarding image data processing when image data is transmitted and received between the server device and MFPs 1 to 3; FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the output image. It is explanatory drawing regarding the shape of the dot of the pattern of tracking information.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image processing device includes a reading device 1 that is an image reading device, a first image data processing device 2, a bus control device 3, a second image data processing device 4, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 5 that is a memory device, and a CPU. (Central Processing Unit) 6, a memory 7, a plotter I / F device 8 as an interface device, a plotter device 9 as an image forming device, an operation display device 10, a line I / F device 11 as an interface device, and an interface device. External I / F device 12, S.I. B. (South Bridge) 13, ROM (Read Only Memory) 14, and the like.
The reading device 1 includes a line sensor composed of a CCD photoelectric conversion element, an A / D converter, and a drive circuit thereof, and reads 8-bit RGB image data from read data obtained by scanning a set original. Generate and output. The first image data processing device 2 performs image processing that unifies the image data output from the reading device 1 with predetermined characteristics and outputs the result. The characteristics to be unified are characteristics suitable for conversion processing of image data at the output destination when the image data is stored in the HDD 5 and reused. The bus control device 3 is a data bus control device that exchanges various data such as image data and control commands required in the device, and also has a bridge function between a plurality of types of bus standards. In this device example, the first image data processing device 2, the second image data processing device 4, and the CPU 6 are connected by a PCI-Express bus, and are connected to the HDD 5 by an ATA bus and are made into an ASIC. ing.
The second image data processing device 4 performs image processing suitable for the output destination designated by the user on the image data unified with the characteristics predetermined by the first image data processing device 2 and outputs the image data. The HDD 5 is a large-sized storage device for storing electronic data that is also used in personal computers and the like, and mainly stores image data and accompanying information (for example, setting mode) of the image data in the device. In this example apparatus, an ATA bus connection hard disk standardized by expanding IDE is used. The CPU 6 is a microprocessor that performs overall control of the apparatus. The memory 7 stores data to be temporarily exchanged in order to absorb a speed difference when bridging between a plurality of types of bus standards and a processing speed difference between connected components themselves, and the CPU 6 controls the apparatus. It is a volatile memory that temporarily stores programs and intermediate processing data when performing the above. Since the CPU 6 is required to perform high-speed processing, the system is activated by a boot program stored in the ROM 14 at normal activation, and thereafter, the processing is performed by a program developed in the memory 7 accessible at high speed. In this apparatus example, a DIMM used in a standardized personal computer is used.

  When the plotter I / F device 8 receives image data composed of CMYK sent to the CPU 6 via the general-purpose standard I / F, the plotter I / F device 8 performs a bus bridge process for outputting to the dedicated I / F of the plotter device 9. The general-purpose standard I / F used in this device example is a PCI-Express bus. When the plotter device 9 receives the image data composed of CMYK, the plotter device 9 outputs the received image data on a recording sheet by using an electrophotographic process using a laser beam. S. B. Reference numeral 13 denotes one of chip sets used for a personal computer, which is a general-purpose electronic device called South Bridge. Mainly, a bus bridge function often used in constructing a CPU system including a PCI-Express and an ISA bridge is formed as a general-purpose circuit. In this device example, the ROM 14 is bridged. The ROM 14 is a memory for storing various programs (including boot) when the CPU 6 controls the apparatus. Examples of the program include a copy operation process program (copy application), a scanner distribution process program (scanner distribution application), and a fax transmission process program (fax application).

  The operation display device 10 is a part that performs an interface between the device and a user, and includes an LCD (liquid crystal display device) provided with a touch panel, and a key switch group including various processing mode setting keys, numeric keys, and start keys. The various states and operation methods of the apparatus are displayed on the LCD, and the input from the user via the touch panel or the key switch group is detected. In this device example, the operation display device 10 is connected to the CPU 6 via a PCI-Express bus. Here, the processing modes that can be selected by the user are a color / monochrome mode, an application mode, and an image quality mode. Specifically, the color / monochrome mode includes a full color mode, a single color mode, a black and white mode, the application mode includes a copy mode, a scanner mode, a FAX mode, a scanner delivery mode, and the image quality mode is a character mode. , Text photo mode, photo mode, etc. In addition, there is notch information such as making a document darker or thinner.

  The line I / F device 11 is a device that connects a PCI-Express bus and a telephone line. The image processing apparatus can transmit / receive various data to / from the FAX 15 via the telephone line by the line I / F device 11. The external I / F device 12 is a device connected to the PC 17 and the server device 18 via a communication network. The image processing apparatus can transmit / receive various data to / from these apparatuses through the external I / F apparatus 12. The PC 17 and the server device 18 perform various controls and input / output of image data to and from the image processing device via installed application software and drivers. The external medium 16 is a memory device such as a CompactFlash (registered trademark) card or an SD (Secure Digital: registered trademark) card, and stores various electronic data including image data. Input and output data.

FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram relating to color conversion processing and tracking information generation processing in the first image data processing device 2 of the image processing device. The RGB image data input from the reading device 1 is converted into RGB image data in a predetermined color space by the color conversion processing unit 101. The storage unit 102 stores device information such as a machine number, a manufacturing number, and a user ID related to the reading device 1, and the tracking information generation unit 103 reads the device information from the storage unit 102 and patterns the device information. Generated tracking information S is generated. The RGB image data converted by the color conversion processing unit 101 and the tracking information S generated by the tracking information generation unit 103 are input to the image composition processing unit 104, and the RGB image data is output and the tracking information S is tagged. It is added as information T.
FIG. 3 is a block configuration diagram relating to color conversion processing and tracking information generation processing in the second image data processing device 4 of the image processing device. The input RGB image data is converted into CMYK image data in a predetermined color space by the color conversion processing unit 201. The storage unit 202 stores device information such as a machine number, a manufacturing number, and a user ID related to the reading device 1, and the tracking information generation unit 203 reads the device information from the storage unit 202 and patterns the device information. The tracking information S2 is generated. The tracking information generation unit 203 generates another tracking information S1 based on the tag information T when image data to which the tag information T is added is input from a server device or the like which will be described later. The generated tracking information S1 and S2 are converted by the color conversion processing unit 201 and input to the image composition processing unit 204 together with the similarly converted CMYK image data, and the CMYK image data in which the pattern of the tracking information S is synthesized. Is output.
The storage unit 202 stores setting data related to output conditions in the image processing apparatus, and setting data related to output conditions that affect the pattern output of tracking information such as color or monochrome output, duplex or simplex output, and toner save output. Is remembered. Then, the tracking information generation unit 203 reads the setting data related to the output condition from the storage unit 202 and forms a pattern of tracking information according to the output condition. In addition to the tracking information such as the machine number, serial number, and user ID to be specified, output specifying information that makes it easier to specify the input / output destination can be added to the storage unit 202 on the device side. .

FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram relating to an image processing system using a plurality of image processing apparatuses. Connected to a communication network 100 such as the Internet or a LAN are digital MFPs MFP1 to MFP3 that function as image data input / output devices in the image processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and a server apparatus 18 that is an image processing apparatus. The apparatus 18 is connected to an image DB 19 that stores image data.
As described later, the MFPs 1 to 3 perform image processing by transmitting image data subjected to image processing to the server device 18 via the communication network 100 or receiving image data stored in the image DB 19 from the server device 18. The server device 18 accumulates the image data provided from the MFPs 1 to 3 in the image DB 19, or reads and transmits images from the image DB 19 in response to transmission requests from the MFPs 1 to 3.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration related to the server device 18. The server device 18 includes a bus 20, a CPU 21 connected to the bus 20, a memory 22, a communication device 23, a display 24, an HD (Hard Disk) drive 25, an input device 26, a CD (Compact Disk) -ROM (Read Only Memory) drive 27 is provided. The CPU 21 controls the operation of the server device 18. The memory 22 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing a program executed by the CPU 21 at startup, necessary data, and the like, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for configuring a work area of the CPU 21 and the like. The CPU 21 operates the software (program) stored in the ROM, the HD drive 25 and the like by using the RAM as a work memory, and causes the computer configured by these elements to function as an operation control unit. In this embodiment, this computer drives a program for processing image data and tracking information to be transmitted to the MFPs 1 to 3 to thereby function as a device characteristic determination unit, a tracking information generation unit, and an image composition processing unit, which will be described later. Realize.
The communication device 23 is a device for connecting to the communication network 100 and performing data communication with the MFPs 1 to 3. The display 24 includes a liquid crystal panel display and the like, and displays a screen for operating the server device 18 and an operation state. The input device 26 includes a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and is used to perform various key operations and instructions to the server device 18.
The HD drive 25 stores various application programs, work data, file data, and the like. In the present embodiment, output characteristic information of a connected device for a communication network such as the MFPs 1 to 3 is stored. The CD-ROM drive 27 is a device for reading a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM.

FIG. 6 is a block configuration diagram relating to tracking information generation processing in the server device 18. The image data generated by the reading device 1 in the MFPs 1 to 3 is received by the server device 18 and then stored in the image DB 19. The stored image data is sent via the server device 18 in response to a transmission request from the MFPs 1 to 3. Sent. The server device 18 includes a storage unit 301, a tracking information generation unit 302, a device characteristic determination unit 303, and an image composition processing unit 304. The storage unit 301 stores output characteristic information of the MFPs 1 to 3 that are connected devices connected to the communication network 100. The tracking information generation unit 302 generates tracking information based on the tag information T added to the image data transmitted from the MFPs 1 to 3 that are connected devices. Also, out of the output characteristic information stored in the storage unit 301, setting data relating to output conditions that affect pattern output of tracking information such as color or monochrome output, double-sided or single-sided output, toner save output, etc. is read out according to the output conditions To form a trace information pattern.
Regarding the formation of the tracking information pattern, it is not always necessary to form the tracking information pattern on the entire surface of the image data, as long as the tracking information pattern can be recognized in the output image. For this reason, for example, when the output condition is double-sided output or when the output conditions are collected and output, the pattern is formed only on the recognizable portion without forming the trace information pattern on all pages. In the case of an output condition in which the tracking information pattern recognition rate decreases, it is also possible to change the pattern dot size to prevent the recognition rate from decreasing.
In the server device 18, in addition to the tracking information such as the machine number, the manufacturing number, and the user ID that specify the MFPs 1 to 3 that are output devices, output specifying information that makes it easier to specify the output destination can be added on the output device side. It is possible. Specifically, the output specification information input on the output device side is transmitted to the server device 18 and stored in the storage unit 301. The tracking information generation unit 302 reads the output specification information from the storage unit 301 and outputs the output specification information. The tracking information pattern is formed based on the tag information T.
The device characteristic determination unit 303 determines the output characteristic of the device based on the output characteristic information of the connected device stored in the storage unit 301. For example, the device characteristic determination unit 303 determines whether the output device can recognize the tag information T added to the image data. The image composition processing unit 304 outputs the image data to which the tag information T is added as it is, or performs processing for combining the tracking information output from the tracking information generation unit 302 with the image data and outputting it.

  When the device characteristic determination unit 303 determines that the tag information T can be recognized for the output device, the tracking information generation unit 302 does not generate the tracking information S based on the tag information T. Since the tracking information S is not input in the image composition processing unit 304, the image data with the tag information T added is output as it is. When it is determined that the tag information T cannot be recognized for the output device, the tracking information generation unit 302 generates the tracking information S based on the tag information T and the output conditions of the output device. Then, when the tracking information S is input, the image composition processing unit 304 synthesizes and outputs the image data, and the tag information T is not output.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram regarding image data processing when image data is transmitted and received between the server device 18 and the MFPs 1 to 3. Here, the MFP 1 serves as an input device. As shown in FIG. 2, the image data read by the reading device 1 is converted into a standard color space (Adobe RGB, sRGB, etc.) by the color conversion processing unit 101, and is stored in the storage unit 102. Tracking information S is generated based on the read device information, and tag information T is added to the converted image data based on the tracking information S in the image composition processing unit 104 and output. The image data to which the tag information T is added is transmitted to the server device 18 and stored in the image DB 19 as it is. In FIG. 7, the PDF format or the bitmap (BMP) format is used as the format of the image data, but any format that can store the RGB image data and can add the tag information may be used, and is not particularly limited to these formats.

  Next, a case will be described in which image data transmitted from the input device (MFP 1) to the server device 18 and stored is output at the output devices (MFPs 2 and 3).

<For MFP2>
Here, it is assumed that the MFP 2 is an output device that can recognize the tag information T. When there is a transmission request for image data from the MFP 2, the server device 18 determines that the MFP 2 is an output device that can recognize the tag information T in the device characteristic determination unit 303 as shown in FIG. 6. Based on the determination result of the device characteristic determination unit 303, the stored image data is processed so as to be transmitted to the MFP 2 with the tag information T added without being processed by the image composition processing unit 304.
When the MFP 2 receives the image data to which the tag information T is added, as shown in FIG. 3, the second image data processing device 4 reads the image data from the tag information T added to the image data and the storage unit 202 as shown in FIG. Based on the device information, the tracking information generation unit 203 generates tracking information S1 related to the input device (MFP1) and tracking information S2 related to the output device (MFP2). At that time, the tracking information generation unit 203 reads the setting data related to the output condition from the storage unit 202, and forms the patterns of the tracking information S1 and S2 according to the output condition. Then, the image composition processing unit 204 synthesizes and outputs the CMYK image data converted from the RGB image data by the color conversion processing unit 201 and the two tracking information S1 and S2. At that time, the image composition processing unit 204 arranges and outputs the two pieces of tracking information S1 and S2 so as not to overlap.
In this case, the tracking information pattern can be formed according to the output conditions of the output device. Therefore, when the image data and the tracking information pattern are combined and output, the degradation of the image is suppressed as much as possible according to the output conditions. Thus, the reproducibility of the trace information pattern can be ensured.

<For MFP3>
Here, it is assumed that the MFP 3 is an output device that cannot recognize the tag information T. When there is a request for transmission of image data from the MFP 3, the server device 18 determines that the MFP 3 is an output device that cannot recognize the tag information T in the device characteristic determination unit 303 as shown in FIG. 6. Based on the determination result of the device characteristic determination unit 303, the tracking information generation unit 302 generates the tracking information S1 based on the tag information T added to the image data. Then, the image composition processing unit 304 synthesizes the image data and the tracking information S1, and the synthesized image data is transmitted to the output device (MFP 3).
When the MFP 3 receives the image data obtained by synthesizing the tracking information S1, the second image data processing device 4 receives an output device (MFP 3) based on the device information read from the storage unit 202 as shown in FIG. Tracking information S3 is generated. At that time, the tracking information generation unit 203 reads the setting data related to the output condition from the storage unit 202 and forms a pattern of the tracking information S3 according to the output condition. The image composition processing unit 204 then synthesizes and outputs the CMYK image data converted from the RGB image data by the color conversion processing unit 201 and the tracking information S3.
The output image data is output by combining the tracking information S1 related to the input device (MFP1) and the tracking information S3 related to the output device (MFP3), and is output in the same manner as the MFP2.
In this case, since the MFP 3 cannot recognize the tag information T, the server apparatus 1 previously combines the tracking information S and the image data, and transmits the combined image data. Therefore, when image data is output in the MFP 3, tracking information regarding the input device (MFP 1) is also output, and input management information of image data can be obtained from the output image.

As for the method for forming the tracking information pattern according to the output condition described above, for example, when double-sided output of the recording sheet is set as the output condition, as shown in FIG. It is formed on either one side. If continuous page output is set as an output condition by stapling or the like, a trace information pattern is formed only on the first page. In this way, it is possible to form a trace information pattern according to the output conditions of the output device, and therefore, a minimum trace information pattern can be assigned according to the output conditions. It is possible to suppress degradation of image data caused by combining patterns while minimizing image data to be combined.
Further, when toner save output is set as the output condition, the amount of toner used for development is reduced, so that there is a possibility that the formation of the trace information pattern becomes insufficient. For this reason, the dot shape is made large so as to ensure the reproducibility of the trace information pattern. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, in the case of normal toner output, the dot pattern A having a small dot shape is set. In the case of toner save output, by switching to the dot pattern B having a large dot shape, Ensure reproducibility of trace information pattern. When the output condition is set to monochrome output, the tracking information pattern is a factor of image deterioration when converted from RGB to CMYK after being combined with the image data. Either do not combine or switch the dot shape.

  In addition to the tracking information, output specific information is added and patterned to synthesize the image data. If a comment indicating the output purpose is added as the output specific information added in this way, the pattern of the tracking information is added. In addition to tracking the output device of the image data, it is possible to confirm the purpose of output and the like based on the synthesized image, and the output history of the image data can be grasped more accurately. And since such output specific information is accumulate | stored in a memory | storage part, it becomes possible to confirm the accumulated information easily at any time.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Reading apparatus, 2 ... 1st image data processing apparatus, 3 ... Bus control apparatus, 4 ... 2nd image data processing apparatus, 5 ... HDD, 6 ... CPU , 7 ... Memory, 8 ... Plotter I / F device, 9 ... Plotter device, 10 ... Operation display device, 11 ... Line I / F device, 12 ... External I / F Device, 13. B. 14 ... ROM, 15 ... FAX, 16 ... external media, 17 ... PC, 18 ... server device, 19 ... image DB, 20 ... bus, 21 ... CPU, 22 ... Memory, 23 ... Communication device, 24 ... Display, 25 ... HD drive, 26 ... Input device, 27 ... CD-ROM drive, 100 ... Communication network , 101 ... Color conversion processing unit, 102 ... Storage unit, 103 ... Tracking information generation unit, 104 ... Image composition processing unit, 201 ... Color conversion processing unit, 202 ... Storage unit , 203 ... tracking information generation unit, 204 ... image synthesis processing unit, 301 ... storage unit, 302 ... tracking information generation unit, 303 ... device characteristic determination unit, 304 ... image synthesis Processing part.

JP 2006-025170 A JP 2000-138820 A JP 2008-118201 A

Claims (9)

  An image processing apparatus that receives image data transmitted from an input device via a communication network and transmits the image data to an output device via the communication network, and a storage unit that stores output conditions related to the output device; A tracking information generating unit that generates tracking information for identifying the input device added to the image data based on the output condition of the output device stored in the storage unit, and the tracking information and the image data. An image processing apparatus comprising an image composition processing unit for composition.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tracking information generation unit generates the tracking information based on tag information corresponding to the tracking information added to the image data.   A device characteristic determination unit that reads out output characteristic information corresponding to the output device stored in the storage unit and determines whether the output device can recognize the tag information; and the image composition processing unit includes the output The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when it is determined that the device can recognize the tag information, the tag information is added to the image data and transmitted to the output device.   An image processing apparatus functioning as the output device that receives and outputs the image data from the image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 via a communication network, wherein the device information identifies the output device. And a storage unit that stores output conditions of the output device, a tracking information generation unit that generates tracking information that identifies the output device based on the device information and the output condition, the image data as the input device, and the An image processing apparatus comprising: an image composition processing unit configured to synthesize and output together with the tracking information for specifying each output device.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tracking information generation unit forms a pattern of the tracking information only on one side when double-sided output is set as the output condition.   5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tracking information generation unit forms the pattern of the tracking information only on the first page when continuous page output is set as the output condition. 6.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tracking information generation unit changes a dot pattern of the tracking information based on the output condition.   The image processing according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores output specifying information related to the output device, and the tracking information generation unit forms the output specifying information together with the tracking information. apparatus.   An image processing method for processing image data transmitted from an input device via a communication network and transmitting the processed image data to an output device via the communication network, the output relating to the output device stored in a storage unit An image processing method for generating tracking information for specifying the input device added to the image data based on a condition, and combining the generated tracking information and the image data and transmitting the combined information to the output device.

Images