JP3639763B2 - Image processing system and processing method in image processing system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  The present invention relates to an image processing system for generating print data for output by a printer from image data.And processing method in image processing systemIn particular, an image processing system capable of generating print data for copy-prohibited image data andProcessing method in image processing systemAbout.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the performance of color image readers (hereinafter referred to as color scanners) using CCDs and color printers has improved, and therefore, copy-prohibited documents such as banknotes and securities can be read with color scanners and output to color printers. As a result, the risk of copying a copy-prohibited document is increasing. In order to prevent the copying of such a copy-prohibited object, a color copying machine that is a combination of a color scanner and a color printer often incorporates a forgery prevention device that recognizes a copy-prohibited document and prohibits copying. It is coming.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, even if such an anti-counterfeiting device is used, not all monetary originals are recognized as copy-prohibited originals. For example, a ticket such as a movie or a concert printed on a terminal provided in a play guide or the like is not recognized as a copy-prohibited document. Therefore, there was no means for preventing copying.
[0004]
  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is an image processing system capable of printing an output that can be recognized as a copy-prohibited document by a copying machine having a forgery prevention device.Processing method in image processing systemIs to provide.
[0005]
  Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing system capable of generating print data that can be output by a normal printer using an output that can be recognized as a copy-prohibited document by a copying machine having a forgery prevention device.Processing method in image processing systemIs to provide.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  That is, the gist of the present invention is an image processing system that receives image data, converts it into print data in a format that can be output by a predetermined printer, and outputs the output data from the output result of the predetermined printer. A print data generation means for copy prohibition that generates copy data including copy prohibition information in a format that can be detected as being copy prohibition, and whether the received image data is image data of a copy prohibition If the image data is a copy-prohibited object, the determination means for inquiring the user as to whether or not to output via the user interface, and the copy prohibition when the output instruction is given via the user interface Kind of thing, Including issue number and value information, not including received image dataStore history informationAt the same time, the print data generated by the copy data generation means for prohibited copy is output.And an image processing system.
[0007]
  Another aspect of the present invention is a processing method in an image processing system that receives image data, converts the image data into print data in a format that can be output by a predetermined printer, and outputs the result. A copy prohibition print data generation step for generating print data including copy prohibition information in a format in which it can be detected that the output result is a copy prohibition object, and the received image data is an image of a copy prohibition object If it is image data of the copy-prohibited object, a determination step for inquiring the user as to whether or not to output via the user interface and an output instruction via the user interface were made If the type of prohibited material, Including issue number and value information, not including received image dataStore history informationAt the same time, the print data generated in the copy data generation step for copy prohibited materials is output.And a processing method in the image processing system.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0010]
The image processing system according to the present embodiment includes an information processing apparatus 100, and a scanner 111 and a printer 114 connected to the information processing apparatus 100.
[0011]
In this system, a document image read by the scanner 111 can be printed out by a printer 114 and copied. In addition, an image sent via the LAN 115 such as 10Base-T is printed by the printer 114, and conversely, an image read by the scanner 111 is sent to another information processing apparatus connected to the LAN 115 via the LAN 115. Is also possible.
The scanner 111 is, for example, a color scanner, scans a CCD line sensor (not shown), optically reads a document placed on a document table, converts it into an electrical signal (photoelectric conversion), and reads it. The image signal is divided into a plurality of color components, for example, R, G, and B, each of which is multi-value data of 8 to 12 bits.
[0012]
The CPU 101 is composed of, for example, a high-speed RISC CPU, and controls the scanner 111 and printer 114 constituting the system and the information processing apparatus 100. Control between the CPU 101 and each block in the information processing apparatus 100 and image data are performed by exchanging packet structure data. In FIG. 1, a thick white arrow represents a flow of packet data.
[0013]
In addition, the image processing system according to the present embodiment is assumed to have a user interface such as an operation panel or a display device not shown in FIG.
[0014]
(Relationship between packet data and images)
Next, the relationship between packet data and images in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
2A shows the original image, and the hatched portion in the upper left corner thereof shows the image segmentation for each tile of 32 pixels × 32 pixels (Tile) as shown in FIG. 2B. The image data for one tile is handled as one image data packet.
As shown in FIG. 2B, numbers from 0 to 1023 are defined in order for the pixels in one tile.
[0015]
(Packet format)
3 and 5 show the data format of the packet used in this embodiment. In the system of the present embodiment, two types of packets are used: an image packet shown in FIG. 3 and a command packet shown in FIG. Each packet is composed of a 34-bit fixed-length header part and a variable-length DATA part, and is configured to distinguish the command packet and the image packet according to the value of the first bit (bit 0) of the header part.
[0016]
In the case of an image packet, the 34-bit Header portion is defined as shown in FIG. 3, and bit [4: 1] is an ID code indicating the destination of the packet. Bits [6: 5] are color information bits indicating the color of the image data included in the data portion, and indicate whether the color is monochrome, RGB format color, or CMYK format color. The remaining bits are the start X and Y coordinates (for example, the upper left position of the tile) of the image data included in this packet.
[0017]
The Data part (ImageData part) of the image data packet has the configuration shown in FIG. 4 and a maximum length of 5.5 Kbytes. (1) in FIG. 4 shows the case where the image data is in the RGB (Blue, Green, Red) format, and (2) shows the case in the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) format. In the present embodiment, the image data is JPEG-compressed and the data length is variable, so 3 bits for each color are provided for each color.
[0018]
On the other hand, the header part of the command packet is defined as shown in FIG. Bit [4: 0] of the header part is the same as the image packet, and bit [5] distinguishes whether the command is Read or Write of the CPU. At the time of Read, first, the forward packet for Read is output from the first packet converter 102 to the system bus bridge (SBB) 104, and the return packet as a result of the read returns to the first packet converter 102 via the SBB 104. come. Further, a maximum of 16 commands can be sent in one packet, and the number of commands included in the packet is defined as a Command Number in bits [9: 6] of the Header part.
[0019]
The Data portion (CommandData portion) of the command packet has a maximum length of 128 bytes and has the configuration shown in FIG. That is, one command is composed of a 4-byte address and 4-byte data, and is arranged in order from the command 0 to the maximum command 15. However, the outgoing command packet has only an address and no data.
[0020]
(Data flow when copying)
Next, a data flow when an image read by the scanner 111 is copied by the printer 114 will be described. The image data read by the scanner 111 is raster data, and the raster data is subjected to image processing by the scanner image processing unit 112.
[0021]
Data subjected to image processing by the scanner image processing unit 112 is JPEG compressed by the raster conversion unit 109 and then converted into the above-described image packet. At this time, the destination of the packet is set not to the printer 114 but to the SDRAM 106. The image packet is sent to the system bus bridge (SBB) 104.
[0022]
In the SBB 104, the input packet data is sent out according to the destination defined in the packet data. Since the destination is the SDRAM 106 at this time, the address is written from the SBB 104 to the SDRAM 106 via the second packet conversion unit 105.
[0023]
During double-sided copying, when one page of image data written in the SDRAM 106 is accumulated, it is transferred to the hard disk drive (hereinafter referred to as HDD) 108 via the SBB 104 and the hard disk controller 107.
[0024]
After the writing of the image for one page to the SDRAM 106 is completed, the image data is sequentially read from the SDRAM 106 and sent to the raster conversion unit 109 via the SBB 104. This data transfer is performed by the SBB 104 in accordance with a command sent from the CPU 101 to the SBB 104 via the first packet conversion unit 102.
[0025]
The raster conversion unit 109 decompresses image data stored in a JPEG compressed state in the Data portion of the received image packet, converts the data into raster data using the SDRAM 110, and outputs the raster data to the printer image processing unit 113. .
The image data processed by the printer image processing unit 113 is sent to the printer 114 and printed on paper.
[0026]
(Data flow during printing)
Next, a data flow when the image data sent via the LAN 115 is printed by the printer 114 will be described.
The image data sent via the LAN 115 is converted into an image packet whose destination is the SDRAM 106 by the LAN controller 103, and written to the SDRAM 106 via the SBB 104 and the packet conversion unit 105.
[0027]
When one page of image data written in the SDRAM 106 is accumulated, it is sequentially transferred to a hard disk drive (hereinafter referred to as HDD) 108 via the SBB 104 and the hard disk controller 107. This is because when a paper jam occurs in the printer 114 during printing, it is possible to automatically return from a place where printing could not be performed after the paper jam was cleared.
[0028]
When the writing of an image for one page to the SDRAM 106 is completed and the backup to the HDD 108 is completed, the image data is then sequentially read from the SDRAM 106 and also sent to the raster converter 109 via the packet data converter 105 and the SBB 104. Sent. These data transfers are performed by the SBB 104 in accordance with commands sent from the CPU 101 to the SBB 104 via the packet converter 102.
[0029]
The raster conversion unit 109 decompresses image data stored in a JPEG compressed state in the Data portion of the received image packet, converts the data into raster data using the SDRAM 110, and outputs the raster data to the printer image processing unit 113. .
The image data processed by the printer image processing unit 113 is sent to the printer 114 and printed on paper.
[0030]
(Forgery prevention judgment)
The system according to the present embodiment has a forgery prevention determination function for determining whether read data or data to be printed is a copy-prohibited document. Hereinafter, the procedure will be described. This determination function is executed by the CPU 101.
[0031]
First, image data on the SDRAM 106 is divided into blocks and subjected to Fourier transform for each block to extract frequency components.
The resulting frequency domain image data is separated into an amplitude spectrum and a phase spectrum, and a registration signal contained in the amplitude spectrum is detected.
[0032]
This registration signal has the disadvantage that embedding a signal in a low frequency component is more easily recognized as noise from human visual characteristics than embedding a signal in a high frequency component, and a lossy compression method such as JPEG compression is a low-pass filter. In view of the disadvantages of the low-frequency component and the high-frequency component that the high-frequency component is removed by the compression / decompression processing because of its natural effect, it is above the first frequency level that is difficult to be recognized by human perception, It is embedded by an impulse signal to an intermediate level frequency that is not removed by reversible compression and decompression and is not less than the first frequency level.
[0033]
In the detection of the registration signal, an impulse signal in the above-described intermediate level frequency domain included in the amplitude spectrum is extracted.
[0034]
The scaling rate of the digital image data is calculated from the extracted impulse signal coordinates. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the CPU 101 recognizes in advance which frequency component of the detection target image that has not been scaled is embedded with the impulse signal.
[0035]
The scaling rate can be calculated from the ratio between the frequency recognized in advance and the frequency at which the impulse is detected. For example, if the frequency recognized in advance is a and the frequency of the detected impulse signal is b, it can be seen that a / b scaling is performed. This is a known Fourier transform property.
[0036]
The size of the pattern for detecting the digital watermark included in the digital image data is determined based on the scaling rate, and the digital watermark included in the digital image data is detected by performing convolution using this pattern.
[0037]
The digital watermark may be added to any component constituting the digital image data. However, in this embodiment, the digital watermark is added to the blue component that is most insensitive to human vision. Done to the blue component.
[0038]
Also, instead of adding a digital watermark to the visible color components that make up the digital image data, if a digital watermark in the form of embedding information in a specific frequency component is embedded in the digital image data, the digital image data Processing may be performed so as to detect a digital watermark for a specific frequency after Fourier transform.
[0039]
(Forgery prevention judgment flow)
A process flow for determining forgery prevention during copying will be described with reference to FIG.
In step S701, the CPU 101 instructs the scanner 111 to start scanning. Next, when image data is written to the SDRAM 106 in step S702, the CPU 101 reads the data on the SDRAM 106 in step S703 and performs the above-described digital watermark extraction processing.
[0040]
From the digital watermark information extracted in step S703, it is determined in step S704 whether the image is prohibited from being copied. If so, a forgery prevention control process (described later) is performed in step S705, and in step S706. Start the printer and proceed to the print start sequence. If it is determined in step S704 that the image is not a copy-prohibited image, the process immediately proceeds to step S706 to execute a print start sequence.
[0041]
(Forgery prevention control processing)
The forgery prevention control process in step S705 of FIG. 7 will be described in detail.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the forgery prevention process performed on the printer output, and shows an example of the prevention process for banknotes whose duplication is prohibited. 8A shows an original image read from the scanner 111, and FIG. 8B shows an image after the forgery prevention processing.
[0042]
FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram showing an example of the forgery prevention process of FIG. 8, in which the vertical axis indicates image data G (Green), and the horizontal axis indicates a scanning position.
In FIG. 9, I indicates original image data, and II indicates image data after processing. In FIG. 9, the vertical axis represents Green data of a part of the image, and the horizontal axis represents the main scanning position of the image. The image data on the vertical axis represents 256 gradations from 0 to 255, and the closer to 255, the brighter the image.
[0043]
The image data I is an original image before processing and represents data stored in the SDRAM 106. If the image data is reduced by a certain value for all the pixels of the image data, the image data II is generated. The Since all the data below “0” in the image data II is “0”, the information on the image change is lost. By applying this process to Red and Blue other than Green, the image shown in FIG. 8B is generated as an output image candidate. This process is performed when the packet conversion unit 105 rewrites the contents of the SDRAM 106 at a high speed in accordance with a command packet instruction from the CPU 101.
In the present embodiment, it is not possible to return the image after the main processing to the image before the processing.
[0044]
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user interface (not shown) included in the system of the present embodiment. The image data read from the scanner 111 is recognized as image data to be copied prohibited. Corresponds to an example of a warning screen displayed to the user.
[0045]
In FIG. 10, the button BT1 is selected and instructed by the user when the content is approved in accordance with the displayed warning and an image is output. The button BT2 is selected by the user when approving the content in accordance with the displayed warning and avoiding image output.
[0046]
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of log information stored in the HDD 108 shown in FIG. 1, and is composed of information on the type of copy-prohibited image, issue country, issue number, and value. Such information can be created from the image processing of the read image and the information of the copy-prohibited object stored in advance in the forgery prevention control processing shown in step S705 of FIG.
[0047]
(Forgery prevention control processing flow)
Hereinafter, the forgery prevention control process will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the forgery prevention process in the image processing system according to the present embodiment, and corresponds to the forgery prevention control process in step S705 shown in FIG.
[0048]
First, in step S601, image processing for preventing counterfeiting is performed on image data on the SDRAM 106 which is an image memory.
In this embodiment, the original image shown in FIG. 8A is processed to generate a processed image shown in FIG. 8B, for example, an image filled with gray. To do. The processing principle is as described with reference to FIG.
[0049]
In step S602, the user input screen (warning dialog) shown in FIG. 10 is displayed on a user interface (not shown).
That is, when there is a possibility that the image input from the scanner 111 is a copy-prohibited document, it is possible to make the user confirm whether or not the image is actually printed out from the printer.
[0050]
In step S603, it is checked whether a button on the user input screen, that is, “Yes” corresponding to the button BT1 or “No” corresponding to the button BT2 is selected and instructed. If there is (if printing is to be performed), the history as shown in FIG. 11 is stored in the HDD 108 and the process is terminated. As a result, it can be left as evidence that a copy-prohibited document has been read later, and thereafter it becomes extremely easy to confirm whether or not a forgery prevention target document has been input.
[0051]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S603 that “NO” has been selected, that is, if the image is not printed out, in step S604, the SDRAM 106 storing the image is released, the image is discarded, and processing is performed. finish. In this case, when the printer start process of S706 in FIG. 7 is entered, the process is immediately skipped and the process is terminated without printing.
[0052]
This control is similarly performed even when an image read by the scanner 111 is sent to another device such as a personal computer via the LAN 115 instead of being printed by the printer 114. That is, if it is determined in step S704 in FIG. 7 that the read image is a copy-prohibited image, the process from step S601 corresponding to the forgery prevention control process in step S705 is executed, and “No” is selected in step S603. If it is determined that the instruction has been issued, the image memory is released in step S604, and all the processes are terminated. Therefore, no image data is sent to the LAN 115.
[0053]
If it is determined in step S603 that “Yes” has been selected, the image data processed in step S601 is transmitted on the LAN 115, so the image sent on the LAN 115 is shown in FIG. Data after processing.
[0054]
Similarly, when the system of this embodiment is used as a printer, forgery prevention processing can be performed.
FIG. 14 is a characteristic diagram showing the principle of image processing for forgery target image data in the apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the vertical axis shows Yellow data of a part of the image, and the horizontal axis shows the position of main scanning of the image. For example, if the image data is in the color space format of M (Magenta), C (Cyan), Y (Yellow), and BK (Black), the image data is 256 from “0” to “255”. The gradation is shown, and the closer to “255”, the darker the image.
[0055]
In FIG. 14, image data {circle over (2)} represents the original image before the processing and is stored in the SDRAM 106 in FIG. When the image data is increased by a certain value for all the pixels of the image data, processed image data (1) is generated. In the image data {circle over (1)}, all the data of “255” or more becomes “255”, so that the information of the image change is lost. By applying this process to Magenta, Cyan, and Black other than Yellow, an image as shown in FIG. 8B is output.
Even during printing, the image after the main processing cannot be restored to the image before the processing.
[0056]
Further, if the user decides not to perform print output for this dialog shown in FIG. 10 (when the button BT2 is instructed to be selected), a print stop command is issued and the print processing is terminated.
[0057]
On the other hand, when the user decides to perform printing for the dialog shown in FIG. 10 (when the button BT1 is instructed to select), the operation history information shown in FIG. The image data (1) after the image processing is printed out for the image to be printed, and the image data (2) shown in FIG. 14 is not output as it is.
[0058]
(Embedding copy prohibition information when printing)
With the anti-counterfeiting technology as described above, when a ticket or the like is output by the printer of the system of the present invention, if the copy prohibition information is embedded in the print data, it can be prevented from being counterfeited by a copier or the like. It becomes possible.
In other words, a print output in which copy prohibition information is embedded in this system is not copied and forged by this system.
[0059]
The procedure for embedding copy prohibition information in an image will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
First, a visible copy prohibition mark is embedded.
This is performed by replacing a part of the image data for printing on the SDRAM 106 of FIG. 1 with a copy prohibition mark stored in advance (step S150). Specifically, the CPU 101 may rewrite the data in the SDRAM 106.
The copy prohibition mark is used for detection by pattern matching and can be recognized with the naked eye.
[0060]
Next, copy prohibition information is embedded in the frequency component with a digital watermark that cannot be determined with the naked eye.
First, the image data for printing on the SDRAM 106 in FIG. 1 is divided into blocks having a predetermined size (step S151). Then, Fourier transform is performed for each block to extract frequency components (step S152). Information indicating that the image is a copy-prohibited image, for example, information indicating that the ticket is a value (for example, ¥ 5000) according to the banknote is embedded in the frequency domain data obtained as a result (step S153).
[0061]
Then, inverse embedding is performed after embedding (step S154), and the image data is converted back to the SDRAM 106 (step S155).
Invisible copy prohibition information may be embedded in all the divided blocks,
When embedding in combination with visible copy prohibition information, that is, a copy prohibition mark, it is embedded at a position different from the embedded position. This is because if the information is embedded with a digital watermark, the image changes slightly, and the copy prohibition mark may be destroyed.
Of course, the number and position of blocks in which invisible copy prohibition information is embedded can be arbitrarily set.
[0062]
FIG. 13B is a diagram showing a state where a visible copy prohibition mark is embedded in the image of FIG. 13A, and invisible copying at a position different from the position where the visible copy prohibition mark is embedded. It also shows that an area for embedding prohibition information is set.
[0063]
In the system of the present invention, it is of course possible to select whether to embed copy prohibition information during printing. When printing from a personal computer connected via the LAN 115, the user interface on the printer driver screen of the personal computer can also be selected. It can also be selected by setting from an operation panel (not shown) of this system. When the settings of the main unit and the settings from the printer driver do not match, priority can be given. This priority can be set from an operation panel (not shown) of this system.
[0064]
When print data in which copy prohibition information is embedded is output by a printer in this way, the output copy is subjected to the above-described image processing on the image data read by an image reading device such as a scanner, thereby embedded copy. Prohibition information is detected. Therefore, copying with this system cannot be performed, and forgery by copying can be prevented. This effect can be similarly obtained when image data in which copy prohibition information is embedded is transferred via a LAN.
[0065]
(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, only the image processing system including the scanner and the printer has been described. However, a system in which the scanner and the printer are connected to the network may be used. Further, it may be an image processing system having only a function of generating print data supplied to the printer, that is, an image processing system including only the information processing apparatus in the above-described embodiment.
Further, the copy prohibition information embedded in the print data may be only visible information or invisible information.
[0066]
A recording medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus, and a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus stores program codes stored in the storage medium. It goes without saying that the object of the present invention can also be achieved by executing reading.
[0067]
In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the novel function of the invention, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.
[0068]
As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a DVD, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, an EEPROM, or the like can be used.
[0069]
Further, by executing the program code read by the CPU, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an OS (operating system) or the like running on the CPU based on an 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.
[0070]
Furthermore, after the program code read from the storage medium is written to the memory provided in the function expansion board or the expansion function unit inserted in the apparatus, the function code board or function expansion unit is loaded based on the program code instruction. It goes without saying that the case where the CPU or the like provided performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.
[0071]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, according to the present invention, by embedding copy prohibition information as visible or invisible information in print data, it becomes possible to give the printed output itself the effect of preventing forgery.In addition, with the configuration for storing the history of the present invention, it can be left as evidence that a copy-prohibited document has been read later.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an explanatory diagram of image data handled by the image processing system shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an image packet format handled by the image processing system shown in FIG. 1;
4 is an explanatory diagram of an image packet format handled by the image processing system shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a command packet format handled by the image processing system shown in FIG. 1;
6 is an explanatory diagram of a command packet format handled by the image processing system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an entire copy process in the image processing system according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a forgery prevention processing process in the image processing system according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a principle diagram of anti-counterfeiting processing for image data in the RGB color space.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a warning dialog presented when a copy-prohibited image is determined.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of log information stored when a copy-prohibited image is detected.
12 is a flowchart showing a specific example of forgery prevention control processing in FIG. 7; FIG.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of an embedding position of a visible copy prohibition mark and invisible copy prohibition information.
FIG. 14 is a principle diagram of anti-counterfeiting processing for image data in the YMCK color space.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating processing for embedding copy prohibition information in print data.

Claims (10)

An image processing system that receives image data, converts the print data into a format that can be output by a predetermined printer, and outputs the print data.
A copy-inhibited object print data generating unit that generates the print data including the copy-inhibiting information in a format in which it can be detected that the output result is a copy-inhibited object from the output result of the predetermined printer;
Discrimination means for discriminating whether or not the received image data is image data of the copy-prohibited object, and inquiring the user as to whether or not to output via the user interface if the image data is the copy-prohibited image data When,
In the case where an output instruction is given through the user interface, the history information that does not include the received image data is stored , including information on the type , issue number, and value of the prohibited copy, and the prohibited copy An image processing system comprising: means for outputting print data generated by the print data generation means for use .   The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the copy prohibition information can be detected as visible information in the output result.   The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the copy prohibition information is invisible in the output result.   The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the copy prohibition information includes information that can be detected as visible information in the output result and information that is invisible in the output result.   The print data generation unit generates the print data so that information detectable as the visible information and invisible information in the output result are output to different areas in the output result. The image processing system according to claim 4. A processing method in an image processing system that receives image data, converts it into print data in a format that can be output by a predetermined printer, and outputs the print data.
A copy prohibition object print data generation step for generating the print data including copy prohibition information in a form in which it is possible to detect that the output result is a copy prohibition object from the output result of the predetermined printer;
A determination step of determining whether the received image data is image data of the copy prohibited object, and inquiring the user as to whether or not to output via the user interface if the image data is the copy prohibited object image data. When,
When an output instruction is made through the user interface, the history information not including the received image data is stored , including information on the type , issue number, and value of the copy prohibited object, and for the copy prohibited object And a step of outputting the print data generated in the print data generation step . 7. A processing method in an image processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the copy prohibition information can be detected as visible information in the output result. 7. The processing method in the image processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the copy prohibition information is invisible in the output result. The processing method in the image processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the copy prohibition information includes information that can be detected as visible information in the output result, and information that is invisible in the output result. The print data generation step generates the print data so that information detectable as the visible information and invisible information in the output result are output to different regions in the output result. The processing method in the image processing system according to claim 9 .

Images