JP4218971B2 - Image forming apparatus and image forming program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and method used for a copying machine, a printer, and the like.

  Conventionally, for example, when print data created by a PC (Personal Computer) is printed out by a copying machine, a printer, or the like, there is a technique that restricts copying of a document after printing out by so-called “digital watermark”.

  This technology adds copyright information, user information, etc. to a document as digital watermark information, and when copying a printed document, the copying machine reads the embedded digital watermark, and only authorized users have permission. Improve security by allowing copying.

  However, since the same digital watermark is added to the original regardless of the security level, the security is excessive for a document with low confidentiality, and the security is inadequate for a document with high confidentiality. There was a fear of becoming enough.

JP 2002-57892 A

  The problem to be solved is that the security becomes excessive or insufficient due to the difference in confidentiality of the original to be copied.

The present invention provides a management unit that determines a security level based on a search result of a security keyword existing in print data in order to allow appropriate security due to a difference in confidentiality of an original to be copied. The most important feature is that it includes an embedded information generation unit for setting an embedded information pattern according to the determined security level and setting it as embedded information to be included in drawing data.
In the image forming apparatus that outputs the hard copy including the embedded information in the drawing data based on the print data, the management unit that determines the security level from the information of the print data, and the determined security level An embedded information generation unit configured to set embedded information patterns according to the embedded data to be embedded information included in the drawing data, and the embedded information patterns include a plurality of positions of embedded information arranged on the entire surface of the image and The main feature is to be determined by the number.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a management unit that determines a security level based on a search result of a security keyword that exists in print data, and sets and draws a pattern of embedded information according to the determined security level. Since there is an embedded information generation unit for making it embedded information to be included in the data, it is determined whether or not a security keyword set such as “¥”, “name” or “address” exists in the print data by the management unit. As a result of the search, the security level is determined, and the embedded information generation unit can add the embedded information corresponding to the security level, and can perform appropriate security management.
Further, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that outputs a hard copy including embedded information in drawing data based on print data , and a management unit that determines a security level from a security keyword existing in the print data; An embedding information generation unit for setting embedding information patterns according to the determined security level and setting them as embedding information to be included in the drawing data. A plurality of embedding information patterns are arranged on the entire surface of the image. Since the most important feature is that it is determined by the position and number of embedded information, there is a security keyword set such as “¥”, “name” or “address” in the print data by the management unit. The security level is determined as a result of the search, and the embedded information generation There can be added to the embedded information according to the security level, even cut is part of the embedded information of which by reading the rest of the embedded information, also to prevent unauthorized copy fragments of confidential documents Can maintain high security.

The image forming program according to the present invention includes a management step of determining a security level based on a search result of a security keyword existing in print data, and a pattern of embedded information is set according to the determined security level. Since the embedded information generating step as the embedded information is provided, the computer can be functioned to perform appropriate security management.
The image forming program according to the present invention also includes a management step for determining a security level from a security keyword existing in print data , and a pattern of embedded information is set according to the determined security level to the drawing data. include a embedded information generation step to the embedded information, the pattern of the embedded information is used to being determined by the position and number of the embedded information is arrayed on the entire surface of the image, said management unit To search for the presence of a set security keyword such as “¥”, “name”, or “address” in the print data, the security level is determined as a result of the search, and the embedded information generation unit It can be added to the embedded information according to the security level, one of which Be embedded information is cut off, and that the rest of the embedded information arrayed over the entire surface of the image is read, it is possible to function the computer so that it can not replicate even fragments of confidential documents.

  The purpose of enabling appropriate security due to the difference in confidentiality of the manuscript to be copied is realized by providing embedded information according to the security level.

[Image forming apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a system to which the first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, this system includes a plurality of multifunction peripherals 1, 3,..., Client PCs 5, 7,. Wide Area Network) is connected.

  The MFPs 1, 3,... Have the same configuration and have a copy function, a scanner function, a fax function, etc., and constitute an image forming apparatus in this embodiment. Note that the image forming apparatus may be a single printer or the like.

  The multifunction device 1 will be described as a representative. The multifunction device 1 generates drawing data from the received print data and outputs it as a hard copy on a recording sheet. The print data is created by the client PCs 5 and 7 in the EMF format, for example, and is received by the multi function device 1.

  The multi function device 1 includes a printer driver 11 shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2 using the received print data as drawing data. The printer driver 11 includes a drawing data generation unit 15, a user interface unit (UI “User Interface” unit) 17, a security policy management unit 19, and an electronic watermark generation unit 21 as a main control unit 13. The printer engine is controlled by a signal from the main control unit 13, and paper is fed from any paper cassette specified by the paper feeding method data or any automatically selected paper cassette, and hard copy As a printout.

  Print data transmitted from the client PCs 5 and 7 and received by the data receiving unit is transferred to the drawing data generation unit 15 to generate drawing data in a page description language such as a printer control language (PCL “Printer control Language”). To do. The drawing data generation unit 15 has a function of synthesizing digital watermark information as embedded information with the drawing data.

  The user interface unit 17 is an interface for the printer driver 11, and the user performs various print settings and digital watermark information settings using this interface.

  The security policy management unit 19 constitutes a management unit that determines the security level from the print data information. The security policy management unit 19 reads the security policy prepared by the administrator, and performs security / security as information existing in the print data. By searching for keywords, the security level of print data is determined.

  The digital watermark generation unit 21 sets an embedded information pattern according to the security level determined by the security policy management unit 19 and constitutes an embedded information generation unit for setting the embedded information to be included in the drawing data. The embedded information is digital watermark information based on digital watermark technology.

  As the digital watermark information, “information specifying the owner (user) of the printed document” such as a user name, department code, PC IP address, and PC MAC address, “security information” such as data sharing setting, Data that has expired includes a “data expiration date” that prevents copying or faxing.

The pattern of embedded information, that is, the pattern of digital watermark information is determined by the position and number of digital watermark information. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the pattern is changed and set according to the security level in a single digital watermark information.
The embedded information generation unit 21 increases the number of digital watermark information according to the security level in this embodiment. For example, the initial setting is 1 × 1, and the others are set as an embedded pattern by the user. The maximum value of the number of digital watermark information is determined to be 25 × 25, for example.
The digital watermark information pattern is set by opening the user interface unit 17 of the printer driver 11. In the opened user interface unit 17, digital watermark information such as a user name is set.

[Security Policy]
FIG. 3 is a chart showing an example of a security policy.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the administrator sets security keywords such as “¥” and “name”, and assigns security points such as 10 points and 8 points according to the sensitivity, and stores them in the storage unit.

[Security level]
FIG. 4 is a chart showing the relationship between the security level and the number of digital watermarks.
As shown in FIG. 4, the security level is determined in advance according to the security point, and the number of digital watermarks corresponding to the security level is set and stored in the storage unit. For example, by searching for a security keyword in the print data, if the total security point of the print data is 50 or less in the assignment of FIG. 3, the security level is “1” and the number of digital watermarks is “1”. If it is 51 to 100, it is determined that the number is 2 and the digital watermark number is 4 or the like.
[Digital watermark information]
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the number and position of digital watermark information, that is, patterns.
FIG. 5 shows a case where the security level is “3” as an example, and a total of 8 pieces of digital watermark information of 2 × 4 are embedded in the pattern shown in the figure.
[Digital watermark information setting process]
FIG. 6 shows a print processing flow chart for performing setting processing of digital watermark information.
The MFP 1 of this embodiment includes an image forming program that causes a computer to function in order to generate drawing data including digital watermark information in print data and output it as a hard copy, and operates as shown in FIG.
The flow chart of FIG. 6 is started by executing printing, and a determination process of “add digital watermark?” Is executed in step S1. In this process, if setting of digital watermark information is selected by the user in the user interface unit 17 (Yes), the process proceeds to Step S5 through Steps S2, S3, and S4, and if not selected (No), The process proceeds to step S5 as it is.
In step S2, a “security / keyword search” process is executed. In this process, the security policy management unit 19 retrieves print data from the data reception unit, searches for a security keyword in the print data, and proceeds to step S3.
In step S3, a “security level setting” process is executed. In this process, the security policy management unit 19 determines the security level based on the criteria shown in FIG. 4 under the security policy shown in FIG.
Accordingly, steps S2 and S3 constitute a management step for judging the security level from the information of the print data in this embodiment.
In step S4, the “digital watermark embedding pattern setting” process is executed. In this process, the number of digital watermarks is determined according to the security level based on FIG. 4, and the pattern on the recording paper is determined. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, 8 × 2 × 4 digital watermark information is set with a security level “3”, transferred to the drawing data generation unit 15, and the drawing data generation unit 15 prints the print data. Is combined with the drawing data.
Accordingly, step S4 constitutes an embedded information generation step for setting a digital watermark information pattern in accordance with the determined security level in this embodiment.

  In step S5, a “printing” process is executed. In this process, dot data or the like is transmitted to the engine control unit, and the printer engine is controlled. With this control, paper is fed from any of the paper feed cassettes specified by the paper feed method data or any of the automatically selected paper feed cassettes and printed out as a hard copy.

[Effect of Example]
As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the security policy management unit 19 that determines the security level from the information of the print data, and the embedded information pattern is set according to the determined security level. Since the electronic watermark generating unit 21 is provided, digital watermark information corresponding to the security level can be added. That is, when the security level is low, the number of digital watermark information can be reduced to speed up processing, and when the security level is high, the number of digital watermark information can be increased to maintain high security. Accordingly, appropriate security can be given by the difference in confidentiality of the original to be copied, and appropriate security management according to the security level can be performed.

Since the degree of embedding of the digital watermark information is automatically adjusted according to the security policy, it is possible to add security information corresponding to the security level to the document without bothering the administrator.
When the digital watermark information is embedded, when copying a printed document, the copying machine reads the embedded digital watermark information so that only authorized users can copy the security.
The pattern of the digital watermark information is the position and number, and is embedded as shown in FIG. 5 and the like, so even if a part of the digital watermark information is cut out, the remaining digital watermark information is read, so that a fragment of the confidential document is also obtained. It prevents unauthorized copying and maintains high security.

  Since the digital watermark generation unit 21 increases the number of digital watermark information according to the security level, it is possible to perform appropriate security management according to the security level.

  In the image forming program according to the embodiment of the present invention, the security keyword search step S2 and the security level setting step S3 for determining the security level from the print data information, and the digital watermark information according to the determined security level. Since the digital watermark embedding pattern setting step S4 for setting the pattern is included, the computer can be made to function so as to add the digital watermark information corresponding to the security level.

1 is a configuration diagram of a system (first embodiment). FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a printer driver (first embodiment). FIG. 10 is a chart showing an example of a security policy (Example 1). 10 is a chart showing a relationship between a security level and the number of digital watermarks (Example 1). (Example 1) which is explanatory drawing which shows the number and position of electronic watermark information. 10 is a print processing flowchart for performing setting processing of digital watermark information (Example 1);

Explanation of symbols

1,3 MFP (image forming device)
19 Security Policy Management Department (Management Department)
21 Digital watermark generator (embedded information generator)
S2 Security keyword search step (management step)
S3 Security level setting (management step)
S4 Setting of digital watermark embedding pattern (embedding information generation step)

Claims (6)

In an image forming apparatus that outputs as hard copy including embedded information in drawing data based on print data,
A management unit for determining a security level based on a result of searching for a security keyword existing in the print data;
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an embedded information generation unit configured to set a pattern of embedded information according to the determined security level and to set the embedded information to be included in the drawing data. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The embedding information pattern is determined by the position and number of embedding information. In an image forming apparatus that outputs as hard copy including embedded information in drawing data based on print data,
A management unit for determining a security level from a security keyword present in the print data;
An embedded information generating unit for setting an embedded information pattern according to the determined security level and setting the embedded information to be included in the drawing data;
The embedding information pattern is determined by the position and number of embedding information arranged on the entire surface of the image. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the embedded information generating unit increases the number of embedded information in accordance with the level of the security level. In an image forming program that causes a computer to function as a hard copy including embedded information in drawing data based on print data,
A management step of determining a security level based on a search result of security keywords existing in the print data;
An image forming program comprising: an embedding information generation step for setting embedding information patterns according to the determined security level and setting the embedding information to be included in the drawing data. In an image forming program that causes a computer to function as a hard copy including embedded information in drawing data based on print data,
A management step of determining a security level from a security keyword present in the print data;
An embedded information generating step for setting an embedded information pattern according to the determined security level and setting the embedded information to be included in the drawing data,
The embedding information pattern is determined by the position and number of embedding information arranged on the entire surface of the image.

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