JP4905227B2 - Information processing apparatus, information output apparatus, and information output program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing system capable of outputting original information in a form with high security and reproducing the original information from output information. <P>SOLUTION: The information processing system 1 has: a first feature information acquisition part 11 which acquires feature information representing features existing at an object position of a first medium in which random features are distributed, read from the first medium; a feature information output part 12 which outputs the acquired feature information; a second feature information acquisition part 21 which acquires feature information representing features existing at the respective positions of the second medium in which random features are distributed, read from the second medium and an information output part 22 which collates the output feature information with pieces of the acquired feature information at the respective positions and outputs information representing the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information when the acquired feature information is judged to match to the output feature information and exists. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing system, a feature information output device, an information output device, a feature information output program, and an information output program.

  There is a technique for encrypting original information, recording the encrypted information, and decrypting the recorded encrypted information to reproduce the original information.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, received print data is encrypted and stored in an external storage medium. When a print instruction and a decryption key for the print data are input, the print data in the external storage medium is decrypted. An image forming apparatus for printing is disclosed.

  Also, in Patent Document 2, when encrypted electronic image information encrypted with a public key paired with its own private key is input, the encrypted electronic image information is decrypted with the private key and decrypted. An image output apparatus that prints electronic image information as a visible image is disclosed.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a true / false determination method for determining the authenticity of a solid in which readable and unique features having randomness are distributed along the surface. In this method, reference data representing features distributed on the true solid obtained by pre-reading the features of the true solid is acquired, and the features of the solid to be judged are read to obtain reference data. Collation data representing features distributed on a solid is obtained. Then, based on the reference data and the collation data, data representing characteristics distributed in a first area of a predetermined size on one of the true solid and the solid to be determined, and the first area on the other solid And calculating the correlation value with the data representing the characteristics distributed in the second area of the same size, while moving the position of the second area on the other solid in the area larger than the predetermined size. repeat. Then, based on the maximum value of the plurality of correlation values obtained by the calculation and the feature amount representing the distribution degree of the correlation values obtained from the plurality of correlation values, the authenticity of the determination target is determined.

JP 2004-249598 A JP 2005-50041 A JP 2005-38389 A

  By the way, a more secure information transmission mechanism is desired.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system capable of outputting original information in a highly secure form and reproducing the original information from the output information.

The information processing apparatus according to the present invention, random feature is read from the first medium are distributed, the random features present in a predetermined size of the area corresponding to the target position of the first medium A first feature information acquisition unit configured to acquire feature information to be expressed , wherein the random feature is a spatial distribution pattern of a predetermined physical quantity randomly distributed on a surface of the first medium; The first medium position corresponding to a position on the first medium designated by a user or a position of a point constituting an image represented by the acquired image information. a feature information obtaining means, and the feature information output means for outputting the acquired characteristic information, the random feature is read from the second medium are distributed, each pixel unit of the second medium for the location, it Is the on the surface of the second medium, the second characteristic information obtaining means for obtaining feature information representing the random features present in the region of the predetermined size corresponding to the position, the feature information output the acquired by the said information output from the means second characteristic information obtaining means collates the feature information for each position, the acquired characteristic information is determined to match with the output feature information And an information output means for outputting information indicating the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired characteristic information.

In the reference example , the first feature information acquisition unit acquires position information indicating the target position, and acquires the feature information based on the position information.

In another reference example , the first feature information acquisition unit acquires image information and indicates a position of the first medium corresponding to a position of a point constituting an image represented by the image information. Information is acquired as the position information.

  In the aspect of the invention, the first feature information acquisition unit further acquires color information indicating a color of the target position, and the feature information output unit associates the feature information with the color information. The information output means outputs the information indicating the position of the second medium when the acquired feature information determined to match the output feature information exists. The color information output in association with the feature information is output in association with the color information.

In another reference example , the first feature information acquisition unit acquires image information and indicates a position of the first medium corresponding to a position of a point constituting an image represented by the image information. Information is acquired as the position information, and information indicating the color of the point is acquired as the color information.

In another reference example , the first feature information acquisition unit acquires the feature information representing the feature existing at each position of the first medium, and then acquires the feature information of each acquired position. Then, the feature information of the target position indicated by the position information is selectively acquired.

In the aspect of the invention, the first feature information acquisition unit may include a pen-type reader that can move and read a feature from the first medium. The corresponding position of the first medium is set as the target position designated by the user, and the random feature existing in the region of the predetermined size corresponding to the target position is read by the reader, Feature information representing random features is acquired.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the feature information output means outputs a plurality of features that are separated from each other so that the positional relationship between the feature information is not recognized based on the continuity of features when outputting a plurality of feature information. Outputs position feature information.

In the aspect of the invention, the first medium and the second medium are paper on which random features that are optically readable are distributed along the surface as a spatial distribution pattern of the predetermined physical quantity . The feature information is information representing an intensity distribution of reflected light or transmitted light in a region having a predetermined size, which is obtained by irradiating the medium with light and reading reflected light or transmitted light.

In one aspect of the present invention, the information output means performs a process of printing dots at the position of the second medium itself as a process of outputting information indicating the position of the second medium.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the information output means, the position of the as a process of outputting information representing the position of the second medium, a different medium than the second medium, the second medium A process of forming dots at the positions corresponding to is performed.

A feature information output device according to another reference example is obtained by feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information representing a feature existing at a target position of the medium, which is read from a medium in which random features are distributed. And feature information output means for outputting the feature information.

The information output apparatus according to the present invention, random feature is read from the second medium are distributed, for each position of the pixel of the second medium, respectively, the surface of the second medium above, the target position of the first medium and the characteristic information obtaining means for obtaining feature information representing the random features present in a predetermined size of the area corresponding to the position, where the random feature is distributed Is the pre-output feature information representing the random feature existing in the region of the predetermined size corresponding to the target position, or the target position is a position on the first medium designated by the user, or acquired wherein the characteristic information, wherein the first is the position of the media, characteristics for by said each position acquired by the feature information acquiring means corresponding to the position of the points constituting the image represented by the image information Information and If the acquired feature information that is determined to match the output feature information is present, information that outputs information indicating the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information Output means.

Further, the feature information output program according to another reference example , the computer reads the feature information representing the feature existing at the target position of the medium, which is read from the medium in which random features are distributed, And a step of outputting the acquired feature information.

The information output program according to the present invention causes a computer, random feature is read from the second medium are distributed, for each position of the pixel of the second medium, respectively, the second on the surface of the medium, a step of acquiring the characteristic information representing the random features present in a predetermined size of the area corresponding to the position, the target position of the first medium in which the random feature is distributed Is the pre-output feature information representing the random feature existing in the region of the predetermined size corresponding to the target position, or the target position is a position on the first medium designated by the user, or acquired for the feature information, characterized in that the the position of the first medium corresponding to the position of the points constituting the image represented by the image information, to have been the respective positions obtained by the procedure of acquiring the feature information The feature information matching, when the obtained feature information is determined to match with the output feature information is present, represents the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information And a procedure for outputting information.

In addition, an information processing system according to another reference example includes a feature information acquisition unit that acquires feature information representing a feature existing at each position of the medium, which is read from a medium in which random features are distributed, and a target position And the feature information output means for selectively acquiring and outputting the feature information of the target position indicated by the position information from the feature information of each of the acquired positions, and the acquired Information output means for outputting information indicating the position of the medium corresponding to the output feature information using the feature information of each position.

An information processing system according to another reference example includes a feature information output device and an information output device, wherein the feature information output device is read from a medium in which random features are distributed. Feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information representing a feature existing at each position; and position information indicating a target position; target position indicated by the position information from the acquired feature information of each position Feature information output means for selectively acquiring and outputting the feature information, wherein the information output device acquires feature information representing the characteristics present at each position of the medium; The feature information receiving means for receiving the feature information output by the feature information output device and the position information of the medium corresponding to the received feature information are represented by using the acquired feature information of each position. It has an information output means for outputting a broadcast, and wherein the.

Further, a feature information output device according to another reference example includes a feature information acquisition unit that acquires feature information representing features existing at each position of the medium, which is read from a medium in which random features are distributed, and a target Characteristic information output means for acquiring position information indicating a position, and selectively acquiring and outputting the characteristic information of the target position indicated by the position information from the acquired characteristic information of each position It is characterized by that.

An information output device according to another reference example includes feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information representing features existing at each position of the medium, which is read from a medium in which random features are distributed, and the medium The feature information receiving means for receiving the feature information selectively output from the feature information of each position, and the medium corresponding to the received feature information using the acquired feature information of each position And an information output means for outputting information representing the position.

In addition, a feature information output program according to another reference example includes a procedure for acquiring feature information representing features existing at each position of the medium, which is read from a medium in which random features are distributed, and a target. Acquiring position information indicating a position, and selectively acquiring and outputting the characteristic information of the target position indicated by the position information from the acquired characteristic information of each position. Features.

Further, an information output program according to another reference example includes a procedure for acquiring feature information representing features existing at each position of the medium, which is read from a medium in which random features are distributed, on the computer, and the medium The feature information selectively output from the feature information of each position is represented, and the position of the medium corresponding to the received feature information is represented using the feature information of each position obtained. And a procedure for outputting information.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to output the original information in a highly safe form and reproduce the original information from the output information.

Also , feature information can be acquired based on the position information.

Further , the position information can be acquired from the image information, the original image information can be output in a highly secure form, and the original image information can be reproduced from the output information.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, color information can be reproduced.

Further , the color information can be acquired from the image information, and the color information of the original image information can be reproduced.

In addition , it is possible to easily acquire the feature information as compared with the case where this configuration is not provided.

According to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to acquire feature information based on a user's operation.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, compared to the case where the present configuration is not provided, the possibility that the information is reproduced only from the feature information output based on the continuity of the feature is avoided or reduced. It becomes possible to do.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, simplification and cost reduction can be achieved as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to limit the reproduction of information to one time.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, information can be reproduced multiple times.

According to the reference example , it is possible to output the original information in a highly secure form.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, it is possible to reproduce the original information from the information output in a highly safe form.

According to the reference example , it is possible to output the original information in a highly secure form.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reproduce the original information from the information output in a highly safe form.

According to the reference example , the original information can be output in a highly secure form, and the original information can be reproduced from the output information.

According to the reference example , the original information can be output in a highly secure form, and the original information can be reproduced from the output information.

According to the reference example , it is possible to output the original information in a highly secure form.

According to the reference example , it is possible to reproduce the original information from the information output in a highly safe form.

According to the reference example , it is possible to output the original information in a highly secure form.

According to the reference example , it is possible to reproduce the original information from the information output in a highly safe form.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
[System configuration and operation]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a feature information output device 10 and an information output device 20.

  The feature information output device 10 is a device that outputs predetermined feature information corresponding to the original information. The feature information output device 10 includes a first feature information acquisition unit 11 and a feature information output unit 12.

  The first feature information acquisition unit 11 acquires feature information representing a feature existing at a target position of the first medium, which is read from the first medium in which random features are distributed.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 starts from the first medium M1 to the target positions P1, P2,..., Pn (n is 1) on the first medium M1. The feature information C1, C2,..., Cn representing the feature is acquired.

  The first medium is, for example, paper on which optically readable random features are distributed along the surface. Specifically, the first medium is paper in which light transmittance or light reflectance is randomly distributed along the surface due to the randomness of the entanglement of the fibrous material. That is, the first medium is paper having a random pattern (also called a paper fingerprint) of light transmittance or light reflectance. The characteristic information is, for example, an intensity distribution of reflected light or transmitted light in a region of a predetermined size obtained by irradiating light on the first medium and reading reflected light or transmitted light. It is information to represent.

  The feature information output unit 12 outputs the feature information acquired by the first feature information acquisition unit 11.

  In one aspect, the feature information output unit 12 records the feature information in a storage device. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the feature information output unit 12 records the feature information C1, C2,..., Cn corresponding to the target positions P1, P2,.

  In another aspect, the feature information output unit 12 transmits the feature information to the information output device 20 via a communication path such as the Internet or a telephone line.

  The information output device 20 is a device that reproduces the original information from the information output by the feature information output device 10 and outputs the reproduced information. The information output device 20 includes a second feature information acquisition unit 21 and an information output unit 22.

  The second feature information acquisition unit 21 acquires feature information representing features present at each position of the second medium, which is read from the second medium in which random features are distributed.

  Here, the second medium is a medium from which feature information for information reproduction is read, and the first medium is a medium from which feature information for feature information output is read. In this respect, the first medium and the second medium are logically distinguished. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the process of reading feature information from the first medium and the process of reading feature information from the second medium are performed separately.

  The information output unit 22 acquires the feature information output by the feature information output unit 12, and collates the output feature information with the feature information of each position acquired by the second feature information acquisition unit 21. When there is the acquired feature information determined to match the output feature information, information indicating the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information is output.

  Here, the information output unit 22 can acquire the output feature information by an appropriate method. For example, the information output unit 22 may acquire the feature information from a storage device in which the feature information is recorded through a communication path such as the Internet or a telephone line, or from a portable recording medium in which the feature information is recorded. The feature information may be read out. The information output unit 22 may receive the feature information transmitted from the feature information output unit 12.

  When the second medium is physically the same as the first medium, the information output unit 22 outputs the output feature information and a specific position (a position corresponding to the target position) of the second medium. It is determined that the feature information matches, and information indicating the position of the second medium (position corresponding to the target position) corresponding to the feature information is output.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the information output unit 22 includes the recorded feature information C1, C2,..., Cn and the second medium corresponding to the target positions P1, P2,. It is determined that the feature information C1 ′, C2 ′,..., Cn ′ of the positions P1 ′, P2 ′,. Output information indicating '. For example, the information output unit 22 visualizes the positions P1 ', P2', ..., Pn 'of the second medium M2 itself by printing.

  In this way, when the second medium is physically the same as the first medium, the position information is reproduced from the output feature information. Further, if a set of positions is regarded as image information, it can be said that the image information is reproduced. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, an image representing the character “Z” is reproduced.

  On the other hand, when the second medium is physically different from the first medium, the second medium does not include the feature of the target position of the first medium. The information that represents is not output and the information is not reproduced.

  The feature information output device 10 and the information output device 20 are each realized by a computer, for example, and the functions of the devices 10 and 20 are realized by cooperation of hardware resources and software. For example, the functions of the devices 10 and 20 are realized by reading a program recorded in a recording medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a hard disk device into the main memory and executing it by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Is done. The program can be provided by being recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or can be provided by communication as a data signal.

  However, the physical configurations of the feature information output device 10 and the information output device 20 are not limited to the above. For example, the functions of the devices 10 and 20 may be realized only by hardware. Further, the information processing system 1 can be realized by various physical configurations. For example, each of the devices 10 and 20 may be physically realized by one device or may be realized by a plurality of devices. The feature information output device 10 and the information output device 20 may be physically realized by one device.

  The information processing system 1 is used as follows, for example.

  The user of the information transmission source sets a medium (for example, blank paper) on the feature information output device 10 and inputs position information indicating a target position (for example, an image coordinate group) to the feature information output device 10. The feature information output device 10 acquires feature information of the target position indicated by the input position information from the set medium, and records the feature information.

  Next, the information transmission source user passes the medium to the information transmission destination user. The information transmission source user passes the recorded feature information to the information transmission destination user. In this case, the information transmission source user can pass the feature information by various methods. For example, the user of the information transmission source may send the feature information by e-mail, may send a portable recording medium on which the feature information is recorded, or a storage device on a communication line network such as the Internet The feature information may be recorded, and information for acquiring the feature information from the storage device (for example, address information indicating the storage location of the feature information) may be notified to the information transmission destination user.

  The information transmission destination user sets the medium received from the information transmission source user in the information output device 20 and inputs the feature information received from the information transmission source user to the information output device 20. The information output device 20 reproduces and outputs a target position (for example, a coordinate group of an image) based on the set medium and the input feature information. For example, the information output device 20 prints an image representing the target position on the set medium.

  Hereinafter, the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail by dividing items.

[Medium]
The medium is not limited to the above-mentioned paper as long as random features are distributed. For example, the medium may be a two-dimensional medium such as a sheet other than paper, or may be a one-dimensional or three-dimensional medium such as a line. Moreover, the said characteristic should just have randomness, for example, the other characteristic with the randomness which cannot be restored | recovered which arises in a manufacturing process or a natural phenomenon may be sufficient. Further, the feature may be a feature that can be read electrically, magnetically, or mechanically, for example. For example, the characteristic information may be information representing a distribution of hysteresis noise in a predetermined size area of the magnetic tape. The feature information is not limited to a spatial distribution pattern of a predetermined physical quantity in an area of a predetermined size, and may be random time series information.

[Feature Information Output Device 10]
Hereinafter, the feature information output apparatus 10 will be described in the first and second modes.

(First aspect)
In this aspect, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 acquires position information indicating the target position, and acquires feature information based on the position information.

  Regarding the acquisition of the target position, in one aspect, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 acquires image information, and the first feature information acquisition unit 11 corresponds to the position of the point constituting the image represented by the image information. Information indicating the position is acquired as the position information.

  Here, the image information is, for example, raster information, electronic document information such as PDF (Portable Document Format) information, or the like.

  For example, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 includes an image reading device, optically reads an image of a document by the image reading device, and acquires raster information representing the image. In this aspect, for example, the user prints an image to be transmitted on another paper and causes the feature information output device 10 to scan the paper.

  Note that the first feature information acquisition unit 11 may receive raster information representing an image of a document read by an external image reading device. The first feature information acquisition unit 11 may receive raster information and electronic document information from a user or an external device.

  For example, if the image information is binary image information, the position of the point constituting the image is the coordinates of the on-pixel among the pixels constituting the image, that is, the portion where the information is formed (for example, toner or ink during printing) The coordinates of the part where Further, the position of a point constituting the image is, for example, the coordinates of a pixel having a gradation value greater than or equal to a predetermined value among pixels constituting the image if the image information is multi-value image information.

  The first feature information acquisition unit 11 may acquire the coordinate value of the point on the image as the position information, or the coordinate value of the point on the image may be the coordinate in the coordinate system of the first medium. It may be converted into a value, and the converted coordinate value may be acquired as the position information.

  Note that the first feature information acquisition unit 11 may acquire one or more coordinate values indicating the target position as the position information instead of acquiring the position information from the image information.

  Regarding the acquisition of the feature information, in one aspect, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 acquires the feature information representing the feature existing at each position of the first medium, and then acquires the feature at each acquired position. From the information, the feature information of the target position indicated by the position information is selectively acquired. Here, each position of the first medium may be, for example, each position of the entire area of the first medium or each position of a predetermined area of a part of the first medium. .

  For example, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 includes a reading device, reads the feature of each position of the entire area of the first medium by the reading device, and acquires feature information representing the feature of each position. The feature information corresponding to the target position indicated by the position information is selectively acquired from the stored feature information of each position. For example, when the first medium is paper, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 includes a reading device that optically reads the surface of the paper, and reflected light or transmitted light in the entire area of the paper surface by the reading device. Image information representing the intensity distribution of the image is acquired, and image information of a region having a predetermined size corresponding to the target position is cut out from the image information of the entire region.

  Note that the first feature information acquisition unit 11 may receive feature information of each position read by an external reading device and selectively acquire feature information of the target position from the feature information. Further, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 may selectively read the feature of the target position by the reading device based on the position information. Further, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 may receive feature information of the target position that is selectively acquired by an external reading device.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the feature information output apparatus 10 in the first mode. Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the feature information output apparatus 10 in the first mode will be described with reference to FIG.

  The feature information output device 10 acquires image information (S11).

  Next, the feature information output apparatus 10 acquires information indicating the position of the first medium corresponding to the position of the point constituting the image represented by the image information acquired in step S11 as position information (S12). .

  Further, the feature information output device 10 acquires feature information representing features existing at each position in the entire area of the first medium (S13).

  Then, the feature information output apparatus 10 selectively acquires the feature information of the target position indicated by the position information acquired in step S12 from the feature information of each position acquired in step S13 (S14).

  Then, the feature information output device 10 outputs the feature information acquired in step S14 (S15).

(Second aspect)
In this aspect, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 includes a reader that can move and read features from the first medium, and is present at the position of the first medium corresponding to the position of the reader that is moved and operated. A feature to be read is read by a reader, and feature information representing the feature is acquired. The reader is, for example, a writing instrument type (for example, pen type) sensor.

  In this aspect, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the user moves the reader 41 on the surface of the first medium M1. For example, the user traces lightly on the paper M1 with the reader 41. In the example of FIG. 4, the reader 41 is operated to draw the character “Z”. In this case, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 sets the positions P1, P2,. The existing features are read by the reader 41, and feature information C1, C2,..., Cn representing the features of the positions P1, P2,.

  Note that the first feature information acquisition unit 11 may acquire feature information at an appropriate timing while the reader 41 is moved. For example, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 may acquire feature information continuously, or may acquire feature information at regular time intervals or regular distance intervals.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the feature information output apparatus 10 in the second mode. Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the feature information output apparatus 10 in the second mode will be described with reference to FIG.

  The feature information output device 10 reads the feature existing at the position of the first medium corresponding to the position of the reader to be moved by the reader, and acquires feature information representing the feature (S21).

  Next, the feature information output device 10 records the feature information acquired in step S21 (S22).

[One aspect of feature information output]
When outputting a plurality of feature information, the feature information output device 10 may output the feature information of a plurality of target positions separated from each other so that the positional relationship between the feature information is not recognized based on the continuity of the features. Good.

  For example, when the feature information is image information, the feature information output device 10 sets the target position so that the image information does not overlap or contact each other as shown in FIG. Is output. In FIG. 6, the image information is represented by a hatched area, and the target position is represented by a black dot.

[Information Output Device 20]
Hereinafter, the first and second modes of the information output device 20 will be described.

(First aspect)
In this aspect, the information output device 20 acquires the feature information representing the features existing at each position in the entire area of the second medium, and then outputs the feature information output by the feature information output device 10 and the acquired information. When the acquired feature information that is determined to match the output feature information exists by comparing with the feature information of the position, the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information is represented. Output information.

  For example, when the medium is paper, the second feature information acquisition unit 21 includes a reading device that optically reads the features of the paper, and the intensity distribution of reflected light or transmitted light in the entire area of the paper surface by the reading device. Image information representing is acquired. Then, the information output unit 22 cuts out the image information of the collation area from the acquired image information of the entire area, compares the image information of the collation area with the output image information, and whether or not they match. Determine whether. The information output unit 22 performs the above-described collation process while changing the collation area until it is determined that they match or until collation of all areas is completed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the two match, the information output unit 22 outputs information indicating the current position of the collation area.

  Note that the second feature information acquisition unit 21 may receive the feature information of each position in the entire area of the second medium read by an external reading device.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure of the information output apparatus 20 in the first mode. Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the information output apparatus 20 in the first mode will be described with reference to FIG.

  The information output device 20 reads the feature existing at each position in the entire area of the second medium from the second medium, and acquires feature information representing the feature (S31).

  Further, the information output device 20 acquires the feature information output by the feature information output device 10 (S32).

  Next, the information output apparatus 20 extracts the feature information of the collation position from the feature information of each position acquired in step S31 (S33).

  Next, the information output device 20 compares the output feature information with the extracted feature information of the collation position, and determines whether or not they match (S34). For example, the information output device 20 calculates the degree of coincidence between the two pieces of feature information.

  When it is determined that both match (S34: YES), the information output device 20 outputs information indicating the current collation position (S35).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the two do not match (S34: NO), the information output apparatus 20 determines whether or not all positions of the second medium have been collated, that is, for all areas of the second medium. It is determined whether the collation is completed (S36).

  When it is determined that the collation is not completed (S36: NO), the information output device 20 changes the collation position and returns the process to step S33.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the collation is completed (S36: YES), the information output apparatus 20 ends the process.

  In addition, when there are a plurality of output feature information, the information output device 20 repeatedly performs the processes of steps S32 to S36 for each of the plurality of output feature information. In this case, the information output device 20 may output information representing the position every time the feature information matches, or after accumulating the information representing the position and completing collation for all the output feature information. The information indicating the accumulated position may be output collectively.

(Second aspect)
In this aspect, the information output device 20 acquires feature information representing a feature existing at the collation position of the second medium, collates the output feature information with the feature information of the obtained collation position, When it is determined that the two match, information indicating the collation position is output. The information output device 20 repeatedly performs the above collation process while changing the collation position until it is determined that both match or until collation of the entire area of the second medium is completed.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the information output apparatus 20 in the second mode. Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the information output apparatus 20 in the second mode will be described with reference to FIG.

  The information output device 20 acquires all of the feature information output by the feature information output device 10 and stores it in the storage unit (S41).

  Next, the information output device 20 reads the feature existing at the collation position of the second medium from the second medium, and acquires feature information representing the feature (S42).

  Next, the information output device 20 extracts the feature information to be collated from the storage unit (S43).

  Next, the information output apparatus 20 compares the extracted feature information of the collation target with the acquired feature information of the collation position, and determines whether or not they match (S44).

  When it is determined that both match (S44: YES), the information output device 20 outputs information indicating the current collation position (S45), deletes the collation target feature information from the storage unit (S46), The process proceeds to step S48.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the two do not match (S44: NO), the information output device 20 determines whether or not collation has been completed for all feature information stored in the storage unit (S47), If the collation has not ended (S47: NO), the process returns to step S43, and if the collation has ended (S47: YES), the process proceeds to step S48.

  In step S48, it is determined whether or not feature information is lost from the storage unit.

  When it is determined that the feature information has disappeared (S48: YES), the information output device 20 ends the process.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the feature information is not lost (S48: NO), the information output apparatus 20 determines whether or not all positions of the second medium have been collated, that is, the entire area of the second medium. It is determined whether or not collation is complete (S49).

  When it is determined that the collation has not been completed (S49: NO), the information output device 20 changes the collation position and returns the process to step S42.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the collation has been completed (S49: YES), the information output apparatus 20 ends the process.

  In the above example, the information output device 20 outputs information indicating the position every time the feature information matches. However, the information output device 20 stores the information indicating the position and stores the stored position after all the collations are completed. Information representing the may be output collectively.

[Matching feature information]
Various matching techniques such as a known image matching technique and a matching technique described in Patent Document 3 can be used for matching feature information. In the following, first and second examples will be shown as examples of feature information collation.

  Here, it is assumed that the medium is rectangular paper shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the top left vertex of the paper is referred to as the origin O, the short side direction of the paper is referred to as the X direction, and the long side direction is referred to as the Y direction.

  Here, it is assumed that the information output device 20 acquires and stores the feature information output by the feature information output device 10 in advance. Here, the output feature information is the intensity distribution of the reflected light in a rectangular region of a predetermined size having sides parallel to the X and Y directions, obtained by irradiating the paper with light and reading the reflected light. This is image information representing a pattern. Hereinafter, the output image information is referred to as “output image”.

  Further, the information output device 20 reads the reflected light by irradiating light over the entire area of the paper, and acquires and stores in advance image information representing the intensity distribution pattern of the reflected light in the entire area of the paper surface. It shall be. Hereinafter, the image information of the entire region is referred to as “entire image”.

(First example)
The information output device 20 cuts out a collation image from the entire image. In this example, the image for collation is an image having the same size as the output image. Hereinafter, the image for collation is referred to as “collation image”.

  Then, the information output device 20 compares the output image with the verification image and determines whether or not both images match. For example, the information output device 20 calculates a correlation value between the output image and the collation image, and determines that both images match if the calculated correlation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and otherwise matches both images. Judge that not.

  If it is determined that the two images match, the information output device 20 outputs information indicating the position of the image for verification in the entire image. For example, the information output device 20 outputs the coordinates of the center of the matching image, the coordinates of a predetermined vertex of the matching image, and the like in the XY coordinate system of FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the two images do not match, the information output apparatus 20 moves the cut target area from which the verification image is cut, cuts the verification image from the cut target area after the movement, and Perform the above process.

  The information output device 20 repeatedly performs the process of cutting the collation image and collating it with the output image until it is determined that both images match or all areas of the entire image are collated.

  In the repetition of the above processing, for example, the cut target area from which the verification image is cut is shifted pixel by pixel. For example, the information output device 20 moves the cut target area in the following order, as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG.

  First, the information output apparatus 20 sets a region indicated by oblique lines in FIG. 9, that is, a region having the origin O as a vertex as a cut target region.

  Next, the information output apparatus 20 sets a region shifted by one pixel in the X direction from the region as a cut target region.

  Thereafter, the information output device 20 shifts the cut target area pixel by pixel in the X direction.

  When the cut target area reaches the end in the X direction (the right end in FIG. 9), the information output device 20 returns the position of the cut target area in the X direction to the initial position (the left end in FIG. 9), and the Y direction of the cut target area Is shifted by one pixel.

  Thereafter, the information output apparatus 20 sets the cut target area to X until the cut target area reaches the end in the Y direction (lower end in FIG. 9) and reaches the end in the X direction, that is, until the lower right corner of the paper in FIG. , One pixel at a time in the Y direction.

  In the aspect in which the cut target area is moved as described above, the information output apparatus 20 can obtain the product of the shifted number of pixels and one pixel pitch as the position of the verification image for each of the X and Y directions.

  Note that the information output device 20 may be shifted not in units of one pixel but in units of a plurality of pixels, and may be shifted in units of one pixel when the cut target area is near the position of the output image.

(Second example)
The information output device 20 cuts out the verification image from the entire image. In this example, the verification image is an image of a larger area than the output image.

  Then, the information output device 20 compares the output image with the verification image and determines whether or not both images match. In this example, it is determined whether or not an output image is included in the matching image. If it is determined that the output image is included in the matching image, it is determined that both images match. Otherwise, it is determined that the two images do not match. For example, the information output device 20 repeats calculating the correlation value between the output image and the image of the collation area having the same size as the output image while moving the position of the collation area within the area of the collation image. . Then, the information output device 20 outputs an output image in the matching image based on the maximum value of the plurality of correlation values obtained by the calculation and the feature amount representing the distribution of the correlation values obtained from the plurality of correlation values. Determine whether it is included. Specifically, the feature value representing the degree of distribution of the correlation value is the maximum value of the correlation value obtained by dividing the maximum value of the correlation value by subtracting the average value of the correlation value by the standard deviation of the correlation value. Is the normalized score. Then, when the maximum correlation value is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and the normalized score of the maximum correlation value is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value, the information output device 20 It is determined that the output image is included.

  If it is determined that the two images match, the information output device 20 outputs information indicating the position of the image for verification in the entire image. For example, the information output device 20 outputs the coordinates of the center of the matching image, the coordinates of a predetermined vertex of the matching image, and the like in the XY coordinate system of FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the two images do not match, the information output apparatus 20 moves the cut target area from which the verification image is cut, cuts the verification image from the cut target area after the movement, and Perform the above process.

  The information output device 20 repeatedly performs the process of cutting the collation image and collating it with the output image until it is determined that both images match or all areas of the entire image are collated.

  In the repetition of the above processing, for example, the cut target area from which the verification image is cut is shifted pixel by pixel. For example, the information output apparatus 20 moves the cut target area in the same manner as in the first example, as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG.

  Also in this example, as in the first example, the information output apparatus 20 obtains the product of the shifted number of pixels and one pixel pitch as the position of the verification image for each of the X and Y directions. Can do. Further, the information output device 20 may be shifted not in units of one pixel but in units of a plurality of pixels, and may be shifted in units of one pixel when the cut target area is near the position of the output image.

[Output of position information]
Hereinafter, first to third modes of outputting information representing the position will be described.

(First aspect)
In this aspect, the information output device 20 performs a process of visualizing the position of the second medium itself as a process of outputting information representing the position of the second medium. For example, the information output device 20 forms dots at the above-described positions on the second medium itself by printing. For example, the information output device 20 may form ink dots at the above positions by an ink jet method, or may form toner dots at the above positions by an electrophotographic method.

  In one aspect, the information output apparatus 20 conveys the second medium in one direction, and during this time, obtains feature information from the second medium, collates the feature information, and visualizes the position. .

  For example, the information output device 20 includes a printing device 90 shown in FIG. 10, the printing apparatus 90 includes a transport mechanism (not shown) that transports a second medium (for example, paper) M2 in the direction of arrow A in the figure, a reading unit 91 that reads feature information from the second medium M2, A dot forming unit 92 that forms dots on the second medium M <b> 2 provided downstream of the reading unit 91 in the medium conveyance direction.

  The information output device 20 reads the feature information from the second medium M2 using the reading unit 91 while controlling the transport mechanism and transporting the second medium M2 in the direction of the arrow A in the figure. The output feature information is collated, and when it is determined that the feature information matches, the dot forming unit 92 forms dots at the position on the second medium M2 where the feature information is read.

  In another aspect, the information output device 20 collates the feature information for the entire area of the second medium, identifies the position of the second medium determined to match the feature information, and identifies the identified position. Are converted into raster information, and the raster information is printed on the second medium.

  For example, the information output device 20 includes a reading device that reads feature information and a printing device that prints raster information. Then, the information output device 20 reads the feature information from the entire area of the second medium using the reading device, generates raster information based on the feature information, and uses the printing device to output the raster information to the second medium. Print on. In this case, from the viewpoint of avoiding that the raster information is printed on a print medium different from the second medium, the information output apparatus 20 uses the same medium as the medium on which the feature information is read by the reader. If it is determined that the two are the same, printing may be performed, otherwise printing may not be performed. The identity of the medium is determined, for example, by collating feature information of the medium.

  In the first aspect, for example, when the medium is paper and dots are printed on the paper, once the dots are printed on the paper, it is substantially impossible to read the feature information from the paper. The reproduction of information by the medium is substantially limited to once.

(Second aspect)
In this aspect, the information output device 20 visualizes a position corresponding to the position of the second medium on a medium different from the second medium as the process of outputting information representing the position of the second medium. I do.

  In one aspect, the information output device 20 collates the feature information for the entire area of the second medium, identifies the position of the second medium that is determined to match the feature information, and sets the identified positions. Is converted into raster information, and the raster information is printed on a medium (for example, paper) different from the second medium.

  In another aspect, the information output device 20 collates the feature information for the entire area of the second medium, identifies the position of the second medium determined to match the feature information, and identifies the identified position. Are converted into raster information, and the raster information is displayed on a display medium (for example, a liquid crystal display) which is a medium different from the second medium.

(Third aspect)
In this aspect, the information output device 20 outputs a numerical value representing the position of the second medium to an external device or the like as a process of outputting information representing the position of the second medium. For example, the information output device 20 stores the coordinate value indicating the position of the second medium in the storage device, displays the coordinate value on the display device, or causes the printing device to print.

[Example of Specific Configuration of Feature Information Output Device 10 and Information Output Device 20]
Hereinafter, an example of a specific configuration of the feature information output device 10 and the information output device 20 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the medium is paper.

(Feature information output device 10)
FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a specific configuration of the feature information output apparatus 10. In FIG. 11, the feature information output device 10 includes a document image reading unit 101, a coordinate acquisition unit 102, a coordinate storage unit 103, a medium image reading unit 104, an image cutout unit 105, and an information storage unit 106.

  The document image reading unit 101 optically reads a document image at a predetermined resolution (for example, 400 dpi) to generate image information.

  Based on the image information generated by the document image reading unit 101, the coordinate acquisition unit 102 reads coordinates (for example, on-pixel coordinates in the image information) where information on the document is formed, for example, in units of pixels. The coordinates are stored in the coordinate storage unit 103.

  The coordinate storage unit 103 receives the coordinates from the coordinate acquisition unit 102 and stores the coordinates.

  The medium image reading unit 104 optically reads the surface of the paper that is the first medium, and generates image information representing an image of the paper surface. This image information is digital data having a predetermined resolution (for example, 400 dpi) and a predetermined gradation (for example, 8-bit gray scale).

  The image cutout unit 105 reads the coordinates stored in the coordinate storage unit 103, and based on the image information obtained by the medium image reading unit 104, has a predetermined size (for example, 32 × 32 dots, 400 dpi) centered on the coordinates. (About 2 × 2 mm) is cut out and stored in the information storage unit 106.

  In one aspect, the image cutout unit 105 stores image information at a coordinate interval of 1 dot pitch (42 μm at 400 dpi) from the viewpoint of reproducing the same image quality as the original.

  In another aspect, the image cutout unit 105 is designed to reduce the information capacity, or to prevent the original information from being reproduced from only the image information based on the continuity of the image information. The image information is stored at a coordinate interval of a pitch (for example, 64 dots, 2688 μm at 400 dpi) so that they do not overlap or touch.

  The information storage unit 106 receives the image information from the image cutout unit 105 and stores the image information.

  In the above configuration, each of the document image reading unit 101 and the medium image reading unit 104 is a scanner that optically reads an image such as a paper surface and generates electronic image information. The document image reading unit 101 and the medium image reading unit 104 may be realized by a single scanner.

  The coordinate acquisition unit 102 and the image cutout unit 105 may be realized by a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as “PC”) connected to the scanner, or may be realized by a computer in the scanner.

  The coordinate storage unit 103 and the information storage unit 106 are respectively a storage device in the PC or the scanner, a storage device external to the PC or the scanner, or a network to which the PC or the scanner is connected. A storage device. Here, the storage device is a storage device that can be written by magnetism, electricity, light, or the like, such as a hard disk device.

  FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the feature information output apparatus 10 according to this example. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12, the operation of the feature information output apparatus 10 according to this example will be described together with the operation of the user.

  The user sets the document D on which information is formed on the feature information output device 10 and instructs the feature information output device 10 to perform scanning. When receiving the instruction, the feature information output device 10 scans the document D to generate image information, extracts the on-pixel coordinates from the image information, and stores them.

  In addition, the user sets paper M as a medium in the feature information output device 10 and instructs the feature information output device 10 to perform scanning. When receiving the instruction, the feature information output device 10 scans the paper M to generate image information.

  Then, the feature information output device 10 calculates image information I1, I2,..., In (n is 1 or more) having a predetermined size centered on the stored coordinates of the on-pixel from the image information read from the paper M. And is recorded in the information storage unit 106.

(First example of the information output device 20)
FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a first example of a specific configuration of the information output apparatus 20. The information output device 20 in this example is an ink jet printer, for example. 13, the information output device 20 includes an information storage unit 201, a paper transport mechanism 202, a medium image reading unit 203, an image cutout unit 204, a first storage unit 205, an image extraction unit 206, a second storage unit 207, An image collation unit 208, a dot formation position specifying unit 209, and a dot formation unit 210 are included.

  The information storage unit 201 stores the image information recorded in the information storage unit 106 by the feature information output device 10. The information storage unit 201 may be a storage device different from the information storage unit 106 or may be the same storage device. The information storage unit 201 is, for example, a storage device in a printer or a portable storage medium that is detachably attached to the printer.

  The paper transport mechanism 202 transports paper set in a paper supply tray (not shown) (manual feed tray or the like) in a predetermined direction and discharges it to a discharge tray (not shown).

  The medium image reading unit 203 optically reads the surface of the paper in order from the reading start position to the reading end position while the paper is transported by the paper transport mechanism 202, and obtains image information representing an image of the paper surface. Generate. This image information is digital data having a predetermined resolution (for example, 400 dpi) and a predetermined gradation (for example, 8-bit gray scale).

  The medium image reading unit 203 is, for example, an image reading sensor that can optically read the surface of paper. The image reading sensor includes illumination for irradiating light on the surface of the paper and an image sensor such as a CCD or a CMOS. The image reading sensor may be installed on a moving body that moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the paper moves so that the image can be read over the entire surface of the paper. It may be a line sensor that can read the entire area of the paper at a time in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which it is to be performed.

  The image cutout unit 204 uses the image information generated by the medium image reading unit 203 to capture an image in a wider area than the image information stored in the information storage unit 201 (for example, 32 × 32 dots, approximately 2 × 2 mm at 400 dpi). Information (for example, 64 × 64 dots, about 4 × 4 mm at 400 dpi) is cut out and stored in the first storage unit 205. The image cutout unit 204 cuts out image information in order from the cutout start position to the cutout end position so that the image information of the entire area of the paper is cut out.

  The first storage unit 205 receives the image information from the image cutout unit 204 and stores the image information. The first storage unit 205 is, for example, a RAM.

  The image extraction unit 206 extracts the image information stored in the information storage unit 201 one by one in the order in which the information is read, and stores the image information in the second storage unit 207.

  The second storage unit 207 receives the image information from the image extraction unit 206 and stores the image information. The second storage unit 207 is, for example, a RAM.

  The image collation unit 208 collates the image information stored in the first storage unit 205 with the image information stored in the second storage unit 207, and is stored in the first storage unit 205. It is determined whether the image information stored in the second storage unit 207 is included in the image information.

  The dot formation position specifying unit 209 specifies the position on the paper where the dot is to be formed based on the determination result of the image matching unit 208. Specifically, the dot formation position specifying unit 209 determines the coordinates of the center pixel of the image information stored in the first storage unit 205 when the image collating unit 208 determines that the image information is included. Is measured in units of pixels, and the coordinates are determined as positions on the paper where dots are to be formed.

  The dot forming unit 210 forms dots at positions on the paper specified by the dot forming position specifying unit 209 while the paper is transported by the paper transport mechanism 202. The dot forming unit 210 is, for example, an ink jet head installed on the downstream side of the medium image reading unit 203 in the paper transport direction.

  Note that the above-described processing such as collation is repeated for all the image information stored in the information storage unit 201 over the entire area of the paper, but detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  In the above configuration, the image cutout unit 204, the image takeout unit 206, the image collation unit 208, and the dot formation position specifying unit 209 are realized by a computer in the printer, for example.

  FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the information output apparatus 20 according to the first example. Hereinafter, the operation of the information output apparatus 20 according to the first example will be described with reference to FIG.

  The user first sets the paper M in a paper feed tray (manual feed tray or the like) of the information output device 20. At this time, the user sets the paper M so that the orientation of the front and back of the paper M and the vertical direction is consistent with the information recording time.

  Further, the user provides image information I1, I2,..., In stored in the information storage unit 106 to the information output device 20. At this time, the user may input the image information from the PC on which the image information is recorded to the information output device 20 via the port, or can be written by magnetism, electricity, light, or the like on which the image information is recorded. A portable storage medium may be directly connected to the information output apparatus 20, or image information may be transferred from the apparatus on the network to the information output apparatus 20 via the network.

  Next, the user instructs the information output apparatus 20 to print via the PC or the user interface of the information output apparatus 20.

  When receiving the instruction from the user, the information output device 20 conveys the set paper M and discharges it to the discharge tray. During the conveyance of the paper M, the information output device 20 reads the image information from the paper M, collates the image information with the provided image information I1, I2,. Printing on the paper M based on the result is executed. As a result, an image similar to the original image read by the feature information output device 10 is formed on the paper M.

(Second Example of Information Output Device 20)
FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a second example of a specific configuration of the information output apparatus 20. The information output device 20 in this example is, for example, a device (so-called multifunction device) having a scanner function and a printer function. 15, the information output device 20 includes an information storage unit 211, a medium image reading unit 213, an image cutout unit 214, a first storage unit 215, an image extraction unit 216, a second storage unit 217, an image collation unit 218, A raster information generation unit 219 and an output unit 220 are included.

  The information storage unit 211 is the same as the information storage unit 201 of the first example, and stores image information recorded in the information storage unit 106.

  The medium image reading unit 213 optically reads the paper surface and generates image information representing an image on the paper surface. This image information is digital data having a predetermined resolution (for example, 400 dpi) and a predetermined gradation (for example, 8-bit gray scale). In this example, the medium image reading unit 213 reads the image of the entire area of the paper at a time. The medium image reading unit 213 is, for example, a scanner using a platen method or a sheet through method.

  The image cutout unit 214 cuts out image information in a wider area than the image information stored in the information storage unit 211 from the image information generated by the medium image reading unit 213 and stores the image information in the first storage unit 215. The image cutout unit 214 cuts out image information in order from the cutout start position to the cutout end position so that the image information of the entire area of the paper is cut out. For example, the image cutout unit 214 cuts out image information in the scanned order.

  The first storage unit 215 receives image information from the image cutout unit 214 and stores the image information.

  The image takeout unit 216 takes out the image information stored in the information storage unit 211 one by one in the order in which the information is read, and stores it in the second storage unit 217.

  The second storage unit 217 receives the image information from the image extraction unit 216 and stores the image information.

  The image collation unit 218 collates the image information stored in the first storage unit 215 with the image information stored in the second storage unit 217, and is stored in the first storage unit 215. It is determined whether the image information stored in the second storage unit 217 is included in the image information.

  The raster information generation unit 219 specifies the position on the paper on which the dot is to be formed based on the determination result of the image matching unit 218, and generates raster information based on the specified position on the paper.

  The output unit 220 prints the raster information generated by the raster information generation unit 219 on a paper different from the paper. The output unit 220 is, for example, an electrophotographic printer. The output unit 220 may be a display device that displays the raster information.

  FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the information output apparatus 20 according to the second example. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 16, the operation of the information output apparatus 20 according to the second example will be described together with the operation of the user.

  The user first sets the paper M on the document table of the information output device 20. At this time, the user sets the paper M so that the orientation of the front and back of the paper M and the vertical direction is consistent with the information recording time.

  Further, the user provides image information I1, I2,..., In stored in the information storage unit 106 to the information output device 20. At this time, the user can provide the image information by various methods as in the first example.

  Next, the user instructs the information output apparatus 20 to print via the PC or the user interface of the information output apparatus 20.

  When receiving the instruction from the user, the information output device 20 scans the entire set paper M and generates image information corresponding to the entire area of the paper M.

  Then, the information output device 20 collates the generated image information of the paper M with the provided image information I1, I2,..., In, and generates raster information based on the result of the collation. Then, the raster information is printed on a paper MA different from the paper M. Alternatively, the information output device 20 displays the raster information on the display screen S. As a result, an image similar to the image of the original read by the feature information output device 10 is formed on the paper MA or the display screen S.

<Second Embodiment>
The information processing system according to the second embodiment will be described below. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for portions common to the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 acquires color information indicating the color of the target position together with position information indicating the target position.

  Here, the color information is information that widely represents colors. For example, the gradation value, hue, saturation, and brightness of each color component of RGB and CMYK in the color image, and the gradation in the monochrome multi-value image and monochrome binary image. Examples include key values.

  In one aspect, the first feature information acquisition unit 11 acquires image information, and displays information indicating the position of the first medium corresponding to the position of the point constituting the image represented by the image information. And information indicating the color of the point is acquired as the color information. Here, in the present embodiment, the position of a point constituting the image may be, for example, the coordinates of a specific pixel (for example, an on pixel) as in the first embodiment, or the image May be the coordinates of all the pixels constituting the.

  The feature information output unit 12 outputs the feature information and the color information in association with each other. Specifically, the feature information output unit 12 includes, for each target position, the feature information of the target position acquired by the first feature information acquisition unit 11 and the feature information acquired by the first feature information acquisition unit 11. The color information of the target position is output in association with it.

  The information output unit 22 collates the feature information output by the feature information output unit 12 with the feature information of each position acquired by the second feature information acquisition unit 21, and matches the output feature information. When the acquired feature information to be determined exists, information indicating the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information is output in association with the output feature information; Output in association.

  Therefore, for example, when the feature information E and the color information F are output in association with each other by the feature information output device 10, when the feature information E ′ determined to match the feature information E exists, the information output unit 22 The coordinates of the position of the second medium from which the feature information E ′ has been read are output in association with the color information F.

  For example, the information output unit 22 visualizes the position of the second medium itself with the color indicated by the color information by color printing or the like, or positions the position on the print medium different from the second medium by color printing or the like. Visualization is performed with the color indicated by the color information, or the position on the display screen of the color display device is visualized with the color indicated by the color information. The information output unit 22 may associate the coordinate data and the gradation data and output them to an external device or the like.

<Third Embodiment>
FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information processing system 3 according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 17, the information processing system 3 includes a feature information acquisition device 310, a feature information output device 320, and an information output device 330.

  The feature information acquisition device 310 acquires feature information representing features present at each position of the medium, which is read from a medium in which random features are distributed.

  Here, the medium, the feature information, and the feature information acquisition method are the same as those in the first embodiment. The feature information indicating the feature existing at each position of the medium may be, for example, feature information indicating the feature existing at each position of the entire area of the medium, or at each position within a predetermined area of a part of the medium. It may be feature information representing existing features.

  The feature information acquisition device 310 includes, for example, a reading device, and reads the feature at each position in the entire area of the medium by the reading device, and acquires feature information representing the feature at each position. However, the feature information acquisition device 310 may receive the feature information of each position read by an external reading device.

  The feature information output device 320 acquires position information indicating the target position, and selectively selects the feature information of the target position indicated by the position information from the feature information of each position acquired by the feature information acquisition device 310. Obtain and output. In FIG. 17, the feature information output device 320 includes a feature information acquisition unit 321 and a feature information output unit 322.

  The feature information acquisition unit 321 acquires the feature information of each position acquired by the feature information acquisition device 310. Here, the feature information acquisition unit 321 may receive the feature information of each position from the feature information acquisition device 310 via a communication path such as the Internet or a telephone line, and the feature information of each position is recorded. It may be read from a portable storage medium.

  The feature information output unit 322 acquires position information indicating the target position, and selectively selects the feature information of the target position indicated by the position information from the feature information of each position acquired by the feature information acquisition unit 321. Obtain and output.

  Here, the feature information output unit 322 can acquire the position information in the same manner as the feature information output device 10 of the first embodiment. For example, the feature information output unit 322 acquires image information, and acquires information indicating the position of the medium corresponding to the position of the point constituting the image represented by the image information as the position information.

  Further, the feature information output unit 322 can selectively acquire and output the feature information of the target position, similarly to the feature information output device 10 of the first embodiment. For example, the feature information output unit 322 may transmit the feature information of the target position to the information output device 330 via a communication path such as the Internet or a telephone line, or record it in a storage device. In addition, when outputting a plurality of feature information, the feature information output unit 322 outputs the feature information of a plurality of target positions separated from each other so that the positional relationship between the feature information is not recognized based on the continuity of the features. May be.

  The information output device 330 outputs information representing the position of the medium corresponding to the feature information output by the feature information output device 320 using the feature information of each position acquired by the feature information acquisition device 310. In FIG. 17, the information output device 330 includes a feature information acquisition unit 331, a feature information reception unit 332, and an information output unit 333.

  The feature information acquisition unit 331 acquires the feature information of each position acquired by the feature information acquisition device 310. Here, the feature information acquisition unit 331 may receive the feature information of each position from the feature information acquisition device 310 via a communication path such as the Internet or a telephone line, and the feature information of each position is recorded. You may read from the storage medium.

  The feature information receiving unit 332 receives the feature information output by the feature information output device 320. Here, the feature information receiving unit 332 may receive the feature information from the feature information output device 320 via a communication path such as the Internet or a telephone line, or read the feature information from a storage medium in which the feature information is recorded. May be.

  The information output unit 333 outputs information representing the position of the medium corresponding to the feature information received by the feature information receiving unit 332 using the feature information of each position acquired by the feature information acquisition unit 331. Specifically, the information output unit 333 collates the received feature information with the feature information of each position, and specifies the feature information of each position that matches the received feature information. Then, information indicating the position of the medium corresponding to the specified feature information is output.

  Here, the information output unit 333 can perform collation of feature information and output of information representing a position, similarly to the information output device 20 of the first embodiment. For example, the information output unit 333 may perform a process of visualizing the position of the print medium corresponding to the position of the medium by printing as the process of outputting information representing the position of the medium, You may perform the process which visualizes the position corresponding to the position of a medium.

  The feature information acquisition device 310, the feature information output device 320, and the information output device 330 are each realized by a computer, for example, and the functions of the devices 310, 320, and 330 are performed in cooperation with hardware resources and software. Realized. For example, the functions of the devices 310, 320, and 330 are realized by reading a program recorded in a recording medium such as a ROM or a hard disk device into the main memory and executing it by the CPU. The program can be provided by being recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or can be provided by communication as a data signal.

  However, the physical configuration of each of the devices 310, 320, and 330 is not limited to the above. For example, the functions of the above devices may be realized only by hardware. Further, the information processing system 3 can be realized by various physical configurations. For example, each of the above devices may be physically realized by one device or may be realized by a plurality of devices. The three devices or two of the three devices may be physically realized by one device.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the feature information output device 320. Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the feature information output device 320 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The feature information output device 320 acquires feature information representing features present at each position in the entire area of the medium, which is read from the medium (S51).

  Next, the feature information output device 320 acquires image information to be transmitted (S52).

  Next, the feature information output device 320 acquires information indicating the position of the medium corresponding to the position of the point constituting the image represented by the image information acquired in step S52 as position information (S53).

  Then, the feature information output device 320 selectively acquires the feature information of the target position indicated by the position information acquired in step S53 from the feature information of each position acquired in step S51 (S54).

  Then, the feature information output device 320 transmits the feature information acquired in step S54 to the information output device 330 (S55).

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation procedure of the information output device 330. Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the information output apparatus 330 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The information output device 330 acquires feature information representing the features present at each position in the entire area of the medium, which is read from the medium (S61).

  Next, the information output device 330 receives the feature information transmitted from the feature information output device 320 (S62).

  Next, the information output device 330 collates the received feature information with the feature information of each position acquired in step S61 for each of the feature information received in step S62, and the feature information of each position described above. Among them, the one that matches the received feature information is specified, and information indicating the position of the medium corresponding to the specified feature information is output (S63).

  As described above, in the information processing system 3, the position information is reproduced from the feature information output by the feature information output device 310. Further, if a set of positions is regarded as image information, it can be said that the image information is reproduced.

  The information processing system 3 is used as follows, for example.

  The user sets paper as a medium in the feature information acquisition device 310 and instructs the feature information acquisition device 310 to perform scanning. When receiving the instruction, the feature information acquisition apparatus 310 scans the entire surface of the paper and generates image information.

  Next, the user provides the image information of the entire paper surface generated by the feature information acquisition device 310 to the feature information output device 320 and the information output device 330. At this time, the user may input the image information to the devices 320 and 330 via the port from the PC on which the image information is recorded, or can be written by magnetism, electricity, light, or the like on which the image information is recorded. A portable storage medium may be directly connected to the devices 320 and 330, or image information may be transferred from the device on the network (for example, the feature information acquisition device 310) to the devices 320 and 330 via the network. Good.

  After the above preparation is performed, image information is transmitted as follows.

  The user sets a document on which an image to be transmitted is set on the feature information output device 320 and instructs the feature information output device 320 to transmit.

  When the feature information output device 320 receives the instruction, the feature information output device 320 scans the set original to generate image information, and extracts the coordinates of the on-pixel from the image information. Then, the feature information output device 320 cuts out image information of a predetermined size centered on the coordinates of the extracted on-pixel from the image information of the entire paper provided in advance, and transmits the image information to the information output device 330.

  When the information output device 330 receives the image information from the feature information output device 320, the information output device 330 specifies the coordinates of the received image information on the paper using the image information of the entire paper surface provided in advance, and sets the specified coordinates to the specified coordinates. Based on this, image information is generated, and the image information is printed on a print medium. Alternatively, the information output device 330 displays the image information on the display screen. As a result, an image similar to the image to be transmitted read by the feature information output device 10 is formed on the print medium or the display screen.

<Fourth embodiment>
The information processing system according to the fourth embodiment will be described below. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for portions common to the third embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the feature information output device 320 acquires color information indicating the color of the target position together with position information indicating the target position.

  Here, the color information is information that widely represents colors. For example, the gradation value, hue, saturation, and brightness of each color component of RGB and CMYK in the color image, and the gradation in the monochrome multi-value image and monochrome binary image. Examples include key values.

  In one aspect, the feature information output device 320 acquires image information, acquires information indicating the position of the medium corresponding to the position of the point constituting the image represented by the image information as position information, and Information indicating the color is acquired as the color information. Here, in the present embodiment, the position of a point constituting the image may be, for example, the coordinates of a specific pixel (for example, an on pixel) as in the first embodiment, or the image May be the coordinates of all the pixels constituting the.

  The feature information output device 320 outputs the feature information and the color information in association with each other. Specifically, the feature information output device 320 outputs, for each target position, the feature information of the target position and the color information of the target position in association with each other.

  The information output device 330 collates the feature information of each position acquired by the feature information acquisition device 310 with the feature information output by the feature information output device 320, and outputs the above-described feature information of each position. Information matching the feature information is specified, and information indicating the position of the medium corresponding to the specified feature information is output in association with the color information output in association with the specified feature information.

  For example, the information output device 330 visualizes the position on the print medium with color indicated by the color information by color printing or the like, or visualizes the position on the display screen of the color display device with the color indicated by the color information. Or The information output device 330 may associate the coordinate data and the gradation data and output them to an external device or the like.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change variously within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the information processing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the information processing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement procedure of the characteristic information output device in a 1st aspect. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the characteristic information output device in a 2nd aspect. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement procedure of the characteristic information output device in a 2nd aspect. It is a conceptual diagram which shows an example of feature information and an object position. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement procedure of the information output device in a 1st aspect. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement procedure of the information output device in a 2nd aspect. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating collation of feature information. It is the schematic which shows an example of a structure of the printing apparatus contained in an information output device. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a specific structure of a characteristic information output device. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the characteristic information output device which concerns on a specific example. It is a block diagram which shows the 1st example of a specific structure of an information output device. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the information output device which concerns on a 1st example. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd example of a specific structure of an information output device. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the information output device which concerns on a 2nd example. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the information processing system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement procedure of a characteristic information output device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation | movement procedure of an information output device.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,3 Information processing system, 10 Feature information output device, 11 1st feature information acquisition part, 12 Feature information output part, 20 Information output device, 21 2nd feature information acquisition part, 22 Information output part, 41 Reader 310 Feature information acquisition device, 320 Feature information output device, 321 Feature information acquisition unit, 322 Feature information output unit, 330 Information output device, 331 Feature information acquisition unit, 332 Feature information receiving unit, 333 Information output unit

Claims (9)

Random feature is read from the first medium are distributed, first to obtain the characteristic information representing the random features present in a predetermined size of the area corresponding to the target position of the first medium The feature information acquisition means , wherein the random feature is a spatial distribution pattern of a predetermined physical quantity randomly distributed on a surface of the first medium, and the target position is the first specified by a user. A first feature information acquisition unit that is a position of the first medium corresponding to a position on the medium or a position of a point constituting an image represented by the acquired image information ;
Feature information output means for outputting the acquired feature information;
The random feature is read from the second medium are distributed, the respective positions of the pixel unit of the second medium, respectively, on the surface of the second medium, the predetermined corresponding to the position Second feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information representing the random feature existing in a region of a size of
The acquisition said acquired by the feature information characteristic information output from the output means and the second characteristic information obtaining unit collates the feature information for each position, is determined to coincide with the output feature information Information output means for outputting information indicating the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information when the acquired feature information exists;
An information processing apparatus comprising: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The first feature information acquisition means further acquires color information indicating the color of the target position,
The feature information output means outputs the feature information and the color information in association with each other,
The information output means associates information indicating the position of the second medium with the output feature information when there is the acquired feature information determined to match the output feature information. Output in association with the output color information.
An information processing apparatus characterized by that. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The first feature information acquisition unit includes a pen-type reader capable of moving and reading features from the first medium, and the position of the first medium corresponding to the position of the reader that is moved and operated. Is the target position designated by the user, and the random feature existing in the region of the predetermined size corresponding to the target position is read by the reader to obtain feature information representing the random feature ,
An information processing apparatus characterized by that. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The feature information output means, when outputting a plurality of feature information, outputs the feature information of a plurality of target positions separated from each other so that the positional relationship between the feature information is not recognized based on the continuity of the features.
An information processing apparatus characterized by that. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The first and second media are paper on which random features that are optically readable are distributed along the surface as a spatial distribution pattern of the predetermined physical quantity ,
The feature information is information representing an intensity distribution of reflected light or transmitted light in an area of a predetermined size, which is obtained by irradiating the medium with light and reading reflected light or transmitted light.
An information processing apparatus characterized by that. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The information output means performs a process of printing dots at the position of the second medium itself as a process of outputting information representing the position of the second medium.
An information processing apparatus characterized by that. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
Said information output means, a process of outputting information indicating a position of the second medium, the second medium different from the medium to form a dot at a position corresponding to the position of the second medium Process,
An information processing apparatus characterized by that. Random feature is read from the second medium are distributed, for each position of the pixel of the second medium, respectively, on the surface of the second medium, the predetermined corresponding to the position size Feature information acquisition means for acquiring feature information representing the random feature existing in the area ;
The random representing the random characteristic beam feature exists in the predetermined size of the area corresponding to the target position of the first medium are distributed and the target position a feature information output in advance, Characteristic information that is a position on the first medium designated by a user or a position of the first medium corresponding to a position of a point constituting an image represented by the acquired image information when collates the feature information about been said each position acquired by the feature information obtaining means, when the obtained feature information is determined to match with the output feature information is present, are the acquisition Information output means for outputting information representing the position of the second medium corresponding to the feature information;
An information output device comprising: On the computer,
Random feature is read from the second medium are distributed, for each position of the pixel of the second medium, respectively, on the surface of the second medium, the predetermined corresponding to the position size A procedure of acquiring feature information representing the random feature existing in the area ;
The random representing the random characteristic beam feature exists in the predetermined size of the area corresponding to the target position of the first medium are distributed and the target position a feature information output in advance, Characteristic information that is a position on the first medium designated by a user or a position of the first medium corresponding to a position of a point constituting an image represented by the acquired image information If the if the obtained by the procedure of acquiring characteristic information matches the characteristic information for each position, the acquired characteristic information is determined to match with the output feature information exists, the A procedure for outputting information representing the position of the second medium corresponding to the acquired feature information;
An information output program for executing

Images