JPH06261163A - Copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a copying machine capable of preventing unauthorized copy from being performed by modifying an unauthorized copy preventing means. CONSTITUTION:This copying machine 1 is provided with an image reading part 6 which reads the image of an original, an image recording part 7 which copies a read image on a recording medium, and the unauthorized copy preventing means 52 which prevents the copy of money or securities, etc., whose copy is prohibited from being performed, and furthermore, the unauthorized copy preventing means 52 is equipped with a modification detecting means 54 which detects the modification of the unauthorized copy preventing means, and a copy prohibiting means 55 which prohibits copy when the modification is detected by the modification detecting means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying apparatus for reading an image of a document and copying it on a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a copying apparatus which reads an image of an original and copies it onto a recording medium. This copying apparatus reads an image of an original placed on an original table or the like according to an instruction from an operator. And faithfully performed the copying operation. On the other hand, the recent progress in copying technology, combined with the technology for colorizing image recording, has made it possible to output a copied image that is extremely close to the original image.

Therefore, in the conventional copying apparatus, the copying is carried out by abusing the copying apparatus or placing a copy of money or securities which should be prohibited on the platen by "mischief" or the like. However, since copying is performed as instructed by the operator, there is a risk of easily inducing counterfeiting and causing serious social problems.

Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-28597
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8, it is judged whether or not duplication of money or securities should be prohibited, and in the case of money or the like, copying is prohibited.

[0005]

By the way, there are some copying machines having illegal copying preventing means for preventing copying of money or securities which should be prohibited from copying. The preventive measures may be modified and illegally copied. As described above, no measures have been taken against the one that makes it possible to copy bills, securities, etc. by disabling the function of preventing unauthorized copying.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a copying apparatus which prevents unauthorized copying by modifying the illegal copying prevention means.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides an image reading unit for reading an image of a document, an image recording unit for copying the read image on a recording medium, and currency. Alternatively, in a copying apparatus having an illegal copy preventing means for preventing copying of securities which should be prohibited from being copied, the illegal copying preventing means detects a modification of the illegal copying preventing means, and the modification. The present invention is characterized by comprising copy prohibiting means for prohibiting the copying when the detection means detects the modification.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an image reading section for reading an image of a document, an image recording section for copying the read image on a recording medium, and copying of money or securities for which copying should be prohibited should be performed. In the copying apparatus having the illegal copy preventing means for preventing the illegal copying, the illegal copying preventing means is provided with an encrypting means for encrypting a signal for preventing copying.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the invention, even if the illegal copy preventing means for preventing the copying of money or securities, which should be prohibited, is modified, the unauthorized copy preventing means must be modified. Detect and prohibit copying itself.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the illegal copy preventing means has an encrypting means, and the signal for preventing copying is encrypted by this encrypting means. Therefore, the signal for preventing copying is decrypted. It is difficult to tamper with the illegal copy preventing means, and it is possible to prevent the copying of money or securities that should be prohibited.

[0011]

Embodiments of the copying apparatus of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a copying apparatus, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an illegal copying prevention unit of the copying apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an illegal copying prevention unit of the copying apparatus.

The copying apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a paper feed section 3 located below the apparatus main body 2, and a sorter section 4 located beside the apparatus main body 2 and the paper feed section 3. And have. An operation section 5 and an image reading section 6 are arranged above the apparatus main body section 2, and an image recording section 7 is arranged below the image reading section 6.

An automatic document reversing document feeder 9 is provided above the document glass 8 of the image reading section 6, and the document is automatically reversed only by setting the document on the automatic document reversing document feeder 9. Both sides can be copied. At the position below the original glass 8, a light source 10, mirrors 11, 12,
A lens 13, a lens 14, a three-line color sensor 15 and the like are arranged to read an image of a document set on the document glass 8. As described above, the image reading unit 6 is a fixed document type,
An image is formed on the 3-line color sensor 15 by the reduction optical system, and B, G, and R color separation signals are output for each line. As the 3-line color sensor 15, for example, 3-line CC
D is used.

The B, G, R color separation signals for each line from the three-line color sensor 15 are input to the processing circuit section 16. The processing circuit section 16 includes a signal processing circuit 17, a selector circuit 18, and an LD modulation circuit 20,
The signal processing circuit 17 subjects the B, G, and R color separation signals to shading correction, AD conversion, γ correction, and color correction masking processing, and outputs recording signals of toner colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Then, the selector circuit 1
The LD modulation circuit 20 outputs a frame sequential signal for each color at 8.
Sent to. The LD modulation circuit 20 performs modulation by a photo diode and outputs it to the laser beam writing unit 21 of the image recording unit 7.

The laser beam writing section 2 of the image recording section 7
At 1, the flexible photoreceptor belt 23 is exposed. The photoconductor belt 23 is stretched between rotating rollers 24 and 25 and is conveyed clockwise by the driving of the rotating roller 24. The photoreceptor belt 23 is supported by a support body 26, and a charger 27 and a plurality of developing means 28 each containing a developer of a specific color are arranged facing the photoreceptor belt 23. Photoconductor belt 23 with body 26 on the back
Is disposed so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the.

The black developing device 29, the cyan developing device 30, the magenta developing device 31, and the yellow developing device 3 of the developing means 28.
Reference numeral 2 respectively contains black, cyan, magenta, and yellow developers, and visualizes the latent image on the photoreceptor belt 23 by a non-contact developing method. Unlike non-contact development, this non-contact development does not mix toner into the developing device or disturb the toner image on the photoconductor, and also smooth movement of the photoconductor belt 23 during development and during non-development. However, it has an advantage that unstable load fluctuation is not given.

A transfer device 33 and a cleaning device 34 are disposed downstream of the developing means 28. The blade 35 and the roller 36 of the cleaning device 34 are kept at a position separated from the surface of the photoconductor belt 23 during image formation, and only during cleaning after image transfer, the photoconductor belt 23 is kept.
Is pressed against the surface of.

The process of forming a color image by the copying apparatus 1 is performed as follows. First, the image reading unit 6
Then, the image of the original is read by the laser beam writing unit 21 of the image reading unit 6, and the image is projected onto the peripheral surface of the photoconductor belt 23 which is charged in advance by the charger 27 to form a bright line.

On the other hand, when the image reading unit 6 starts scanning, the beam is detected by the index sensor,
The beam modulation by the 1st color signal is started, and the modulated beam scans the peripheral surface of the photoconductor belt 23. Therefore, a latent image corresponding to the 1st color is formed on the peripheral surface of the photoconductor belt 23 by the main scanning by the laser beam and the sub-scanning by the conveyance of the photoconductor belt 23. This latent image is developed by a black developing device 29 in which black (BK) toner (visual medium) is loaded in the developing means 28, and a toner image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor belt 23. The obtained toner image is held on the photoreceptor belt surface and is separated from the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor belt 23 by the cleaning device 34.
And the next imaging cycle is entered. The black (BK) toner has a spectral characteristic of transmitting infrared light so as to transmit the semiconductor laser light.

In the case of the above-mentioned first color signal, the photoreceptor belt 23 is charged again by the charger 27, and then the second color signal output from the processing circuit section 16 is input to the laser beam writing section 21. Writing is performed on the surface of the photoreceptor belt in the same manner as in (1) to form a latent image. The latent image is developed by a cyan developing device 30 loaded with cyan (C) toner as a second color.

The cyan (C) toner image is formed on the previously formed black (BK) toner image in an overlapping manner. Similarly, a latent image of magenta (M) is formed on the surface of the photoconductor belt based on the control signal generated by the processing circuit section 16. Then, the latent image is developed by a magenta developing unit 31 loaded with magenta (M) toner as a third color, and is formed on the above-mentioned toner image to form magenta (M) toner image. Further, by the same processing, a yellow (Y) toner image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor belt in a superimposed manner.

Thus, the color toner image formed on the peripheral surface of the photoconductor belt 23 is transferred to the transfer portion 37.
It is transferred onto the transfer paper sent from the paper feed cassettes 38, 39, 40 of the paper feed unit 3 via the paper feed path 41. The recording mediums housed in the paper feed cassettes 38, 39, and 40 are unloaded one by one by the rotation of the paper feed roller 42, and are supplied to the transfer unit 33 at the same timing as the image formation on the photoconductor belt 23. To be done.

The recording medium to which the image has been transferred is reliably separated from the photoconductor belt 23 and is directed upward. After the image is welded by the fixing belt 43, the image is transferred by the reversing unit 44 to the tray 45 of the sorter unit 4. Is discharged to. When the double-sided recording mode that is double-sided recording is selected, the fixed recording medium is reversed by the reversing unit 44, and the conveyance roller 48 is reversed based on the signal of the sensor 46 that detects the trailing end of the recording medium.
The paper is fed from the reversing path 49 to the paper feeding path 41, is again transferred to the back surface of the recording medium by the transfer device 33 via the paper feeding path 41, the image is welded by the fixing belt 43, and then the reversing section 44 is passed to the tray of the sorter section 4. It is discharged onto 45.
On the other hand, the photoconductor belt 23, which has finished the transfer to the recording medium,
Continuing the transportation, the cleaning device 34 removes the residual toner, and a new image forming process is started.

The B, G, and R color separation signals for each line from the three-line color sensor 15 are illegal copy preventing means 5.
2 is input to the determination means 50, and the determination means 50 compares the image information read by the image reading unit 6 with the image information stored in the image memory 51 to determine whether money or securities, etc. Determine if the copy is prohibited. The determination by the determination unit 50 is based on, for example, the size of the original read by the image reading unit 6 and the image memory 5.
1 is compared with the size prohibited from copying, or the ratio of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black of the original read by the image reading unit 6, and
It is also possible to make a comparison by comparing with a ratio of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan and black for which copying is prohibited.

If the copy is prohibited, the illegal copy preventing means 52 outputs a signal for preventing the copy to the main body control section 100 of the copying apparatus 1, and the main body control section 100 records the recording medium. By prohibiting, the copy of money or securities, which should be prohibited, is prevented. The illegal copy preventing means 52 has an encrypting means 56 for encrypting a signal for preventing copying, and since the encrypting means 56 encrypts a signal for preventing copying, a signal for preventing copying is provided. Is difficult to decrypt, the illegal copy preventing means 52 cannot be easily modified, and copying of money or securities that should be prohibited can be prevented.

In the copying apparatus 1 provided with the illegal copy preventing means 52, the alteration detecting means 54 for detecting alteration of the illegal copying preventing means 52, and copying when the alteration detecting means 54 detects alteration of the illegal copying preventing means 52. And a copy prohibiting means 55 for prohibiting the copying. A battery 57 constantly supplies driving power to the modification detecting means 54 and the copy prohibiting means 55, and the power of the copying apparatus 1 is turned off.
Even in the FF, power is constantly supplied to the modification detection means 54 and the copy prohibition means 55.

Therefore, the illegal copy preventing means 52 prevents copying of money or securities which should be prohibited, but even if the illegal copying preventing means 52 is modified, the illegal copying is prevented. The modification detection means 54 detects the modification of the prevention means 52, and the copy prohibition means 55 operates,
The main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 via the encryption unit 56.
Since a signal for prohibiting copying is output to prohibit copying of the recording medium itself, unauthorized copying can be prevented even if the unauthorized copying prevention means 52 is modified.

The judging means 50, the image memory 51, the encrypting means 56, the modification detecting means 54, the copying prohibiting means 55 and the battery 57 constitute an illegal copying preventing means 52. The illegal copying preventing means 52 is As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it is attached to the chassis 59 of the apparatus main body 2. The illegal copy preventing means 52 is composed of an electric circuit assembled to a board 60, and the board 60 is attached to a chassis 59 and covered with a shielding box 61 to constitute an illegal copy preventing unit 58 as a whole. This shielding box 61 is attached to the chassis 59 with screws 62, and the illegal copy preventing means 52 is put in the shielding box 61 so that it cannot be easily modified from the outside. As described above, the inside of the illegal copy prevention unit 58 is a dark box, and has a structure in which light is difficult to enter. In addition, the shielding box 61
Is marked with a prohibition mark M, so be careful not to open it easily.

Further, a battery 57 is arranged in the shielding box 61. An input / output signal line 64 is connected to an electric circuit in the shielding box 61 via a connector 63. The input / output signal line 64 connects the three-line color sensor 15 of the image reading unit 6 and the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1. Connected with.

The modification detecting means 54 detects when the illegal copy preventing unit 58 is opened, and in this case, by removing the shielding box 61, the internal photo sensor 65 detects the ambient light and performs the detection. It is designed to be mechanically detected by 66 or the like. Upon detection by the modification detecting means 54, the copy inhibiting means 55 operates to inhibit the copying operation. In this way, inside the shielding box 61,
A modification detecting means 54 for detecting an attempt to modify the illegal copy preventing means 52 is incorporated.

Further, the illegal copy preventing means 52 in the illegal copy preventing unit 58 has an encrypting means 56, and the encrypting means 56, for example, the judging means 50, gives a signal indicating whether or not the illegal copying is performed. The encrypted coded signal is periodically output to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 so that the signal line is disconnected, the connector 63 is detached, and the like. The modification prevents the illegal copy preventing means 52 from being invalidated. Similarly, the copy prohibiting means 55 also periodically outputs the encrypted encrypted signal with modification or the encrypted encrypted signal without modification, and the main body control unit 10 of the copying apparatus 1
Similarly, it prevents the copy prohibiting means 55 from being invalidated by hardware modification.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for detecting alteration of the copying machine. The inside of the unauthorized copy prevention unit 58 is of a shield type, and has a structure in which light does not enter.
Therefore, in order to make a modification, the illegal copy prevention unit 58
Open, light is incident on the photo sensor 6 in step a1.
5 or the micro switch 66 is turned on to detect the remodeling operation. When this modification operation is detected, the flip-flop in the modification detection means 54 is set in step b1. Next, when power is supplied to the copying apparatus 1 in step c1 to make it ready for transmission, the state of the flip-flop in the modification detecting means 54 is checked in step d1 and the flip-flop is set, and the modification operation is confirmed. Then, the encrypted signal with modification which is encrypted in step e1 is transmitted to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1.
Even in the case where the flip-flop is not set and there is no modification, the encrypted signal without modification which is encrypted in step f1 is transmitted to the main body control unit 100.

When the normal encrypted code signal without modification is not periodically input, the main body control section 100 judges that there is a communication error or modification, prohibits the operation related to copying, and displays the status on the display panel. When the service person replaces the battery inside the illegal copy prevention unit 58 or performs maintenance, the I.D.
Register the D number, and thereby disable the detection only then.

5 and 6 show a more specific embodiment of the copying apparatus. FIG. 5 is a block diagram for preventing modification of the copying apparatus, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart for preventing modification of the copying apparatus.

First, a block diagram for preventing modification of the copying machine shown in FIG. 5 will be described. A battery is provided in the unauthorized copy prevention unit 58, and power is constantly supplied to the light detection unit 200 and the unit open detection unit 201 even when the power of the copying apparatus 1 is off. The light detection unit 200 and the unit open detection unit 201 constitute a modification detection unit 54. When the unauthorized copy protection unit 58 is opened to modify the unauthorized copy protection unit 52, a photo in the unauthorized copy protection unit 58 is taken. The light detection unit 200 such as a sensor detects light, the amplification unit 202 in the next stage amplifies the light, and the comparison unit 203 compares it with the reference voltage 204. When the voltage is higher than the reference voltage, the OR circuit 205 The flip-flop 206 of the next stage is set via the. The reference voltage 204 is variable and can be adjusted according to the incident level of light when the malfunction prevention and illegal copy prevention unit 58 is closed.

Next, in parallel with this, there is provided a unit open detection section 201 which is turned on by opening the unit of the illegal copy prevention unit 58 by a micro switch or the like. When the unit open detection section 201 detects the unit open, OR
The flip-flop 206 at the next stage is set via the circuit 205. The reset unit 207 resets the flip-flop 206 at the time of shipment or when the battery inside the illegal copy prevention unit 58 is replaced, and can be released by the service person registering the ID number on the operation panel.

Next, FIG. 6 illustrates a modification prevention flowchart of the copying machine. When the modification check timer times out in step a2, the power of the copying machine 1 is turned off.
If it is N, the state of the flip-flop 206 is checked in step b2. If the flip-flop 206 is set, the encrypted coded signal with modification is sent to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 in step c2. Send. If the flip-flop 206 is not set in step b2, the encrypted code signal without modification is transmitted to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 in step d2.

It should be noted that the unauthorized copy prevention unit 58 periodically detects the modification and transmits the state of the flip-flop 206, and the main body control section 100 of the copying apparatus 1 regularly sends a normal encrypted code without modification. , Or at the request of the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1. If not transmitted, the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 determines that there is a communication error or modification and prohibits the operation related to copying, and displays the status on the display panel.

Further, the illegal copy preventing means 52 has an encrypting means 56, and since the signal for preventing copying is encrypted by this encrypting means 56, it is difficult to decipher the signal for preventing copying. The illegal copy preventing means 52 cannot be easily modified, and the copy of money or securities, which should be prohibited, can be prevented.

This operation is shown in the flowchart for preventing illegal copying in FIG. At step a3, when the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 is started up, at step b3 a random number code is generated from the encryption means 56 provided in the illegal copy prevention means 52 of the illegal copy prevention unit 58, and at step c3 this random number code is generated. Memorize the random number code. Then, in step d3, the random number code is transmitted to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1.

As described above, the encryption generates a random number code in advance, and the random number code is transmitted only once when the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 starts up. The main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 stores the sent random number code. This is used at the time of decoding the judgment signal whether the copy is securities or the like. Further, the random number code is stored in the encryption means 56 in the illegal copy prevention unit 58, and at the time of copying, a certain operation is performed with a predetermined code signal indicating whether the copy is securities or the like,
The result is transmitted to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1.
The main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 receives this, and decodes the content of the signal by performing the arithmetic processing opposite to the stored random number code and the time of transmission. As a result, it is possible to determine whether the copy is securities or other printed matter, and if the copy is securities, control such as prohibiting the copying operation can be performed.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are more specific flowcharts for preventing illegal copying. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for processing on the illegal copying preventing means side, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart for processing on the main body control unit side.

In FIG. 8, in step a4, the copying machine 1
If the start-up of the main body control unit 100 is determined and the main body control unit 100 is activated, the unauthorized copy prevention unit 58
In the encryption means 56, a random number code is generated at the time of rising at step b4, and this random number code is stored at step c4. Then, in step d4, the encryption means 56 transmits the random number code to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1.

As described above, the main body control unit 10 of the copying apparatus 1
At the end of the rising of 0, the encryption means 56 generates a random number code (for example, 6523H) and stores it, and thereafter notifies the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 of the random number code.
The transmission of the random number code is not limited to the start-up, and may be performed before determining whether the copy is illegal and transmitting it to the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 with the encryption code.

The main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 stores the sent random number code in a memory and uses it when receiving a determination signal as to whether or not it is an illegal copy. At the time of actual copying, first, the original is read by the image reading section 6, and the judgment means 50 judges whether the copying is illegal in step e4. If it is not an illegal copy, the random number code is summed with a predetermined OK code (fixed value) in step f4. If it is an illegal copy, step g
At 4, the random number code and the illegal code are summed. When the calculation of the random number code and the different code is completed, it is confirmed in step h4 that transmission is possible, and in step i4, the copying machine 1
The determination result is transmitted to the main body control unit 100.

In FIG. 9, the main body control unit 1 of the copying apparatus 1
In step 00, it is judged in step j4 that the reception is completed. When the reception is completed, the reception data is set in the register in step k4, the data in the reception register is checked in step l4, and the random number code is received from the reception data. Reverse calculation or a random number code and an OK code are calculated, and it is determined in step m4 whether the result matches the transmission code. If they match, normal copying is performed. If they do not match, step n4
In the same way, it is judged whether or not it is an illegal copy, and if it is an illegal copy, an illegal copy flag is set in step o4, and if it is not illegal, a transmission error flag is set in step p4.

In this way, the main body control unit 100 of the copying apparatus 1 stops the copying process in which the illegal copying flag is set, displays on the display panel that the illegal copying has been executed, and makes subsequent copying. Ban.

The encryption is not limited to the above, but the encryption process such as calculation may be made more complicated, and the main body control unit of the copying apparatus 1 has a look-up table and some predetermined numbers. Change the code and send. Also,
It may be encrypted by inserting an unnecessary code so that it is difficult to decipher and analyze.

[0049]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, even if the illegal copy preventing means for preventing the copying of money or securities, which should be prohibited, is modified, Since the modification of the illegal copy preventing means is detected and the copying itself is prohibited, it is possible to prevent the illegal copying of bills, securities, etc. due to the modification.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the illegal copy prevention means has an encryption means, and the signal for preventing the copy is encrypted by the encryption means, so that the signal for preventing the copy is decrypted. It is difficult to tamper with the illegal copy preventing means, and it is possible to prevent the copying of money or securities that should be prohibited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a copying apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an unauthorized copy protection unit of the copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an unauthorized copy prevention unit of the copying apparatus.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart in which modification of the copying apparatus is detected.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram for preventing modification of the copying apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for preventing modification of the copying apparatus.

FIG. 7 illustrates a modification prevention flowchart of the copying apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of processing on the side of an unauthorized copy prevention unit.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of processing on the main body control unit side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier 6 Image reading section 7 Image recording section 52 Unauthorized copy prevention means 54 Remodeling detection means 55 Copy prohibition means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image reading section for reading an image of an original, an image recording section for copying the read image on a recording medium, and an unauthorized copy preventing means for preventing copying of money or securities that should be prohibited. In a copying apparatus having
A copying apparatus, wherein the illegal copy preventing means includes a modification detecting means for detecting modification of the illegal copying preventing means, and a copy prohibiting means for prohibiting the copying when the modification is detected by the modification detecting means. . 2. An image reading unit for reading an image of an original, an image recording unit for copying the read image on a recording medium, and an unauthorized copy preventing means for preventing copying of money or securities which should be prohibited. In a copying apparatus having
A copying apparatus, wherein the illegal copy preventing means is provided with an encrypting means for encrypting a signal for preventing copying.