KR20080051603A - Image forming device for copying confidential document and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An image forming device for copying a confidential document and a method thereof are provided to enable a user to recognize a copy of the confidential document by changing/printing a shape or a color of an image representing the confidential document when the confidential document is copied. A scanning unit(210) scans a document and a printing unit(220) prints the scanned document. A determiner(230) determines whether a predetermined image representing a confidential document is included in the scanned document. A controller(240) performs a secure printing process by changing a display state of a predetermined image part among the scanned document when the predetermined image is included, and performs a usual printing process printing the scanned document without modification when the predetermined image is not included. A login processor(260) performs a user login process by using user login information received through a user interface(270). The controller enables the scanning unit to start scanning the document when a copy command is inputted from the login user through the user interface.

Description

Image forming device for copying confidential document and method

1 to 3 are block diagrams illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to various embodiments of the present disclosure;

4 and 5 are schematic diagrams for explaining a method of copying a secure document in the image forming apparatus; and

6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating a copying method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawing

110, 210, 310: scanning unit

120, 220, 320: printing unit

130, 230, 330: judgment unit

140, 240, 340: control unit

250, 350: storage

260, 360: Login processing unit

270, 370: user interface unit

380: authentication processing unit

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of copying a secure document and a copying method thereof, and more particularly, an image which prints an image indicating that the copy is a copy of a secure document when a copy start command for the secure document is input. A forming apparatus and a copying method thereof.

In line with advanced industrialization, many technologies are being developed in various fields. As a result, each business has a challenge to ensure that its own technology is kept secure so that it does not leak out. In particular, in order to obtain the know-how of other businesses in recent years, there have been many cases of attempting to bring out internal employees as industrial spies and take out security documents to the outside.

Accordingly, various methods are introduced to maintain security. In general, a method of restricting the security document from being viewed or printed at all may be used unless the person in charge is over a certain authority.

However, there is a problem that there is no realistic way to prevent the copying of the printed security document once. That is, after secretly obtaining and copying a security document printed by an authorized person, the original could be left in place and only a copy could be leaked. In this case, the person in charge cannot easily know that the security document has been leaked, which may be a bigger problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it easy to know that a copy of a security document is made by changing and displaying the shape or color of an image representing the security document when copying the security document. An image forming apparatus and a method thereof are provided.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and a method for recording an information of a user to copy when a copy of a secure document is recognized, thereby preventing an attempted copying of an unintended intention.

The image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, the scanning unit for scanning a document, the printing unit for printing the scanned document, a specific image indicating that the security document is the scanned document And a determining unit determining whether the specific image is included, and performing a secure print job of changing and displaying a display state of the specific image portion of the scanned document, and determining that the specific image is not included. And a control unit for controlling the printing unit to perform a general print job of printing the scanned document as it is.

Preferably, the image forming apparatus may further include a login processing unit configured to perform a user login operation using a user interface unit and user login information input through the user interface unit. In this case, if the copy start command is input through the user interface while the user is logged in, the controller may control the scanning unit to start the scanning.

More preferably, the image forming apparatus may further include a storage unit. In this case, when the secure print job is performed, the controller may store information about the scanned document and the user login information in the storage unit.

Also, preferably, if it is determined that the specific image is included, the apparatus may further include an authentication processing unit that performs a security authentication operation for authenticating a copy right for the document. In this case, the controller may control the printing unit to print the document when the security authentication is performed by the authentication processing unit.

On the other hand, the copying method of the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) when a copy start command is input, (b) scanning a document, (b) a specific image indicating that the document is a security document in the scanned document Determining whether it is included; and (c) performing a secure print job of changing and displaying a display state of the specific image portion of the scanned document if it is determined that the specific image is included.

Preferably, the method may further include receiving a user login information and performing a user login operation, and storing the information about the scanned document and the user login information when the secure printing operation is performed.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail with respect to the present invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. According to FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus includes a scanning unit 110, a printing unit 120, a determination unit 130, and a control unit 140.

The scanning unit 110 and the printing unit 120 is used for the copy job. That is, when copying starts, the scanning unit 110 scans the input document and generates scanning data.

The printing unit 120 prints the scanning data on the paper to complete the copy job. Since the configuration of the scanning unit 110 and the printing unit 120 is already known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The determination unit 130 checks the scanning data and determines whether a specific image is included in the original document. The specific image means an image for indicating that the document is a security document. Specifically, it is determined whether the document is produced in a specific document style or whether a watermark indicating security is included.

Determination of the determination unit 130 may be performed by an image matching method. Specifically, it is possible to determine whether the image is a match by comparing the image information pre-stored in the storage means (not shown) separately provided inside or outside the determination unit 130 with each image of the original document.

For example, in the case of a watermark, the determination unit 130 divides the watermark portion into a plurality of blocks, and also divides previously stored image information into blocks of the same size. The pre-stored image information is utilized by various character images (e.g., "security document", "CONFIDENTIAL", "SECRET", "NO COPY", etc.) that mean security, or design images (e.g., company symbols, etc.). Can be.

Accordingly, it is determined whether a matching block exists between the divided blocks of the pre-stored image and the divided blocks of the watermark. Matching can be confirmed by comparing average values of pixel values of respective blocks, SAD calculation values, and the like. As a result of the determination, if a matched block exists at or above a threshold ratio, it is recognized as the same image, and it is determined that a specific image is included in the original document.

For another example, in the case of a document style, the bitmap data for expressing the style can be compared with the bitmap data of a pre-stored image, and it can be determined whether a specific image is included according to the match.

The determination unit 130 provides the control unit 140 with a result of determining whether a specific image is included.

The control unit 140 controls the printing unit 120 to perform a secure print job or a general print job according to the determination result. That is, if it is determined that the specific image is not included, the controller 140 controls the printing unit 120 to perform a general print job for printing the scanned data as it is.

On the other hand, if it is determined that a specific image is included, the controller 140 controls the printing unit 120 to perform a secure print job of changing and displaying a display state of a corresponding image portion of the entire document. For example, if a watermark "security document" is included in the original document, the printing unit 120 may be controlled to change the watermark to "copy to the security document" and print it. Alternatively, if the original watermark is a red index, the copy unit may control the printing unit 120 to print in black. On the other hand, even if a document form indicating that the security document is included, it can be printed by changing the form of the document form, or change the color.

Accordingly, the security guard or other users can easily recognize that the copy of the security document has been made, and it is possible to check whether the document is a valid copy.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment. 2, the image forming apparatus includes a scanning unit 210, a printing unit 220, a determination unit 230, a control unit 240, a storage unit 250, a login processing unit 260, and a user interface unit 270. ).

The scanning unit 210 and the printing unit 220 are components for copying a document.

The user interface unit 270 is a component for receiving various selection commands from the user.

The login processor 260 performs a user login operation using the user login information input through the user interface 270. Specifically, the login processing unit 260 determines whether the user ID, password, and the like input through the user interface unit 270 match with a pre-registered user ID and password. Do not log in. The control unit 240 does not perform an operation according to any selection command input to the user who is not allowed to log in. The login operation may be performed before a user selection command is input, or when a user selection command is input, a request may be made to input user login information at that time.

Meanwhile, when a logged-in user inputs a copy start command through the user interface unit 270, a scanning operation is performed by the scanning unit 210, and the determination unit 230 determines whether a specific image is included in the scanned document. do.

The controller 240 controls the printing unit 220 to perform a secure print job if a specific image is included and to perform a general print job if it is not included. Since the security print job and the general print job have been described in the description of FIG. 1, redundant descriptions are omitted.

When a secure print job is performed, the controller 240 stores the user login information and the corresponding document information in the storage 250. Accordingly, a history of who is the user who copied the security document, when the copy was made, and what security document is stored in the storage 250 may be managed. Therefore, when a copy of the security document is leaked, it can be easily confirmed by whom and when the copy was made. It is also possible to prevent copying inadequately.

When a history print command is input through the user interface 270, the controller 240 may control the printer 220 to print history information stored in the storage 250.

3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment. The image forming apparatus according to FIG. 3 includes a scanning unit 310, a printing unit 320, a determination unit 330, a control unit 340, a storage unit 350, a login processing unit 360, and a user interface unit 370. And an authentication processing unit 380.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, other components except for the authentication processor 380 are the same as the embodiment of FIG. 2, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

The authentication processing unit 380 performs a security authentication operation for authenticating whether the user has a copy right for the security document.

Specifically, when the determination unit 330 determines that the specific image is included, the control unit 340 controls the authentication processing unit 380 to proceed with the security authentication operation. The security authentication operation may use the user login information input as it is. In other words, by different access rights for each user, it is possible to grant a copy right to a secure document only to a specific user (for example, executive level). The authentication processing unit 380 may check whether the user input information previously input is for this specific user, and proceed with a security authentication operation.

Alternatively, the authentication processing unit 380 may receive new user information necessary for security authentication through the user interface unit 370, and may perform a security authentication operation using the input user information. That is, by registering user information separate from the user login information, it is possible to grant a copy right to the secure document.

Security authentication results can be utilized in a variety of ways.

That is, the controller 340 may perform a secure print job only for a user who has secured the authentication, and may record the use history. On the other hand, an error message may be displayed for a user whose security authentication has failed, indicating that copying is impossible.

Alternatively, the controller 340 may perform a general print job for a user for which security authentication has been established, and may not leave a usage history. On the other hand, a secure print job may be performed for a user whose security authentication has failed, and the usage history may also be recorded.

Alternatively, the controller 340 may record a user history instead of performing a general print job for the user for which the security authentication is established. In this case, it can be recorded and managed separately from the usage history for the general user. On the other hand, a secure print job may be performed for a user whose security authentication has failed, and the usage history may also be recorded.

Meanwhile, although FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of performing a user login operation and FIG. 3, an embodiment of performing both a user login operation and a security authentication operation is described. However, an embodiment of performing only a security authentication operation is also possible. That is, when the copy start command is input and it is determined that a specific image is included, the user inputs user information and performs a security authentication operation. When the security authentication is performed, copying is performed, and the user information used during the security authentication is stored. It can be stored in the 350.

4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a secure print job in the image forming apparatus. According to FIG. 4, when the original document 10 includes a watermark 11 indicating that the document is a secure document, only the watermark 12 is changed while copying the original document 10 while maintaining the rest of the original document 10. . Specifically, when the original document 10 includes the watermark 11 of "CONFIDENTIAL", the copy document 20 changes to the watermark 21 "This document is a copy of a secure document." Is displayed. The contents of the changed watermark 21 can be arbitrarily set by the user. Accordingly, it is possible to enter and utilize various phrases that can clearly indicate that the copy document 20 is not a valid document.

5 is a schematic diagram for explaining another example of a secure print job in the image forming apparatus. According to FIG. 5, when the original document 30 is a document created according to the document form 31 indicating that the document is a secure document, the copy document 40 is displayed in a state 41 in which the color of the document form is changed and printed. Accordingly, the security guard or other users who confirmed the copy document 40 can easily know that the document is a copy document 40 for the security document. In addition, the text constituting the document form may be displayed in dotted line form, or may be changed and displayed in other forms easily recognized by a third party as a copy document for the secure document.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a copying method according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 6, when a user of the image forming apparatus inputs a copy start command (S610), document scanning is performed (S620).

Next, the scanned data is checked to determine whether a specific image is included in the original document (S630).

As a result of the determination, if a specific image is included, the display state of the specific image portion, that is, the image shape, content, color, etc. is changed (S640), and then printing is performed (S650). This makes it possible to reliably recognize that the copy document is a copy of the secure document.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a copying method according to another embodiment of the present invention. According to FIG. 7, the user receives login information (S710) and performs a login operation (S720). Accordingly, when the login is completed, the user can use the image forming apparatus.

In this state, if a copy start command is input (S730), document scanning is performed (S740). Then, it is determined whether or not a specific image is included in the original document by using the scanned data (S750).

As a result of the determination, if a specific image is not included, a print job is immediately performed (S780) to complete the copying.

On the other hand, if a specific image is included, the display state of the specific image is changed (S760), and the document information and user login information are stored (S770). Then, the document including the image whose display state is changed is printed (S780). Accordingly, it is possible to express that the document is a copy of the security document on the paper while leaving a history of who copied the security document at the same time.

On the other hand, when it is determined in the copying method of FIG. 7 that a specific image is included in the original document, a security authentication operation may be performed as described above. Therefore, if the security authentication is established, it is possible to perform only a secure print job without leaving a usage history, and to display an error message when the security authentication fails, or to perform a secure print job while leaving a usage history. Can be.

As described above, according to the present invention, when a copy is attempted for a secure document, the user can easily recognize that the copy is a secure document by changing and printing the display state of a specific image included in the secure document. In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to record who is the user who copied the secure document and when and which document was copied. Accordingly, it is possible to easily detect the case where a security document is copied and leaked. In addition, it is possible to make the user aware that a copy of the security document is likely to be caught when the document is leaked, so that impure attempts can be prevented.

In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described specific embodiment, the technical field to which the invention belongs without departing from the spirit of the invention claimed in the claims. Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or the prospect of the present invention.

Claims (6)

A scanning unit scanning a document; A printing unit for printing the scanned document; A determination unit that determines whether a specific image indicating that the document is a security document is included in the scanned document; And, If it is determined that the specific image is included, a security print job of changing and displaying a display state of the specific image portion of the scanned document is performed, and if it is determined that the specific image is not included, a general printing of the scanned document as it is And a control unit which controls the printing unit to perform a print job. The method of claim 1, A user interface unit; And And a login processing unit which performs a user login operation using the user login information input through the user interface unit. And the control unit controls the scanning unit to start the scanning when a copy start command is input through the user interface unit while the user is logged in. The method of claim 2, Further comprising; The control unit, And storing the information about the scanned document and the user login information in the storage unit when the secure print job is performed. The method according to claim 2 or 3, If it is determined that the specific image is included, an authentication processing unit for performing a security authentication operation for authenticating the copy authority for the document; The control unit, And the printing unit controls the printing unit to print the document when the security authentication is performed by the authentication processing unit. In the copying method of the image forming apparatus, (a) scanning a document if a copy start command is input; (b) determining whether a specific image indicating that the document is a security document is included in the scanned document; And, (c) if it is determined that the specific image is included, performing a secure print job of changing and displaying a display state of the specific image portion of the scanned document. The method of claim 5, Receiving user login information and performing a user login operation; And And storing the information about the scanned document and the user login information when the secure printing job is performed.

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