APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING IMAGE AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20020163671A1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: TAKARAGI, YOICHI
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/3.28
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/005 Robust watermarking, e.g. average attack or collusion attack resistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0052 Embedding of the watermark in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0065 Extraction of an embedded watermark; Reliable detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32165 using cosine transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32208 involving changing the magnitude of selected pixels, e.g. overlay of information or super-imposition H04N1/32219, H04N1/32224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32299 using more than one embedding method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32304 Embedding different sets of additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32309 in colour image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark

Abstract

An image forming apparatus and method arranged to perform a process in which a copyright code is set as electronic watermark information in red, green, and blue image data obtained by a scanner, the image data is then transferred to a printer to undergo density conversion with respect to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and a printer serial number is set as electronic watermark information in the converted image data, followed by printing of the image data. This process facilitates discrimination of the two items of information.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising hiding means for forming second identification information not easily recognizable with eye and different in form from first identification information relating to a copyright and not easily recognizable with eye, said hiding means also for setting the second identification information in image data containing the first identification information.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first identification information is formed by a first color signal, and said hiding means comprises color conversion means for performing color conversion of the image data, and forming means for forming the second identification information by a second color signal different from the first color signal forming the color-converted first identification information in the color-converted image data.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first identification information has a first block size, and said hiding means forms the second identification information having a second block size.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said hiding means comprises color conversion means for performing color conversion of the image data, and sets the second identification information having the second block size in the color-converted image data.

5. An image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the color-converted first identification information and the second identification information is formed by a yellow signal.

6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first identification information is formed by a signal for a thin color.

7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first identification information is set as a frequency component of the image data.

8. An image processing method comprising a setting step including:

forming second identification information not easily recognizable with eye and different in form from first identification information relating to a copyright and not easily recognizable with eye; and

setting the second identification information in image data containing the first identification information.

9. An image processing method according to claim 8, wherein the first identification information is formed by a first color signal, and said setting step comprises performing color conversion of the image data and forming the second identification information by a second color signal different from the first color signal forming the color-converted first identification information in the color-converted image data.

10. An image processing method according to claim 8, wherein the first identification information has a first block size, and said setting step comprises forming the second identification information having a second block size.

11. An image processing method according to claim 10, wherein said setting step comprises performing color conversion of the image data and setting the second identification information having the second block size in the color-converted image data.

12. An image processing method according to claim 11, wherein each of the color-converted first identification information and the second identification information is formed by a yellow signal.

13. An image processing method according to claim 8, wherein the first identification information is formed by a signal for a thin color.

14. An image processing method according to claim 8, wherein the first identification information is set as a frequency component of the image data.

16. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the first identification information is formed by a first color signal, and the setting process comprises color conversion processing for performing color conversion of the image data and forming processing for forming the second identification information by a second color signal different from the first color signal forming the color-converted first identification information in the color-converted image data.

17. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the first identification information has a first block size, and the setting process comprises forming the second identification information having a second block size.

18. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the setting process comprises color conversion processing for performing color conversion of the image data, and sets the second identification information having the second block size in the color-converted image data.

20. An image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first identification information is formed by a first color signal, and said hiding means comprises color conversion means for performing color conversion of the image data, and forming means for forming the second identification information by a second color signal different from the first color signal forming the color-converted first identification information in the color-converted image data.

21. An image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first identification information has a first block size, and said hiding means forms the second identification information having a second block size.

22. An image processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said hiding means comprises color conversion means for performing color conversion of the image data, and sets the second identification information having the second block size in the color-converted image data.

23. An image processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein each of the color-converted first identification information and the second identification information is formed by a yellow signal.

24. An image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first identification information is formed by a signal for a thin color.

25. An image processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first identification information is set as a frequency component of the image data.

27. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein the first identification information is formed by a first color signal, and the setting process comprises color conversion processing for performing color conversion of the image data and forming processing for forming the second identification information by a second color signal different from the first color signal forming the color-converted first identification information in the color-converted image data.

28. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein the first identification information has a first block size, and the setting process comprises forming the second identification information having a second block size.

29. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 28, wherein the setting process comprises color conversion processing for performing color conversion of the image data, and sets the second identification information having the second block size in the color-converted image data.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a program for a setting process stored therein, the setting process including:

forming second identification information not easily recognizable with eye and different in form from first identification information relating to a copyright and not easily recognizable with eye; and

setting the second identification information in image data containing the first identification information.

19. An image processing apparatus comprising hiding means for forming second identification information not easily recognizable with eye and different in form from first identification information not easily recognizable with eye, said hiding means also for setting the second identification information in image data containing the first identification information.

26. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a program for a setting process stored therein, the setting process including:

forming second identification information not easily recognizable with eye and different in form from first identification information and not easily recognizable with eye; and

setting the second identification information in image data containing the first identification information.