Image reading/forming apparatus and method

• US 20050029353A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Toshio, Murata, Mitsushige, Isemura, Keizo, Osari, Yoshihito, Funamizu, Yoshihiro, Tanabe, Masatoshi, Intoh, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,731,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1013 with sub-scanning by translatory movement of at least a part of the main-scanning components H04N1/107 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32138 in an electronic device attached to the sheet, e.g. in an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images

Abstract

An RFID tag formed on an original includes a storage unit which stores data representing, e.g., the number of times of scan of the original and the generation from a parent original, and a transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives the data by radio. A read/write circuit receives data from an RFID tag of an original by radio. On the basis of the received data, read of the original is controlled. While the original is being read, the received data is edited in accordance with the control. The read/write circuit transmits and writes the edited data in the RFID tag.

Claims

1. An image reading apparatus for reading an image from an original having an RFID tag including a storage unit which stores data and a transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives the data by radio, comprising:

receiving unit which receives data stored in an RFID tag of the original;

read control unit which controls read of the original on the basis of the received data;

image reading unit which reads the original under the control of said read control unit;

data editing unit which edits the received data in accordance with contents of the control performed by said read control unit; and

transmitting unit which transmits the data edited by said data editing unit to writes the transmitted data in an RFID tag of the original.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit of the RFID tag contains the number of times of read of the original, and said read control unit controls read of the image on the basis of the number of times of read contained in the received data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the storage unit of the RFID tag contains the number of times of read of the original, and read limiting information for limiting read of the original, and said read control unit determines whether read of the image is limited on the basis of the number of times of read and the read limiting information contained in the received data, and controls read of the image on the basis the result of determination.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising storage unit which stores read limiting information for limiting read of the original,

wherein said read control unit determines whether read of the image is limited on the basis of the number of times of read contained in the received data and the read limiting information stored in said storage unit, and controls read of the image on the basis the result of determination.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the read limiting information includes an upper-limiting number of times as an upper limit of the number of times of read of the original.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising warning unit which outputs warning information if the number of times of read of the original exceeds the upper-limiting number of times.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when read of an original is executed by said image reading unit, said data editing unit increases the number of times of read of the original, and said transmitting unit transmits and writes the increased number of times of read in an RFID tag of the original.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the original is a child original formed by copying an image of a parent original, the storage unit of the RFID tag stores generation information representing a generation of the original, and said read control unit controls read of the original on the basis of the generation information contained in the received data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein if the original is a child original formed by copying an image of a parent original, the storage unit of the RFID tag stores generation information representing a generation of the original, and said read control unit controls read of the original on the basis of the generation information contained in the received data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising storage unit which stores read limiting information for limiting read of the original,

wherein said read control unit determines whether read of the image is limited on the basis of the generation information and read limiting information contained in the received data, and controls read of the image on the basis of the result of determination.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the read limiting information contains upper-limiting generation information representing an upper-limiting generation by which read of the original is executable.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising warning unit which outputting warning information if a generation of the original exceeds the upper-limiting generation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data editing unit further comprises data forming unit which forms additional data to be stored in the storage unit of the RFID tag, and said transmitting unit transmits and writes the additional data in the storage unit of the RFID tag.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein if said read control unit limits read of the original, said data forming unit forms data indicating that read of the original is limited.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising determining unit which determines whether data can be received from an original as an object of read via said receiving unit,

wherein if said determining unit determines that the data cannot be received, said read control unit inhibits read of the original.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising setting unit which sets whether to validate a read inhibiting process for an original from which the data cannot be received,

wherein if the read inhibiting process is valid, said read control unit executes the read inhibiting process.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising attaching unit which attaches the RFID tag to the original.

18. An image forming apparatus for forming, on a printing medium having an RFID tag, an image of an original read by the image reading apparatus cited in claim 1, comprising:

calculating unit which calculates a generation of an image to be formed on the printing medium, on the basis of generation information representing a generation of the original; and

writing unit which writes the generation calculated by said calculating unit, as generation information of an image to be formed on the printing medium.

19. An image reading apparatus for reading an image from an original, comprising:

detecting unit which detects whether an original placed on the image reading apparatus has an RFID tag including a storage unit which stores data and a transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives the data by radio;

receiving unit which receives, if the original has an RFID tag, image data of the original from the RFID tag; and

image reading unit which reads an image from the original if the original has no RFID tag.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising attaching unit which attaches the RFID tag to the original.

21. An image forming apparatus for forming, on a printing medium having an RFID tag, an image of an original read by the image reading apparatus cited in claim 19, comprising:

calculating unit which calculates a generation of an image to be formed on the printing medium, on the basis of generation information representing a generation of the original; and

writing unit which writing the generation calculated by said calculating unit, as generation information of an image to be formed on the printing medium.

22. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a printing medium in collaboration with the image reading apparatus cited in claim 19, comprising:

an image forming unit which forms an image on the printing medium; and

a control unit which, if the original has an RFID tag, forms an image on a printing medium on the basis of image data of the original received from the RFID tag, and, if the original has no RFID tag, forms an image on a printing medium on the basis of image data read from the original.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising attaching unit which attaches the RFID tag to the original.

24. An image reading method of reading an original having an RFID tag including a storage unit which stores data and a transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives the data by radio, comprising steps of:

receiving data stored in an RFID tag of the original;

controlling read of the original on the basis of the received data; and

reading the original in accordance with the control, editing the received data in accordance with contents of the control, and transmitting and writing the edited data in an RFID tag of the original.

25. An image reading method of reading an image from an original, comprising steps of:

detecting whether an original placed on an image reading apparatus has an RFID tag including a storage unit which stores data and a transmitter/receiver which transmits and receives the data by radio;

receiving, if the original has an RFID tag, image data of the original from the RFID tag; and

reading an image from the original if the original has no RFID tag.

26. An image forming apparatus comprising:

image forming unit which forms an image on a printing medium in accordance with input image data;

an RFID tag which belongs to at least one recording medium;

writing unit which writes data in the RFID tag;

reading unit which reads data recorded in the RFID tag;

data editing unit which edits data on the basis of input data; and

control unit which controls said writing unit to write the data edited by said editing unit into a predetermined RFID printing medium.

27. An image forming apparatus comprising:

image forming unit which forms an image on a printing medium in accordance with input image data;

tag attaching unit which attaches an RFID tag to a printing medium on which an image is formed by said image forming unit;

writing unit which writes data in the RFID tag;

reading unit which reads data stored in the RFID tag; and

control unit which controls said tag attaching unit to attach the RFID tag to each predetermined amount of printing media on which images are formed by said image forming unit, and controlling said writing unit to write data in the RFID tag.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said control unit attaches the RFID tag to a last one of printing media on which images are formed by an image formation job which instructs said image forming unit to form the images, and writes the data in the RFID tag.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the data written by said control unit is common tag data in the image formation job.

30. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said image forming unit which forms an image by transferring the image onto a printing medium by an electrophotographic method, and fixing the image on the printing medium by a fixing device, and said tag attaching unit is placed after said fixing device.

31. An image forming apparatus comprising:

image forming unit which forms an image on a printing medium in accordance with input image data;

tag attaching unit which attaches an RFID tag to a printing medium on which an image is formed by said image forming unit;

writing unit which writes data in the RFID tag;

biological information input unit which inputting biological information for specifying a user; and

control unit which controls said writing unit to write the biological information input by said biological information input unit into the RFID tag of the printing medium on which an image is formed by said image forming unit.

32. An image forming apparatus comprising:

image forming unit which forms an image on a printing medium in accordance with input image data;

tag attaching unit which attaches an RFID tag to a printing medium on which an image is formed by said image forming unit;

reading unit which reads an RFID tag attached to a printing medium;

biological information input unit which inputs biological information for specifying a user; and

storage unit which stores the biological information input by said biological information input unit and data read by said reading unit such that the biological information and data are related to the RFID tag of the printing medium.

33. A control method of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image formation step of forming an image on a printing medium in accordance with input image data;

a tag attaching step of attaching an RFID tag to a printing medium on which an image is formed in the image formation step;

a writing step of writing data in the RFID tag;

a reading step of reading data stored in the RFID tag; and

a control step of attaching the RFID tag to each predetermined amount of printing media on which images are formed in the image formation step, and writing data in the RFID tag.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein in the control step, the RFID tag is attached to a last one of printing media on which images are formed by an image formation job which gives an instruction to form the images in the image formation step, and the data is written in the RFID tag.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the data written in the control step is common tag data in the image formation job.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein in the image formation step, an image is formed by transferring the image onto a printing medium by an electrophotographic method, and fixing the image on the printing medium by a fixing device, and the tag attaching step is placed after the fixing device.

37. A control method of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image formation step of forming an image on a printing medium in accordance with input image data;

a tag attaching step of attaching an RFID tag to a printing medium on which an image is formed in the image formation step;

a writing step of writing data in the RFID tag;

a biological information input step of inputting biological information for specifying a user; and

a control step of writing, in the writing step, the biological information input in the biological information input step into the RFID tag of the printing medium on which an image is formed in the image formation step.

38. A control method of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image formation step of forming an image on a printing medium in accordance with input image data;

a tag attaching step of attaching an RFID tag to a printing medium on which an image is formed in the image formation step;

a reading step of reading an RFID tag attached to a printing medium;

a biological information input step of inputting biological information for specifying a user; and

a storage step of storing the biological information input in the biological information input step and data read in the reading step such that the biological information and data are related to the RFID tag of the printing medium.