IMAGE DATA VERIFICATION

• US 20060248348A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: WAKAO, SATORU, Iwamura, Keiichi, Nakamoto, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/30 Compression, e.g. Merkle-Damgard construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation

Abstract

An image verification system includes an image input apparatus, image verification apparatus, and database apparatus. The image input apparatus generates verification information for image data by using a private key and adds the verification information and predetermined information unique to the image input apparatus to the image data. The image verification apparatus verifies that the image data has been altered or not by using the verification information and a public key corresponding to the private key. The database apparatus stores the public key in association with the predetermined information in the a storage unit and provides the public key to the image verification apparatus.

Claims

1. An image verification system including an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, and a database apparatus, wherein

said image input apparatus comprises

a verification information generation unit that generates verification information for image data by using private key, and

an output unit that outputs to said image verification apparatus the verification information generated by said verification information generation unit and predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus after adding the verification information and the predetermined information to the image data,

said image verification apparatus comprises

an acquisition unit that acquires public key corresponding to the private key by requesting the public key of said database apparatus, and

a verification unit that verifies that the image data has been altered or not by using the public key obtained by said acquisition unit and the verification information added to the image data,

said database apparatus comprises

a storage unit that stores the public key in association with the predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus that uses the private key corresponding to the public key, and

a first information providing unit that provides the public key of said storage unit on the basis of a request, and

said acquisition unit transmits the predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus to said database apparatus, and said first information providing unit transmits the public key corresponding to the unique predetermined information to said image verification apparatus.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said database apparatus comprises an authentication unit that authenticates an information requesting source, and

said first information providing unit provides the public key when authentication by said authentication unit is successful.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said image verification apparatus comprises a control unit that controls activation of said apparatus on the basis of a result of user authentication.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an key generation apparatus including

an information generation unit that generates the private key and the public key, and

a second information providing unit that provides said image input apparatus with the private key generated by said information generation unit, and provides said database apparatus with the public key and the predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus that uses the private key.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein

said key generation apparatus comprises an authentication unit that authenticates said image input apparatus and said database apparatus, and

said second information providing unit provides the private key or the public key when authentication by said authentication unit is successful.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said key generation apparatus comprises a control unit that controls activation of said apparatus on the basis of a result of user authentication.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein said key generation apparatus and said image input apparatus or said database apparatus are formed from one apparatus.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein said image verification apparatus and at least one of said database apparatus and said key generation apparatus are formed from one apparatus.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said verification information generation unit generates the verification information by using the private key and an arbitrary compression function.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the compression function includes a hash function.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the private key is a private key in public cryptography,

the public key is a public key in public cryptography, and

the verification information includes digital signature data.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the image verification system includes a plurality of image input apparatuses.

38. A computer-readable storage medium that records a program for causing a computer to implement a function of at least one of apparatuses of an image verification system defined in claim 1.

13. An image verification system including an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, and a database apparatus, wherein

said image input apparatus comprises

a verification information generation unit that generates verification information for image data by using private key, and

an output unit that outputs to said image verification apparatus the verification information generated by said verification information generation unit and predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus after adding the verification information and the predetermined information to the image data,

said image verification apparatus comprises

an acquisition unit that acquires the private key by requesting the private key of said database apparatus, and

a verification unit that verifies that the image data has been altered or not by using the private key obtained by said acquisition unit and the verification information added to the image data,

said database apparatus comprises

a storage unit that stores the private key in association with the predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus that uses the private key, and

a first information providing unit that provides the private key of said storage unit on the basis of a request, and

said acquisition unit transmits the predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus to said database apparatus, and said first information providing unit transmits the private key corresponding to the unique predetermined information to said image verification apparatus.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein

said database apparatus comprises an authentication unit that authenticates an information requesting source, and

said first information providing unit provides the private key when authentication by said authentication unit is successful.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein said image verification apparatus comprises a control unit that controls activation of said apparatus on the basis of a result of user authentication.

16. The system according to claim 13, further comprising an key generation apparatus including

an information generation unit that generates the private key, and

a second information providing unit that provides said image input apparatus with the private key generated by said information generation unit, and provides said database apparatus with the private key and the predetermined information unique to said image input apparatus that uses the private key.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein

said key generation apparatus comprises an authentication unit that authenticates said image input apparatus and said database apparatus, and

said second information providing unit provides the private key when authentication by said authentication unit is successful.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said key generation apparatus comprises a control unit that controls activation of said apparatus on the basis of a result of user authentication.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein said key generation apparatus and said image input apparatus or said database apparatus are formed from one apparatus.

20. The system according to claim 16, wherein said image verification apparatus and at least one of said database apparatus and said key generation apparatus are formed from one apparatus.

21. The system according to claim 13, wherein said verification information generation unit generates the verification information by using the private key and an arbitrary compression function.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the compression function includes a hash function.

23. The system according to claim 13, wherein the image verification system includes a plurality of image input apparatuses.

39. A computer-readable storage medium that records a computer program for causing a computer to implement a function of at least one of apparatuses of an image verification system defined in claim 13.

24. An image verification system including an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, a database apparatus, a user information input apparatus and a key generation apparatus, wherein

said user information input apparatus comprises a user information registration unit that accepts unique user information, and

a first information providing unit that provides the user information accepted by said user information registration unit to at least one of said information input apparatus and said key generation apparatus serving as an information requesting source,

said image input apparatus comprises

a verification information generation unit that generates verification information for image data by using private key, and

an output unit that outputs to said image verification apparatus the verification information generated by said verification information generation unit and the user information after adding the verification information and the user information to the image data,

said image verification apparatus comprises an acquisition unit that acquires public key corresponding to the private key by requesting the public key of said database apparatus, and

a verification unit that verifies that the image data has been altered or not by using the public key obtained by said acquisition unit and the verification information added to the image data,

said database apparatus comprises

a storage unit that stores the public key in association with the user information for the private key corresponding to the public key, and

a second information providing unit that provides the public key of said storage unit on the basis of a request, and

said acquisition unit transmits the user information to said database apparatus, and said second information providing unit transmits the public key corresponding to the user information to said image verification apparatus.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein

said user information input apparatus comprises an authentication unit that authenticates an information requesting source, and

said first information providing unit accepts the user information when authentication by said authentication unit is successful.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein said user information input apparatus comprises a control unit that controls activation of said apparatus on the basis of a result of user authentication.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein said user information input apparatus and said image input apparatus or said key generation apparatus are formed from one apparatus.

28. The system according to claim 24, wherein said image input apparatus and said key generation apparatus comprise a unit that compresses, by using a compression function, concatenated data of the user information and an identifier for identifying said user information input apparatus, and uses output data as new user information.

40. A computer-readable storage medium that records a computer program for causing a computer to implement a function of at least one of apparatuses of an image verification system defined in claim 24.

29. An image verification system including an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, a database apparatus, a user information input apparatus and a key generation apparatus, wherein

said user information input apparatus comprises

a user information registration unit that accepts unique user information, and

a first information providing unit that provides the user information accepted by said user information registration unit to at least one of said information input apparatus and said key generation apparatus serving as an information requesting source,

said image input apparatus comprises

a verification information generation unit that generates verification information for image data by using private key, and

an output unit that outputs to said image verification apparatus the verification information generated by said verification information generation unit and the user information after adding the verification information and the user information to the image data,

said image verification apparatus comprises

an acquisition unit that acquires the private key by requesting the private key of said database apparatus, and

a verification unit that verifies that the image data has been altered or not by using the private key obtained by said acquisition unit and the verification information added to the image data,

said database apparatus comprises

a storage unit that stores the private key in association with the user information for the private key, and

a second information providing unit that provides the private key of said storage unit on the basis of a request, and

said acquisition unit transmits the user information to said database apparatus, and said second information providing unit transmits the private key corresponding to the user information to said image verification apparatus.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein

said user information input apparatus comprises an authentication unit that authenticates an information requesting source, and

said first information providing unit accepts the user information when authentication by said authentication unit is successful.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein said user information input apparatus comprises a control unit that controls activation of said apparatus on the basis of a result of user authentication.

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein said user information input apparatus and said image input apparatus or said key generation apparatus are formed from one apparatus.

33. The system according to claim 29, wherein said image input apparatus and said key generation apparatus comprise a unit that compresses, by using a compression function, concatenated data of the user information and an identifier for identifying said user information input apparatus, and uses output data as new user information.

41. A computer-readable storage medium that records a computer program for causing a computer to implement a function of at least one of apparatuses of an image verification system defined in claim 29.

34. A public key management method in an image verification system that includes an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, and a database apparatus, and verifies that image data transmitted from the image input apparatus has been altered or not by using public key of the image input apparatus, comprising:

a generation step of generating private key used in the image input apparatus and public key corresponding to the private key;

a storage step of storing the public key and predetermined information unique to the image input apparatus that uses the private key corresponding to the public key, in the database apparatus in association with each other; and

a transmission step of transmitting the public key corresponding to the unique predetermined information from the database apparatus to the image verification apparatus on the basis of the predetermined information which is provided from the image verification apparatus and is unique to the image input apparatus,

wherein the image verification apparatus verifies that the image data is altered or not by using the public key transmitted from the database apparatus.

42. A computer-readable storage medium that records a computer program for causing a computer to implement a management method defined in claim 34.

35. A private key management method in an image verification system that includes an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, and a database apparatus, and verifies that target data transmitted from the image input apparatus is altered or not by using private key of the image input apparatus, comprising:

a generation step of generating private key used in the image input apparatus;

a storage step of storing the private key and predetermined information unique to the image input apparatus that uses the private key, in the database apparatus in association with each other; and

a transmission step of transmitting the private key corresponding to the unique predetermined information from the database apparatus to the image verification apparatus on the basis of the predetermined information which is provided from the image verification apparatus and is unique to the image input apparatus,

wherein the image verification apparatus verifies that the target data is altered or not by using the private key transmitted from the database apparatus.

43. A computer-readable storage medium that records a computer program for causing a computer to implement a management method defined in claim 35.

36. A public key management method in an image verification system that includes an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, a database apparatus, and a user information input apparatus, and verifies that image data transmitted from the image input apparatus is altered or not by using public key for user information input from the user information input apparatus, comprising:

a user information registration step of accepting unique user information;

a generation step of generating private key corresponding to the user information and public key corresponding to the private key;

a storage step of storing the public key and the user information in the database apparatus in association with each other; and

a transmission step of transmitting the public key corresponding to unique predetermined information from the database apparatus to the image verification apparatus on the basis of the user information provided from the image verification apparatus,

wherein the image verification apparatus verifies that the image data is altered or not by using the public key transmitted from the database apparatus.

44. A computer-readable storage medium that records a computer program for causing a computer to implement a management method defined in claim 36.

37. A public key management method in an image verification system that includes an image input apparatus, an image verification apparatus, a database apparatus, and a user information input apparatus, and verifies that image data transmitted from the image input apparatus is altered or not by using private key for user information input from the user information input apparatus, comprising:

a user information registration step of accepting unique user information;

a generation step of generating private key corresponding to the user information;

a storage step of storing the private key and the user information in the database apparatus in association with each other; and

a transmission step of transmitting the private key corresponding to unique predetermined information from the database apparatus to the image verification apparatus on the basis of the user information provided from the image verification apparatus,

wherein the image verification apparatus verifies that the image data transmitted from the image input apparatus is altered or not by using the private key transmitted from the database apparatus.

45. A computer-readable storage medium that records a computer program for causing a computer to implement a management method defined in claim 37.