System and method for encrypting and decrypting document reproductions

• US 20070076874A1
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Suleiman, Mohammad, Wei, Hongfeng
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/243
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00968 by scanning marks on a sheet mark-sheet input means H04N1/00355; sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for secure document transmission. A sender selects a portion of an original document containing confidential information using a highlighter, bracketing, underlining, or other identifying marks. The original document is then scanned to generate an electronic version, which is subject to optical character recognition to locate the portions of the document containing confidential information based on the identifying marks. These portions containing confidential information are then encrypted and a hybrid document containing non-encrypted portions and encrypted portions is generated. The hybrid document is then sent to a recipient, along with a decryption key. The hybrid document is then marked by the recipient to designate those areas containing encrypted information. The marked document is then scanned to generate an electronic version, which is analyzed to identify which portions require decryption based on the identifying marks made by the recipient. These portions are decrypted and a complete reproduction of the original document is generated for the recipient.

Claims

1. A system for secure document transmission comprising:

means adapted for receiving a document, which document includes indicia representative of at least one area in which confidential information is located;

means adapted for scanning a received document to generate an electronic version thereof;

encryption means adapted for encrypting the at least one area to a corresponding encrypted portion;

means adapted for generating a hybrid electronic document inclusive of at least one non-encrypted portion and the at least one encrypted portion;

means adapted for communicating the hybrid electronic document to a selected destination.

2. The system for secure document transmission of claim 1, further comprising:

means adapted of associating an encryption of the encryption means with a key; and

means adapted for selectively communicating the key to the selected destination to allow for decryption of the electronic document.

3. The system for secure document transmission of claim 2, wherein the means adapted for communicating the hybrid electronic document to a selected destination further comprises:

means adapted for rendering the hybrid electronic document so as to output the hybrid electronic document in hardcopy form;

means adapted for scanning the hardcopy form of the hybrid electronic document to generate facsimile data representative of the hybrid electronic document; and

means adapted for transmitting the facsimile data to the selected destination.

4. The system for secure document transmission of claim 3, further comprising:

means adapted for receiving facsimile data representative of a hybrid electronic document; and

means adapted for rendering a hardcopy form of the facsimile data.

5. The system for secure document transmission of claim 4, further comprising:

means adapted for scanning the rendered hardcopy form the of facsimile data so as to generate a hybrid electronic document inclusive of at least one non-encrypted portion and the at least one encrypted portion;

means adapted for decrypting the at least one encrypted portion of the hybrid electronic document; and

means adapted for rendering a hardcopy form of the decrypted hybrid electronic document so as to output a reproduction of the document.

6. The system for secure document transmission of claim 5, wherein the indicia representative of at least one area in which confidential information is located is at least one of the group consisting of highlighting, bracketing, and underlining.

7. A method for secure document transmission comprising the steps of:

receiving a document, which document includes indicia representative of at least one area in which confidential information is located;

scanning a received document to generate an electronic version thereof;

encrypting the at least one area to a corresponding encrypted portion;

generating a hybrid electronic document inclusive of at least one non-encrypted portion and the at least one encrypted portion; and

communicating the hybrid electronic document to a selected destination.

8. The method for secure document transmission of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

associating an encryption of the encryption means with a key; and

selectively communicating the key to the selected destination to allow for decryption of the electronic document.

9. The method for secure document transmission of claim 8, wherein the step of communicating the hybrid electronic document to a selected destination further comprises the steps of:

rendering the hybrid electronic document so as to output the hybrid electronic document in hardcopy form;

scanning the hardcopy form of the hybrid electronic document to generate facsimile data representative of the hybrid electronic document; and

transmitting the facsimile data to the selected destination.

10. The method for secure document transmission of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving facsimile data representative of a hybrid electronic document; and

rendering a hardcopy form of the facsimile data.

11. The method for secure document transmission of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

scanning the rendered hardcopy form the of facsimile data so as to generate a hybrid electronic document inclusive of at least one non-encrypted portion and the at least one encrypted portion;

decrypting the at least one encrypted portion of the hybrid electronic document; and

rendering a hardcopy form of the decrypted hybrid electronic document so as to output a reproduction of the document.

12. The method for secure document transmission of claim 11, wherein the indicia representative of at least one area in which confidential information is located is at least one of the group consisting of highlighting, bracketing, and underlining.

13. A computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for secure document transmission comprising:

instructions for receiving a document, which document includes indicia representative of at least one area in which confidential information is located;

instructions for scanning a received document to generate an electronic version thereof;

instructions for encrypting the at least one area to a corresponding encrypted portion;

instructions for generating a hybrid electronic document inclusive of at least one non-encrypted portion and the at least one encrypted portion; and

instructions for communicating the hybrid electronic document to a selected destination.

14. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for secure document transmission of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for associating an encryption of the encryption means with a key; and

instructions for selectively communicating the key to the selected destination to allow for decryption of the electronic document.

15. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for secure document transmission of claim 14, wherein the instructions for communicating the hybrid electronic document to a selected destination further comprises:

instructions for rendering the hybrid electronic document so as to output the hybrid electronic document in hardcopy form;

instructions for scanning the hardcopy form of the hybrid electronic document to generate facsimile data representative of the hybrid electronic document; and

instructions for transmitting the facsimile data to the selected destination.

16. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for secure document transmission of claim 15, further comprising:

instructions for receiving facsimile data representative of a hybrid electronic document; and

instructions for rendering a hardcopy form of the facsimile data.

17. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for secure document transmission of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions for scanning the rendered hardcopy form the of facsimile data so as to generate a hybrid electronic document inclusive of at least one non-encrypted portion and the at least one encrypted portion;

instructions for decrypting the at least one encrypted portion of the hybrid electronic document; and

instructions for rendering a hardcopy form of the decrypted hybrid electronic document so as to output a reproduction of the document.

18. The computer-readable medium of instructions with computer-readable instructions stored thereon for secure document transmission of claim 17, wherein the indicia representative of at least one area in which confidential information is located is at least one of the group consisting of highlighting, bracketing, and underlining.