IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND STORAGE MEDIUM THEREFOR

• US 20090059268A1
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hirochika
• Granted Patent: US 8,314,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.140
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5091 for user-identification or authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes

Abstract

The image forming apparatus decodes a two dimensional code within an image and obtains a password; stores the image in a storage unit if the password thus obtained matches a password entered through an operating section; and when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on a display unit of the image forming apparatus, performs a control to display the image on the display unit of the image forming apparatus without requesting an entry of the obtained password, and when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on a display unit of an external device, other than the display unit of the image forming apparatus, performs a control to request an entry of the obtained password for displaying the image on the display unit of the external device.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus including a display unit, comprising:

a password obtaining unit configured to decode a two dimensional code within an image so as to obtain a password;

a storage control unit configured to perform a control to store the image in a storage unit if the password obtained by the password obtaining unit matches a password entered through an operating section; and

a control unit configured

to perform, when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on the display unit, a control to display the image on said display unit without requesting an entry of the password obtained by the password obtaining unit, and

to perform, when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on a display unit of an external device, other than said display unit, a control to request an entry of the password obtained by the password obtaining unit for displaying the image on the display unit of the external device.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an instruction is given by the user to form the image stored in the storage unit, a control is performed to request an entry of the password obtained by the password obtaining unit for image forming of the image.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there is no print screen function for handling, as another file, an image displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus.

4. A control method for an image forming apparatus including a display unit, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a password by decoding a two dimensional code within an image;

performing a control to store the image in a storage unit if the password obtained in the step of obtaining the password matches a password entered through an operating section; and

performing, when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on said display unit, a control to display the image on said display unit without requesting an entry of the password obtained in the step of obtaining the password, and

performing, when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on a display unit of an external device, other than said display unit, a control to request an entry of the password obtained in the step of obtaining the password for displaying the image on the display unit of the external device.

5. The control method for the image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a step of performing, when an instruction is given by the user to form the image stored in the storage unit, a control to request an entry of the password obtained in the step of obtaining the password for image forming of the image.

6. The control method for the image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein there is no print screen function for handling, as another file, an image displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus.

7. A computer-readable storage medium with a control program stored therein, the control program causing a control unit included in an image forming apparatus to perform the steps of:

obtaining a password by decoding a two dimensional code within an image and;

performing a control to store the image in a storage unit if the password obtained in the step of obtaining the password matches a password entered through an operating section; and

performing, when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on said display unit, a control to display the image on said display unit without requesting an entry of the password obtained in the step of obtaining the password, and

performing, when an instruction is given by a user to display the image stored in the storage unit on a display unit of an external device, other than said display unit, a control to request an entry of the password obtained in the step of obtaining the password for displaying the image on the display unit of the external device.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a password obtaining unit configured to decode a two dimensional code within an image so as to obtain a password; and

a setting unit configured to set, when transmitting data of the image to the outside, the password obtained by the password obtaining unit as a password for the entire image.