IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR STORING AN OPERATION CONTROL PROGRAM

• US 20090262390A1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kunihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• 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 1/00883 Auto-copy-preventive originals, i.e. originals that are designed not to allow faithful reproduction

Abstract

Devices and methods wherein if a predefined recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting is detected from image data acquired by an image data acquiring unit, outputting of the image data is prohibited, and if a predefined recognition mark to cancel image data outputting prohibition is detected, the outputting of the image data is permitted.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an image data acquiring unit for acquiring image data;

a dot pattern detecting unit for determining whether the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit includes a predefined recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting or not;

a recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition detecting unit for determining whether the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit includes a predefined recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition or not; and

a control unit for prohibiting outputting of the image data if the dot pattern detecting unit detects the recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting, and permitting the outputting of the image data if the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition detecting unit detects the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an image forming unit for forming an image based on the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit,

the control unit permits the image forming unit to form the image as the outputting if the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition detecting unit detects the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting creating unit for creating a background image having the recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting with the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, comprising a watermark pattern creating unit for creating a background image having a predefined watermark pattern with the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, comprising:

a recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition creating unit for creating a background image having the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition with the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit; and

an instruction inputting unit for allowing a user to input there through an instruction to execute a creating process for the background image having the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition, if the instruction to execute the creating process for the background image having the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition is inputted through the instruction inputting unit, the control unit causes the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition creating unit to perform the creating process for the background image having the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition with respect to the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit limits a number of times outputting is permitted if the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition is detected, to a predefined number of times.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit limits a time period during which outputting is permitted if the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition is detected, to a predefined time period.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition creating unit uses a different recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition for each time a creating process with respect to the image data is executed; and

if the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition that is most recently used for the creating process executed by the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition creating unit is detected from the image data, the control unit permits the outputting of the image data.

9. The computer-readable storage medium for storing an operation control program for causing a computer to function as:

a dot pattern detecting unit for determining whether image data acquired by an image data acquiring unit includes a predefined recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting or not;

a recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition detecting unit for determining whether the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit includes a predefined recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition or not; and

a control unit for prohibiting outputting of the image data if the dot pattern detecting unit detects the recognition dot pattern designed to prohibit an image data outputting, and permitting the outputting of the image data if the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition detecting unit detects the recognition mark to cancel an image data outputting prohibition.