Image Scanning System, and Image Scanner and Computer Readable Medium Therefor

• US 20100074442A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: OHARA, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

An image scanning system includes an image scanner and a terminal device connected with the image scanner. The terminal device accepts a password, stores an image encryption key, encrypts the image encryption key with the password, sends the encrypted image encryption key to the image scanner, receives image data encrypted from the image scanner, and decrypts the image data encrypted using one of the image encryption key and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key. The image scanner receives the encrypted image encryption key from the terminal device, accepts a password, decrypts the encrypted image encryption key with the password, performs document scanning to create image data, encrypts the image data using the image encryption key decrypted, and sends the image data encrypted to the terminal device.

Claims

1. An image scanning system comprising an image scanner and a terminal device connected communicably with the image scanner,

wherein the terminal device comprises:

a terminal-side password accepting unit configured to accept a password;

a key storage unit configured to store an image encryption key for encrypting image data;

a key encrypting unit configured to encrypt the image encryption key stored in the key storage unit, with the password accepted through the terminal-side password accepting unit;

a key sending unit configured to send the image encryption key encrypted by the key encrypting unit to the image scanner;

an image receiving unit configured to receive image data encrypted from the image scanner; and

an image decrypting unit configured to decrypt the image data encrypted received from the image scanner, using one of the image encryption key stored in the key storage unit and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key, and

wherein the image scanner comprises;

a key receiving unit configured to receive the encrypted image encryption key from the terminal device;

a scanner-side password accepting unit configured to accept a password;

a key decrypting unit configured to decrypt the encrypted image encryption key with the password accepted through the scanner-side password accepting unit;

a scanner unit configured to perform document scanning to create image data;

an image encrypting unit configured to encrypt the image data created by the scanner unit, using the image encryption key decrypted by the key decrypting unit; and

an image sending unit configured to send the image data encrypted by the image encrypting unit to the terminal device.

2. The image scanning system according to claim 1,

wherein the terminal device further comprises:

a determining unit configured to determine whether the image data decrypted by the image decrypting unit is normal; and

an output unit configured to, when the determining unit determines that the image data decrypted is normal, output the image data decrypted.

3. The image scanning system according to claim 2,

wherein the terminal device further comprises an informing unit configured to, when the determining unit determines that the image data decrypted is abnormal, inform the image scanner that the image data decrypted is abnormal.

4. The image scanning system according to claim 1,

wherein the image scanner further comprises a key storing unit configured to store the encrypted image encryption key received from the terminal device.

5. The image scanning system according to claim 1,

wherein the image scanner further comprises a key deleting unit configured to, provided that the image sending unit has sent the image data encrypted to the terminal device, delete the image encryption key used by the image encrypting unit to create the image data encrypted.

6. The image scanning system according to claim 5,

wherein the image scanner further comprises a key storage configured to store the image encryption key decrypted by the key decrypting unit,

wherein the image encrypting unit is configured to encrypt the image data using the image encryption key stored on the key storage, and

wherein the key deleting unit is configured to, provided that the image sending unit has sent the image data encrypted to the terminal device, delete the image encryption key from the key storage.

7. An image scanner configured to be connected communicably with a terminal device, comprising:

a key receiving unit configured to receive an image encryption key encrypted, from the terminal device;

a password accepting unit configured to accept a password;

a key decrypting unit configured to decrypt the encrypted image encryption key with the password accepted through the password accepting unit;

a scanner unit configured to perform document scanning to create image data;

an image encrypting unit configured to encrypt the image data created by the scanner unit, using the image encryption key decrypted by the key decrypting unit; and

an image sending unit configured to send the image data encrypted by the image encrypting unit to the terminal device.

8. The image scanner according to claim 7, further comprising a key storing unit configured to store the encrypted image encryption key received from the terminal device.

9. The image scanner according to claim 7, further comprising a key deleting unit configured to, provided that the image sending unit has sent the image data encrypted to the terminal device, delete the image encryption key used by the image encrypting unit to create the image data encrypted.

10. The image scanner according to claim 9, further comprising a key storage configured to store the image encryption key decrypted by the key decrypting unit,

wherein the image encrypting unit is configured to encrypt the image data using the image encryption key stored on the key storage, and

wherein the key deleting unit is configured to, provided that the image sending unit has sent the image data encrypted to the terminal device, delete the image encryption key from the key storage.

11. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions causing a computer connectable with an image scanner to perform:

a password accepting step of accepting a password;

a key storing step of storing an image encryption key for encrypting image data;

a key encrypting step of encrypting the image encryption key stored in the key storing step, with the password accepted in the password accepting step;

a key sending step of sending the image encryption key encrypted in the key encrypting step to the image scanner;

an image receiving step of receiving image data encrypted from the image scanner; and

an image decrypting step of decrypting the image data encrypted received from the image scanner, using one of the image encryption key stored in the key storing step and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 11,

wherein the instructions further causes the computer to perform:

a determining step of determining whether the image data decrypted in the image decrypting step is normal; and

an output step of, when it is determined in the determining step that the image data decrypted is normal, outputting the image data decrypted.

13. The image scanning system according to claim 12,

wherein the instructions further causes the computer to perform:

an informing step of, when it is determined in the determining step that the image data decrypted is abnormal, informing the image scanner that the image data decrypted is abnormal.