Image forming apparatus with security feature which prevents copying of specific types of documents

• US 5,647,010 A
• Filed: 09/14/1994
• Issued: 07/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Okubo, Hiromi, Shimomae, Mutsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Timothy M.
• Application Number:
  US08/305,886
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 355/201, 283/902, 358/462, 382/100, 382/113, 382/192, 382/193, 382/194, 382/199, 382/135, 382/137, 382/271, 382/306, 364/286.6, 364/949.81, 326/8, 380/4
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00843 based on recognising a copy prohibited original, e.g. a banknote pattern authentication and markers therefor, forgery detection G06V20/95; character recognition G06V30/10; document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/40; testing paper currency or similar valuable papers for genuineness G07D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00859 Issuing an alarm or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/902 Anti-photocopy

Abstract

In a digital copier, facsimile machine, scanner, image filing apparatus or similar apparatus, an image processing device is provided with a capability of surely identifying confidential or secrecy documents which should be protected from unauthorized persons. The confidential or inhibited documents are provided with inhibition patterns by printing or copying over the entire surfaces thereof. The device prevents image data representative of this kind of documents from being improperly copied, transferred, stored or input.

Claims

1. An image processing device for executing various kinds of image processing, including filtering, magnification change and gamma correction, with input image data, said device comprising:

pattern detecting means for determining, pixel data by pixel data, whether or not pixel data constituting the input image data are part of a predetermine inhibition pattern, said pattern detecting means having variable detection accuracy;

document deciding means for determining, based on a number of pixel data determined to be part of said predetermined inhibition pattern by said pattern detecting means, whether or not the input image data are representative of an inhibited document inhibited from being copied, said document deciding means having variable decision accuracy; and

changing means for changing the detection accuracy of said pattern detecting means and the decision accuracy of said document deciding means;

wherein the inhibited document comprises a sheet on which said inhibition pattern is printed or copied over an entire area thereof,

wherein said changing means comprises timer means and automatically changes the detection accuracy of said pattern detecting means and the decision accuracy of said document deciding means according to a period of time preset for said timer means,

wherein the changing means comprises;

a memory for storing different parameters utilized by the pattern detecting means and the document deciding means,

wherein the image processing device further comprises a controller which loads different parameters from the memory to the pattern detecting means and the document deciding means, depending on the period of time preset for said timer means.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said changing means comprises an operation panel.

3. An image processing device, comprising:

pattern detecting means for determining whether or not pixel data constituting an input image data are part of a predetermine inhibition pattern;

document deciding means for determining, based on a number of pixel data determined to be part of said predetermined inhibition pattern determined by said pattern detecting means, whether or not the input image data is representative of a document inhibited from being copied;

a timer means; and

changing means for changing an accuracy of at least one of an operation of said pattern detecting means and an operation of said document deciding means according to a time of the timer means;

wherein the document inhibited from being copied comprises a sheet on which said inhibition pattern is printed or copied,

wherein the changing means comprises;

a memory for storing different parameters utilized by the pattern detecting means and the document deciding means,

wherein the image processing device further comprises a controller which loads different parameters from the memory to at least one of said pattern detecting means and said document deciding means, according to a time of the timer means.