Special-document discriminating apparatus and managing system for image forming apparatus having a special-document discriminating function

• US 5,659,628 A
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Saitoh, Takashi, Hikita, Toshiya, Kaneko, Yoshio, Kurotaka, Shigeo, Omi, Kyoji, Okubo, Hiromi, Ukai, Takeshi, Tachikawa, Michiyoshi, Sakano, Yukio, Ishigaki, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US08/722,340
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 382/135, 382/137, 382/165, 382/305, 382/306, 382/190, 358/501, 358/401, 358/441, 358/468, 355/133, 399/366, 399/8
• US Class Current: 382/135
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/20 Testing patterns thereon G07D7/004, G07D7/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• 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 1/00848 by detecting a particular original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00851 externally to or remotely from the reproduction apparatus, e.g. using a connected apparatus
• 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: H04N 1/00877 Recording information, e.g. details of the job
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0088 Detecting or preventing tampering attacks on the reproduction system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset

Abstract

The present invention relates to a special-document discriminating apparatus used for providing a counterfeit preventing function to a digital copy machine and the like, and to a managing system for an image forming apparatus having a special-document discriminating function. The special-document discriminating apparatus is provided with a ROM for discriminating a special-document such as paper money, which ROM is detachably attached to a controlling circuit board. Data used for determination may be learned from test pattern data input from the image forming apparatus, or the data may be input from an external unit via a communication line. The managing system for an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming apparatus and a managing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus. Either the image forming apparatus or the managing apparatus has a special-document discriminating function. Additional information is sent from the image forming apparatus together with determination result information or detected data. Information used as reference for determination may be sent from the managing apparatus to the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. A managing system for an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming apparatus and a managing apparatus placed at a position remote from the image forming apparatus and connected with the image forming apparatus via a communication line, said image forming apparatus comprising:

detecting means for detecting features of a predetermined special-document from image data of an original;

determining means for determining whether or not the original corresponds to the predetermined special-document in accordance with the detection result obtained by the detecting means; and

sending means for sending, when the original is determined to correspond to the predetermined special-document by the determining means, determination result information to an external unit;

wherein said image forming apparatus further comprises adding means for adding additional information associated with image forming operation to said determination result information; and

wherein said additional information includes image forming operation mode and history of image forming operation within a predetermined period.

2. A managing system for an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming apparatus and a managing apparatus placed at a position remote from the image forming apparatus and connected with the image forming apparatus via a communication line, said image forming apparatus comprising:

detecting means for detecting features of a predetermined special-document from image data of an original;

determining means for determining whether or not the original corresponds to the predetermined special document in accordance with the detection result obtained by the detecting means;

sending means for sending, when the original is determined to correspond to the predetermined special-document by the determining means, determination result information to an external unit;

wherein said image forming apparatus further comprises adding means for adding additional information associated with image forming operation to said determination result information; and

wherein said managing apparatus comprises means for sending to said image forming apparatus an operation prohibiting signal for prohibiting operation of said image forming apparatus in accordance with said determination result information, and a cancellation signal for canceling the prohibition of the operation.

3. A managing system for an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming apparatus and a managing apparatus placed at a position remote from the image forming apparatus and connected with the image forming apparatus via a communication line, Wherein

said managing apparatus comprises discriminating means for discriminating a predetermined special-document;

and

said image forming apparatus comprises detecting means for detecting features of a predetermined special-document from image data of an original; and

wherein the detection result obtained by said detecting means is sent to said managing apparatus;

said discriminating means determines whether or not the original corresponds to the predetermined special-document in accordance with said detection result; and

the determination result is sent to said image forming apparatus; and

wherein said managing apparatus comprises means for sending to said image forming apparatus an operation prohibiting signal for prohibiting operation of said image forming apparatus in accordance with said determination result information, and a cancellation signal for canceling the prohibition of the operation.

4. A managing system for an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming apparatus and a managing apparatus placed at a position remote from the image forming apparatus and connected with the image forming apparatus via a communication line, said image forming apparatus comprising:

detecting means for detecting features of a predetermined special-document from image data of an original;

determining means for determining whether or not the original corresponds to the predetermined special-document in accordance with a comparison performed on the detection result obtained by detecting means and a predetermined threshold level value; and

sending means for sending, when the original is determined to correspond to the predetermined special-document by the determining means, determination result information to an external unit,

wherein said managing apparatus comprises means for sending a signal used for changing said threshold level value to said image forming apparatus.

5. The managing system for an image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said managing apparatus comprises means for sending to said image forming apparatus an operation prohibiting signal for prohibiting operation of said image forming apparatus in accordance with said determination result information, and a cancellation signal for canceling the prohibition of the operation.

6. A managing system for an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming apparatus and a managing apparatus placed at a position remote from the image forming apparatus and connected with the image forming apparatus via a communication line, said image forming apparatus comprising:

detecting means for detecting features of a predetermined special-document from image data of an original;

determining means for determining whether or not the original corresponds to the predetermined special-document in accordance with a comparison performed on the detection result obtained by the detecting means and a predetermined threshold level value;

means for inputting identification information of an operator operating said image forming apparatus;

sending means for sending, when the original is determined to correspond to the predetermined special-document by the determining means, determination result information to an external unit; and

adding means for adding additional information associated with the image forming operation and said identification information of the operator to said determination result information; and

wherein said managing apparatus further comprises means for sending to said image forming apparatus a signal used for changing at least one of said predetermined threshold level value and a setting value of the image quality of said image forming apparatus, according to said identification information of the operator.