Image processing apparatus, data processing method, and storage medium
First Claim
1. An image processing apparatus which comprises:
- detecting means for detecting digital watermark information in image data;
obtaining means for obtaining an address of a device which holds a data list relating to said image data from said detected digital watermark information;
display means for displaying an inquiry as to whether or not a user intends to receive said data list by using said detected digital watermark information;
data list receiving means for receiving said data list from the device according to said address obtained by said obtaining means;
data receiving means for receiving data selected by a user from said data list; and
inquiring means for inquiring, prior to the receiving of said data list by said data list receiving means, whether to perform the receiving of said data list by said data list receiving means in accordance with said detected digital watermark information.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an image processing system which can make switch-over between a copy-permitted state and a copy-prohibited state automatically according to the type of production while securely protecting the production.
For the purpose, the system causes a detecting portion to detect the presence of predetermined information (i.e., production information) in image data, when that image data is sent from a user side terminal to be output from an output device. If the results of this detection indicate its presence, the system prohibits outputting of that image data from the output device. With this, the system releases an output-prohibited state of the above-mentioned image data based on the results of comparison between a password sent from the user side terminal and a password present in that image data.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. An image processing apparatus which comprises:
-
detecting means for detecting digital watermark information in image data;
obtaining means for obtaining an address of a device which holds a data list relating to said image data from said detected digital watermark information;
display means for displaying an inquiry as to whether or not a user intends to receive said data list by using said detected digital watermark information;
data list receiving means for receiving said data list from the device according to said address obtained by said obtaining means;
data receiving means for receiving data selected by a user from said data list; and
inquiring means for inquiring, prior to the receiving of said data list by said data list receiving means, whether to perform the receiving of said data list by said data list receiving means in accordance with said detected digital watermark information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. An image processing method comprising:
-
a step of detecting digital watermark information contained in image data by detecting means;
a step of obtaining an address of a device which holds a data list relating to said image data from said detected digital watermark information by obtaining means;
a step of controlling display of an inquiry as to whether or not a user intends to receive said data list by using said detected digital watermark information;
a step of receiving a data list from the device by receiving means according to said address obtained in said obtaining step;
a step of receiving data selected by a user from said data list by data receiving means; and
a step of inquiring, prior to the receiving in said data list receiving step, whether to perform the receiving of said data list in said data list receiving step in accordance with said detected digital watermark information.
-
-
15. A storage medium for computer-readably storing a program to achieve an image processing method which method comprises:
-
a step of detecting digital watermark information contained in image data by detecting means;
a step of obtaining an address of a device which holds a data list relating to said image data from said detected digital watermark information by obtaining means;
a step of controlling display of an inquiry as to whether or not a user intends to receive said data list by using said detected digital watermark information;
a step of receiving a data list from the device by receiving means according to said address obtained in said obtaining step;
a step of receiving data selected by a user from said data list by data receiving means; and
a step of inquiring, prior to the receiving in said data list receiving step, whether to perform the receiving of said data list in said data list receiving step in accordance with said detected digital watermark information.
-
-
16. A computer-readable program to be used to achieve an image processing method that comprises:
-
a step of detecting watermark information contained in image data by detecting means;
a step of obtaining an address of device which holds a data list relating to said image data from said detected digital watermark information by obtaining means;
a step of controlling display of an inquiry as to whether or not a user intends to receive said data list by using said detected digital watermark information;
a step of receiving a data list from the device by receiving means according to said address obtained in said obtaining step;
a step of receiving data selected by a user from said data list by data receiving means; and
a step of inquiring, prior to the receiving in said data list receiving step, whether to perform the receiving of said data list in said data list receiving step in accordance with said detected digital watermark information.
-
Specification