Image processing apparatus, data processing method, and storage medium

• US 6,914,691 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1999
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rogers, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US09/449,738
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.13, 358/1.18, 358/1.17, 358/296, 358/1.14, 358/1.2, 358/1.1, 382/180, 382/294, 382/140, 382/232, 382/233, 382/100
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing

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.

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.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data is an image, a speech, or a movie.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data list has written a plurality of data pieces and charge information for said plurality of data pieces.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data reception is performed by selecting said user'"'"'s desired data from said data list and inputting the number of a cash card of said user.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data is data of another produce of a painter who has written said image data.

6. The image producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data is data of another produce of a composer who has written a musical note corresponding to said image data.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data is data of another produce of an author who has written a book corresponding to said image data.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data is data of another produce of an photographer who has taken a photograph corresponding to said image data.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said address comprises a plurality of addresses, and said data receiving means receives a data list from a plurality of devices.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data is data that has been produced by the same person who created content corresponding to said image data.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the content is selected from the group consisting of an image, a painting, music, a book, and a photograph.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data list is an index listing a plurality of items of data, each item of data corresponding to an image, a movie, or sound.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said index further lists, for each of the plurality of items of data, a corresponding fee.

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.