Color-image processing apparatus and method, and storage medium

• US 6,975,757 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Business Solutions-West (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohta, Ken-ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US09/557,912
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 382/164, 382/165, 382/166, 382/167, 382/170, 382/171, 382/172, 382/190, 382/194, 382/209, 382/217, 382/218, 382/219, 382/224, 382/278, 382/282, 382/305, 358/515, 358/516, 358/518, 358/519, 358/520, 358/538, 358/523, 358/524, 348/129, 348/130, 348/149, 348/179, 348/209.99, 348/210.99, 707/3, 707/6, 707/7
• US Class Current: 382/165
• 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 1/00875 Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus

Abstract

Conventionally, a color-image processing apparatus, such as a computer, or the like, cannot determine whether or not color-image data stored in an image storage device, such as a hard disk, or the like, is an image corresponding to a specific original. According to the present invention, a color-image processing apparatus includes a determination unit for comparing color-image data stored in an image storage device with a pattern stored in a pattern storage device. The color-image data stored in the image storage device is read with a predetermined timing, and determination by the determination unit is performed. The color-image processing apparatus is a computer, and the image storage device is a hard disk.

Claims

1. A color-image processing apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading color image data stored in image storage means provided in said color-image processing apparatus; and

determination means for determining the similarity between the color image data and a pattern of a specific image,

wherein the color image data used by said determination means for determining the similarity between the pattern of the specific image and the color image data is read from the image storage means at a predetermined time which is independent of a read instruction given by a user to read the color image data stored in the image storage means, and

wherein said determination means adds determination-completed flag information to each piece of the color image data that has been subjected to determination.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said color-image processing apparatus comprises a computer, and wherein the image storage means comprises a hard disk.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image storage means and said determination means are controlled by an operating system on a computer, and wherein the operating system periodically controls said determination means to perform determination on the color image data stored in the image storage means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said determination means determines the similarity when application software executed on a computer reads the color image data from the storage image means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the color image data is stored in the image storage means as a file.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising alteration means for performing alteration of the color-image data when said determination means determines that the color image data coincides with the pattern.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means does not determine the similarity with respect to the color image data having determination-completed flag information.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means performs a determination when an operation input from an operator is not provided for a predetermined period.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means performs a determination when a CPU (central processing unit) of said color-image processing apparatus does not execute application software.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means performs a determination when said color-image processing apparatus is turned on.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means performs a determination when copying the color image data from an external storage device to the image storage means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means performs a determination when copying the color image data from the image storage means to an external storage device.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means performs a determination during communication of the color image data with an external apparatus connected to said color-image processing apparatus via a network.

14. A color-image processing apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading color image data stored in image storage means provided in said color-image processing apparatus; and

determination means for determining the similarity between the color image data and a pattern of a specific image,

wherein the color image data used by said determination means for determining the similarity between the pattern of the specific image and the color image data is read from the image storage means at a predetermined time which is independent of a read instruction given by a user to read the color image data stored in the image storage means,

wherein the color image data is stored in the image storage means as a file, and

wherein said determination means performs a determination by obtaining bit-map data other than data buried within the image file in a format of a tag.

15. A color-image processing apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading color image data stored in image storage means provided in said color-image processing apparatus; and

determination means for determining the similarity between the color image data and a pattern of a specific image,

wherein the color image data used by said determination means for determining the similarity between the pattern of the specific image and the color image data is read from the image storage means at a predetermined time which is independent of a read instruction given by a user to read the color image data stored in the image storage means,

wherein said determination means performs a determination when an operation input from an operator is not provided for a predetermined period, and

wherein, when another operation input from the operator is not provided for a predetermined period after starting an operation input from the operator, said determination means resumes determination processing for the color image data for which a determination by said determination means has not been performed.

16. A color-image processing apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading color image data stored in image storage means provided in said color-image processing apparatus; and

determination means for determining the similarity between the color image data and a pattern of a specific image,

wherein the color image data used by said determination means for determining the similarity between the pattern of the specific image and the color image data is read from the image storage means at a predetermined time which is independent of a read instruction given by a user to read the color image data stored in the image storage means,

wherein said determination means performs a determination when a CPU (central processing unit) of said color-image processing apparatus does not execute application software, and

wherein, when the CPU of said color-image processing apparatus does not execute the application software after starting execution of the application software, said determination means resumes determination processing for the color image data for which a determination by said determination means has not been performed.