Image generating method, device and program, and illicit copying prevention system
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus for composing an original image and control information for controlling the copying of the original image, comprising:
- a background image formation unit that generates a background image which includes first pattern images two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to express the control information code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using a predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the first pattern image;
an image composing/generating unit that generates a composite image by composing the original image and the generated background image;
an output unit that outputs the composite image;
a first control information acquisition unit for acquiring first condition information indicating if copy condition as an example of the condition information is present;
a second control information acquisition unit for acquiring information on copy condition as an example of the condition information for limiting the copying operation when the copying condition is present, within fixed limits; and
an encoding unit for generating copy condition code data by error correction encoding information on the copy condition acquired by the second control information acquisition unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An added information encoding part repeatedly arranges two kinds of copy inhibition code arrays of the unit two-dimensional arrays to which copy inhibition codes are assigned, and condition code arrays of the unit two-dimensional arrays to which codes for removing the copy inhibition are assigned, into a two-dimensional array according to given rules. A background image formation part generates a background image in which copy inhibition pattern image areas and condition pattern image areas are repeatedly and two-dimensionally arranged according to given rules, while referring to this array, and the pattern images corresponding to respective codes stored in the background image formation part, and stores the generated background image into a background image buffer. An image composing part reads out document images from a document image buffer, and the background image from the background image buffer, and superimposes them into a composite image.
68 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus for composing an original image and control information for controlling the copying of the original image, comprising:
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a background image formation unit that generates a background image which includes first pattern images two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to express the control information code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using a predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the first pattern image; an image composing/generating unit that generates a composite image by composing the original image and the generated background image; an output unit that outputs the composite image; a first control information acquisition unit for acquiring first condition information indicating if copy condition as an example of the condition information is present; a second control information acquisition unit for acquiring information on copy condition as an example of the condition information for limiting the copying operation when the copying condition is present, within fixed limits; and an encoding unit for generating copy condition code data by error correction encoding information on the copy condition acquired by the second control information acquisition unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19)
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8. An image forming apparatus for composing an original image and control information for controlling the copying of the original image, comprising:
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a background image formation unit that generates a background image which includes first pattern images two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to express the control information code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using a predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the first pattern image; an image composing/generating unit that generates a composite image by composing the original image and the generated background image; and an output unit that outputs the composite image, wherein the background image formation unit generates the background image in a manner that at least one of first pattern image areas as area image parts of first size being two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to allow the first pattern image to express the control information, and second pattern image areas as area image parts of second size being two dimensionally arrayed so as to express the control information, code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using the predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the second pattern image, and third pattern image areas as area image parts of third size which contains third pattern images and are two dimensionally arrayed so as to express the control information, code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using the predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the third pattern image, are repeatedly arrayed at given cycles. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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9. An image forming apparatus for composing an original image and control information for controlling the copying of the original image, comprising:
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a background image formation unit that generates a background image which includes first pattern images two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to express the control information code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using a predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the first pattern image; an image composing/generating unit that generates a composite image by composing the original image and the generated background image; and an output unit that outputs the composite image, wherein the background image formation unit generates the background image in a manner that at least one of first pattern image areas as area image parts of first size being two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to allow the first pattern image to express the control information, second pattern image areas as area image parts of second size being two dimensionally arrayed so as to express the control information, code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using the predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the second pattern image, and third pattern image areas as area image parts of third size which contains third pattern images and are two dimensionally arrayed so as to express the control information, code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using the predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the third pattern image, and the copy condition image area are repeatedly arrayed at given cycles.
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16. An image forming method for composing an original image and control information for controlling the copying of the original image, the method comprising:
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generating a background image which includes first pattern images two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to express the control information code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using a predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the first pattern image; composing the original image and the generated background image to generate a composite image; outputting the composite image; and acquiring a first condition information indicating if copy condition as an example of the condition information is present using a first control information acquisition unit; acquiring information on copy condition as an example of the condition information for limiting the copying operation when the copying condition is present, within fixed limits using a second control information acquisition unit; and generating copy condition code data by error correction encoding information on the copy condition acquired by the second control information acquisition unit using an encoding unit. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A program stored in a computer readable medium for an image forming apparatus for composing an original image and control information for controlling the copying of the original image, the program causes a computer to serve as:
- a background image formation unit that generates a background image which includes first pattern images two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to express the control information code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using a predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the first pattern image;
an image composing/generating unit that generates a composite image by composing the original image and the generated background image;
an output unit that outputs the composite image;
a first control information acquisition unit for acquiring first condition information indicating if copy condition as an example of the condition information is present;
a second control information acquisition unit for acquiring information on copy condition as an example of the condition information for limiting the copying operation when the copying condition is present, within fixed limits; and
an encoding unit for generating copy condition code data by error correction encoding information on the copy condition acquired by the second control information acquisition unit.
- a background image formation unit that generates a background image which includes first pattern images two dimensionally arrayed at predetermined spatial intervals so as to express the control information code data that is detectable when the copying operation is performed by using a predetermined apparatus being made to correspond to the first pattern image;
Specification