Image processing device and image processing method

• US 7,720,314 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Minamino, Katsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/647,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 382/307, 382/100, 382/274, 358/1.6, 358/3.28, 358/1.14
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00846 based on detection of a dedicated indication, e.g. marks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00875 Inhibiting reproduction, e.g. by disabling reading or reproduction apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32144 embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/323 for tracing or tracking, e.g. forensic tracing of unauthorized copies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3236 Details of authentication information generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3269 of machine readable codes or marks, e.g. bar codes or glyphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

An image processing device inputs shading correction data, which can identify the image processing device itself, to a first hash function and generates comparison data. The image processing device inputs the shading correction data to a second hash function, and generates tracing identification data. The image processing device generates a tracing pattern from the tracing identification data, and adds the tracing pattern to output image data. The image processing device verifies the comparison data with standard data, which has been generated by inputting the shading correction data in a first function and previously stored in a storage device. When the comparison data matches the standard data, the image processing device permits to print out the output image data to which the tracing pattern has been added.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

an output image generating unit which generates an output image in accordance with an input image;

a device identification information storage unit which stores device identification information, which is information for identifying the image processing device itself;

a standard information storage unit which stores standard information;

a comparison information generating unit which generates comparison information in accordance with first information including the device identification information retrieved from the device identification information storage unit;

a tracing identification information generating unit which generates tracing identification information, which has contents different from the standard information, in accordance with second information including the device identification information retrieved from the device identification information storage unit;

an adding unit which adds the tracing identification information generated by the tracing identification information generating unit to the output image;

an output unit which outputs the output image;

a determining unit which determines whether or not the comparison information generated by the comparison information generating unit matches the standard information retrieved from the standard information storage unit; and

a control unit which controls to prohibit the output image to be output by the output unit according to a determination result of the determining unit.

5. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a tracing identification information storage unit which stores the tracing identification information generated by the tracing identification information generating unit; and

a deleting unit which, after the adding unit adds the tracing identification information retrieved from the tracing identification information storage unit to the output image, deletes the tracing identification information from the tracing identification information storage unit.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a scanning unit which scans an image of an original document and generates the input image,

wherein the device identification information includes correction information unique to the image processing device itself used in a processing for generating the output image that is true to the image of the original document in a processing for generating the output image by the output image generating unit.

7. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein the device identification information includes shading correction information used for a shading correction of the input image as the correction information.

8. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit adjusts emission energy of each of a plurality of printing elements, and forms an image based on the output image on printing paper, and

the device identification information includes light intensity correction information unique to the image processing device itself used in a processing for correcting variation in light intensity among the plurality of the printing elements.

9. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein one or both of the first information and the second information includes program data, which executes a processing included in a series of processing from scanning of an image of an original document by the scanning unit to outputting of the output image by the output unit and causes the image processing device itself to not operate normally when being altered.

10. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein the program data includes program data of at least one of following programs:

a tracing identification information generating program for functionally realizing the tracing identification information generating unit;

a comparison information generating program for functionally realizing the comparison information generating unit; and

an adding program for functionally realizing the adding unit.

2. An image processing device comprising:

an output image generating unit which generates an output image in accordance with an input image;

a device identification information storage unit which stores device identification information, which is information for identifying the image processing device itself;

a standard information storage unit which stores standard information;

a comparison information generating unit which generates comparison information by converting first information including the device identification information retrieved from the device identification information storage unit in accordance with a first function;

a tracing identification information generating unit which generates tracing identification information by converting second information including the device identification information retrieved from the device identification information storage unit in accordance with a second function;

an adding unit which adds the tracing identification information generated by the tracing identification information generating unit to the output image;

an output unit which outputs the output image;

a determining unit which determines whether or not the comparison information generated by the comparison information generating unit matches the standard information retrieved from the standard information storage unit; and

a control unit which controls to prohibit the output image to be output by the output unit according to a determination result of the determining unit.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2, wherein the first function is a one-way function.

4. The image processing device according to claim 2, wherein the second function is a one-way function.

11. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

generating an output image in accordance with an input image;

generating comparison information in accordance with first information including device identification information retrieved from a device identification information storage unit;

generating tracing identification information, which includes contents different from standard information stored in a standard information storage unit, in accordance with second information including the device identification information retrieved from the device identification information storage unit;

adding the tracing identification information generated at the tracing identification information generating step to the output image;

outputting the output image;

determining whether or not the comparison information generated at the comparison information generating step matches the standard information retrieved from the standard information storage unit; and

controlling to prohibit the output image from being output at the outputting step in accordance with a determination result of the determining step.

15. The image processing method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

storing the tracing identification information generated at the tracing identification information generating step in a tracing identification information storage unit; and

after the tracing identification information retrieved from the tracing identification information storage unit is added to the output image at the adding step, deleting the tracing identification information from the tracing identification information storage unit.

16. The image processing method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of scanning an image of an original document and generating the input image,

wherein the device identification information includes correction information unique to an image processing device and used in a processing for generating the output image that is true to the image of the original document in a processing for generating the output image at the output image generating step.

17. The image processing method according to claim 16, wherein as the correction information, the device identification information includes shading correction information used for a shading correction of the input image.

18. The image processing method according to claim 11, wherein the outputting step includes the steps of:

adjusting emission energy of each of a plurality of printing elements, and

forming an image based on the output image on printing paper,

wherein the device identification information includes light intensity correction information unique to the image processing device and used in a processing for correcting variation in light intensity among the plurality of the printing elements.

19. The image processing method according to claim 16, wherein one or both of the first information and the second information includes program data, which executes a processing included in a series of processing from scanning of the image of the original document at the scanning step to outputting of the output image at the outputting step and causes the image processing device itself to not operate normally when being altered.

20. The image processing method according to claim 19, wherein the program data includes program data of at least one of following programs:

a tracing identification information generating program for functionally realizing the tracing identification information generating step, a comparison information generating step of functionally realizing the comparison information generating step, and an adding program for functionally realizing the adding step.

12. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

generating an output image in accordance with an input image;

generating comparison information by converting first information including device identification information retrieved from a device identification information storage unit in accordance with a first function;

generating tracing identification information by converting second information including the device identification information retrieved from the device identification information storage unit in accordance with a second function;

adding the tracing identification information generated at the tracing identification information generating step to the output image;

outputting the output image;

determining whether or not the comparison information generated at the comparison information generating step matches standard information retrieved from a standard information storage unit; and

controlling to prohibit the output image from being output in the outputting step according to a determination result of the determining step.

13. The image processing method according to claim 12, wherein the first function is a one-way function.

14. The image processing method according to claim 12, wherein the second function is a one-way function.