Image data encryption apparatus, image data encryption method and recording medium having computer executable program stored therein

• US 8,045,192 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2006
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Kaitaku, Shozaki, Toshiya, Hase, Junichi, Ando, Kimie
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brinich; Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US11/604,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 358 114- 116, 358400-403, 358/468, 358/1.9, 358/2.1, 358/3.28, 382/101, 382/103, 382/190, 399/66
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3204 of data relating to a user, sender, addressee, machine or electronic recording medium H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3276 of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID

Abstract

An image processing apparatus disclosed in the present application includes a destination designation receiving unit that receives a designation of a destination to which image data is transmitted; a security information acquiring unit that acquires security information of the destination; and an image data transmitting unit that transmits the image data to the destination, using the security information acquired by the security information acquiring unit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a destination designation receiving unit that receives a designation of a destination user to which image data is transmitted;

a security information acquiring unit that acquires a security setting corresponding to the designated destination user, the security setting including a password setting method corresponding to the designated destination user;

an image data encrypting unit that encrypts image data with a password corresponding to the password setting method; and

an image data transmitting unit that transmits the encrypted image data to the destination user.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the destination designation receiving unit further receives a designation of a destination image processing apparatus, and wherein

the security information acquiring unit acquires the security setting from information that has been shared by the designated destination image processing apparatus in advance.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the destination designation receiving unit further receives a designation of a destination image processing apparatus, and wherein

the password setting method is either a first method using a first password corresponding to the designated destination image processing apparatus or a second method using a second password which is specified at the image processing apparatus by a user.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the security setting includes information relating to an encryption method corresponding to the designated destination user, and wherein

the image data encrypting unit encrypts the image data based on the encryption method included in the acquired security setting.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a transmission of the image data is not performed when the security setting is unable to be acquired.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the destination designation receiving unit further receives a designation of a destination image processing apparatus, and wherein

the security information acquiring unit acquires the security setting from the designated destination image processing apparatus when the destination designation receiving unit receives the designation of the destination image processing apparatus.

7. A non-transitory recording medium having a computer executable program stored therein, the program having a computer execute the processes including:

a destination designation receiving process in which a designation of a destination user to which image data is transmitted is received;

a security information acquiring process in which a security setting corresponding to the designated destination user is acquired, the security setting including a password setting method corresponding to the designated destination user;

an image data encrypting process in which image data is encrypted with a password corresponding to the password setting method; and

an image data transmitting process in which the encrypted image data is transmitted to the destination user.

8. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7, wherein

in the destination designation receiving process, a designation of a destination image processing apparatus is received, and wherein

in the security information acquiring process, the security setting is acquired from information that has been shared by the designated destination image processing apparatus in advance.

9. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7, wherein

in the destination designation receiving process, a designation of a destination image processing apparatus is received, and wherein

the password setting method is either a first method using a first password corresponding to the designated destination image processing apparatus or a second method using a second password which is specified by a user.

10. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7, wherein

the security setting includes information relating to an encryption method corresponding to the designated destination user, and wherein

in the image data encrypting process, the image data is encrypted based on the encryption method included in the acquired security setting.

11. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7, wherein

in the image data transmitting process, the image data is not transmitted when the security setting is unable to be acquired.

12. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7, wherein

in the destination designation receiving process, a designation of a destination image processing apparatus is received, and wherein

in the security information acquiring process, the security setting is acquired from the designated destination image processing apparatus when the designation of the destination image processing apparatus is received.

13. An image data transmitting method comprising the steps of:

receiving a designation of a destination user to which image data is transmitted;

acquiring a security setting corresponding to the designated destination user, the security setting including a password setting method corresponding to the designated destination user;

encrypting image data with a password corresponding to the password setting method; and

transmitting the encrypted image data to the destination user.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising

receiving a designation of a destination image processing apparatus, and

acquiring the security setting from information that has been shared by the designated destination image processing apparatus in advance.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising

receiving a designation of a destination image processing apparatus, wherein

the password setting method is either a first method using a first password corresponding to the designated destination image processing apparatus or a second method using a second password which is specified by a user.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein

the security setting includes information relating to an encryption method corresponding to the designated destination user, the method further comprising

encrypting the image data based on the encryption method included in the acquired security setting.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein

the image data is not transmitted when the security setting is unable to be acquired.