Image scanning system, and image scanner and computer readable medium therefor

• US 8,295,482 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): THIAW, CATHERINE B
• Application Number:
  US12/558,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20100074442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 380243-246, 713/165
• US Class Current: 380/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

An image scanning system includes an image scanner and a terminal device connected with the image scanner. The terminal device accepts a password, stores an image encryption key, encrypts the image encryption key with the password, sends the encrypted image encryption key to the image scanner, receives image data encrypted from the image scanner, and decrypts the image data encrypted using one of the image encryption key and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key. The image scanner receives the encrypted image encryption key from the terminal device, accepts a password, decrypts the encrypted image encryption key with the password, performs document scanning to create image data, encrypts the image data using the image encryption key decrypted, and sends the image data encrypted to the terminal device.

Claims

1. An image scanning system comprising:

an image scanner; and

a terminal device connected communicably with the image scanner, wherein the terminal device comprises;

a storage unit configured to store an image encryption key for encrypting image data;

a first communication unit configured to receive encrypted image data from the image scanner; and

a controller configured to;

accept a password;

encrypt the image encryption key, stored in the storage unit, with the password;

send the encrypted image encryption key to the image scanner; and

decrypt the encrypted image data, received from the image scanner, using one of the image encryption key stored in the storage unit and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key, and

wherein the image scanner comprises;

a second communication unit configured to receive the encrypted image encryption key from the terminal device;

a storage unit configured to store the encrypted image encryption key, received from the terminal device, in association with identification data for identifying the terminal device;

an input unit configured to receive a password;

a scanner unit configured to perform document scanning to create image data; and

a processor configured to;

decrypt the encrypted image encryption key with the password inputted through the input unit of the image scanner;

encrypt the image data created by the scanner unit, using the decrypted image encryption key; and

send the encrypted image data to the terminal device;

wherein the processor of the image scanner is further configured to decrypt the encrypted image encryption key stored in the storage unit in association with the identification data before sending the encrypted image data to the terminal device.

2. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the controller of the terminal device is further configured to:

determine whether the decrypted image data has an appropriate format; and

output the decrypted image data, when determining that the decrypted image data has an appropriate format.

3. The image scanning system according to claim 2, wherein the controller of the terminal device is further configured to inform the image scanner of an error when determining that the decrypted image data does not have an appropriate format.

4. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the processor of the image scanner is further configured to, provided that the encrypted image data has been sent to the terminal device, delete the decrypted image encryption key used by the processor to create the encrypted image data.

5. The image scanning system according to claim 4,

wherein the image scanner further comprises a storage unit configured to store the decrypted image encryption key,

wherein the processor is configured to encrypt the image data using the decrypted image encryption key stored on the storage unit, and

wherein the processor is configured to, provided that the encrypted image data has been sent to the terminal device, delete the decrypted image encryption key from the storage unit.

6. The image scanning system according to claim 1, further comprising a second terminal device connected communicably with the image scanner, wherein the second terminal device comprises:

a storage unit configured to store a second image encryption key for encrypting image data;

a first communication unit configured to receive encrypted image data from the image scanner; and

a controller configured to;

accept a second password;

encrypt the second image encryption key, stored in the storage unit, with the second password;

send the second encrypted image encryption key to the image scanner; and

decrypt the encrypted image data, received from the image scanner, using one of the second image encryption key stored in the storage unit and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key.

7. The image scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit of the terminal device is configured to store the image encryption key, the password accepted by the controller, and a name of the image scanner in association with each other.

8. An image scanner configured to be connected communicably with a terminal device, comprising:

a communication unit configured to receive an encrypted image encryption key from the terminal device;

a storage unit configured to store the encrypted image encryption key, received from the terminal device, in association with identification data for identifying the terminal device;

an input unit configured to receive a password;

a scanner unit configured to perform document scanning to create image data; and

a processor configured to;

decrypt the encrypted image encryption key with the password inputted through the input unit;

encrypt the image data created by the scanner unit, using the decrypted image encryption key; and

send the encrypted image data to the terminal device;

wherein the processor of the image scanner is further configured to decrypt the encrypted image encryption key stored in the storage unit in association with the identification data before sending the encrypted image data to the terminal device.

9. The image scanner according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to, provided that the encrypted image data has been sent to the terminal device, delete the decrypted image encryption key used by the processor to create the encrypted image data.

10. The image scanner according to claim 9, further comprising a storage unit configured to store the decrypted image encryption key,

wherein the processor is configured to encrypt the image data using the decrypted image encryption key stored on the storage unit, and

wherein the processor is configured to, provided that the encrypted image data has been sent to the terminal device, delete the decrypted image encryption key from the storage unit.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions causing a computer connectable with an image scanner to perform:

a password accepting step of accepting a password;

a key storing step of storing an image encryption key for encrypting image data, wherein the key storing step further comprises storing the image encryption key, the password, and a name of the image scanner in association with each other;

a key encrypting step of encrypting the image encryption key stored in the key storing step, with the password accepted in the password accepting step;

a key sending step of sending the encrypted image encryption key encrypted to the image scanner;

an image receiving step of receiving encrypted image data from the image scanner; and

an image decrypting step of decrypting the encrypted image data received from the image scanner, using one of the image encryption key stored in the key storing step and an image decryption key corresponding to the image encryption key.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11,

wherein the instructions further causes the computer to perform:

a determining step of determining whether the decrypted image data has an appropriate format; and

an output step of, when it is determined in the determining step that the decrypted image data has an appropriate format, outputting the decrypted image data.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 12,

wherein the instructions further causes the computer to perform:

an informing step of, when it is determined in the determining step that the decrypted image data does not have an appropriate format, informing the image scanner of an error.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to perform a scanner selecting step of selecting the image scanner from among a displayed list of scanners before inputting the password.