Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium

• US 8,635,688 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishiguro, Kazuhiro, Nabeshima, Takayuki, Toriyama, Hideyuki, Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Saka, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/876,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 726/19
• US Class Current: 726/19
• 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 1/4413 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 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

An image processing apparatus, comprising: an input portion that inputs image data of a plurality of pages of document; a password detector that detects a password given to each of the pages; a password judger that judges from a detecting result drew by the password detector about each of the pages, whether or not a shared password issued for each page in common is detected in addition to an individual password uniquely issued for each page; an entry requester that requests entry of a shared password if it is judged by the password detector that a shared password is detected, and requests entry of an individual password about each of the pages if it is judged by the password detector that a shared password is not detected; and an output permitting portion that permits image data of all the pages each having a shared password, which is the image data inputted by the input portion, if the appropriate shared password is entered in response to the request for entry of a shared password, and permits image data of a page having an individual password, if the appropriate individual password is entered about that page in response to the request for entry of an individual password.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an input portion that inputs image data for a plurality of pages of document;

a password detector that detects one or more than one password embedded into each of the plurality of pages;

a shared password judger that judges in response to a detecting result from the password detector with respect to each of the plurality of pages, whether or not a shared password embedded into each of the plurality of pages is detected, wherein the shared password is in common among each of the pages in which the shared password is detected;

an individual password judger that judges in response to the detecting result from the password detector whether or not an individual password embedded into each of the plurality of pages is detected, wherein the embedded individual password for each of the plurality of pages is different;

a first entry requester that requests entry of the shared password in response to the shared password judger judging that the shared password is detected;

a second entry requester that requests entry of the individual password for each of the plurality of pages in response to the individual password detector judging that the individual password is detected for the page in response to the shared password not being detected; and

an output permitting portion that permits an output of image data of all the plurality of pages each having the shared password in common, in response to the appropriate shared password being entered in response to the request for entry of the shared password, and permits an output of image data of the page having the individual password in response to the appropriate individual password being entered for the page in response to the request for entry of the individual password.

2. The image processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the number of pages to be processed at one time is set in advance on a shared password, and the output permitting portion prohibits the image data of all the plurality of pages from being outputted, if the number of the pages which image data are inputted by the input portion, is different from that number set in advance.

3. The image processing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein attributes of pages to be processed at one time are set in advance on a shared password, and the output permitting portion prohibits the image data of all the plurality of pages from being outputted, if attributes of the pages which image data are inputted by the input portion include any attribute different from those attributes set in advance.

4. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an input portion that inputs image data of a plurality of pages of a document to generate a plurality of image data objects;

a password detector that detects an individual password embedded into each page, which is given to each of the plurality of pages, each image data object having the individual password issued to the corresponding page, wherein each image data object and corresponding page has a different individual password from other image data objects and corresponding pages;

a password giving portion that embeds into each image data object to be outputted, a shared password issued for each image data object, in addition to the individual password detected by the password detector, wherein the shared password is in common among each of the image data objects to be outputted;

wherein the password giving portion embeds the shared password into each image data object by first removing the individual password from each image data object to be outputted and then embedding into each image data object to be outputted both the shared password and the individual password; and

a display that displays the shared password.

5. The image processing apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

an entry requester that requests entry of the individual password for each of the plurality of pages, if the password detector detects the individual password given to each of the plurality of pages,

and wherein;

the password giving portion generates the shared password based on the individual password entered in response to the entry request, and embeds the shared password into each of the image data objects to be outputted.

6. The image processing apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

an entry requester that requests entry of the shared password to be commonly issued for each of the image data objects to be outputted, if the password detector detects the individual password given to each of the plurality of pages, and wherein;

the password giving portion embeds into each image data object to be outputted, the shared password entered in response to the entry request, in addition to the individual password detected by the password detector.

7. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an accepter that accepts entry of a shared password;

a generator that generates an individual password for each of a plurality of pages based on the entered shared password, and the number of individual passwords generated herein is the same as the number of pages to be outputted, wherein each of the plurality of pages has a different individual password from other pages of the plurality of pages;

a display that displays the generated individual passwords;

a giving portion that embeds one of the generated individual passwords and the shared password into each page to be outputted; and

wherein the giving portion embeds one of the generated individual passwords and the shared password into each page to be outputted by first removing the shared password from each page to be outputted and then embedding into each page to be outputted both the shared password and the individual password.

8. An image processing method, comprising:

inputting image data of a plurality of pages of a document;

detecting one or more than one password embedded into each of the plurality of pages;

judging in response to the password detecting result whether or not a shared password embedded into each of the plurality of pages is detected, wherein the shared password is in common among each of the pages in which the shared password is detected;

judging in response to the detecting result whether or not an individual password embedded into each of the plurality of pages is detected, wherein the embedded individual password for each of the plurality of pages is different;

first requesting entry of the shared password in response to the shared password being detected;

second requesting entry of the individual password for each of the plurality of pages in response to the individual password being detected for the page when the shared password is not detected; and

permitting image data of all the plurality of pages each having the shared password in common, to be outputted in response to the appropriate shared password being entered in response to the request for entry of a shared password, and permitting image data of the page having an individual password to be outputted in response to the appropriate individual password being entered for the page in response to the request for entry of the individual password.

9. The image processing method as recited in claim 8, wherein the number of pages to be processed at one time is set in advance on a shared password, and the image data of all the plurality of pages are prohibited from being outputted, if the number of the pages which image data are inputted in the inputting step is different from that number set in advance.

10. The image processing method as recited in claim 8, wherein attributes of pages to be processed at one time are set in advance on a shared password, and the image data of all the plurality of pages are prohibited from being outputted, if attributes of the pages which image data are inputted by the input portion include any attribute different from those attributes set in advance.

11. An image processing method, comprising:

inputting image data of a plurality of pages of a document to generate a plurality of image data objects;

detecting an individual password embedded into each page, which is given to each of the plurality of pages, each image data object having the individual password issued to the corresponding page, wherein each image data object and corresponding page has a different individual password from other image data objects and corresponding pages;

embedding into each image data object to be outputted, a shared password issued for each image data object, in addition to the detected individual password, wherein the shared password is in common among each of the image data objects to be outputted;

displaying the shared password; and

wherein the shared password is embedded into each image data object by first removing the individual password from each image data object to be outputted and then embedding into each image data object to be outputted both the shared password and the individual password.

12. The image processing method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

requesting entry of the individual password for each of the plurality of pages if the individual password embedded in each of the pages is detected,

and wherein;

the shared password is generated based on the individual password entered in response to the entry request and is also given to each of the image data objects to be outputted, in the password giving step.

13. The image processing method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

requesting entry of the shared password to be commonly issued for each of the image data objects to be outputted, if the individual password given to each of the plurality of pages is detected in the password detecting step, and wherein;

the shared password is issued for each of the image data objects in response to the entry request.

14. An image processing method, comprising:

accepting entry of a shared password;

generating an individual password for each of a plurality of pages based on the entered shared password, and the number of individual passwords generated herein is the same as the number of pages to be outputted, wherein the individual password for each of the plurality of pages is different;

displaying the generated individual password;

embedding the generated individual password and the shared password into each of the plurality of pages to be outputted; and

wherein the generated individual password and shared password are embedded into each of the plurality of pages to be outputted by first removing the shared password from each of the plurality of pages to be outputted and then embedding into each of the plurality of pages to be outputted both the generated individual password and the shared password.

15. A nontransitory recording medium having an image processing program stored therein to make a computer of an image processing apparatus execute:

inputting image data for a plurality of pages of document;

detecting one or more than one password embedded into each of the plurality of pages;

judging from the password detecting result whether or not a shared password embedded into each of the plurality of pages is detected wherein the shared password is in common among each of the pages in which the shared password is detected;

judging from the detecting result whether or not an individual password embedded into each of the plurality of pages is detected, wherein the embedded individual password for each of the plurality of pages is different;

first requesting entry of the shared password in response to the shared password being detected;

second requesting entry of the individual password for each of the plurality of pages in response to the individual password being detected for the page in response to the shared password not being detected; and

permitting image data of all the plurality of pages each having the shared password in common, to be outputted in response to the appropriate shared password being entered in response to the request for entry of a shared password, and permitting image data of the page having an individual password to be outputted in response to the appropriate individual password being entered for the page in response to the request for entry of the individual password.

16. The recording medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the number of pages to be processed at one time is set in advance on a shared password, and the program further makes the computer execute prohibiting the image data of all the pages from being outputted, if the number of the pages which image data are inputted in the inputting step is different from that number set in advance.

17. The recording medium as recited in claim 15, wherein attributes of pages to be processed at one time are set in advance on the shared password, and the program further makes the computer execute prohibiting the image data of all the pages from being outputted, if attributes of the pages which image data are inputted in the inputting step include any attribute different from those attributes set in advance.

18. A nontransitory recording medium having an image processing program stored therein to make a computer of an image processing apparatus execute:

inputting image data of a plurality of pages of a document to generate a plurality of image data objects;

detecting an individual password embedded into each page, which is given to each of the plurality of pages, each image data object having the individual password issued to the corresponding page, wherein each image data object and corresponding page has a different individual password from other image data objects and corresponding pages;

embedding into each image data object to be outputted, a shared password issued for each image data object, in addition to the individual password detected, wherein the shared password is in common among each of the image data objects to be outputted;

wherein the shared password is embedded into each image data object to be outputted by first removing the individual password from each image data object to be outputted and then embedding into each image data object to be outputted both the shared password and the individual password; and

displaying the shared password.

19. The nontransitory recording medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the program further makes the computer execute requesting entry of an individual password about each of the pages if the individual password embedded into each of the pages is detected, and the shared password is generated based on the individual password entered in response to the entry request and is also embedded into each image data object to be outputted, in the password giving step.

20. The nontransitory recording medium as recited in claim 18, wherein if the individual password given to each of the pages is detected, the program makes the computer execute requesting entry of a shared password issued for each plurality of pages in common and also embedding into each image data object to be outputted the shared password entered in response to the entry request.

21. A nontransitory recording medium having an image processing program stored therein to make a computer of an image processing apparatus execute:

accepting entry of a shared password;

generating an individual password each of a plurality of pages based on the entered shared password, and the number of individual passwords generated herein is the same as the number of pages to be outputted, wherein each of the plurality of pages has a different individual password from other pages of the plurality of pages;

displaying the generated individual password;

embedding one of the generated individual passwords and the shared password into each of the page to be outputted; and

wherein the generated individual password and shared password is embedded into each of the plurality of pages to be outputted by first removing the shared password from each of the plurality of pages to be outputted and then embedding into each of the plurality of pages to be outputted both the generated individual password and the shared password.