Document management

• US 9,094,621 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rekiere, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): SARPONG, AKWASI
• Application Number:
  US11/189,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20070019244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,655 Days
• Field of Search: 705/3, 705/1, 382/100, 382/305, 358/1.11, 358/471, 358/1.14, 358/3.28, 358/1.18, 358/302, 713/176, 713/175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3212 of data relating to a job, e.g. communication, capture or filing of an image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/324 Selecting a particular authentication information from amongst a plurality of different authentication information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A document management method is disclosed. The method includes generating and merging a unique watermark for and with each page of a print job to be produced. For each watermark, data identifying the watermark is associated with data identifying a document page corresponding to the print job page with which that watermark is merged.

Claims

1. A document management method comprising:

for each page of a print job to be produced, generating and merging a watermark with that page, wherein the watermark merged with each given page of the print job is unique with respect to all other watermarks merged with all other pages of the print job; and

for each watermark merged with a page of the print job, associating, in a database, data identifying that watermark with data identifying the particular page of the print job with which that watermark is merged,

wherein the data identifying the watermark maintained within the database does not include data encoded within the watermark itself.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a user responsible for a document produced from the print job and associating data identifying the user with the data identifying the watermarks generated for the print job.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the print job to produce the document, the document having a plurality of document pages, each document page including the particular watermark merged with the print job page for that document page.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising maintaining status data for each document page, the status data for each document page being associated with the data identifying that document page'"'"'s corresponding watermark.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the status data associated with a given document page at least indirectly indicates whether or not that document page has been destroyed, copied or otherwise acted upon.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein maintaining comprises updating the status data for a given document page upon a determination that an operation has been or will be performed with respect to the document page.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the print job to produce the document, each document page including the watermark merged with the print job page for that document page;

recognizing the watermark included on a selected document page;

identifying an operation performed on the selected document page; and

associating status data with the data identifying the watermark included on the selected document page, the status data identifying the operation that has been performed on the selected document page.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying an operation comprises identifying that the selected document page has been or will be destroyed, copied, or otherwise acted upon.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying an operation comprises identifying that the selected document page has been or will be copied.

10. A document management method, comprising:

maintaining, for a document, a database containing, for each document page of the document, data identifying that document page associated with data identifying a watermark included on that document page, the watermark being unique with respect to all other watermarks included on all other document pages of the document;

recognizing the watermark included on a selected document page of the document;

performing an operation on the selected document page; and

associating, in the database, status data with the data identifying the watermark included on the selected document page, the status data identifying the operation that has been performed on the selected document page,

wherein the data identifying the watermark maintained within the database does not include data encoded within the watermark itself.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising repeating the acts of recognizing, performing, and associating for each page in the document.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing an operation comprises producing a copy of the selected document page, wherein recognizing includes digitizing the selected document page, the method further comprising:

generating and merging a new watermark with the digitized document page;

associating, in the database, data identifying the new watermark with data identifying the copy of the selected document page; and

wherein producing a copy comprises processing the digitized document page merged with the new watermark to produce the copy of the selected document page.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising removing the recognized watermark from the digitized document page.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein generating comprises modifying the recognized watermark to generate the new watermark.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for each page of a print job to be produced, generating and merging a watermark with that page, wherein the watermark merged with each given page of the print job is unique with respect to all other watermarks merged with all other pages of the print job;

and for each watermark merged with a page of the print job, associating, in a database, data identifying that watermark with data identifying the particular page of the print job with which that watermark is merged, wherein the data identifying the watermark maintained within the database does not include data encoded within the watermark itself.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, having further instructions for identifying a user responsible for a document produced from the print job and associating data identifying the user with the data identifying the watermarks generated for the print job.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, having further instructions for processing the print job to produce the document having a plurality of document pages, each document page including the particular watermark merged with the print job page for that document page.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, having further instructions for maintaining status data for each document page, the status data identifying an operation that has been performed on the document page.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the status data associated with a given document page at least indirectly indicates whether or not that document page has been or will be destroyed, copied, or otherwise acted upon.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions for maintaining include instructions for updating the status data for a given document page upon a determination that an operation has been or will be performed with respect to the document page.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, having further instructions for processing the print job to produce the document, each document page including the watermark merged with the print job page for that document page;

recognizing the watermark included on a selected document page;

identifying an operation performed on the selected page; and

associating status data with the data identifying the watermark included on the selected document page, the status data identifying the operation.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions for identifying an operation performed include instructions for identifying that the selected document page has been or will be destroyed, copied, or otherwise acted upon.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions for identifying an operation performed include instructions for identifying that the selected document page has been or will be copied.

24. A document management system, comprising:

a watermark generator operable, for each page of a print job to be produced, to generate and merge a unique watermark with that page, wherein the watermark merged with each given page of the print job is unique with respect to all other watermarks merged with all other pages of the print job; and

a data manager operable, for each watermark merged with a page of the print job, to associate, in a database, data identifying that watermark with data identifying the particular page of the print job with which that watermark is merged,

wherein the data identifying the watermark maintained within the database does not include data encoded within the watermark itself.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a user authenticator operable to identify a user responsible for the a document produced from the print job and

wherein the data manager is operable to associate data identifying the user with the data identifying the watermarks generated for the print job.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the data manager is operable to maintain status data for each document page, the status data for each document page being associated with the data identifying that document page'"'"'s corresponding watermark, the status data identifying an operation that has been performed on the document page.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the status data associated with a given document page at least indirectly indicates whether or not that that document page has been or will be destroyed, copied, or otherwise acted upon.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the data manager is operable to update the status data for a given document page upon a determination that an operation has been or will be performed with respect to the document page.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a scan engine operable to digitize at least a portion of a selected document page;

a watermark reader operable to recognize the watermark included on that document page;

and wherein the data manager is operable to associate status data with the data identifying the watermark included on the selected document page, the status data identifying an operation that has been or will be performed on the selected document page.

30. A document management system, comprising:

means for generating and merging, for each page of a print job to be produced, a watermark with that page, wherein the watermark merged with each given page of the print job is unique with respect to all other watermarks merged with all other pages of the print job; and

means for associating in a database, for each watermark merged with a page of the print job, data identifying that watermark with data identifying the particular page of the print job with which that watermark is merged,

wherein the data identifying the watermark maintained within the database does not include data encoded within the watermark itself.