Image processing system, image processing apparatus, image processing method,and storage medium

• US 20010025348A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 09/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takaragi, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,859,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

In the present invention, an electronic apparatus adds user information to print information and transfers the print information, to which the user information has been added, to an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus specifies a voice feature based on the user information received from the electronic apparatus, specifies user-authentication information by executing voice authentication processing based on the specified voice feature, and starts output of the print information based on the specified user-authentication information. Hence, it is possible to output print information after assuredly authenticating a regular user, and start output of the print information according to an instruction only from the regular user.

Claims

1. An image processing system for forming an image based on print information transferred from an electronic apparatus to an image processing apparatus, said electronic apparatus comprising:

information addition means for adding user information to the print information; and

transfer means for transferring the print information having the user information added thereto to said image processing apparatus,

said image processing apparatus comprising;

voice-feature specification means for specifying a voice feature based on the user information received from said electronic apparatus;

user-authentication-information specification means for specifying user-authentication information by executing voice authentication processing based on the voice feature specified by said voice-feature specification means; and

print-information output means for starting output of the print information based on the user-authentication information specified by said user-authentication-information specification means.

2. An image processing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said user-authentication-information specification means selects corresponding user-authentication information from among a plurality of sets of user-authentication information held in a memory within said image processing apparatus.

3. An image processing system according to

claim 1

, wherein said user-authentication-information specification means specifies the user-authentication information using user-authentication information of an external medium connected to said image processing apparatus.

12. A storage medium storing a program constituting one of said means according to any one of claims 1-8, so as to be readable from a computer.

4. An image processing apparatus for outputting print information by receiving user information and the print information transferred from an electronic apparatus, said image processing apparatus comprising:

voice-feature specification means for specifying a voice feature based on the user information received from the electronic apparatus;

user-authentication-information specification means for specifying user-authentication information by executing voice authentication processing based on the voice feature specified by said voice-feature specification means; and

print-information output means for starting output of the print information based on the user-authentication information specified by said user-authentication-information specification means.

5. An image processing apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein said user-authentication-information specification means selects corresponding user-authentication information from among a plurality of sets of user-authentication information held in an internal memory.

6. An image processing apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein said user-authentication-information specification means uses user-authentication information of an externally connected medium.

7. An image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4-6, wherein the use-authentication information is encrypted, and further comprising user-information determination means for determining the user information by decoding the encrypted user-authentication information.

8. An image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 4-7, wherein said user-authentication-information specification means specifies the user-authentication information using a voice recognition method.

9. An image processing method in a system for forming an image on a medium based on print information transferred from an electronic apparatus to an image processing apparatus, said method comprising steps performed by the electronic apparatus comprising:

an information addition step of adding user information to the print information; and

a transfer step of transferring the print information having the user information added thereto to the image processing apparatus,

said method also comprising steps performed by the image processing apparatus comprising;

a voice-feature specification step of specifying a voice feature based on the user information received from the electronic apparatus;

a user-authentication-information specification step of specifying user-authentication information by executing voice authentication processing based on the voice feature specified in said voice-feature specification step; and

an information output step of starting output of the print information based on the user-authentication information specified in said user-authentication-information specification step.

10. An image processing method according to

claim 9

, wherein said user-authentication-information specification step is performed by selecting specific user-authentication information from among a plurality of sets of user-authentication information held in a memory within the image processing apparatus.

11. An image processing method according to

claim 9

, wherein said user-authentication-information specification step is performed using user-authentication information of an external medium connected to the image processing apparatus.

13. A storage medium storing a program for executing one of said steps according to any one of claims 9-11, so as to be readable from a computer.

14. A program for executing one of said steps according to any one of claims 9-11.