METHOD FOR PROTECTING CONTENT OF A FAX CONFIRMATION SHEET

• US 20100214590A1
• Filed: 02/24/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Robson, Thomas, Ray, Elton T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.140
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/448 Rendering the image unintelligible, e.g. scrambling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3218 of a confirmation, acknowledgement or receipt
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3271 Printing or stamping

Abstract

What is provided are a system, method, and computer program product for protecting information displayed on a fax confirmation page. Several embodiments are provided. In one embodiment, for example, a Gaussian kernel is used to blur the digitized image to be printed on the confirmation page. In one method, a large enough blur kernel is selected so that text of a certain size will be rendered illegible. A method is also provided wherein a copy of the first page of the faxed document used to provide the content to be displayed on the confirmation page of the faxed document is stored on a storage device. A character sequence which references the stored original content on the storage media is printed on the confirmation page. A new confirmation page can be reconstructed and printed if it is desirable to have the altered content made visibly legible. Various other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for protecting content printed on a confirmation page of a faxed document, the method comprising:

receiving a digital image of a page of a fax document;

identifying content in said page of said digital image to be displayed on a confirmation page;

modifying at least a portion of said identified content such that said content is no longer visibly legible;

obtaining a template of said fax confirmation page for said fax document;

combining said modified content with said retrieved fax confirmation page template; and

providing said confirmation page to an output device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said identified content comprising using a Gaussian function to blur said content by shifting pixels of said content in said digital image.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting text in said identified content; and

modifying at least a portion of said detected text such that said text is no longer legible.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying at least a portion of said detected text comprises any of:

replacing at least some characters of said detected text with other characters and symbols;

deleting some words of said detected text; and

drawing blank vertical lines through characters of said detected text.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a copy of said identified content to a storage device before modifying said content; and

printing on said confirmation page a character sequence which references said copy of said identified content on said storage device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising reconstructing said confirmation page by:

receive a digital image of said confirmation page containing said character sequence;

retrieving said character sequence from said digital image of said confirmation page;

referencing said stored content using said retrieved character sequence;

retrieving said identified content from said storage device;

obtaining a new template of a fax confirmation page for said fax document;

combining said retrieved content with said new fax confirmation template; and

providing said new confirmation page to an output device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said altered content is printed on said confirmation page in a manner which preserves a spatial relationship of content arranged on said received page of said fax document.

8. A system for protecting content printed on a confirmation page of a faxed document, the system comprising:

a memory and a storage medium for storing data; and

a processor in communication with said storage medium and said memory, said processor executing a machine readable instructions for performing;

receiving a digital image of a page of a fax document;

identifying content in said page of said digital image to be displayed on a confirmation page;

modifying at least a portion of said identified content such that said content is no longer visibly legible;

obtaining a template of said fax confirmation page for said fax document;

combining said modified content with said retrieved fax confirmation page template; and

providing said confirmation page to an output device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein modifying said identified content comprising using a Gaussian function to blur said content by shifting pixels of said content in said digital image.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting text in said identified content; and

modifying at least a portion of said detected text such that said text is no longer legible.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein modifying at least a portion of said detected text comprises any of:

replacing at least some characters of said detected text with other characters and symbols;

deleting some words of said detected text; and

drawing blank vertical lines through characters of said detected text.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

storing a copy of said identified content to a storage device before modifying said content; and

printing on said confirmation page a character sequence which references said copy of said identified content on said storage device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising reconstructing said confirmation page by:

receive a digital image of said confirmation page containing said character sequence;

retrieving said character sequence from said digital image of said confirmation page;

referencing said stored content using said retrieved character sequence;

retrieving said identified content from said storage device;

obtaining a new template of a fax confirmation page for said fax document;

combining said retrieved content with said new fax confirmation template; and

providing said new confirmation page to an output device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said altered content is printed on said confirmation page in a manner which preserves a spatial relationship of content arranged on said received page of said fax document.

15. A computer program product for protecting content printed on a confirmation page of a faxed document, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable data carrier storing instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising;

receiving a digital image of a page of a fax document;

identifying content in said page of said digital image to be displayed on a confirmation page;

modifying at least a portion of said identified content such that said content is no longer visibly legible;

obtaining a template of said fax confirmation page for said fax document;

combining said modified content with said retrieved fax confirmation page template; and

providing said confirmation page to an output device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein modifying said identified content comprising using a Gaussian function to blur said content by shifting pixels of said content in said digital image.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting text in said identified content; and

modifying at least a portion of said detected text such that said text is no longer legible.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying at least a portion of said detected text comprises any of:

replacing at least some characters of said detected text with other characters and symbols;

deleting some words of said detected text; and

drawing blank vertical lines through characters of said detected text.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

storing a copy of said identified content to a storage device before modifying said content; and

printing on said confirmation page a character sequence which references said copy of said identified content on said storage device.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising reconstructing said confirmation page by:

receive a digital image of said confirmation page containing said character sequence;

retrieving said character sequence from said digital image of said confirmation page;

referencing said stored content using said retrieved character sequence;

retrieving said identified content from said storage device;

obtaining a new template of a fax confirmation page for said fax document;

combining said retrieved content with said new fax confirmation template; and

providing said new confirmation page to an output device.