JPH02266759A - copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely prevent an original whose copy is prohibited from being copied by blocking the copy of the original on which a pattern to prohibit the copy is recorded by detecting the pattern when such original is set on a scanner. CONSTITUTION:An image memory 5 to store the feature information of the original whose copy is prohibited, and a comparison part 4 to judge whether or not the copy of the original desiring to copy should be prohibited corresponding to the feature information of the original and a feature in a storage part after an image is read by a scanner 1 are provided, and no recording of the image of the original whose copy should be prohibited by a copying part 6 is performed. Therefore, it is not required to display the prohibition of the copy on the original whose copy is prohibited, and also, the copy of such original can be surely prevented from being performed even when a copying machine is set at an available state.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] The present invention relates to a copying device that copies an original set in an input section and is configured to prevent copying of a specific original. In order to reliably prevent this, a copying apparatus that copies an original is provided with a reading means for reading an image of an original and a recording means for recording an image according to image information from the reading means. A storage section that stores characteristic information of a document whose copying is to be prohibited, and a storage section that stores characteristic information of the document to be copied and the storage section after the image is read by the reading means and before the image information is recorded by the recording means. and determining means for determining whether copying of the original document to be copied should be prohibited according to the characteristics of the original document.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a copying apparatus that copies an original set in an input section, and more particularly to a copying apparatus that prevents copying of a specific original.

With the development of the information society, the use of various types of copying devices to copy manuscripts has become popular, but there are many manuscripts that should not be copied. Prohibited characters, etc. are displayed.

However, since such originals are only displayed and cannot be forcibly prevented from being copied, it is desirable to be able to reliably prevent copying.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, originals (1-) are displayed with characters prohibiting copying, or the copying machine is locked so that it cannot be used.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

There may be a display prohibiting copying on the manuscript, but since it is not possible to forcibly prevent copying, it is impossible to prevent confidential manuscripts from being copied.

Furthermore, even if the copying machine is locked, copies are made when the copying machine is unlocked, so there is a problem that this is not a sufficient measure to prevent copying.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the problems mentioned above, it is an object of the present invention to reliably prevent copying of a specific manuscript.

[Nice means to solve the problem]

A copying apparatus that is equipped with a reading means for reading an image of an original, and a recording means for recording an image according to image information from the reader stage, and that copies an original. a storage section for storing characteristic information of the document to be copied and a storage section for storing characteristic information of the document to be copied and the characteristics in the storage section after reading the image by the reading means and before recording the image information by the recording means; and determining means for determining whether or not copying of the original document to be copied should be prohibited.

[Effect]

By configuring as described in -1-, the image of the document for which the determining means has determined that copying should be prohibited is not recorded by the recording means, and the copying apparatus does not copy the image. Therefore, there is no need to put a copy prevention display on a document that should not be copied, and even if the copying device is in a usable state, the document can be reliably prevented from being copied.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a circuit showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a document in which a copy prohibition pattern is recorded.

In order to register a document whose copying is prohibited, the operator first sets an A4 size document on the scanner 1, and then presses a key indicating the paper size on the keyboard 3 and a key instructing registration, and then inputs the information to the control unit 2. Instructs scanner 1 to register the original.

The scanner 1 may be either a flatbed type or an original conveyance type, but it is preferably a flatbed type in order to eliminate the sense of discomfort as a copying device.

The control unit 2, which has been instructed to register the manuscript,
When the scanner 1 recognizes that the original is set in the scanner 1 by a signal notifying that the original is set, the scanner 1 instructs the scanner 1 to perform stacked reading.

Therefore, the scanner 1 sequentially reads the contents of the document, converts it into image data, and sends it to the control section 2. This manuscript was created in such a way that a pattern for prohibiting copying is registered, and a pattern for prohibiting copying is recorded in a predetermined area of the manuscript. That is, for example, as shown in FIG.
A copy-prohibiting pattern ``x'' is recorded in the area ■ on the right corner of ``. This pattern is characteristic information of the document whose copying is to be prohibited.

This area ■ is located in the upper blank area of the document ■ and is set in a position that is distinguished from other records on the document ■. When displaying an "x", a separator line ■ indicating the start of a predetermined area is also recorded. Ru.

Since the control unit 2 is instructed to register the original from the keyboard 3, it sends the image data sent by the scanner 1 to the image memory 5, and notifies the controller 2 that reading of one page of the original sent from the scanner 1 is completed. Based on the signal, the sending of image data to the image memory 5 is stopped, thereby causing the image memory 5 to store image data for one page indexed in A4 size.

When the registration of the A4 size original is completed, the operator then registers, for example, a B5 size original in the same manner as described above, and registers all other required sizes of originals. Therefore, in the image memory 5, a plurality of originals are registered with copy prohibition patterns indexed by the paper size of the original.

After the copy prohibition pattern has been registered, a document is set on the scanner 1, a key for specifying the paper size and a key for instructing copying are pressed on the keyboard 3, and the control unit 2 is instructed to copy the document. Similarly to the above, the control unit 2 instructs the scanner 1 to read the document, and since copying is specified, the scanner 1 sends image data to the comparison unit 4.

Therefore, the comparison section 4 sequentially stores the image data sent by the control section 2 in the internal buffer memory. When the control unit 2 recognizes from the notification from the scanner 1 that one page of image data has been sent, it sends the specified paper size to the image memory 5 and indexes using this paper size. It causes the image data to be read and sent to the comparing section 4, and also instructs the comparing section 4 to read the image data stored in the internal buffer memory and compare it with the image data sent from the image memory 5.

Therefore, the comparing unit 4 compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory and the image data sent from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data sent from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data sent from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data sent from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data transmitted from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data sent from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data sent from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data transmitted from the image memory 5, and compares the image data read from the internal buffer memory with the image data transmitted from the image memory 5. ” exists.

That is, for example, if the document shown in FIG. Copying prohibited pattern “×
It is checked whether the position of the black dot indicating "" matches the image data read from the internal buffer memory and the image data read from the image memory 5.

However, when an original is set on the scanner 1, the longitudinal direction when setting the original on the scanner 1 is specified corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the paper set on the copying section 6.
Even with this designation, the predetermined area shown in ``■'' in FIG. 2 may be set to the position shown in ``■''.

Therefore, when reading image data from the internal buffer memory of the comparing unit 4, the control unit 2 first reads the image data using the same address as when writing and performs a comparison operation, and then reads the image data for one page. The read address is converted so that the address is read out in an inverted state, the read address is read out again, and a comparison operation is performed.

When the comparison unit 4 determines that the copy prohibition pattern matches in the first or second comparison result, it sends a copy start signal to the copying unit 6, but it does not copy the image data stored in the internal buffer memory. Since the paper is not sent to the copying section 6, the copying section 6 sends out a blank sheet.

However, if the two comparison results do not match, the comparison unit 4 sends a copy start signal to the copying unit 6 when the comparison operation is completed, and also sends the image data in the internal buffer memory to the copying unit 6. The copying unit 6 restores an image on paper based on this image data. Therefore, the original set on the scanner 1 is copied.

It should be noted that the above registration and comparison operations do not require registering and comparing image data for one page of a document, and it is of course only necessary to register and compare the number of lines corresponding to a predetermined area. It is.

Note that the copying section 6 performs recording based on image data that is dot pattern data, and includes a laser scanning optical system,
An electrophotographic recording device using an LED exposure optical system or the like can be used.

In this embodiment, copying is prohibited based on the presence or absence of a pattern formed in a specific area of a document; however, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is determined based on the image information of the entire document. It may be done based on this.

In this case, a document whose copying is to be prohibited is read in advance, and characteristic information of the document is extracted. That is, for example, raw original image data, layout information, the position, number, and color arrangement of specific characters (such as "su") may be extracted as feature information and used.

Furthermore, the butterfly and the original image may be configured in different colors.

In the figure, 1 is a scanner, 3 is the keyboard.

5 is image memory, 2 is a control unit; 4ba comparison section, 6 is a copying section.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, when a document recorded with a pattern that prohibits copying is set in a scanner, this pattern is detected and copying is prevented, so that the document with copy prohibition is reliably copied. can be prevented.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a circuit showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a manuscript in which a copy prohibition pattern is recorded. Le green is prohibited I＼゛7-n begging evening meal and I refuse to do so.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A copying apparatus for copying a manuscript, comprising a reading means for reading an image of a manuscript, and a recording means for recording an image according to image information from the reading means, wherein copying is prohibited. a storage unit that stores feature information of the original to be processed;
After reading the image by the reading means and before recording the image information by the recording means, copying of the original to be copied is prohibited according to the characteristic information of the original to be copied and the characteristics in the storage unit. 1. A copying apparatus, comprising: determining means for determining whether or not to print.