Patent ID: 7519820
Filing Date: 2009-04-14
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image forming system comprising: an image display medium, that is a sheet of paper, on which an unencrypted first image is visibly displayed on a surface of the display medium without authentication; and an image forming apparatus, wherein: the image display medium includes a data supply apparatus, which stores therein encrypted data of a second image which is not visible on the surface of the display medium and authentication data used for an access authentication to the data of the second image and supplies the stored data of the second image and the stored authentication data to an external; and the image forming apparatus includes: an image reading section for reading the displayed first image from the surface of the display medium; a data reading section for reading the supplied data of the second image and the supplied authentication data from the data supply apparatus; an authentication section for receiving access to the data of the second image and determining whether or not to allow the access to the data of the second image, on the basis of the read authentication data; and an image forming section for forming the first visible, unencrypted image and the second not visible, encrypted image when the access to the data of the second image is authenticated, and does not form the second not visible, encrypted image when authentication fails.