Patent ID: 8107337
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus for unrecoverably erasing data that is encrypted and recorded in an auxiliary storage device of the image processing apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a detecting unit configured to detect an erasure request from a process to erase the data; a registering unit configured to register the data corresponding to the erase request in a predetermined storage unit; an erasing unit configured to perform an overwriting erasure process in order to unrecoverably erase the data registered in the storage unit; and a release unit configured to release an area of the auxiliary storage device in which the data is stored, after the overwriting erasure process, wherein the erasing unit divides a file of the data into one or more blocks of a block size and an offset of less than the block size, based on a file size and the block size of the file, in the absence of the offset, the erasing unit performs the overwriting erasure process on the one or more blocks successively, starting from a block at a rear-end of the file, and in the presence of the offset, the erasing unit performs the overwriting erasure process on the one or more blocks successively, starting from the block at the rear-end of the file, after performing the overwriting erasure process on the offset.