Abstract:
Color image data is stored while being added with an attribute associated with a copy limit of image data in correspondence with a type or level of secretary to be maintained (e.g., allowing only a specific person to make a full color copy, or to make any copy, of a particular image, or allowing only monochrome copies to be made of a specific image regardless of who is making the copy, etc.). When the color image data is output, an output mode is selected according to the designated type of secrecy to execute image processing and an image output operation, thereby maintaining the desired degree of secrecy of the color image.

Description:
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/056,757, filed May 4, 1993, now allowed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,253. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and, more specifically, to an image processing apparatus for processing a color image having secrecy or confidentiality. 
     In order to provide copy limit information to image data output from an image reader, the following method is normally adopted. That is, read prohibition information is added to image data when the image data is stored, and to read access of the image data is limited unless a read enable condition presented by the read prohibition information is satisfied, thereby prohibiting the image data from being copied. 
     When an objective image is character information or a binary image, since only limited methods are available to output it the conventional method is effective. However, in recent years, the mainstream of image data processing involves color image data having a large information volume, and there are various kinds of secret information. For this reason, the above-mentioned method is insufficient. For example, in the case of a color image whose color information (but not necessarily luminance information) it is desired to keep highly secret. When the copying of the color image itself is completely prohibited #availability and usefulness of the color image data are undesirably limited. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which executes image processing and copying of image data without deterioration of image data other than color information, in color image data. 
     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising means for inputting predetermined identification information, means for inputting attribute information for limiting outputting of image data, storage means for storing input image data, the identification information, and the attribute information in correspondence with each other, means for comparing newly input identification information with the identification information stored in the storage means, and data output means for controlling the outputting of the image data according to a comparison result and the attribute information. 
     According to the present invention, there is also provided an image processing apparatus comprising a plurality of image copying means for copying input image data, means for inputting identification information for identifying the plurality of image copying means, selection means for selecting one of a plurality of pieces of attribute information prepared in advance and associated with a copy limit relating to the image data, storage means for storing input image data, the identification information, and the attribute information in correspondence with each other, means for comparing newly input identification information with the identification information stored in the storage means, and data output means for controlling the outputting of the image data from each of the plurality of image copying means according to a comparison result and the attribute information. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of a color copying machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a color image storage operation in an image processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
     FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a color image recording operation in the image processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
     FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a schematic arrangement of an image reader according to the first embodiment; 
     FIGS. 5A to  5 C are block diagrams showing an arrangement of three kinds of discrimination circuits according to the first embodiment; 
     FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of an image processor according to the first embodiment; 
     FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing an internal arrangement of an image forming device according to the first embodiment; 
     FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of main part of a color copying machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic arrangement of a copying system according to the third embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 10A to  10 C are tables showing a relationship between each of discrimination information and copy limitation and an image output of circuits of FIGS. 5A to  5 C. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The embodiments to be described below will exemplify a color copying machine as an embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, but may be applied to various other apparatuses, as a matter of course. 
     First Embodiment 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of a color copying machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     In FIG. 1, reference numeral  101  denotes a color image reader (to be referred to as an “image reader” hereinafter) for converting a color image on an original into an electrical signal (color image data);  102 , a transfer path used for transferring color image data obtained by the image reader  101  to a storage device  103 ;  103 , a storage device for storing the input color image data;  104 , a discrimination circuit for selecting an image output mode;  105 , an image processor for executing image processing according to a signal from the discrimination circuit  104 ;  106 , an interface connecting the image processor  105 , an image forming device  107 , and an output storage device  108 ;  107 , an image forming device comprising a color image printer; and  108 , an output storage device. 
     Reference numeral  109  denotes an operation unit comprising a display unit  109   a , a start key  109   b , a ten-key pad  109   c , a reset key  109   d , a copy prohibition switch  109   e  for completely prohibiting a copy operation, and the like. Reference numeral  110  denotes a CPU for controlling the entire machine;  111 , a ROM storing various programs for operating the CPU  110 ;  112 , a RAM used as a work area of the various programs; and  113 , an ID card detector for detecting an identification signal (to be referred to as “ID data” hereinafter) representing the owner of an image. 
     [Description of Image Reader  101 ] 
     FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a schematic arrangement of the image reader  101  according to the first embodiment. 
     An optical system in the image reader  101  is constituted by an original illumination lamp  201 , a first mirror  204 , a second mirror  202 , a third mirror  203 , an imaging lens  205 , a CCD line sensor  206  having R, G, and B filters, an original table glass  209 , and an original table glass cover  208 . The lamp  201  and the mirror  204  scan an original on the original table glass  209  at a speed twice that of the mirrors  202  and  203 . 
     A color image on an original placed on the original table glass  209  is irradiated with light emitted from the lamp  201 . Light reflected by the color image is guided by the mirrors  204 ,  202 , and  203 , and forms an image on the CCD line sensor  206  via the lens  205 . Then, the sensor  206  supplies blue (B), green (G), and red (R) components of full-color information to an image processing circuit  207 . The color image on the entire surface of the original is read by an electrical scan (main scan) of the CCD line sensor  206 , and a mechanical scan (sub-scan) of the lamp and the mirror. 
     Thereafter, the image processing circuit  207  converts an optical signal into an electrical signal, and executes image processing such as A/D conversion of the electrical signal, thereby generating color image data. 
     [Description of Discrimination Circuit  104 ] 
     FIGS. 5A to  5 C are block diagrams showing an arrangement of the discrimination circuit  104  according to the first embodiment. Note that, in FIGS. 5A to  5 C, components with the same numerals have the same operation. 
     The discrimination circuit  104  includes a copy limit information discrimination circuit  301 , an ID data discrimination circuit  302 , and a bus control circuit  303  as main components. 
     FIG. 5A is a first embodiment of the discrimination circuit. The copy limit information discrimination circuit  301  outputs attribute discrimination signals S 1 , S 2  in accordance with an attribute associated with a copy limit added to color image data sent from the storage device  103 . If the circuit  301  determines that no copy limit information is present it outputs signals of (S 1 ,S 2 )=(1,0). If the circuit  301  determines that a color hard copy is prohibited, it outputs signals of (S 1 ,S 2 )=(1,1). Furthermore, if the circuit  301  determines that a copying is completely prohibited, it outputs signals of (S 1 ,S 2 )=(0,0). These attribute discrimination signals together with ID codes which will be described below determine an output state of the machine. 
     The ID data discrimination circuit  302  outputs an ID agreement signal (S 3 ) when ID data added to color image data coincides with ID data (this may be termed “known ID”, or KID) input from the operation unit  109  in an image output operation. 
     The attribute discrimination signal S 2  and the ID agreement signal S 3  are supplied to an OR gate  308  via AND gates  305  and  307  and a NOT gate  304 . Thus, even when a color hard copy operation is prohibited, if two ID data coincide with each other, a color copy enable signal (hard copy, or HCO) is generated. 
     The bus control circuit  303  outputs color image data to the image processor  105  only when it receives the attribute discrimination signal S 1 . 
     It is therefore impossible for those who are not the owner of an image to make a copy of a color image, however, if copying is not completely prohibited, a monochrome hard copy can be made. This does not limit versatility of the copy operation. 
     FIG. 5B is a second embodiment of the discrimination circuit in which the owner of an image can make a monochrome hard copy, even a copy operation is completely prohibited. 
     The circuit described in FIG. 5B performs the same operation as the circuit of FIG. 5A, the first embodiment of the circuit, with respect to the operation that color image date, discrimination information and attribute information are separated. Copy limit information and ID data are also discriminated in the circuit. 
     In this embodiment, color image data are output if there is no limitation on copying and it is the owner of the image who performs the operation. If the owner performs the operation under a limitation on copying or if the operation is performed by someone who is not the owner of the image in a case where copying is not completely prohibited, then a monochrome copy is made. 
     On the other hand, copying is prohibited if it is performed by someone who is not the owner of an image and a copy operation is completely prohibited. 
     FIG. 5C is a third embodiment of the discrimination circuit in which the owner of an image can always make a color copy of the color image, while for those who are not the owner, three kinds of copy operation a complete prohibition on copying can be performed. 
     FIGS. 10A to  10 C are tables showing output states of the circuits described in FIGS. 5A to  5 C which are determined by ID data obtained by discrimination information and a copy limitation by attribute information. 
     Note that FIGS. 10A to  10 C corresponds to FIGS. 5A to  5 C respectively. 
     [Description of Image Processor  105 ] 
     FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of the image processor  105  according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 6, reference numeral  401  denotes a contactless switch;  402 - 1 ,  402 - 2 , and  402 - 3 , converters; and  403 , a look-up table (to be referred to as an “LUT” hereinafter). 
     The operation of the image processor  105  with the above arrangement will be described below. 
     When the image processor  105  receives data without receiving any HCO signal, it converts R, G, and B data into B/W monochrome data, and outputs the monochrome data. 
     More specifically, when the image processor  105  receives data without receiving any HCO signal, R, G, and B signals are supplied to the converters  402 - 1  to  402 - 3  upon switching of the contactless switch  401 , and are converted into density data. Thereafter, the density data are supplied to the LUT  403 . 
     The LUT  403  has an 8-bit address for each of R, G, and B data, and each address stores a conversion value for executing conversion given by the following equation (1): 
     
       
         B/W=(R+G+B)/3  (1) 
       
     
     An image output from the LUT  403  according to equation (1) is converted into a monochrome image. 
     On the other hand, when the image processor  105  receives the HCO signal from the discrimination circuit, color image signals pass through the contactless switches  401 , and are output as color image signals. 
     [Description of Image Forming Device  107 ] 
     FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a schematic internal arrangement of the image forming device  107  according to the first embodiment. 
     In FIG. 7, reference numeral  502  denotes a laser driver;  503 , a polygonal mirror;  504 , an f-θ lens;  505 , a mirror;  506 , a semiconductor laser;  507 , a photosensitive drum;  508 , a transfer drum;  509 , a rotary developing unit;  510 , a black developing section;  511 , a yellow developing section;  512 , a cyan developing section;  513 , a magenta developing section;  514  and  515 , paper cassettes; and  516 , a fixing unit. 
     The operation of the image forming device  107  with the above arrangement will be described below. 
     A color image signal is color-separated into magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y), and black (Bk) components, and these color component signals are supplied to the laser driver  502 . The laser driver  502  modulates the semiconductor laser  506  according to the input image signals. A laser beam scans on the photosensitive drum  507  via the polygonal mirror  503 , the f-θ lens  504 , and the mirror  505 . 
     The rotary developing unit  509  is constituted by the magenta developing section  513 , the cyan developing section  512 , the yellow developing section  511 , and the black developing section  510 , and these four developing sections are alternately brought into contact with the photosensitive drum  507  to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum  507  with a corresponding toner. 
     A paper sheet fed from the paper cassette  515  or  514  is wound around the transfer drum  508 , and the toner image on the photosensitive drum  507  is transferred onto the paper sheet. 
     After the four color images, i.e., M, C, Y, and Bk images are sequentially transferred onto the paper sheet via the above-mentioned process, the paper sheet passes through the fixing unit  516  to fix the toner images thereon. Thereafter, the paper sheet is exhausted. 
     [Description of Color Image Storage and Recording Operations] 
     FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining a color image storage operation according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining a color image recording operation according to the first embodiment. 
     The color image storage operation will be described below with reference to FIG.  2 . 
     When the start key  109   b  is depressed (step S 0 ), a color image on an original is read by the color image reader  101 , and is converted into color image data (step S 1 ). In this case, when an operator wants to limit copying of an objective color image, he or she selectively depresses keys of the operation unit  109  on the image reader  101  (step S 2 ), so that a color copy limit signal or a copy complete prohibition signal is added to the color image data together with ID data representing the owner of the image (step S 3 ). 
     The color image data added with an attribute associated with the copy limit is stored in the storage device  103  together with the attribute associated with the copy limit via the transfer path  102  (step S 4 ). 
     A recording operation based on the stored color image using a discrimination result provided by the discrimination circuit  104  of FIG. 5A will be described below with reference to FIG.  3 . Note that as a method of generating ID data used for recognizing the owner of an image, a method of having a name, a code number, or the like by input an operator himself or herself using keys such as the ten-key pad  109   c , a method using an ID card, and the like are available. 
     When color image data stored in the storage device  103  is to be output, an operator inputs ID data (step S 11 ). In response to this input, color image data and the attribute associated with the copy limit are read out from the storage device  103  (step S 12 ), and are input to the image output mode discrimination circuit  104 . The discrimination circuit  104  discriminates the attribute associated with the copy limit of the color image (step S 13 ) to select one of image output modes, i.e., a “copy complete prohibition mode”, a “color copy prohibition mode”, and a “color image copy enable mode”. 
     If the discrimination circuit  104  determines that the copy complete prohibition mode is selected (step S 14 ), processing associated with the copy operation is interrupted, and no image is copied (step S 20 ). 
     If it is determined in step S 14  that the copy complete prohibition mode is not selected, the ID data added to the color image data is compared with the ID data input in step S 11  (step S 15 ). If these two ID data coincide with each other (YES in step S 16 ), the color copy enable signal (HCO) is generated, and is output to the image processor  105 . In this case, the image processor  105  does not execute any image processing for color image data stored in the storage device  103 , and outputs the stored color image data to the image forming device  107  to form a hard copy or to the output storage device  108  to form a soft copy via the interface  106  (step S 17 ). 
     However, if it is determined in step S 16  that the two ID data do not coincide with each other, the color image data is converted into monochrome image data by the image processor  105  (step S 18 ), and the monochrome image data is output to the image forming device  107  to form a hard copy or to the output storage device  108  to form a soft copy via the interface  106  (step S 19 ). 
     As described above, according to the first embodiment, when a color image is recorded, a color image added with a type or level of secrecy to be maintained is stored. When the stored color image is output, an image output mode according to the type of secrecy command added to the color image is selected, and an image output operation is performed. Thus, secrecy with command respect to a color image can be guaranteed, and versatility with which an image can be used can be increased. 
     Second Embodiment 
     In the first embodiment, the owner of a color image is recognized, and copy limit attribute for persons other than the owner of the color image is determined. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Like in the second embodiment to be described below, by storing in advance discrimination information, attribute information and information which limits image forming devices, corresponding to image data, for each of the plurality of image forming devices, a copy limit attribute may be determined and outputted for each of the plurality of image forming devices. 
     FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of main part of a copying machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     A copying machine according to the second embodiment has an arrangement wherein three image forming devices  181  to  183  are connected to an image processor  105 ′ via an interface  180 , as shown in FIG.  8 . 
     A discrimination circuit  104 ′ generates a signal P-SEL for determining an output and an output device in accordance with discrimination information, attribute information and information which limits image forming devices. An image processor  105 ′ selects the image forming device when the processor receives the signal P-SEL. 
     Note that a copy limit attribute may be determined for each of a plurality of image readers by storing in advance discrimination information, attribute information and information which limits the image reader, corresponding to image data. 
     In FIG. 8, the three image forming devices  181  to  183  are connected. However, the number of image forming devices is not limited to three, but may be two, or four or more. 
     Third Embodiment 
     In the first and second embodiments, the image transfer path is assumed to comprise a special-purpose data line, but may comprise a public circuit such as an ISDN or telephone circuit. 
     FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic arrangement of a copying system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, an image processing apparatus comprising an image reader  101 , an image processor  105 , and the like is connected to an image forming device  191  and an output storage device  192  via a public circuit  190 . 
     In this embodiment, in consideration of not only a case wherein the image processing apparatus reads color image data, but also a case wherein color image data from the image reader  101  is directly transmitted through a communication path  102 , a transmission prohibition attribute is determined for each of apparatuses as communication destinations, and the color image to be transmitted, is limited by recognition of the attribute. 
     Fourth Embodiment 
     In the first to third embodiments described above, the copy limit attribute is determined by owner or apparatus independently of color images. Alternatively, copy limit attributes for specific color images may be pre-stored in an image reader  101 , and when these color images are read by the image reader  101 , the copy limit attributes for the images may be automatically determined. 
     Note that the present invention can be applied to either a system comprising a plurality of devices or an apparatus comprising a single device. It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a case which can be attained by supplying programs which execute the process defined by the present system or invention. 
     The present invention can be applied to a laser beam printer, an ink-jet printer, and a thermal printer as a color copying machine (image forming device). In particular, the present invention can be applied to a bubble-jet type printer which uses a head of a type for ejecting ink droplets by utilizing film boiling caused by heat energy. 
     In each of the above embodiments, an original image is input by the image reader. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an image input from a still video camera or a video camera, or an image created by computer graphics may be used. 
     As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims.