Patent Abstract:
An image forming apparatus and a control method thereof that outputs an image of currency wherein a portion of the image of the currency is replaced with another image such that the counterfeiting of currency is prevented, the method including: determining whether a printing object is currency; selecting an alternate image corresponding to identification information of the currency if the printing object is the currency; and printing the selected alternate image information.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Korean Application Nos. 2006-128367, filed Dec. 15, 2006 and 2007-119224 filed Nov. 21, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Aspects of the present invention relate generally to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof, wherein an alternate image is output when a printing object is currency so that counterfeiting of currency can be prevented. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    As the performance of image forming apparatuses (such as computer scanners, color printers, laser beam copiers, digital cameras, and the like) has improved, image resolution has also considerably improved. Accordingly, there has been a gradually increasing incidence of currency bills and securities counterfeiting through the use of image forming apparatuses. Therefore, counterfeiting crimes have been spotlighted as a serious social problem. 
         [0006]    Since paper currency, bills, checks, gift certificates, and securities, which are currently used, have been produced by applying various counterfeiting countermeasures, the use of counterfeit bills and checks has been controlled. In particular, a method has been used in which a sensor capable of discriminating currency is installed in an image forming apparatus (such as a computer scanner or a color copier), and the currency cannot be scanned and copied by any means if the currency is detected by the sensor. 
         [0007]    Further, the use of counterfeit bills and checks has been controlled by using a method of outputting an image of currency such that a portion of the image of the currency is omitted or the serial number of the currency cannot be seen with naked eyes. However, although the aforementioned methods can prevent the currency from being scanned or copied, there is no solution for the image forming apparatus to deal with the currency. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, according to the aforementioned methods, since an image of currency is simply omitted or modified, the whole image of the currency is restricted from being output. Therefore, there is a problem in that various desires of users cannot be satisfied. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Aspects of the present invention provide an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof, wherein the structure of the image forming apparatus is improved such that the counterfeiting of currency can be prevented and an image of currency can be output while being replaced with another image. 
         [0010]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling an image forming apparatus, the method including: determining whether a printing object to be printed by the image forming apparatus is currency; selecting alternate image information corresponding to identification information of the currency if the printing object is the currency; and printing the selected alternate image information. 
         [0011]    The currency may include any one of a paper currency, a bill, a check, a gift certificate, and a security. 
         [0012]    The identification information of currency may include any one of a country, an amount of currency, and a serial number of the currency. 
         [0013]    The method may further include storing a plurality of currency identification information and alternate image information corresponding to the currency identification information. 
         [0014]    The alternate image information may include a plurality of predetermined alternate image information that does not correspond to the identification information of currency. 
         [0015]    If the currency identification information has been stored, the alternate image information corresponding to the currency identification information may be selected from the stored currency identification information. 
         [0016]    If the currency identification information is not stored, the predetermined alternate image information may be selected. 
         [0017]    The stored alternate image information may be updated. 
         [0018]    According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including: a storage unit to store a plurality of currency identification information and alternate image information corresponding to the currency identification information; a reader unit to determine whether a printing object is currency; a controller to determine whether the currency identification information is stored in the storage unit when the printing object is currency, and to select the alternate image information corresponding to the currency identification information when the currency identification information is stored in the storage unit; and a printing unit to print the selected alternate image information. 
         [0019]    The storage unit may store a plurality of predetermined alternate image information that do not correspond to any currency identification information. 
         [0020]    The controller may select the predetermined alternate image information from the storage unit when the currency identification information is not stored in the storage unit. 
         [0021]    The image forming apparatus may update the alternate image information stored in the storage unit. 
         [0022]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a counterfeiting prevention system including: a currency reader to determine whether a print object to be printed is currency; a central server to store alternate image information; and an image forming apparatus to print the alternate image information when the print object is the currency. 
         [0023]    Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0024]    These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
           [0025]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 2  is a view illustrating alternate image information that corresponds to currency identification information related to countries and amounts of currency; 
           [0027]      FIG. 3  is a view illustrating alternate image information that does not correspond to currency identification information related to countries and amounts of currency; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for controlling an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus  100  includes a control panel unit  110 , a scan unit  120 , a reader unit  130 , a storage unit  140 , a controller  150 , a printing unit  160  and an interface unit  170 . The image forming apparatus  100  according to aspects of the present invention is connected to a server  200  through the interface unit  170 . 
         [0031]    The control panel unit  110  includes a control panel and an LCD panel. A user command (or input) is transferred to the controller  150  through the control panel. Furthermore, the status of the image forming apparatus  100  is displayed on the LCD panel according to a control signal from the controller  150 . The scan unit  120  scans an image of an object to be printed (for example, a document or currency). The reader unit  130  reads the image pattern of the scanned printing object to determine whether the printing object is paper currency, a bill, a check, a gift certificate, a security, or similar forms of currency. The storage unit  140  stores identification information of currency and information of an alternate image to be output in place of the currency. The storage unit  140  may be a storage medium such as DRAM, SDRAM, RDRAM, DDRAM, or SRAM. However, aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the storage unit  140  may also be a hard disk drive (HDD). 
         [0032]    The identification information may include at least one of a country, an amount, and a serial number information of the currency. For example, the identification information may include at least one of identification information corresponding to the country (such as Korea, U.S.A., or Japan), identification information in accordance with a kind of amount (such as 1000 won, 5000 won , or 10000 won), and/or a serial number of the currency (such as BA1240000). Furthermore, the alternate image information may be output in various forms as image information to be output in place of the currency. For example, the alternate image information may include various images, such as information on an amount of the currency, picture information of the image forming apparatus, information on regulations related to currency counterfeiting, the national flag of the corresponding currency, alignment page information, self-test information, and/or nozzle pattern image information. 
         [0033]    Furthermore, according to aspects of the present invention, the alternate image information may include various images configured for each country/amount/serial number, thereby satisfying various desires of users. 
         [0034]    Meanwhile, the storage unit  140  may store the alternate image information by dividing the alternate mage information into a plurality of alternate image information that corresponds to the identification information and a plurality of alternate image information that does not correspond to the identification information. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2  is a view illustrating alternate image information that corresponds to currency identification information related to countries and amounts of currency. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the storage unit  140  stores a plurality of alternate image information that corresponds to the identification information. The alternate image information varies depending on the identification information. 
         [0036]    For example, in a case of a Korean 1000 won bill, the alternate image information may have an image for “1000 won,” which is the denomination of the bill. Further, in the case of the Korean 10000 won bill, the alternate image information may include an image for the Korean national flag. Furthermore, in the case of a U.S. 50 dollar bill, the alternate image information may include an image of the U.S. national flag. In addition, in the case of the U.S. 100 dollar bill, the alternate image information may include an image of text relating to regulations on currency counterfeiting. 
         [0037]      FIG. 3  is a view illustrating alternate image information that does not correspond to currency identification information related to countries and amounts of currency. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the storage unit  140  stores a plurality of alternate image information that do not correspond to the identification information. That is, no identification information corresponds to the alternate image information, and a plurality of alternate image information without corresponding identification information is stored in the storage unit  140 . 
         [0038]    Referring back to  FIG. 1 , when a printing object is currency, the controller  150  selects alternate image information corresponding to currency identification information input for identification of the currency and controls the selected alternate image information to be output. For example, when the currency identification information input for identification of the currency is currency identification information for the Korean 5000 won bill, the controller  130  detects identification information on Korea among identification information stored in the storage unit  140  and then searches identification information on 5000 won such that alternate image information corresponding to the currency identification information is selected. 
         [0039]    That is, upon receiving at least one of information on the country, amount, and serial number of the currency, the controller  150  determines whether identification information having corresponding information on the country, the amount, and serial number of the currency is stored in the storage unit  140 . If identification information identical (or corresponding) to the currency identification information is stored in the storage unit  140 , the controller  150  selects alternate image information corresponding to the identification information and controls the selected alternate image information corresponding to the identification information to be output. 
         [0040]    Further, in a case where the currency identification information input for identification of the currency is not identical to identification information stored in the storage unit  140 , the controller  150  may select alternate image information that does not correspond to the identification information (such as the alternative image information illustrated in  FIG. 3 ) and controls the selected alternate image information to be output. According to an aspect of the present invention, the storage unit  140  may then store the identification information corresponding to the selected alternate image information. 
         [0041]    More specifically, in a case where the currency identification information is not identical to stored identification information (such as illustrated in  FIG. 3 ), the controller  150  selects any one of a plurality of alternate image information that does not correspond to the identification information, controls the selected alternate image information to be output, and then stores the identification information corresponding to the selected alternate image information in the storage unit  140 . Accordingly, in a case where identical currency identification information is input later, alternate image information can be easily output. However, it is understood that aspects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and the storage unit  140  may continue to store the alternate image information without corresponding identification information in other aspects. 
         [0042]    The printing unit  160  prints out a recording paper after printing scanned data or selected alternate image information on the recording paper according to a control signal of the controller  150 . The interface unit  170  is connected to the server  200  through a network and provides a communication interface in order to communicate with the server  200 . 
         [0043]    An operation according to aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1 . If a user puts a currency on the scan unit  120  of the image forming apparatus  100  and then presses, for example, a print button, the scan unit  120  scans an image of the currency. Then, the reader unit  130  determines whether the printing object is currency through, for example, pattern recognition. It is understood that, according to other aspects of the present invention, the determination can be made through other processes, such as detecting a chip on the currency. 
         [0044]    In a case where the printing object is the currency, the controller  150  selects alternate image information corresponding to the input currency identification information and controls the selected alternate image information to be output. The image forming apparatus  100  according to aspects of the present invention may be connected to a network (such as the Internet) so that alternate image information stored in the storage unit  140  can be updated. 
         [0045]    The alternate image information may be updated using the following method. First, an F/W downloading method may be used to store newly produced alternate image information again in the storage unit  140 . Moreover, in a case where the image forming apparatus  100  is connected to the server  200  through one or more networks, the image forming apparatus  100  is periodically subjected to polling to the server  200 . Then, in a case where new alternate image information is produced in the server  200 , the image forming apparatus  100  receives the new alternate image information transmitted from the server  200  and updates the alternate image information. 
         [0046]    Here, the polling is a transmission control method of continuously checking the states of other programs or devices from a program or device. More specifically, a communication method of the image forming apparatus  100  sends a message to the server  200  to identify whether alternate image information exists to be transmitted in multi-drop or multi-point communications in which several devices share the same line with one another. Then, in a case where the alternate image information exists, the communication method of the image forming apparatus  100  receives the alternate image information transmitted from the central server to update alternate image information of the image forming apparatus  100 . 
         [0047]    Moreover, the server  200  connected to the image forming apparatus  100  may periodically update the alternate image information stored in the storage unit  140 . 
         [0048]    Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the image forming apparatus  100  having the above structure and the control method thereof will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating the control method for the image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 4 , first, a user places a printing object (for example, currency) on the scan unit  120  of the image forming apparatus  100  and then presses, for example, a printing button provided in the control panel unit  110 . 
         [0049]    Then, the controller  150  determines whether the printing command is input in operation  300 . If it is determined that the printing command is input (operation  300 ), the scan unit  120  scans the printing object in operation  302  and the reader unit  130  determines whether the printing object is currency (such as a bill, a check, paper currency, or a security) by reading the image pattern of the scanned printing object in operation  304 . 
         [0050]    If it is determined that the printing object is currency (operation  304 ), the controller  150  determines whether currency identification information read from the printing object is stored in the storage unit  140  in operation  306 . If the currency identification information is stored in the storage unit  140 , the controller  150  selects the corresponding alternate image information (for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) from the storage unit  140  in operation  308 . That is, the controller  150  selects the alternate image information corresponding to the currency identification information in operation  308 . 
         [0051]    If it is determined that the currency identification information is not stored in the storage unit  140  (operation  306 ), the controller  150  selects alternate image information with no corresponding currency identification information (for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 ) from the storage unit  140  in operation  310 . That is, the controller  150  selects predetermined alternate image information that does not correspond to the currency identification information in operation  310 . 
         [0052]    Thereafter, the controller  150  prints out the alternate image of the currency through the printing unit  160  according to the selected alternate image information in operation  312 . Accordingly, when the printing object is currency, the image forming apparatus  100  prevents counterfeit currency from being printed, so that the social problem derived from the counterfeit currency can be prevented. 
         [0053]    If it is determined that the printing object is not currency (operation  304 ), the image of the scanned printing object is printed out through the printing unit  160  in operation  314 . 
         [0054]    As described above, according to aspects of the present invention, an image of currency is output by being replaced with other images, so that the counterfeiting of currency can be prevented. Further, according to aspects of the present invention, various images are output depending on identification information of the currency, so that the aesthetic appearance of currency can be enhanced. Furthermore, according to aspects of the present invention, alternate image information can be updated if necessary, so that various desires of users can be satisfied. 
         [0055]    Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6