Patent ID: 7571323

Claim:
An image processor comprising: a scanning unit for reading a recording medium, the recording medium having first patterned image data printed thereon and image data printed thereon, the image data including embedded information, the first patterned image data including a latent image unperceivable by human eyes, the latent image being formed more clearly on a copy-destination recording medium when information recorded on the recording medium is copied by a copying machine; a separating unit for separating the read image data input by the scanning unit to obtain the image data including the embedded information; and an outputting unit for controlling output of combined image data produced by combining second patterned image data with the image data including the embedded information, the second patterned image data including a latent image unperceivable by human eyes, the latent image being formed more clearly on the copy-destination recording medium when information recorded on the recording medium is copied by the copying machine.