Patent ID: 6978112

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an input unit for inputting image information; a generating unit for generating output limitation information, regarding to an output allowance term of the image information, corresponding to the image information input by said input unit; a storing unit for storing the image information input by said input unit and the output limitation information generated by said generating unit; a reading unit for reading a document, wherein the document contains specifying information for specifying the image information stored by said storing unit; an output unit for outputting the specified image information stored by said storing unit in accordance with reading of the specifying information by said reading unit; and an output control unit for determining whether the time when the image information is to be output by said output unit is within the output allowance term based on the output limitation information corresponding to the image information, and for controlling the outputting of the image information by said output unit in accordance with said determination.