Patent Application
20210227087
This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-007806 filed on Jan. 21, 2020 in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an authentication apparatus, an authentication system, an image processing system, and an authentication method.
Documents (e.g., forms) including valuable prints such as bank notes and certificates for authenticating individuals such as licenses and certificates of residence are expected to be constantly protected by new anti-forgery techniques to prevent the documents from being forged or altered by a third party. Further, there is a demand for an authenticity determination method capable of determining the authenticity of the documents such as valuable prints and certificates.
There is a technique of authenticating a concealment pattern printed with infrared (IR) black ink and determining a pattern printed with another medium as a forgery. For example, according to an existing technique, an information code covered with a concealment pattern is read with two types of light each having a certain wavelength, and the reflectance of each of images read with the two types of light is compared with a threshold value to determine the authenticity of the information code.
According to the above-described technique, however, the information code covered with the concealment pattern is read with two types of light from a light source in the IR region and a light source in the visible region and the IR region. Consequently, the technique degrades the reproducibility (e.g., density and color) and visibility of the document.
Further, if one of the two types of light is limited to the light in the visible region, the technique may fail to detect a forgery depending on the type of ink used in the forgery, and thus may hinder the improvement of the security level.
In one embodiment of this invention, there is provided an improved authentication apparatus that includes, for example, circuitry that selects at least one of a first light emitting device and a second light emitting device. The first light emitting device emits light in a certain wavelength region. The second light emitting device emits light in a wavelength region different from the certain wavelength region of the light emitted from the first light emitting device. The circuitry further reads embedded information based on a reading result obtained in an imaging device that receives the light emitted from the selected at least one of the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device and reflected by an authentication medium. The embedded information includes information for authentication, and is embedded in the authentication medium and obtained with light in a range of light receiving sensitivity of silicon forming the imaging device.
In one embodiment of this invention, there is provided an improved authentication system that includes, for example, a first light emitting device, a second light emitting device, and circuitry. The first light emitting device emits light in a certain wavelength region. The second light emitting device emits light in a wavelength region different from the certain wavelength region of the light emitted from the first light emitting device. The circuitry selects at least one of the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device. The circuitry further reads embedded information based on a reading result obtained in an imaging device that receives the light emitted from the selected at least one of the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device and reflected by an authentication medium. The embedded information includes information for authentication, and is embedded in the authentication medium and obtained with light in a range of light receiving sensitivity of silicon forming the imaging device.
In one embodiment of this invention, there is provided an improved image processing system that includes, for example, a first light emitting device, a second light emitting device, an imaging device, and the above-described authentication apparatus. The first light emitting device emits light in a certain wavelength region. The second light emitting device emits light in a wavelength region different from the certain wavelength region of the light emitted from the first light emitting device. The imaging device receives light reflected by an authentication medium.
In one embodiment of this invention, there is provided an improved image processing system that includes, for example, an imaging device and the above-described authentication system. The imaging device receives light reflected by an authentication medium.
In one embodiment of this invention, there is provided an improved authentication method that includes, for example, selecting at least one of a first light emitting device and a second light emitting device, and reading embedded information based on a reading result obtained in an imaging device. The first light emitting device emits light in a certain wavelength region. The second light emitting device emits light in a wavelength region different from the certain wavelength region of the light emitted from the first light emitting device. The imaging device receives the light emitted from the selected at least one of the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device and reflected from an authentication medium. The embedded information includes information for authentication, and is embedded in the authentication medium and obtained with light in a range of light receiving sensitivity of silicon forming the imaging device.
A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages and features thereof can be readily obtained and understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of the present invention and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the drawings illustrating embodiments of the present invention, members or components having the same function or shape will be denoted with the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.
In describing embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that have a similar function, operate in a similar manner, and achieve a similar result.
Embodiments of an authentication apparatus, an authentication system, an image processing system, and an authentication method of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The image processing apparatus 100 includes an image reading device 101, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 102, and an image forming device 103 disposed under the image reading device 101 and the ADF 102. To illustrate an internal configuration of the image forming device 103,
The ADF 102 is a document support device that positions a document, the image of which is to be read, at a reading position. The ADF 102 automatically transports the document placed on a document placement table to a predetermined reading position.
At the predetermined reading position, the image reading device 101 reads the document transported by the ADF 102. An upper surface of the image reading device 101 is equipped with a contact glass, which serves as a document support portion on which a document is placed. The image reading device 101 further reads the document placed on the contact glass. In this case, the reading position corresponds to the position of the contact glass. Specifically, the image reading device 101 is a scanner including therein a light source, an optical system, and a photoelectric converter such as a charge coupled device (CCD). Through the optical system, the image reading device 101 reads light reflected by the document illuminated by the light source.
The image forming device 103 prints the image of the document read by the image reading device 101. The image forming device 103 includes a manual feeding roller 104 for manually feeding a recording sheet and a recording sheet supplying device 107 that supplies a recording sheet. The recording sheet supplying device 107 has a mechanism that sends a recording sheet out of one of multiple recording sheet feeding cassettes 107a. The supplied recording sheet is sent to a second transfer belt 112 via a registration roller 108.
The recording sheet is transported on the second transfer belt 112, and toner images formed on an intermediate transfer belt 113 are transferred onto the recording sheet on the second transfer belt 112 by a second transfer device 114.
The image forming device 103 further includes an optical writing device 109, an image forming unit 105, the second transfer belt 112, and the intermediate transfer belt 113, for example. The image forming unit 105 is a tandem system including four photoconductor drums 115 for forming yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toner images. The optical writing device 109 writes latent images on the photoconductor drums 115. The latent images are then developed into toner images through an image forming process performed by the image forming unit 105, and are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 113.
Specifically, the image forming unit 105 includes the four rotatable photoconductor drums 115, which correspond to the Y, M, C, and K colors, respectively. Each of the photoconductor drums 115 is surrounded by image forming components 106, which include a charging roller, a developing device, a first transfer roller 116, a cleaner device, and a discharging device. With the image forming components 106 operating around the photoconductor drums 115, the toner images formed on the photoconductor drums 115 are first-transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 113 by the respective first transfer rollers 116.
The intermediate transfer belt 113 is stretched by a drive roller and a driven roller to pass through respective nips formed between the photoconductor drums 115 and the first transfer rollers 116. With the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 113, the toner images first-transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 113 are second-transferred onto the recording sheet on the second transfer belt 112 by the second transfer device 114. With the rotation of the second transfer belt 112, the recording sheet is then transported to a fixing device 110, in which the toner images are fixed on the recording sheet as a color image. Then, the recording sheet is ejected to a sheet ejection tray 117 outside a main body of the image processing apparatus 100. In duplex printing, the recording sheet is reversed by a sheet reversing mechanism 111, and the reversed recording sheet is sent back to the second transfer belt 112.
The image formation by the image forming device 103 is not limited to the above-described electrophotographic image formation, and the image forming device 103 may form an image with the inkjet method.
The image reading device 101 will be described in more detail.
In a reading operation, the image reading device 101 emits light upward from the light source 2 while moving the first carriage 6 and the second carriage 7 in a sub-scanning direction A from a standby position (i.e., home position). Then, the first carriage 6 and the second carriage 7 direct the light reflected by a document 12 to the photoelectric converter 9 via the lens device 8, to thereby form an image on the photoelectric converter 9.
When the image processing apparatus 100 is powered on, for example, the image reading device 101 sets a reference value by reading the light reflected by the white reference plate 13. That is, the image reading device 101 moves the first carriage 6 to a position immediately under the white reference plate 13, turns on the light source 2, and directs the light reflected by the white reference plate 13 to the photoelectric converter 9 to form an image thereon, to thereby perform gain adjustment.
The light source 2 includes a visible light source 2a (an example of a first light emitting device) and an invisible light source 2b (an example of a second light emitting device). The visible light source 2a emits visible light with a wavelength mostly in the visible region (e.g., red, green, and blue light). The invisible light source 2b emits invisible light with a wavelength in the near-infrared (NIR) region (i.e., NIR light). More specifically, the visible light source 2a emits light that has a wavelength mostly in the visible region and contains infrared (IR) wavelength components by an amount not hindering the readability of document information obtained by reading light with an IR wavelength.
The amount of IR wavelength components contained in the light emitted from the visible light source 2a is negligible in terms of the influence of light with an NIR wavelength. In reading a document (e.g., form) such as a form D in
There is a technique of using ultraviolet (UV) light source for image reading. However, a type of glass typically used as a material of an optical component absorbs a substantial amount of light in the UV wavelength region. It is therefore difficult to handle the light in the UV wavelength region with an optical component such as a typical lens, and thus a special reading device is used in image reading in the UV wavelength region. Further, due to the harmful effects of UV light on the human body, the handling of UV light in a typical office environment entails risk.
There is also a technique of using light with a wavelength in the IR region as a first light source and using light with a wavelength ranging from the visible region to the IR region as a second light source. According to this technique, however, the first light source and the second light source both have a wavelength in the IR region, consequently degrading the reproducibility and visibility of the document.
Referring back to
In the present embodiment, a description will be given of an example in which an NIR image is used as the invisible image. However, the wavelength region used in the invisible image is not limited to a particular wavelength region. Further, the image used in the present embodiment may be limited to the visible image.
The controller 23 controls the light source drive circuit 24, the photoelectric converter 9, and the signal processor 22. The controller 23 is implemented by a control circuit such as a central processing unit (CPU) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The signal processor 22 executes various types of signal processing on the image signals output from the photoelectric converter 9.
The light emitting device selection unit 51 selects one of the visible light source 2a and the invisible light source 2b. Based on a reading result obtained with the visible light source 2a and a reading result obtained with the invisible light source 2b, the authentication unit 52 reads embedded information to execute an authentication process. The embedded information includes information for authentication, and is embedded in the document (e.g., form) as the authentication medium.
As described above, with an increase of IR wavelength components in a light source, the reproducibility (e.g., density and color) and visibility of the document are substantially degraded. Document data with degraded reproducibility and visibility is undesirable when storing or copying the read document as electronic data for use. Further, if the document contains information such as a quick response (QR) code (registered trademark) or a bar code, a code reader is likely to fail to read the code owing to a reduction in contrast.
In the image reading device 101 of the present embodiment, therefore, the light emitting device selection unit 51 selects the visible light source 2a to read a regular document (e.g., form).
Thereby, the reading of the regular document does not involve the degradation in reproducibility or visibility of the document or the deterioration of information included in the document, thereby enabling the read document per se to be stored or copied as electronic data for use.
A description will be given of the reading of information using two types of toner.
As illustrated in
A party that receives the form D submitted thereto requests the submitter of the form D to present the authentication information, and compares the presented authentication information with the authentication information embedded in the form D to determine the authenticity of the form D. Even if the form D is forged, therefore, the authenticity of the form D will not be verified by a person other than the applicant for issuance of the form D. Consequently, the security strength is enhanced.
The print area of the authentication information is not limited to a particular area. For example, the authentication information may be visibly printed at the end of the form D, or may be printed in an area in which the information of the form D is printed such that the authentication information blends in the information of the form D.
Although
As illustrated in
When a black image printed with the K toner and a black image printed with the YMC toner are acquired in the visible wavelength region, the two black images are both successfully read. When the black image printed with the K toner and the black image printed with the YMC toner are acquired in the invisible wavelength region, on the other hand, the black image printed with the K toner is successfully read, but the black image printed with the YMC toner fails to be read. The information of the YMC toner is obtainable by subtracting image data acquired in the invisible wavelength region from image data acquired in the visible wavelength region.
When reading the embedded information X (i.e., the print pattern) printed with the K toner and the YMC toner, such as the print pattern illustrated in
These two images are then combined in accordance with a certain rule, as illustrated in
That is, the party that receives the form D reads the embedded information X printed on the form D, generates the authentication information in accordance with a certain rule, and compares the generated authentication information with the authentication information presented by the submitter of the form D, to thereby determine the authenticity of the submitted form D.
As described above, the embedded information X printed with the combination of the K toner and the YMC toner for authenticity determination is read in certain reading conditions (e.g., a reading condition using the visible light and a reading condition using the invisible light). In the reading with the invisible light, the light in the IR region is read. Due to a difference in absorption characteristics in the IR region between the K toner and the YMC toner, the reading result is different between the visible region and the IR region and between the K toner and the YMC toner.
Even if the form D is submitted by someone who has illegally obtained the form D by stealing or unauthorized copying, for example, the party that receives the form D may refuse to accept the submitted form D or may request the submitter of the form D to submit a reissued form D when the submitter of the form D is not identified as the applicant for issuance of the form D. Thereby, the abuse of the form D is prevented.
That is, the information for identifying the applicant for issuance of the form D is previously set and embedded in the form D as the embedded information X. The embedded information X is then used for authentication, thereby enhancing the security strength.
Further, a password previously set by the applicant for issuance of the form D at the time of issuance of the form D may be embedded in the form D as the embedded information X to be used as the authentication information for authentication.
For example, as illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
As described above, the password is previously set by the applicant for issuance of the form D at the time of issuance of the form D as the information for identifying the applicant, and is embedded in the form D as the embedded information X. The embedded information X is then used for authentication to further enhance the security strength.
Further, the authentication information may be generated from biometric information of the applicant for issuance of the form D and embedded in the form D as the embedded information X.
If the form D is not submitted by the applicant for issuance of the form D, therefore, the form D is not authenticated, thereby further enhancing the security strength.
The biometric information includes, but is not limited to, vein print, fingerprint, iris data, and voice print, for example. In the case of the fingerprint, for example, feature points such as a bifurcation point, an end point, a delta point, and a core point are extracted from the finger print and converted into a character string, for example, in accordance with a certain rule to generate the authentication information.
As described above with reference to
With the above-described authentication information, the form D should be submitted by the applicant for issuance of the form D. Further, the pattern of the authentication information to be generated is unknown even to the applicant for issuance of the form D, consequently further enhancing the security strength.
The above-described password setting is illustrative. Therefore, the password may be embedded in the form D in a different method.
As an example of the method of authenticating the form D, the party that receives the form D reconstructs the password by reading the form D in accordance with the embedding method of the embedded information X. Further, the party that receives the form D requests the submitter of the form D to present the password, and compares the presented password with the password reconstructed from the form D to determine the authenticity of the form D. In this case, if the password presented by the submitter of the form D does not match the password reconstructed from the form D, the party that receives the form D determines the submitted form D as having been inappropriately acquired by stealing or unauthorized copying, for example, and may refuse to accept the submitted form D or may request the submitter of the form D to submit a reissued form D, for example. The above-described authentication method is illustrative, and thus the authentication method is not limited thereto.
As described above, the information knowable only to the applicant for issuance of the form D is embedded in the form D as the authentication information in the form of the embedded information X. The present embodiment therefore compensates for the reduction in security strength due to non-use of light in the UV region or a special ink, thereby suppressing the reduction in security strength, and at the same time suppressing an increase in the application cost of the present embodiment or the difficulty in document preparation with the application of the present embodiment. Further, as described above with reference to
Further, as information leading to the authentication process, uniform resource locator (URL) information may be embedded in the authentication information as the embedded information X. The URL information leads to an input form (e.g., an input form window) in which the password set by the applicant for issuance of the form D is to be input.
As an example of the method of authenticating the form D, the party that receives the form D reads the form D in accordance with the embedding method of the embedded information X, and reconstructs the URL of the input form (e.g., an authentication form illustrated in
In this case, if the password previously associated with the input form does not match the password input to the input form, the authentication process is completed with display of an error screen, for example. In this case, more than one retries may be allowed with password input errors taken into account. Then, if the authentication fails a predetermined number of times, the input form may be locked to block the use of the form D. In this case, the party that receives the form D determines the submitted form D as having been inappropriately acquired by stealing or unauthorized copying, for example, and may refuse to accept the submitted form D or may request the submitter of the form D to submit a reissued form D, for example.
According to the above-described authentication method based on the password input to the input form, it is unnecessary for a staff member of the party that receives the form D to execute the authentication process. If a reading device or terminal operable by the submitter of the form D is installed at the location of the form receiving party with instructions for the authentication procedure, the authentication process may be executed by the submitter of the form D.
Further, a system may be built which automatically generates an authentication number for each authenticated form D and requests the input of the authentication number of the form D to proceed with a procedure involving the submission of the form D. According to this system, the procedure will not proceed unless the form D is authenticated, thereby further enhancing the security strength. The authentication method described above is illustrative, and the authentication method is not limited thereto.
With the above-described authentication method, it is unnecessary to embed the authentication information per se in the form D, thereby reducing the risk of the authentication information in the form D being analyzed and abused.
As described above, the present embodiment enables the authentication of the form D with the authentication information printable with the Y toner, the M toner, the C toner, and the K toner stored in a typical image forming apparatus such as an MFP. The present embodiment therefore prevents the forgery of the form D with a simple structure, and suppresses an increase in the application cost of the present embodiment or the difficulty in the preparation of the form D with the application of the present embodiment.
Further, according to the present embodiment, the reading result obtained with the visible light source 2a and the reading result obtained with the invisible light source 2b are combined in accordance with a certain rule to generate the authentication information. Therefore, the authentication information is not easily forged, enhancing the security strength.
Further, according to the present embodiment, document forgery is prevented with a simple structure, i.e., a typical image forming apparatus such as an MFP equipped with an NIR light source, without a special light source that emits light in the UV region or special ink such as the IR black ink. The present embodiment therefore provides a reading device that suppresses an increase in application cost or difficulty in document preparation and improves the reproducibility and visibility of the document.
According to the combination rule illustrated in
According to the example of the combination rule illustrated in
In the example of the combination rule illustrated in
In the example of the combination rule illustrated in
According to the example of the combination rule illustrated in
Alternatively, the portion of the pattern of
In the example of the combination rule illustrated in
As illustrated in
When the print pattern printed with the K toner and the YMC toner is read with the invisible light source 2b, on the other hand, the pattern illustrated in
According to the example of the combination rule illustrated in
For example, the image of
The example of the combination rule illustrated in
Further, the authentication unit 52 may convert the respective images read with the visible light source 2a and the invisible light source 2b into respective numerical strings, perform an arithmetic operation with the numerical strings, and use the result of the arithmetic operation as the authentication information.
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the first embodiment, a description has been given of a method of authenticating the form D with the authentication information printed with the YMC toner and the K toner. In the second embodiment, the YMC toner and the K toner are further combined with invisible toner having absorption characteristics in the invisible light wavelength region. With the YMC toner and the K toner thus combined with the invisible toner, the security strength is further enhanced. In the following description of the second embodiment, a description of the same components as those in the first embodiment will be omitted, and the description will focus on differences from the first embodiment.
The invisible toner may be produced with a change in pigment forming a typical type of toner. In the second embodiment, IR toner having an absorption wavelength in the IR region will be described as an example of the invisible toner.
As illustrated in
When reading the embedded information X (i.e., the print pattern) printed with the K toner, the YMC toner, and the IR toner, such as the print pattern illustrated in
As illustrated in
These two images are then combined in accordance with a certain rule, as illustrated in
According to the second embodiment, the black pattern using the K toner and the black pattern using the YMC toner are thus combined with the transparent pattern using the invisible toner. Thereby, variations of the print pattern of the authentication information are increased, enhancing the security strength.
A typical MFP used nowadays in an office environment is often designed to store four types (colors) of toner: the Y toner, the M toner, the C toner, and the K toner. Therefore, it may be difficult for such an MFP to simultaneously store five types of toner including the IR toner. For example, therefore, one of the Y toner, the M toner, and the C toner or the K toner may be replaced with the IR toner to combine the black pattern using the K toner or the black pattern using the YMC toner with the transparent pattern using the IR toner. Thereby, the authentication information using the IR toner is generated with a simple structure. Further, an MFP storing the IR toner may be prepared separately from an MFP storing the Y toner, the M toner, the C toner, and the K toner such that one of the MFPs prints a pattern with the Y toner, the M toner, the C toner, and the K toner and then the other MFP prints a pattern with the IR toner. Thereby, the authentication information using a combination of five types of toner is generated with a relatively simple structure.
Although
According to the combination rule illustrated in
Further, in addition to the reading with the visible light and the reading with the invisible light described above, the light emitting device selection unit 51 of the second embodiment may also select simultaneous reading with the visible light and the invisible light.
As illustrated in
When reading the embedded information X (i.e., the print pattern) printed with the K toner, the YMC toner, and the IR toner, such as the print pattern illustrated in
As illustrated in
The above-described reading process enables the pattern obtained through the simultaneous reading with the visible light source 2a and the invisible light source 2b to be used as different types of data, i.e., as the pattern read with the visible light source 2a and the pattern read with the invisible light source 2b, in later image processing. That is, two types of data are obtainable in one simultaneous reading operation with the visible light source 2a and the invisible light source 2b, whereas a typical reading process involves two reading operations: the reading with the visible light source 2a and the reading with the invisible light source 2b. Consequently, the productivity is improved.
In the above-described simultaneous reading with the visible light source 2a and the invisible light source 2b, the black pattern using the YMC toner is read as a black image with the visible light, and is read as a white image with the NIR light. Therefore, the black pattern using the YMC toner is actually read as a gray image slightly lower in density than the original black image. For example, therefore, if an image expressed in two colors of white and black is simultaneously read with the visible light source 2a and the invisible light source 2b, the image is read as a pattern image in three colors of white, gray and black With this feature of the simultaneous reading applied to the authentication method, the security strength is further enhanced.
As illustrated in
When reading the embedded information X (i.e., the print pattern) printed with the K toner, the YMC toner, and the IR toner, such as the print pattern illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, the authentication unit 52 follows a combination rule that determines the area ratio between black and gray in association with the set authentication information and determines the pattern of the embedded information X to be read with the visible light source 2a and the invisible light source 2b in accordance with the area ratio. In the authentication process, the authentication unit 52 determines, as well as the authenticity of the authentication information per se, whether the area ratio between black and gray of the read pattern matches the area ratio associated with the authentication information.
As a rule for determining the area ratio, the area ratio may be determined based on the number of characters or strokes included in the set password, the number of characters included in an initial part of the password before a shift in characters, or the number of characters included in the initial part of the password and the number of characters included in the rest part of the password, for example. For instance, in the setting of a password “AAAAA20190426,” the area ratio between black and gray may be determined as 13:87 based on the fact that the number of characters included in the whole password is 13. Further, the area ratio between black and gray may be determined as 6:4 based on the fact that the shift from alphabets to numbers occurs at the sixth character. Further, the area ratio between black and gray may be determined as 5:8 based on the fact that the password includes five alphabets and eight numbers. If this rule is changed on a regular basis, the security strength is further enhanced. The above-described examples of the rule are illustrative, and thus any other rule may also be employed.
Further, the above-described method using three colors is also illustrative, and any other method may also be employed.
The above-described second embodiment increases variations of the authentication method, further enhancing the security strength.
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Visibly printed authentication information may be decoded from printed information. In the third embodiment, therefore, a dummy information pattern is printed separately from the authentication information. With dummy information thus embedded in a document separately from the information for authentication, the security strength is enhanced. In the following description of the third embodiment, a description of the same components as those in the first or second embodiment will be omitted, and the description will focus on differences from the first or second embodiment.
A procedure of the authentication process using the above-described dummy information Y may also be designed to make the dummy information Y look like authentic information. For example, an initial part of the authentication process using the dummy information Y may be executed in a procedure similar to the procedure of the authentication process using the authentic embedded information X (hereinafter referred to as the regular authentication procedure).
If it is determined in the examination of the received authentication information that the authentication information is not the dummy information Y (No at step S3), the authentication unit 52 executes the regular authentication procedure.
If it is determined in the examination of the received authentication information that the authentication information is the dummy information Y (Yes at step S3), the authentication unit 52 temporarily determines the success of the authentication (step S4), continues the procedure of the document process (step S5), and then displays an error screen (step S6).
With the authentication process thus stopped or terminated halfway through the procedure, as illustrated in
The third embodiment thus reduces the risk of the authentication information being decoded.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the third embodiment, the dummy image disguised as the image for authentication is prepared separately from the image for authentication. To reduce a space for printing the dummy image to provide enough space for printing the information of the form D, the fourth embodiment uses a print pattern in which each of the black pattern using the K toner, the black pattern using the YMC toner, and the transparent pattern using the IR toner independently functions. Thereby, the information printed with each of the above-described types of toner serves as independently meaningful information. It is therefore possible to embed a plurality of authentication information items in one space and enhance the security strength.
In the following description of the fourth embodiment, a description of the same components as those in any of the first to third embodiments will be omitted, and the description will focus on differences from the first to third embodiments.
As illustrated in
When reading the embedded information X (i.e., the print pattern) printed with the K toner, the YMC toner, and the IR toner, such as the print pattern illustrated in
As illustrated in
These two images are then combined in accordance with a certain rule, as illustrated in
The dummy information Y is thus embedded in the form D to be superimposed on the authentication information for authentication, thereby reducing the space for printing the dummy information Y.
According to the fourth embodiment, the function of the dummy image is thus implemented in the space for printing the authentication information, obviating the need to prepare a separate space for printing the dummy image.
Further, according to the fourth embodiment, the dummy information Y and the authentication information are printed to be superimposed upon each other, and the function of the dummy information is assigned to the pattern read with a typical visible light source and the pattern read with an invisible light source that is implemented with relative ease. If the procedure of the authentication process using the dummy information Y, such as the procedure described above with reference to
In the above-described examples of the foregoing embodiments, an image processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to an MFP having at least two functions out of the copier function, the printer function, the scanner function, and the facsimile machine function. An image processing apparatus of the present invention, however, is applicable to any image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a scanner, or a facsimile machine, for example.
The above-described embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the present invention. Thus, numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope of the present invention.
Each of the functions of the described embodiments may be implemented by one or more processing circuits or circuitry. Circuitry includes a programmed processor, as a processor includes circuitry. A processing circuit also includes devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), and conventional circuit components arranged to perform the recited functions. Further, the above-described steps are not limited to the order disclosed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-007806 | Jan 2020 | JP | national |
