IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM

Abstract

An image forming apparatus and an image forming system of the invention have: a discriminating section which discriminates necessity of a security pattern for suppressing illegal use of image creation data on the basis of a security level; a security pattern forming section which forms security pattern data on the basis of attribute data when it is determined that the security pattern is necessary; and an image forming section which forms the security pattern onto a record medium together with an image on the basis of the formed security pattern data. A consumption amount of a coloring agent which is consumed when the security pattern to suppress the illegal use of the image creation data is formed can be reduced.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a construction in an embodiment 1 of an image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a document storing section in the embodiment 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a security pattern necessity discrimination table in the embodiment 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation in the embodiment 1 of the image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a construction in an embodiment 2 of an image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a document storing section in the embodiment 2;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a security pattern necessity discrimination table in the embodiment 2;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation in the embodiment 2 of the image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a construction in an embodiment 3 of an image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a security pattern necessity discrimination table in the embodiment 3;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation in the embodiment 3 of the image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a construction in an embodiment 4 of an image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a document storing section in the embodiment 4;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a security pattern necessity discrimination table in the embodiment 4;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation in the embodiment 4 of the image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a security pattern necessity discrimination table in a modification example of the embodiment 4 of the image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a security pattern necessity discrimination table in a modification example of the embodiment 3;

FIGS. 18A to 18C are explanatory diagrams showing basic patterns corresponding to security patterns in the modification example of the embodiment 3;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a construction in an embodiment 5 of an image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a security pattern necessity discrimination table in the embodiment 5;

FIGS. 21A to 21C are explanatory diagrams showing patterns stored in a security pattern storing section in the embodiment 5;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the operation in the embodiment 5 of the image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a construction in an embodiment 6 of an image forming system according to the invention;

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a document storing section in the embodiment 6;

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing a construction of a data table to form a security pattern in the embodiment 6;

FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing the operation in the embodiment 6 of the image forming system according to the invention; and

FIGS. 27A and 27B are explanatory diagrams showing a setting inquiry display screen of a security level in the embodiment 6.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for overlaying woven pattern data to document data received from an host apparatus and printing, comprising: a storing section which stores a condition adapted to select the woven pattern data to be overlaid and printed;a selecting section which selects the woven pattern data on the basis of said condition when the document data is received from the host apparatus; anda print controlling section which overlays the selected data and said document data to print.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting section collates said document data with said condition and selects the woven pattern data.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting section receives attribute data regarding said document data together with said document data and said woven pattern data is formed on the basis of said attribute data.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said attribute data includes information showing a security level of said document data.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting section selects the woven pattern data of a different concentration on the basis of said condition.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting section selects the woven pattern data of a different print density on the basis of said condition.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storing section stores a plurality of woven pattern data and said selecting section selects the woven pattern data from said plurality of woven pattern data on the basis of said condition.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising inputting section which inputs apparatus settings, and wherein said condition is set by said inputting section.

9. An image forming system having an host apparatus for transmitting document data and an image forming apparatus for overlaying woven pattern data to the document data received from said host apparatus and printing, comprising: a storing section which stores a condition adapted to select the woven pattern data to be overlaid and printed;a selecting section which selects the woven pattern data on the basis of said condition; anda print controlling section which overlays the selected woven pattern data and said document data and prints.

10. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein said selecting section collates said document data with said condition and selects the woven pattern data.

11. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein said selecting section receives attribute data regarding said document data together with said document data and said woven pattern data is formed on the basis of said attribute data.

12. The image forming system according to claim 11, wherein said attribute data includes information showing a security level of said document data.

13. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein said selecting section selects the woven pattern data of a different concentration on the basis of said condition.

14. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein said selecting section selects the woven pattern data of a different print density on the basis of said condition.

15. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein said storing section stores a plurality of woven pattern data and said selecting section selects the woven pattern data from said plurality of woven pattern data on the basis of said condition.

16. The image forming system according to claim 9, further comprising inputting section which inputs apparatus settings, and wherein said condition is set by said inputting section.