IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE

Abstract

An image processing device includes an information extracting unit that extracts information from a physical mark attached to a scanned document, and a user identifying unit that identifies a user. The image processing device also includes a traceability-information generating unit that generates traceability information from the information extracted by the information extracting unit, and a process selecting unit that causes the user to select at least one process for the scanned document. The image processing device generates a document attached with a new physical mark that contains the traceability information according to selected process.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic of an image forming apparatus that includes an image processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of an image processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of an image processing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process procedure performed by the image processing device shown in FIG. 2.

Claims

1. An image processing device that is applied to an image forming apparatus that performs at least one of image processes including copying, printing, and faxing, the image processing device comprising: a selecting unit that causes a user to select at least one of the image processes for data;an information extracting unit that extracts, when a specific mark is attached to the data, information contained in the specific mark;an identifying unit that identifies the user to obtain an identification result;a traceability-information generating unit that generates traceability information of the data from extracted information and the identification result; andan update data generating unit that generates update data attached with a specific mark that contains generated traceability information based on selected image process.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the extracted information is traceability information.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the traceability generating unit generates the traceability information using at least one of identification information of the user, the extracted information, and a process identifying code related to the selected image process and identification information of the image forming apparatus.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a storing unit that stores the data in a form of a digital file in a storage area, wherein the specific mark contains data identification information of the digital file.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4, further comprising a digital file retrieving unit that retrieves the digital file from the storing unit based on the data identification information, wherein the selected image process is performed with respect to the acquired digital file.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging process is denied when the user is not identified.

7. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the selecting unit causes the user to select any one of a process of only a page that contains the specific mark and a process of all pages.

8. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when the specific mark is not attached to the data, the selected image process is performed without processes performed by the identifying unit and the traceability-information generating unit.

9. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the data is any one of a digital data obtained by scanning a document, a digital data created and edited by using a personal computer, a digital data created and edited by a work station, and a digital data created automatically by an office process related to a corporate business, and includes at least one of text and an image.