JP3333593B2 - Confidential document copy management method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a confidential document copy management method for managing a confidential document copy by a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a copy of a document has been easily obtained due to the spread of a copying machine. However, along with this, copying of a confidential document and the like has been easily performed, and the confidential content has been transmitted to the outside. Leakage and unauthorized use. Normally, a confidential document is stamped with a confidential mark to indicate that it is a confidential document. However, this is merely for recognition of the confidential document. No precautionary measures are taken, and even if a confidential mark is imprinted, it is easily copied.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is intended to prevent a confidential document from being easily copied by a copying machine and to manage a confidential mark indicating that the document is a confidential document. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for managing a copy of a confidential document which can be performed.

[0004]

To achieve the above object, according to an aspect of, in the copying management method of the confidential documents of the present invention, in the copying machine that reads an image digitally, a character into the optical
Means for recognizing passwords and marks, means for temporarily or permanently storing marks indicating confidential documents inside the copier, and permission for copying passwords and operator identification numbers.
It has means for storing information and means for printing this mark in response to an external command, and is an original document of a confidential document.
When printing the confidential mark on the
The original document to be supplied is marked with a predetermined color at a predetermined position.
Print the over click and management information, when the confidential document copying, when reading a confidential document, whether or not there is a mark indicating that it is a pre-registered confidential documents therein the
It has a function of checking with the recognition means . If the mark is recognized, copying is restricted, input of copy permission information such as the password and the identification number of the operator is requested, and it is determined that the copy is permitted. If you perform a copy, read the image
Delete an image having the same color as the mark from the information ,
Thereafter, the mark indicating security and the management information are re-synthesized, and are superimposed and printed in a predetermined color on a predetermined position of the image of the read document. I do.

Further, in the above-mentioned method for managing a confidential document copy , the printing history of the confidential document is printed as copy management information when the mark is printed .

[0006]

According to the confidential document copy management method of the present invention, a copying machine is provided with a function such as an optical character recognition device (OCR) or an optical mark recognition device (OMR) and a mark indicating that the document is a confidential document. Is stored temporarily or permanently in the copier, and when reading a confidential document, the recognition device checks whether there is a mark indicating that the document is a confidential document registered in advance therein,
When a secret mark is detected, copying is restricted. That is, when a confidential mark is detected, input of copy permission information such as a password or a user identification number registered in a memory in advance is requested, and a copy operation is executed only when it is determined that copy is permitted. . However, even if the copy permission information is input and copied, if the confidential mark is copied as it is in the copy document, it is logically strange. In addition, if a multi-purpose seal stamped on a document image is copied as it is, even if it is a color copy, reproducibility is not good. Therefore, at the time of copying a confidential document, the mark is erased and read once each time, the image is reproduced, and then the secret mark is pressed again. As a result, an image with good reproducibility can be obtained for both the document and the secret mark.

Incidentally, the secret mark is usually used in the form of a seal. That is, it is stamped with red meat. However, this imprinted pattern is not always stable in image quality and is sometimes clear, but in many cases it is said that some parts are missing, rubbed, different colors, or stability It is not always desirable from the point of view. In addition, although a small document may be of the seal type, pressing a confidential seal on a large number of documents or a document with a large number of pages is a considerable burden. Therefore, it is desirable to use the same process in order to stabilize the color, mark and position of the multi-purpose seal and to process it in large quantities. That is, it is desirable to use a copying machine from the operation of printing a confidential mark on the first original document. More specifically, the copying machine is provided with means for printing a confidential mark in response to an external command.
Specific processing includes: When pressing the confidential seal of the original document, the color copying machine is set to the "stamping mode" and the original is passed through the same path as the copy paper. Then, in the stamping mode, the secret stamp is printed in a predetermined color in a predetermined position in the image forming unit of the copying machine. As a result, a large amount of document processing can be performed. At this time, the confidential mark can be registered by the user. 2. In addition, when the confidential mark is printed by the copying machine as described above, the recognition unit can easily read the confidential mark because it only needs to match a predetermined pattern (up to the position and the detailed pattern). Known). 3. When the secret mark is recognized at the time of copying the confidential document, the secret mark can be stamped again at the same position after erasing the mark.

As described above, according to the present invention, a means for temporarily or permanently storing a mark indicating a confidential document is provided inside the copying machine, and the mark is printed in response to an external command. With this arrangement, the confidential mark can be printed in a predetermined color in the original document, and a clear and stable confidential mark can be imprinted on the confidential document. In addition, when copying a confidential document, the mark is erased and read once each time, the image is reproduced, and the confidential mark is pressed again from above. can get.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. As a precondition of the copy management method of the present invention, it is assumed that the mark indicating that the document is a confidential document is printed in a color (for example, vermilion) different from the normal ink of the document. Therefore, as a target copying machine, a document reading device that digitally reads a document image and stores it in a memory as image information,
An image forming apparatus capable of forming images of two or more colors, performing optical writing on a photosensitive member in accordance with read image information and forming an image by an electrophotographic process, and controlling each part and managing copying by a known microcomputer And a means for temporarily or permanently storing a mark indicating that the document is a confidential document in the internal memory of the copier, a password, an operator identification number, and a distributor identification number. It is suitable to use a device having a means (such as an IC memory) for storing copy permission information such as the above.
Further, since the copier needs to detect a confidential mark indicating whether or not the set document is a confidential document and also read an identification number or the like printed on the document, an optical character recognition device (OCR) or It is necessary to equip the function of an optical mark recognition device (OMR).

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for detecting and imprinting a confidential mark indicating a confidential document.
As shown in FIG. 1, the method of detecting a secret mark includes:
First, while operating the target image with a window larger than the confidential mark, it is checked whether or not a previously registered mark color (for example, vermilion) appears. When the color of the mark is detected, the pattern in the window is matched with the pattern of the confidential mark registered in advance. At this time, in consideration of the rotation of the mark, the pattern of the dictionary is also compared while rotating, and the mark is detected. Although not described in the flow, when a confidential mark is detected, it is requested to input copy permission information such as a password registered in the memory or a user identification number in advance, and the copy permission is determined. The copying operation is executed only when it is determined. When the copying operation is executed, the designated color (mark color) in the window is erased from the read image information to form an image, and the confidential mark registered in advance in the reproduced image is designated by the designated color in advance. Print on location. In the confidential mark print mode in which a confidential mark is printed on the original document, only the last process of the above flow is valid, and the mark is printed in the original document supplied as printing paper.

Next, a specific example of the confidential mark and the sealing process will be described. The confidential mark print mode is a function of simply pressing a secret mark indicating that the document is a confidential document on the completed document. By printing management information together with the secret mark, copy management of the confidential document becomes easier. . Hereinafter, specific examples will be described. Color copiers with confidential mark printing mode
Prompt for user name or alternative password or identification number. Further, a classification symbol, a serial number, the number of copies, and the number of pages of the document are requested as needed. And
When the necessary information is input, the copier requests that the confidential document be input from the printing paper supply tray, and a predetermined mark is placed at a predetermined location on each sheet as shown in FIG. Is printed in a predetermined color. In this example, the confidential mark is printed at a predetermined position on the confidential document as shown in FIG. 2 (a).
As shown in (c), a confidential mark and a management code (for example, a bar code) are provided together with the confidential mark. Printed.

Next, a method of copying a confidential document on which a confidential mark and management information are printed by the above-described processing will be described. Copying of confidential documents is usually strictly restricted and allowed only in special cases, and the following cases correspond to special cases. In other words, this is a case where the person to be copied is a qualified person and the person to be distributed is known, and the identification number, password, distributor identification number, etc. of the qualified person need to be registered in the memory of the copying machine in advance. . When copying a confidential document, the copier accepts the password and the operator's identification number, and then accepts the intended distribution person.
Copying is permitted, and some of this information (distributor,
Date) is output as management information attached to the secret seal.
The processing procedure at this time is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, first, the confidential mark is recognized by the pattern matching described above, and when the confidential mark is detected, management information (document registrant, It recognizes the document classification code, document serial number, page number, date, etc.) and requests input of copy permission information such as a password or user identification number registered in a memory in advance, and determines whether copy permission is possible. The copying operation is executed only when it is determined. When the copying operation is executed, a specific color signal (color of the confidential mark and the management information) in the designated area is erased from the read image information to form an image, and the confidential mark and the management information are deleted. Is created (recombined) and printed on paper together with the reproduced image to complete copying. In the confidential document copied in this way, the copying history is printed as copy management information, so that it is easy to determine whether the document is an original document or a copy, and it is also possible to prevent copying from the copy. It becomes possible.

[0014]

As described above, in the method of managing the copy of a confidential document according to the present invention, a means for temporarily or permanently storing a mark indicating that the document is a confidential document is provided inside the copier, and is provided outside the copier. Providing means for printing this mark in response to a command from the company allows the copier to print a confidential mark in the original document, and imprint a clear and stable confidential mark on the confidential document. Can be. Also, when copying a confidential document, when reading the confidential document, it is checked whether there is a mark indicating that the document is a confidential document registered in advance, and when a confidential mark is detected, copying is restricted. It requests the input of copy permission information such as the password registered in the memory and the identification number of the user, and executes the copy operation only when it is determined that the copy is permitted, thereby preventing easy copying of the confidential document. it can. In addition, when copying a confidential document, the mark is erased and read once each time, the mark indicating that the document is confidential is re-synthesized, and the read document image is superimposed with a predetermined color and a confidential seal is pressed. With this arrangement, an image with good reproducibility can be obtained for both the document and the confidential mark. In addition, by printing the history of copying a confidential document as copy management information when printing a confidential mark, it is easy to determine whether the document is an original document or a copy, and it is also possible to prevent copying from a copy Becomes

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure at the time of detecting and imprinting a confidential mark indicating a confidential document.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a confidential mark printed on a confidential document.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for copying a confidential document on which a confidential mark is printed.

[Explanation of symbols]

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A copying machine for digitally reading an image, means for optically recognizing characters and marks, and means for temporarily or permanently storing a mark indicating a confidential document inside the copying machine. And password and operator identification
A means for storing the copy permission information number or the like, a means for printing the mark in response to a command from the outside, the confidential document
Mode when printing confidential marks on original documents
Of the original document supplied as printing paper
Print the mark and management information in a predetermined color at the location,
When copying a confidential document, when the confidential document is read, it has a function of checking with the recognition means whether or not there is a mark indicating that the document is a confidential document registered in advance, and if the mark is recognized. Then limit copying
Then, the user is requested to input copy permission information such as the password and the operator identification number, and if it is determined that the copy is permitted, copy is performed, and an image having the same color as the mark is erased from the read image information. Thereafter, the mark indicating that the document is confidential and the management information are re-synthesized, and the document is superimposed and printed in a predetermined color on a predetermined position of the image of the read document. Method. 2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising printing a history of copying of the confidential document as copy management information at the time of printing the mark .