EP0506332B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image processing apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1992-03-24
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Granted: 1996-12-27
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Expires: 2012-03-24
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Masahiro C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Funada
- 👤 Toshiyuki C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kitamura
- 👤 Mitsuhiro c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Yamamoto
- 👤 Eiji c/o Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Ohta
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:21
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00838; H04N1/0084; G; G03; G03G; G03G21/00; G03G21/04; G06; G06K; G06K15/00; H04N1/00843; H04N1/00848; H04N1/00854; H04N1/00856; H04N1/00859; H04N1/00864; H04N1/00867; H04N1/0087; H04N1/00875; H04N1/00877; H04N1/38; H04N1/46; H04N1/56; H04N1/60; H04N1/62; G06K2215/00; G06K2215/0002; G06K2215/0005; G06K2215/0014; G06K2215/0082; G06K2215/0094; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3204; H04N2201/3205; H04N2201/3269; H04N2201/327; H04N2201/3271; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S283/00; Y10S283/901
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
An image forming apparatus (201; 202; 2901-2905; 5201; 5203; 8001-8004) comprising: input means (210-1,2,3; 5100; 6100; 7210-1,2,3) for receiving image data defining an input image; processing means for processing the received image data so as to generate output image data; and printing means (202; 2905; 5203; 8004) for using said output image data to print a visible image reproducing said input image; characterised in that: said image forming apparatus further comprises storage means (903; 5110; 6210) storing identification information identifying said image forming apparatus, said identification information being stored so as to be non-rewritable by users; and said image forming apparatus is arranged to represent the identification information in the printed visible image in a form difficult to discriminate with normal naked human eyes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
An image processing apparatus (2904; 8002), comprising: input means for receiving image data defining an input image; and processing means for processing the received image data so as to generate output image data defining a visible image reproducing said input image; characterised in that said image processing apparatus further comprises: storage means (903) storing identification information identifying said image processing apparatus, said identification information being stored so as to be non-rewritable by users; and addition means (2410; 2411; 7410) arranged for adding identification data representing said identification information to said output data so that a visible reproduction of said input image made using the output data will include a representation of said identification information in a form difficult to discriminate with normal naked human eyes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input image is a multi-colour image, and wherein: the printing means prints separate visible colour component images so as to reproduce said multi-colour input image; and the identification information is represented in one or more of the printed visible colour component images.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said addition means accesses said storage means in synchronism with the operation of the processing means so as to perform the addition synchronously with the processing of the received image data by the processing means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 or 4, wherein said input image is a multi-colour image and wherein said output image data comprises separate visible colour component images.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein said separate colour component images comprise magenta, cyan, yellow and black images, and wherein said identification information is represented in the printed yellow colour component image.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising: storage means (302) for storing reference data characteristic of at least one predetermined reference image; and comparison means (409) for using the received image data and the stored reference data to determine the degree of similarity between the input image and the reference image; and wherein the prominence of the representation of the identification information in the printed visible image depends upon the determined degree of similarity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said identification information comprises a serial number of the apparatus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the representation of the identification information occurs repeatedly in the printed visible image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the representation of the identification information is inhibited in the visible reproduction of the input image when the input image data represents an achromatic image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said processing means is operable in a first mode in which output image data for producing a visible achromatic image is generated, and a second mode in which output image data for producing a visible multi-colour image is generated, and wherein the representation of the identification information in the visible reproduction of the input image is inhibited when the processing means is set in said first mode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for preventing operation of the processing means if the storage means is not present.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for preventing operation of the processing means if the information stored in the storage means does not meet predetermined conditions confirming that the information is genuine.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of operating an image forming apparatus (201; 202; 2901-2905; 5201; 5203; 8001-8004) so as to form a reproduction image, comprising: receiving image data defining an input image; processing the received image data so as to generate output image data; and using said output image data to print a visible image reproducing said input image; characterised by: storing identification information identifying said image forming apparatus, said identification information being stored so as to be non-rewritable by users; and representing the identification information in the printed visible image in a form difficult to discriminate with normal naked human eyes.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of operating an image processing apparatus (2904; 8002), comprising: receiving image data defining an input image; and processing the received image data so as to generate output image data defining a visible image reproducing said input image; characterised by: storing identification information identifying said image processing apparatus, said identification information being stored so as to be non-rewritable by users; and adding identification data representing said identification information to said output data so that a visible reproduction of said input image made using the output data will include a representation of said identification information in a form difficult to discriminate with normal naked human eyes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 14, wherein said input image is a multi-colour image, and wherein: separate visible colour component images are printed so as to reproduce said multi-colour input image; and the identification information is represented in one or more of the printed visible colour component images.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 15, wherein the addition step is performed synchronously with the processing step.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 15 or 17, wherein said input image is a multi-colour image and wherein said output image data comprises separate visible colour component images.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 16, 17 or 18, wherein said separate colour component images comprise magenta, cyan, yellow and black images, and wherein said identification information is represented in the printed yellow colour component image.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
71 words
A method according to any of claims 14 to 19, further comprising: storing reference data characteristic of at least one predetermined reference image; and using the received image data and the stored reference data to determine the degree of similarity between the input image and the reference image; and wherein the prominence of the representation of the identification information in the printed visible image depends upon the determined degree of similarity.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
21 words
A method according to any of claims 14 to 20, wherein said identification information comprises a serial number of the apparatus.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
24 words
A method according to any of claims 14 to 21, wherein the representation of the identification information occurs repeatedly in the printed visible image.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
36 words
A method according to any of claims 14 to 22, wherein the representation of the identification information is inhibited in the visible reproduction of the input image when the input image data represents an achromatic image.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
76 words
A method according to any of claims 14 to 23, wherein said apparatus is operable in a first mode in which output image data for producing a visible achromatic image is generated, and a second mode in which output image data for producing a visible multi-colour image is generated, and wherein the representation of the identification information in the visible reproduction of the input image is inhibited when the apparatus is set in said first mode.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
25 words
A method according to any of claims 14 to 24, further comprising preventing performance of the processing step if the storage means is not present.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
37 words
A method according to any of claims 14 to 25, further comprising preventing performance of the processing step if the information stored in the storage means does not meet predetermined conditions confirming that the information is genuine.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
15 words
A digital colour copier including an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 13.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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