US4908873A — Document reproduction security system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 128 words

A system for selectively effecting operation of a copying apparatus in accordance with the textual content of a scanned document, said copying apparatus including an operation control circuit responsive to control signals applied thereto for actuating said copying apparatus, said system comprising: optical character reader means, for generating respective scanned character code signals indicative of the respective characters comprising at least a portion of the test of said document; memory means for storing indicia of at least one correlation criterion in respect of said portion of text; and processor means, responsive to said scanned character code signals, for selectively generating said control signals to said operation control circuit for enabling or inhibiting said copying apparatus in accordance with a correlation of said criterion with said portion of text.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 128 words

A system for selectively effecting operation of a copying apparatus in accordance with the textual content of a scanned document, said copying apparatus including an operation control circuit responsive to control signals applied thereto for actuating said copying apparatus, said system comprising: optical character reader means, for generating respective scanned character code signals indicative of the respective characters comprising at least a portion of the test of said document; memory means for storing indicia of at least one correlation criterion in respect of said portion of text; and processor means, responsive to said scanned character code signals, for selectively generating said control signals to said operation control circuit for enabling or inhibiting said copying apparatus in accordance with a correlation of said criterion with said portion of text.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 13 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said correlation criterion comprises a steganographic code.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 68 words

The system of claim 1 further including random access memory means for temporarily storing indicia of said scanned character code signals; means for storing indicia of a set of acceptable character codes; means for comparing said indicia of said scanned character code signals to said stored indicia of acceptable character codes; and means, responsive to signals indicative of an unfavorable comparison, for selectively generating document misalignment alarm indicia.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 36 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said system further comprises non-volatile memory means, responsive to control signals from said processor means, for maintaining a count indicative of the number of documents scanned correlating with said criterion.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 4 wherein said criterion is a copyright notice.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 51 words

The system of claim 4 wherein said memory means contains indicia, of a plurality of criteria; and said non-volatile memory means contains at least a respective location associated with each of said criteria, each for maintaining a respective count indicative of the number of documents scanned correlating with said associated criteria.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 124 words

The system of claim 1 further including random access memory means for temporarily storing indicia of said scanned character code signals; means for storing indicia of a set of acceptable character codes; means for comparing said indicia of said scanned character code signals to said stored indicia of acceptable character codes; and means, responsive to a signal indicative of an unfavorable comparison between said indicia of said scanned character signals and said indicia of acceptable character codes, for altering said indicia of said scanned characters in a predetermined manner; and means for comparing said altered indicia of said scanned characters to said indicia of acceptable character codes; and means, responsive to signals indicative of an unfavorable comparison, for selectively generating document misalignment alarm indicia.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 14 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said criteria is a predetermined sequence of characters.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 12 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said copying apparatus is a copier.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 13 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said copying apparatus is a facsimile machine.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 1 wherein said processor means comprises a random access memory and a microprocessor, said microprocessor cooperating with said memory means and said random access memory.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 94 words

A method of selectively effecting operation of a copying apparatus in accordance with the textual content of a document, comprising the steps of: optically scanning said document to generate respective character code signals indicative of the respective characters of the text of a portion of said document; correlating said code signals with at least one predetermined pattern of characters, to determine the existence of said predetermined pattern of characters in the text of the portion of said document; and selectively effecting operation of said copying apparatus in accordance with the results of said correlation.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 94 words

A method of selectively effecting operation of a copying apparatus in accordance with the textual content of a document, comprising the steps of: optically scanning said document to generate respective character code signals indicative of the respective characters of the text of a portion of said document; correlating said code signals with at least one predetermined pattern of characters, to determine the existence of said predetermined pattern of characters in the text of the portion of said document; and selectively effecting operation of said copying apparatus in accordance with the results of said correlation.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of: storing indicia of respective acceptable character code signals; comparing said generated character code signals to said acceptable character code signals; and generating alarm indicia in response to an unfavorable comparison.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 89 words

The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of: storing indicia of respective acceptable character code signals; comparing said generated .character code signals to said acceptable character code signals; altering said generated character codes in accordance with a predetermined algorithm in response to an unfavorable comparison between said generated code signals and said acceptable code signals; comparing said altered code signals to said acceptable character code signals; and generating an alarm indicia in response to an unfavorable comparison between said altered code signals and said acceptable code signals.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined pattern of characters comprises a copyright notice and said method further includes the step of: maintaining a count indicative of the number of documents scanned that include said copyright notice.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 12 further including the step of: generating alarm indicia in response to scanning of documents not containing said predetermined pattern of characters.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 68 words

The method of claim 12 wherein: said correlating step comprises determining the presence of a first overt predetermined pattern of characters in the text of said document; determining the presence of a second steganographic code in said text; said selectly effecting operation step comprises inhibiting said apparatus in response to detection of said overt character pattern; and generating alarm indicia in response to detection of said steganographic code.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said pattern of characters comprises a steganographic code in said text; and said selectively effecting operation step includes generating alarm indicia in response to detection of said steganographic code.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 88 words

A system for selectively generating a copying actuation signal in accordance with the text of a document, comprising: an optical scanner for generating respective character code signals indicative of a portion of the text of said document; a random access memory for storing indicia of said character code signals; processor means, cooperating with said random access memory, for making a determination of the presence of a predetermined sequence of characters in said portion of said text and selectively generating said copying actuation signal in accordance with said determination.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 88 words

A system for selectively generating a copying actuation signal in accordance with the text of a document, comprising: an optical scanner for generating respective character code signals indicative of a portion of the text of said document; a random access memory for storing indicia of said character code signals; processor means, cooperating with said random access memory, for making a determination of the presence of a predetermined sequence of characters in said portion of said text and selectively generating said copying actuation signal in accordance with said determination.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-03-12	1993-09-11	1994-03-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-03-12	1997-09-11	1998-03-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-03-12	2001-09-11	2002-03-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Document reproduction security system

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