Image Forming Apparatus Pattern Encryption Substitution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses lack effective mechanisms to prevent unauthorized copying of specific patterns, such as numbers, letters, and symbols, while allowing authorized copying and decryption of encrypted patterns.
Innovation Solution
An image processing method and apparatus that detects specific patterns in input images, converts them into encrypted formats, and substitutes these patterns with encryption or decryption patterns in the output images, using units for pattern detection, encryption, and output, with decryption possible upon user authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional copy machines are configured not to copy documents containing specific words or phrases, then illegal copying is prevented, but legitimate copying needs are also restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document processing by identifying and isolating specific patterns (words, phrases, images) that need protection, rather than blocking entire documents. The pattern detection unit separately identifies protected content, allowing the rest of the document to be copied freely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary encryption pattern that replaces the original specific pattern. This intermediary element (encryption pattern with decryption information) serves as a mediator between the protected content and the copy, allowing authorized recovery while preventing unauthorized use.
2Reliability
If specific patterns are encrypted in copied images, then unauthorized copying is prevented, but the copying process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies encryption only to specific local regions containing protected patterns rather than encrypting the entire image. The pattern detection unit identifies specific locations, and only those regions are processed with encryption, leaving the rest of the image unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the protected pattern in encrypted form that contains all necessary information for authorized recovery. The encryption pattern is a compact representation that can be decrypted to restore the original, avoiding complex continuous protection mechanisms.
3Ease of manufacture
If the entire document is blocked from copying, then protection is simplified, but legitimate copying requirements cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The protection mechanism is segmented to operate at the pattern level rather than the document level. The system divides the document into protected patterns and non-protected content, applying protection only where necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection system is dynamic and adaptive, allowing users to specify which patterns should be protected through UI input or external apparatus. The system can adjust its behavior based on user requirements, enabling both selective protection and full-document copying when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus is described. The image forming apparatus includes a pattern detection unit to detect whether an input image includes a specific pattern as a portion of the image, a conversion unit to convert the specific pattern into data in a predetermined format, an encryption unit to encrypt the data in the predetermined format and to generate an encryption pattern from the encrypted data, and an output unit to output an image that is similar to the input image except for the portion of the image, which includes the encryption pattern rather than the specific pattern in the output image.