Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Multiple computer communication using cryptography – Protection at a particular protocol layer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-28
2004-09-14
Jung, David (Department: 2134)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Multiple computer communication using cryptography
Protection at a particular protocol layer
C213S200000, C213S201000, C213S182000, C213S184000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06792547
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a digital integrated apparatus, and more specifically to the digital integrated apparatus capable of registering a and fetching image data.
2. Background
FIG. 1
shows an schematically function al block diagram of a digital integrated apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication No. H10-308868 and the construction are explained hereafter referring to the operations.
First, when a user registers and fetches a document in the way described later, it needs to authenticate whether the user can use the apparatus or not. Specifically, in a user table T
40
of storage means
97
users that can use the apparatus should be registered in advance according to the procedures described later. Under said conditions, after inserting a user registration card Ku including the user's name, user's post, user ID, and etc. into a card reader/writer installed in the apparatus (nor provided separately), user management means
200
reads the content of the card Ku and then judges whether the user has been registered in the user table T
40
. Only when registered, the user can use the apparatus.
The user is registered into the user table T
40
when the user registration card Ku is prepared. Instead of the input by using the user registration card Ku, the user ID can be inputted by using the ten key of the control panel
92
and thereby it can be obtain the same effect. Nevertheless, the copying processing (not including other functions) does not need the user authentication.
After authenticate the user as above, the user is allowed to execute the next processing such as the document registration.
Specifically, while placing document papers, that are papers on which document is written, on an auto document feeder (which is called ADF hereinafter) providing with image reading means
13
such as a scanner, the user inserts the user registration card Ku to the card reader/writer (otherwise, inputs the user ID from ten key), and selects a “Registration” key from the function key K
11
to K
14
(see FIG.
5
). Next, the image reading means
13
converts the content of the document papers sent one after another by the ADF to document image data and stores them in a memory
79
.
After storing the document image data in the prescribed way, document management means
3
issues a unique document ID. And then, while registering the document image data in the storage means
97
(for example, a hard disc, and etc.) as a document image file
7
having a file name corresponding to the document ID, the document management means
3
sends the document ID to document ID encoding means
4
. The document ID encoding means
4
prepares a document ID mark corresponding to the document ID and handles it to pattern combining means
8
. Thereby, the pattern combining means
8
prepares a document image data attached with the document ID mark (which is called a “marked sheet image data” hereinafter) by combining the document ID mark and a specific page of the document image data (the first page or a page including characteristic image). The combined image data is sent to output means
9
such as a printer, for example. As a result, the marked sheet shown in
FIG. 2
is printed out by the output means
9
.
At the time of registering the document image data as described above, the document management means
3
is arranged to register attribute information of the document image data on the attribute management table T
10
as shown in FIG.
3
. The attribute information comprises the number of sheets, data size, registration ways (a simple registration without the copying, a registration with the copying, a registration with facsimile transmission, a registration with facsimile receiving, and a registration based on the input from a computer), registration date, registration time, user ID, and access right regarding the registered document, in addition to the document ID.
The access right comprises “OWNER” that is to give an access right only to a user that has registered the document image data, “GROUP” that is to give an access right to users registered in the apparatus as described later, and “FREE” that is to give an access right to anyone. These kinds of access rights can be selected from the control panel
92
at the time of document registration except the facsimile receiving (See
FIG. 5
{circle around (
2
)}).
It may use as the storage means
97
a hard disc installed in the apparatus, a removable media inserted into the drive
99
provided in the apparatus, or a sever connected with the apparatus via LAN, etc. The kind of the storage means
97
can be indicated as a media ID on the attribute management table T
10
shown in FIG.
3
.
The document image data thus stored can be fetched as follows. That is to say, when the marked sheet is placed on the ADF and a “Fetch” key of the function key K
11
to K
14
(See
FIG. 5
) is selected, the image reading means
13
converts the marked sheet to the marked sheet image data and stores it in the memory
79
. After storing the marked sheet image data as above, the document management means
3
instructs document ID decoding means
5
to start the decoding. The document ID decoding means
5
received the instruction decodes the image data of the document ID mark included in the marked sheet image data to a document ID, which is handled to the document management means
3
. Accordingly, the document management means
3
confirms the access right and the document ID in a way described later, and fetches the document image data corresponding to the document ID from the storage means
79
, and then the document image data is handled to the output means. As a result, the document papers corresponding to the marked sheet are printed out by the output means
9
.
Under these conditions arranged above, the user do not need to perform complicated operations such as the input and instruction by using the ten key of the control panel
92
, and can fetch the necessary document image data as the document papers.
Here, the image reading means
13
is used as an input resource of the document image data (document image inputting means), but it is possible to use facsimile receiving means for receiving image data from a facsimile machine or print image receiving means for receiving image data from a computer as the input resource. And the document image data fetched from the storage means
97
can be outputted not only to a printer provided in the apparatus, but also to a remote facsimile machine, or to a printer connected via network. Moreover, the document image data registered in the hard disc as above can be copied or transferred to the other recording media (for example, a removable media such as an optical magneto disc).
By the way, when a user is going to access to a specific document image data as above, he must select the document image data as an object of access.
Specifically, when the marked sheet is placed on the ADF as shown in
FIG. 4
, the document ID is obtained by decoding the document ID of the marked sheet (Step S
131
a
to S
132
to S
133
). On the other hand, when the marked sheet is not placed on the ADF, the document ID is obtained by inputting from the ten key of the control panel
92
(Step S
131
a
to S
131
b
).
Next, according to the document ID thus obtained, it is checked whether the user has a right to access the document image data (Step S
134
). In addition, in case it is determined that the user has the access right, the user can access to the specified document image data (that is, the document image data of the document ID).
However, since the prescribed conventional apparatus is arranged that the user ID can be also inputted from the control panel
92
, even when the user does not carry the user registration card Ku, the user can activate the apparatus. Therefore, the person who gets to obtain the other person's user ID and password in some way can access easily to the document image data of the other person by using them. This point becomes a probl
Hisatomi Kenji
Kuwano Hideyuki
Murata Kazuyuki
Okada Yuji
Takahashi Naoki
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