Abstract: In a communication system wherein a device and a client communicate data with each other through a network, the device holds a root certificate including a public key in a pair of the public key and a private key and signed with the public key. When data is sent, a certificate creator creates a second certificate including the root certificate designated as a certificate authority at a higher level and signed with the root certificate, and the second certificate is sent to the client. In the client, the root certificate has been stored beforehand, and a verifier verifies the signature of the second certificate with the root certificate.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to optimize reference data to be used in biometric authentication, and to reduce the incidence of false authentication in actual biometric authentication compared to conventional biometric authentication.

Abstract: In order to facilitate maintenance of definition data in which permission or non-permission to execute a process is defined for a respective user, an MFP includes a process execution portion capable of executing processes, a user authentication portion, a definition data acquiring portion to acquire, for the authenticated user, user definition data defining a defined process for which permission or non-permission to execute the process is predetermined and also defining permission or non-permission to execute an undefined process other than the defined process, and a determination portion to determine, for each of the processes the process execution portion can execute, that the user is permitted to execute the process if it is set as the defined process and execution thereof is permitted in the user definition data, or if it is not set as the defined process but execution of the undefined process is permitted therein.

Abstract: When a plug-in application “HDD Backup Utility” is designated by the user from the start menu, an administration program is started. The administration program receives information as to which plug-in application was designated, and based on the received information, places a function button for the designated plug-in application (here, “backup” and “restore” buttons corresponding to HDD Backup Utility) in a “HOME” display area. The user can readily find and select the button in the HOME display area. In this manner, the function button for the designated plug-in application is displayed in the position easily accessible by the user.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a communications portion for communicating with a plurality of other image processing apparatuses via a communications line, an apparatus attribute information obtaining portion for obtaining attribute information indicating attributes of the respective other image processing apparatuses via the communications line, suitable setting information-containing apparatus determination portion for determining, among setting information indicating setting details of the respective other image processing apparatuses, the setting information suitable for the image processing apparatus itself based on the obtained second apparatus attribute information, an apparatus setting information obtaining portion for obtaining the second apparatus setting information determined to be suitable, and an apparatus setting information registration portion for using all or some of the setting details indicated in the obtained second apparatus setting information.

Abstract: In a recording medium, a device administration program for making a computer execute the following steps using a usage restriction definition file is recorded. The usage restriction definition file is capable of defining at least one administration function among a plurality of administration functions of a device and includes a device password for obtaining an authentication of the device. The steps comprises a step of reading a usage availability definition information of the administration functions and the device password from the usage restriction definition file, a step of transmitting the read device password to the device, a step of recognizing usage availabilities of a plurality of administration functions of the device based on the read definition information, and a step of executing processing for using only usage available administration function based on the recognized results.

Abstract: In the image recognition processing, input color image data is analyzed, and a specific pattern contained in the graphics of the bill, security or the like is detected. The color image data is binarized with regard to specific colors. In order to detect the specific pattern from the binary image, a filter is sequentially moved to scan the entirety of the binarized image data. The examination target image within the filter is subjected to linear conversion (without changing the size thereof) at each examination position, and the degree of correlation between the pre-linear conversion image and the post-linear conversion image are calculated. It is then determined based on the calculated degree of similarity (i.e., the degree of matching) whether or not the specific pattern is included in the examination target image.

Abstract: An information processor is provided that can maintain security in the entire network and use recording media resources efficiently. An image forming apparatus includes a user information memorizing portion for memorizing local user data of users who have ever used the image forming apparatus, a user information deleting portion for deleting any one or more of the local user data when the local user data memorized in the user information memorizing portion has an amount greater than a predetermined value, an authentication request portion for requesting an authentication server to authenticate a user who desires to use the image forming apparatus, and a user information generating portion, when local user data of the user authenticated by the authentication server are not memorized in the user information memorizing portion, for generating local user data of the user in the user information memorizing portion to let the same memorize the generated data.

Abstract: An image forming device is provided with a use permission determining portion, an authentication process requesting portion and a job executing portion. The use permission determining portion performs determination whether or not use of the image processing device should be permitted for a user who wants to use the image processing device. The authentication process requesting portion requests the authentication server via a network to act for the determination when the use permission determining portion cannot perform the determination. The job executing portion performs the image processing of process specifics designated by the user when a determination result indicating that the user can use the image forming device is obtained.

Abstract: In an image processor, a memory device stores output inhibition conditions for inhibiting print of an image including a specified pattern. The input image data is converted to first image data for image forming. On the other hand, the input image data is also converted to second image data in correspondence to a state of a print obtained by the image output device, and a detector detects the specified pattern in the second image data based on the output inhibition conditions. Alternatively, a converter converts the output inhibition conditions to detection parameters according to output characteristics of the image output device, and a detector detects the specified pattern in the input image data based on the detection parameters. Then, a controller controls the output of the processed image data according to a result of the detection.

Abstract: In an image processor for detecting a circular pattern in an image, input image data is binarized to provide bi-level image data, and pixels having a predetermined value is counted in a block of a polygon having n vertices in the bi-level image data, wherein n denotes a natural number equal to or larger than eight. Then, it is decided, based on a number of the pixels having the predetermined value counted by the counter, whether the circular pattern is detected in the image or not. A detection window is used to detect the specified pattern. The detection window is moved successively by a predetermined number of pixels, in a direction from a side towards the center. The moving distance and direction are controlled based on the result of scan.

Abstract: An image processor detects a specified pattern defined by arrangement of three or more elements. Positions of a plurality of element candidates are detected based on input image data, and n pairs (n?2) of element candidates are selected in the plurality of elements. Then, n arrangement criterions are determined based on the positions of the selected n pairs, and one arrangement criterion is determined based on the n arrangement criterions. By using the one arrangement criterion, positions of all the elements are calculated in the specified pattern. The specified pattern is detected based on the calculated positions of the arrangement.

Abstract: In a communication system wherein a device and a client communicate data with each other through a network, the device holds a root certificate including a public key in a pair of the public key and a private key and signed with the public key. When data is sent, a certificate creator creates a second certificate including the root certificate designated as a certificate authority at a higher level and signed with the root certificate, and the second certificate is sent to the client. In the client, the root certificate has been stored beforehand, and a verifier verifies the signature of the second certificate with the root certificate.

Abstract: The invention provides an image processing apparatus capable of reliably and quickly retrieving, from an image, a pattern (“a layout pattern”) including a plurality of elements and being specified based on the relative layout information among the elements. To retrieve the pattern from the image, the apparatus first detects two elements of the specific pattern giving a maximum distance therebetween, specifies positions where the other elements composing the layout pattern together with the two elements should be present based on the positional relationship between the two elements, and recognizes the layout pattern in the image when the other elements are accurately detected in the specified positions.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus capable of retrieving a specific pattern from an image at a high speed in an image recognizing processing. The apparatus creates a map image having pixels correspond to block regions of the image by one to one when retrieving a specific pattern from the image. Then, the apparatus labels each pixel of the map image based on feature of each block region of the image, detects a predetermined pattern specifying a region on the map image, specifies a block region on the original image corresponding to a position of the detected predetermined pattern on the map image, and retrieves the specific pattern in the specified block region.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus capable of retrieving a specific pattern from an image at a high speed in an image recognizing processing. The apparatus creates a map image having pixels correspond to block regions of the image by one to one when retrieving a specific pattern from the image. Then, the apparatus labels each pixel of the map image based on feature of each block region of the image, detects a predetermined pattern specifying a region on the map image, specifies a block region on the original image corresponding to a position of the detected predetermined pattern on the map image, and retrieves the specific pattern in the specified block region.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image processing apparatus capable of retrieving a specific pattern from an image at a high speed in an image recognizing processing. The apparatus creates a map image having pixels correspond to block regions of the image by one to one when retrieving a specific pattern from the image. Then, the apparatus labels each pixel of the map image based on feature of each block region of the image, detects a predetermined pattern specifying a region on the map image, specifies a block region on the original image corresponding to a position of the detected predetermined pattern on the map image, and retrieves the specific pattern in the specified block region.

Abstract: A print system has an image processor which processes data and a printer which prints data received from the image processor. In the print system, a first converter converts the input data to output data by processing the input data according to data type, while a detector detects a specified pattern in the converted data. All the converted data passes the detector, so that the specified pattern is detected surely or the detection of the image is not missed. Further, a second converter converts the converted data according to data type to data of output colors of an image output device, and the detector detects the specified pattern in the further converted data. Thus, an image having a color close to the original one can be detected surely.

Abstract: In an image processor, a memory device stores output inhibition conditions for inhibiting print of an image including a specified pattern. The input image data is converted to first image data for image forming. On the other hand, the input image data is also converted to second image data in correspondence to a state of a print obtained by the image output device, and a detector detects the specified pattern in the second image data based on the output inhibition conditions. Alternatively, a converter converts the output inhibition conditions to detection parameters according to output characteristics of the image output device, and a detector detects the specified pattern in the input image data based on the detection parameters. Then, a controller controls the output of the processed image data according to a result of the detection.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically compiling an image database containing facial images for a large number of people searches all facial images stored in a face dictionary containing image data and attribute information for known persons for all images stored in an image database. When matching facial images are found, the attribute information from the face dictionary is added to the image information in the image database as an index to that information. The current record indicated by a record pointer is loaded to obtain the file path to the image file, which is stored with the data record. The image file is then loaded, the record pointer in the face dictionary is moved to the top, and the current record indicated by the record pointer in the face dictionary is loaded.