JP2006255332A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To establish a security system of an image forming device by using personal identification function by recognizing a fingerprint a vein pattern of the back of the hand. <P>SOLUTION: When an operation is executed in an operation panel 104 for entering a setting mode of a registration information storage period from a connecting terminal (S11; Y), this device urges to input an ID (S12), and when the right ID is input, urges an operator to input the registration information storage period from the connecting terminal (S315). When a value in a prescribed range is input (S16; Y) and a registration button is pushed (S17; Y), a setting mode of the registration information storage period from the connecting terminal is finished (S18). Then, if a value in a prescribed range of the registration information storage period is input (S16; Y) but the registration button is not pushed within a prescribed time (S17; N and S21; Y), the setting mode is finished without being registered (S22). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an improved security function using a personal identification technique based on recognition of a fingerprint and a vein pattern on the back of a hand.

In recent years, with the progress of IT and networking, it has become common to efficiently perform business processing by connecting various terminals and image forming apparatuses via a network. In such an environment, there is a high possibility that personal information and confidential information will be leaked. In view of this, security is maintained by limiting the persons who can access the network and devices using personal identification technology based on recognition of fingerprints and vein patterns on the back of the hand.
JP-A-10-295664 JP 2000-221851 A JP 2004-154546 A

The invention described in Patent Document 1 relates to a technique for identifying an individual using a vein pattern. Further, the invention described in Patent Document 2 discloses an image forming apparatus that recognizes a user's fingerprint, collates the fingerprint with a registered fingerprint, and permits use only when they match.
Patent Document 3 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a user is identified and security is enhanced by using a personal identification technique based on recognition of a fingerprint or a vein pattern on the back of a hand.

By the way, in the conventional personal identification and specification technology based on the recognition of the fingerprint and the vein pattern on the back of the hand, for example, information registered from a terminal connected via a network and information registered directly from this system can be identified. It was not possible and it was not always satisfactory in terms of security.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with improved security by requiring ID input in order to set a storage period for information related to vein patterns and fingerprints registered from connected terminals. Is to provide.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with improved security by making it impossible to set a period until ID information is erased from a connected terminal.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with further improved security by enabling the setting of whether or not the period until the ID information is erased can be set from the connected terminal. Is to provide.

  The personal information recognition means for recognizing the vein pattern of the back of the hand and / or the fingerprint of the finger, the first registration means for registering the personal information recognized by the personal information recognition means for each individual, and the network A first registration unit for registering personal information individually from the terminal connected via the personal information recognition unit, and the combination of the vein pattern and the fingerprint of the finger to perform operator recognition, and the first registration Use permission means for permitting use only to a person registered in the means or the second registration means, and erasing personal information registered in the second registration means from a terminal connected via the network The first object is achieved by an image forming apparatus that further requests an ID in order to set a period of time until the above.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there is a request for setting a period from the terminal connected via the network to the deletion of personal information registered in the second registration means. Since the ID to be registered cannot be registered from the connected terminal, the second object is achieved.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, a request for setting a period from the terminal connected via the network to the deletion of the personal information registered in the second registration unit is required. The third object is achieved by further comprising setting means for setting the ID to be registered so that it cannot be registered from the connected terminal.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since it is necessary to input an ID in order to set a storage period of information related to vein patterns and fingerprints registered from a connected terminal, it is more secure as an output terminal connected to a network or the like. Can be high.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the information storage period cannot be set from the connected terminal, further security can be improved by limiting the operation location.
In the invention according to claim 3, since it is possible to set On / Off whether the information storage period can be set or not from the connection terminal, it is possible to realize a highly flexible security system according to usability.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, this image forming apparatus includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an operation panel 104, and various sensors 105. , Various motors 106, I / O control unit 107, scanner unit 108, reading control unit 109, plotter unit 110, writing control unit 111, vein pattern recognition unit 112, fingerprint recognition unit 113, recognition data storage unit 114, collation unit 115 , The personal recognition means 116 and the image information storage unit 117.

The CPU 101 performs system control of the image forming apparatus and controls the image forming apparatus while using the RAM 103 as a work area in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 102.
The operation panel 104 is a panel for an operator to make various settings, and the various sensors 105 perform paper size detection, jam detection, and the like, and input control of the various sensors 105 and output control of various motors 106 that drive loads. The I / O control unit 107 controls the signal based on a command from the CPU 101.
A reading control unit 109 controls the scanner unit 108, and a writing control unit 111 controls the plotter unit 110.
The vein pattern recognition unit 112 recognizes the vein pattern on the back of the hand, and the fingerprint recognition unit 113 recognizes the fingerprint of the finger. The recognition data storage means 114 stores personal information input with them as data. The matching unit 115 compares the data stored and registered in the recognition data storage unit 114 in advance with the data acquired by the vein pattern recognition unit 112 and the fingerprint recognition unit 113 and determines whether they are the same.
In addition, the vein pattern recognition unit 112 and the fingerprint recognition unit 113 are configured to recognize each unique data in the personal recognition unit 116 together.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the first embodiment.
In FIG. 2, first, when a predetermined operation for entering the registration information storage period setting mode from the connection terminal is performed on the operation panel 104 of the image forming apparatus (step 11), an ID is input to the operator. If the correct ID is input (step 13; Y), the mode is entered (step 14) and the operator is prompted to input the registration information storage period from the connected terminal (step 15). .
When a value within a predetermined range is input (step 16; Y) and the registration button is pressed (step 17; Y), the setting mode for the registration information storage period from the connected terminal is terminated ( Step 18).
At this time, even if a value within a predetermined range of the registration information storage period is input (step 16; Y), if the registration button is not pressed for a predetermined time (step 17; N, step 21; Y), registration is performed. Instead, the setting mode is terminated (step 22).
If the correct ID is not input (step 13; N, step 19, step 20; N), the setting mode is terminated.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the second embodiment.
In FIG. 3, first, when a predetermined operation for entering the registration information storage period setting availability mode from the connection terminal is performed on the operation panel 104 of the image forming apparatus (step 31; Y), the operator is instructed. When the ID is prompted (step 32) and the correct ID is input (step 33; Y), the mode is entered.
Then, the setting of the registration information storage period from the connection terminal is validated, invalidated, or the On / Off setting is prompted (step 34). If On is selected (step 35; Y), the connection terminal The setting of the registration information storage period from is validated (step 36). On the other hand, if Off is selected (step 35; N, step 40; Y), the setting of the registration information storage period from the connected terminal is invalidated (step 41). Thereafter, the registration information storage period setting permission / prohibition mode from the connected terminal is terminated (step 37).
If neither On / Off is selected within a predetermined time (step 40; N), an initial value (Off) is set and the process is terminated (step 43).

By the way, the vein pattern recognition unit 112 described here is a mechanism in which, for example, a predetermined pattern including the back of the hand is irradiated with light such as infrared rays, and the vein pattern becomes a transmission or reflection component of the light and is extracted. The fingerprint recognition unit 113 may be, for example, a method similar to the vein pattern recognition unit 112 or a method of reading using a xenon lamp and a CCD, and the personal recognition unit 116 realizes both of them.
The personal identification information file in a predetermined format sent from the connection terminal may be, for example, a file obtained by reading a vein pattern on the back of the hand with a scanner or a fingerprint and storing it in a predetermined format.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the process sequence of the 1st Example. It is the flowchart which showed the process sequence of the 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

101 CPU (central processing unit)
102 ROM (read-only memory)
103 RAM (Random Access Memory)
104 Operation Panel 105 Various Sensors 106 Various Motors 107 I / O Control Unit 108 Scanner Unit 109 Reading Control Unit 110 Plotter Unit 111 Writing Control Unit 112 Vein Pattern Recognition Unit 113 Fingerprint Recognition Unit 114 Recognition Data Storage Unit 115 Collation Unit 116 Personal Recognition Unit 117 Image information storage unit

Claims (3)

Personal information recognition means for recognizing the vein pattern of the back of the hand and / or the fingerprint of the finger;
First registration means for registering personal information recognized by the personal information recognition means for each individual;
Second registration means for individually registering personal information by a personal information recognition means from a terminal connected via a network;
Recognizing an operator by a combination of the vein pattern and the fingerprint of a finger, and using permission means for permitting use only to a person registered in the first registration means or the second registration means,
An image forming apparatus, further requesting an ID to set a period from the terminal connected via the network until the personal information registered in the second registration unit is deleted. The ID required for setting a period from the terminal connected via the network to the deletion of the personal information registered in the second registration means cannot be registered from the connected terminal. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The ID required for setting a period from the terminal connected via the network to the deletion of the personal information registered in the second registration means cannot be registered from the connected terminal. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising setting means for setting.

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