Information-embedding apparatus, medium for storing information-embedding program, information-embedding system, information-reading apparatus, medium for storing information-reading program, and information-reading system

A computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for information embedding, the process comprising:

• embedding first information into data to be printed, in accordance with a first embedding mode that allows a printing apparatus to print the embedded first information and that can be selected in accordance with the printing apparatus;
• embedding second information that specifies the first embedding mode into the data to be printed, in accordance with a second embedding mode that allows the printing apparatus to print the embedded second information and that is fixed irrespective of the printing apparatus;
• and
• instructing the printing apparatus to print the data to be printed in which the first information and the second information have been embedded in accordance with the first embedding mode and the second embedding mode.

An information-embedding system, comprising:

• a printing apparatus that performs a printing process to print information on a sheet;
• a first embedding unit that embeds first information into data to be printed, in accordance with a first embedding mode that allows the printing apparatus to print the embedded first information and that can be selected in accordance with the printing apparatus;
• a second embedding unit that embeds second information that specifies the first embedding mode into the data to be printed, in accordance with a second embedding mode that allows the printing apparatus to print the embedded second information and that is fixed irrespective of the printing apparatus;
• and
• an instruction unit that instructs the printing apparatus to print the data to be printed in which the first information and the second information have been embedded by the first embedding unit and the second embedding unit.

An information-embedding method, comprising:

• embedding first information into data to be printed, in accordance with a first embedding mode that allows a printing apparatus to print the embedded first information and that can be selected in accordance with the printing apparatus;
• embedding second information that specifies the first embedding mode into the data to be printed, in accordance with a second embedding mode that allows the printing apparatus to print the embedded second information and that is fixed irrespective of the printing apparatus;
• and
• instructing the printing apparatus to print the data to be printed in which the first information and the second information have been embedded in accordance with the first embedding mode and the second embedding mode.

An information-reading apparatus, comprising:

• a generating device that is set to allow reading of second information embedded in accordance with a second embedding mode, and generates image data when a sheet is scanned in accordance with the setting that allows reading of the embedded second information;
• an acquisition unit that analyzes the image data and acquires, on the basis of the analysis result, information that specifies a first embedding mode from the second information embedded in accordance with the second embedding mode;
• and
• an instruction unit that instructs the generating device to change a setting so as to allow reading of first information embedded in accordance with the first embedding mode and to generate new image data by rescanning the sheet in accordance with the changed setting.

A computer-readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for information reading, the process comprising:

• generating image data when a sheet is scanned in accordance with a setting that allows reading of second information embedded in accordance with a second embedding mode and;
• analyzing the image data and obtaining, on the basis of the analysis result, information that specifies a first embedding mode from the second information embedded in accordance with the second embedding mode;
• and
• rescanning the sheet to generate new image data in accordance with a setting that allows reading of information embedded in accordance with the first embedding mode.

An information-reading system, comprising:

• a generating device that is set to allow reading of second information embedded in accordance with a second embedding mode, and generates image data when a sheet is scanned in accordance with the setting that allows reading of the embedded second information;
• an acquisition unit that analyzes the image data and acquires, on the basis of the analysis result, information that specifies a first embedding mode from the second information embedded in accordance with the second embedding mode;
• an instruction unit that instructs the generating device to change a setting so as to allow reading of first information embedded in accordance with the first embedding mode and to generate new image data by rescanning the sheet in accordance with the changed setting;
• and
• an analyzing unit that analyzes the new image data to thereby analyze the first information embedded in accordance with the first embedding mode.