Image reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, method of reading image, and recording medium for reading original-document image and generating image data of the original-document image

An image forming apparatus that reads an original-document image and generates image data of the original-document image, the apparatus comprising:

• an image reading unit that reads the original-document image and sequentially generates the image data of the original-document image as a plurality of pieces of band data;
• a security pattern detection unit that performs security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band and when the band data of the single band includes a portion or an entirety of a security pattern, detects the portion or the entirety of the security pattern;
• a main control unit that causes the security pattern detection unit to not perform the security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band having the greatest background color density and to perform the security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band having the lowest background color density, among the plurality of pieces of band data;
• and
• an image forming unit, the main control unit, when a portion or an entirety of a security pattern is detected by the security pattern detection unit, prevents formation of an image of a copy of the original-document image by the image forming unit or causes image forming to be performed after predetermined image processing is performed on the copy of the original-document image.

A method of reading an original-document image and generating image data of the original-document image, the method comprising:

• reading an image of the original-document and sequentially generating image data as a plurality of pieces of band data;
• performing security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band and when the band data of the single band includes a portion or an entirety of a security pattern, detecting the portion or the entirety of the security pattern;
• and
• causing the security pattern detection processing to not be performed on band data of a single band having the greatest background color density and performing the security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band having the lowest background color density, among the plurality of pieces of band data.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium that stores an image reading program which causes a computer to function as an image reading apparatus, the program causing the computer to function as:

• an image reading unit that reads the original-document image and sequentially generates the image data of the original-document image as a plurality of pieces of band data;
• a security pattern detection unit that performs security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band and when the band data of the single band includes a portion or an entirety of a security pattern, detects the portion or the entirety of the security pattern;
• and
• a main control unit that causes the security pattern detection unit to not perform the security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band having the greatest background color density and to perform the security pattern detection processing on band data of a single band having the lowest background color density, among the plurality of pieces of band data.