Image processing apparatus for determining whether a scanned image includes a latent pattern and a background pattern, and an image processing method therefor

An image processing apparatus control method comprising:

• scanning an image printed on paper;
• a first determination step of determining whether a latent pattern exists in the scanned image;
• a second determination step of determining whether a background pattern exists in the scanned image;
• and
• a control step of in the case that the latent pattern is determined in the first determination step to exist in the scanned image and the background pattern is determined in the second determination step to exist in the scanned image, determining that the scanning by the scanning unit was instructed by a reliable user and controlling to copy the scanned image, and in the case that the latent pattern is determined in the first determination step to exist in the scanned image and the background pattern is determined in the second determination step not to exist in the scanned image, determining that the scanning by the scanning unit was not instructed by a reliable user and controlling to inhibit copying of the scanned image,
• wherein each of said first and second determination steps determines by using a periphery region of the scanned image data in order to reduce a determination error due to text or an image other than a copy-forgery-inhibited-pattern.