Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, image processing system, and image processing method

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• an input data obtaining section for obtaining input image data;
• a features extracting section for extracting features of the input image data;
• at least one of a storage section for storing features of a restrictive reference image which forbids or restricts image processing and a reference image obtaining section for obtaining the features of the restrictive reference image from an external device communicably connected to the image processing apparatus;
• a similarity calculation section for comparing the features of the input image data with the features of the restrictive reference image so as to calculate a similarity between the input image data and the restrictive reference image;
• and a control section for determining whether it is necessary or not to forbid or restrict image processing with respect to the input image data,
• the image processing apparatus further comprising a storage process section for storing, into the storage section or a second storage section provided on the external device, (i) features of a permissible reference image which permits image processing and (ii) discrimination information for discriminating the restrictive reference image and the permissible reference image from each other,
• the similarity calculation section calculating the similarity between the input image data and the restrictive reference image and a similarity between the input image data and the permissible reference image,
• when a maximum value of the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is less than the threshold value, the control section permitting image processing with respect to the input data,
• when a maximum value of the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is not less than the threshold value, the control section permitting image processing with respect to the input image data in case where a reference image having a maximum similarity is the permissible reference image, and the control section forbidding or restricting image processing with respect to the input image data in case where the reference image having the maximum similarity is the restrictive reference image, and
• the control section forbidding or restricting image processing with respect to the input image data in case where a reference image having a maximum similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is the permissible reference image and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than a second threshold value higher than the threshold value or in case where the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than the second threshold value and a difference between the maximum value and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not more than a predetermined value.

An image processing apparatus, comprising:

• an input data obtaining section for obtaining input image data;
• a features extracting section for extracting features of the input image data;
• at least one of a storage section for storing features of a permissible reference image which permits image processing and a reference image obtaining section for obtaining the features of the permissible reference image from an external device communicably connected to the image processing apparatus;
• a similarity calculation section for comparing the features of the input image data with the features of the permissible reference image so as to calculate a similarity between the input image data and the permissible reference image;
• and a control section for determining whether it is necessary or not to forbid or restrict image processing with respect to the input image data,
• the image processing apparatus further comprising a storage process section for storing, into the storage section or a second storage section provided on the external device, (i) features of a restrictive reference image which forbids or restricts image processing and (ii) discrimination information for discriminating the permissible reference image and the restrictive reference image from each other,
• the similarity calculation section calculating the similarity between the input image data and the permissible reference image and a similarity between the input image data and the restrictive reference image,
• when a maximum value of the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is less than the threshold value, the control section permitting image processing with respect to the input data,
• when a maximum value of the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is not less than the threshold value, the control section permitting image processing with respect to the input image data in case where a reference image having a maximum similarity is the permissible reference image, and the control section forbidding or restricting image processing with respect to the input image data in case where the reference image having the maximum similarity is the restrictive reference image, and
• the control section forbidding Or restricting image processing with respect to the input image data in case where a reference image having a maximum similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is the permissible reference image and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than a second threshold value higher than the threshold value or in case where the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than the second threshold value and a difference between the maximum value and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not more than a predetermine value.

An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

• (i) obtaining input image data;
• (ii) extracting features of the input image data;
• (iii) obtaining features of each of reference images;
• (iv) calculating a similarity between the input image data and the reference image by comparing the features of the input image data with the features of the reference image;
• and (v) determining whether it is necessary or not to forbid or restrict image processing with respect to the input image data in accordance with whether or not the similarity is not less than a predetermined threshold value,
• the reference images including a permissible reference image which permits image processing and a restrictive reference image which forbids or restricts image processing,
• the image processing method further comprising the step (vi) of obtaining discrimination information for discriminating the permissible reference image and the restrictive reference image from each other,
• in the step (v), when a maximum value of the similarity calculated in the step (vi) is not less than the threshold value,
• image processing with respect to the input image data being permitted in case where a reference image having a maximum similarity is the permissible reference image, and
• image processing with respect to the input image data being forbidden or restricted in case where the reference image having the maximum similarity is the restrictive reference image,
• and image processing with respect to the input image data being forbidden or restricted in case where a reference image having a maximum similarity is the permissible reference image and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than a second threshold value higher than the threshold value or in a case where the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than the second threshold value and a difference between the maximum value and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not more than a predetermined value.

An image processing system, comprising an image processing apparatus and a server communicably connected to the image processing apparatus, there being provided:

• an input data obtaining section for obtaining input image data;
• a storage section for storing features of each of reference images;
• a similarity calculation section for comparing features of the input image data with the features of the reference image so as to calculate a similarity between the input image data and the reference image;
• and
• a control section for determining whether it is necessary or not to forbid or restrict image processing with respect to the input image data in accordance with whether or not the similarity is not less than a predetermined threshold value,
• the input data obtaining section, the storage section, the similarity calculation section, and the control section being divided into the image processing apparatus and the server,
• the reference images including a permissible reference image which permits image processing and a restrictive reference image which forbids or restricts image processing,
• the image processing system further comprising a discrimination information obtaining section for obtaining, from the storage section, discrimination information for discriminating the permissible reference image and the restrictive reference image from each other,
• wherein,
• when a maximum value of the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is less than the threshold value, the control section permits image processing with respect to the input image data,
• when a maximum value of the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is not less than the threshold value, the control section permits image processing with respect to the input image data in case where a reference image having a maximum similarity is the permissible reference image, and the control section forbids or restricts image processing with respect to the input image data in case where the reference image having the maximum similarity is the restrictive reference image, and
• the control section forbids or restricts image processing with respect to the input image data in case where a reference image having maximum similarity calculated by the similarity calculation section is the permissible reference image and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than a second threshold value higher than the threshold value or in case where the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not less than the second threshold value and a difference between the maximum value and the similarity to the restrictive reference image is not more than a predetermined value.