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US 8,011,746 B2Granted
Image-forming system, image-forming apparatus, computer program, and image-forming method
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroto Sugahara, Hiroaki Yazawa, Masahiro Nishizaki, Motohiro Momozaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When a DNA ink printing mode is selected, a serial number and a pattern data of DNA is read from an IC tag of a DNA ink cartridge and a fingerprint of a printing person is read by a fingerprint authenticating unit. The pattern of the fingerprint and DNA which have been read are verified with the pattern data of fingerprints and DNA in a memory and personal authentication is carried out. Thereafter, a DNA ink is jetted on to a recording paper, and printing of an image by an image forming ink is carried out. By carrying out printing by such a method, it is possible to specify the printing person who has created the printed matter.
Claims24
An image-forming system via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the image forming system comprising:
- a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute is installed;
- an ink jetting mechanism which jets, on to the recording medium, the identifiable ink supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
- a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge and the identifiable ink, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
- a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the printing person, a second information specifying the printing person;
- a judging mechanism which compares the first acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism to the second information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism, to judge an allowability of printing to be carried out with the identifiable ink;
- and
- an inhibiting mechanism which inhibits the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when the judging mechanism judges not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.
4 more elements
An image-forming apparatus which is communicably connected to a judging device, and via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:
- a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
- an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
- a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge and the identifiable ink, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
- a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the printing person, a second information specifying a printing person;
- a communication mechanism which transmits the second information and the first information to the judging device, and receives a judgment result of an allowability of the printing with the identifiable ink, which is judged based on comparing the second information to the first information by the judging device;
- and
- an inhibiting mechanism which inhibits the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink, when the judgment result received by the communication mechanism is a judgment not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.
4 more elements
An image-forming apparatus via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, comprising:
- a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
- an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
- a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge and the identifiable ink, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
- a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires a second information specifying a printing person;
- a judging mechanism which judges an allowability of a printing with the identifiable ink, based on comparing the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism to the second information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
- an inhibiting mechanism which inhibits the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when the judging mechanism judges not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink;
- and
- a body which accommodates the cartridge-installation section, the ink jetting mechanism, the first-information acquiring mechanism, the second-information acquiring mechanism, the judging mechanism, and the inhibiting mechanism.
5 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable media storing a program of operating an image forming-system via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the image-forming system having:
- a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
- an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
- a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge and the identifiable ink, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
- and a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the printing person, second information specifying the printing person;
- wherein the computer program is performed by a computer system that comprises one or more processors, a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, and a computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions by at least one of the processors and operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, the computer program comprising instructions of:
- judging an allowability of printing with the identifiable ink, based on comparing the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism to the second-information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
- and
- inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when a judgment is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.
5 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable media storing a program of operating an image-forming apparatus communicably connectable to a judging unit, and via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the image-forming apparatus having:
- a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
- an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink which is supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
- a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge and the identifiable ink, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
- and a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires a second information specifying the printing person;
- wherein the computer program is performed by a computer system that comprises one or more processors, a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, and a computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions by at least one of the processors and operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, the computer program comprising instructions of:
- transmitting, to the judging unit, the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism and the second information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
- receiving a judgment result of the judgment of an allowability of a printing with the identifiable ink, based on comparing the information specifying the printing person to the first information;
- and
- inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when the judgment result is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.
6 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable media storing a program of operating an image-forming apparatus via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus having:
- a cartridge-installation section in which an ink cartridge, filled with an identifiable ink having a predetermined identifiable attribute, is installed;
- an ink jetting mechanism which jets, onto the recording medium, the identifiable ink supplied from the ink cartridge installed in the cartridge-installation section;
- a first-information acquiring mechanism which acquires, from the ink cartridge section and the identifiable ink, a first information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
- and a second-information acquiring mechanism which acquires second information specifying the printing person;
- wherein the computer program is performed by a computer system that comprises one or more processors, a memory operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, and a computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions by at least one of the processors and operatively coupled to at least one of the processors, the computer program comprising instructions of:
- judging an allowability of a printing with the identifiable ink, based on comparing the first information acquired by the first-information acquiring mechanism to the second information acquired by the second-information acquiring mechanism;
- and
- inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when a judgment is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink.
5 more elements
An image-forming method via which a predetermined printing person causes an image to be formed on a recording medium, comprising:
- providing an ink cartridge in which an identifiable ink having a predetermined attribute is filled;
- acquiring, from the ink cartridge and the identifiable ink, information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink;
- acquiring, from the printing person, information which specifies the printing person;
- comparing the information indicating the attribute of the identifiable ink to the information indicating the printing person to authenticate the printing person;
- and
- inhibiting the ink jetting mechanism from jetting the identifiable ink when a judgment is made not to allow the printing with the identifiable ink when the printing person is not authenticated or allowing the ink jetting mechanism to jet the identifiable ink only when the printing person is authenticated.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.