Medium provided with magnetic element, and method and apparatus for reading information from such medium

1. An information reading method comprising:

providing a medium with at least one magnetic element group having a plurality of magnetic elements each having a different length and generating a signal in response to a reversal of magnetization of the magnetic element when an alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, and at least one camouflaging pseudo element group having the same number of camouflaging pseudo elements as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group, each of the camouflaging pseudo elements having the same length as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group and not generating the signal when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, the magnetic element group and the camouflaging pseudo element group being arranged parallel to each other;

detecting, by an excitation-detection unit, the signal generated from the magnetic element group provided in the medium by applying the alternating magnetic field to the medium;

reading, by an information reading unit, information formed by the magnetic element group based on the signal detected by the excitation-detection unit; and

controlling, by a controller, a processing for copying or printing of the medium based on the information read by the information reading unit.

2. The information reading method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

moving either one or both of the excitation-detection unit and the medium relative to each other in a predetermined direction; and

reading the information formed by the magnetic element group having the magnetic elements provided in the medium when the excitation-detection unit detects signals sequentially generated from the magnetic elements that are excited by the excitation-detection unit.

3. A medium comprising:

at least one magnetic element group having a plurality of magnetic elements each having a different length and generating a signal in response to a reversal of magnetization of the magnetic element when an alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium; and

at least one camouflaging pseudo element group having the same number of camouflaging pseudo elements as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group, each of the camouflaging pseudo elements having the same length as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group and not generating the signal when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium,

the magnetic element group and the camouflaging pseudo element group being arranged parallel to each other, wherein

information formed by the magnetic element group is read based on the signal detected in correspondence with the magnetic element group and a processing for copying or printing is controlled based on the read information.

4. The medium according to claim 3 , wherein

the magnetic element group forms information which identifies the medium in correspondence with a combination of number of the magnetic elements and length of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group.

5. An information reading apparatus comprising:

an excitation-detection unit that detects a signal generated from a magnetic element group provided in a medium by applying an alternating magnetic field to the medium, the medium being provided with at least one magnetic element group having a plurality of magnetic elements each having a different length and generating the signal in response to a reversal of magnetization of the magnetic element when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, and at least one camouflaging pseudo element group having the same number of camouflaging pseudo elements as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group, each of the camouflaging pseudo elements having the same length as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group and not generating the signal when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, the magnetic element group and the camouflaging pseudo element group being arranged parallel to each other,

an information reading unit that reads information formed by the magnetic element group based on the signal detected by the excitation-detection unit; and

a controller that controls a processing for copying or printing of the medium based on the information read by the information reading unit.

6. The information reading apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a moving control unit that causes either one or both of the excitation-detection unit and the medium to move relatively to each other in a predetermined direction, wherein

the information reading unit reads the information formed by the magnetic element group having the magnetic elements provided in the medium when the excitation-detection unit detects signals sequentially generated from the magnetic elements that are excited by the excitation-detection unit.

7. An information reading method comprising:

providing a medium with at least one magnetic element group having a plurality of magnetic elements each having a different length and generating a signal in response to a magnetostrictive vibration of the magnetic element when an alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, and at least one camouflaging pseudo element group having the same number of camouflaging pseudo elements as that of the magnetic elements, each of the camouflaging pseudo elements having the same length as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group and not generating the signal when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, the magnetic element group and the camouflaging pseudo element group being arranged parallel to each other;

detecting, by an excitation-detection unit, the signal generated from the magnetic element group provided in the medium by applying the alternating magnetic field to the medium;

reading, by an information reading unit, information formed by the magnetic element group based on the signal detected by the excitation-detection unit; and

controlling, by a controller, a processing for copying or printing of the medium based on the information read by the information reading unit.

8. The information reading method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

moving either one or both of the excitation-detection unit and the medium relative to each other in a predetermined direction; and

reading the information formed by the magnetic element group having the magnetic elements provided in the medium when the excitation-detection unit detects signals sequentially generated from the magnetic elements that are excited by the excitation-detection unit.

9. A medium comprising:

at least one magnetic element group having a plurality of magnetic elements each having a different length and generating a signal in response to a magnetostrictive vibration of the magnetic element when an alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium; and

at least one camouflaging pseudo element group having the same number of camouflaging pseudo elements as that of the magnetic elements, each of the camouflaging pseudo elements having one of the same length as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group and not generating the signal when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium;

the magnetic element group and the camouflaging pseudo element group being arranged parallel to each other, wherein

information formed by the magnetic element group is read based on the signal detected in correspondence with the magnetic element group and a processing for copying or printing is controlled based on the read information.

10. The medium according to claim 9 , wherein

the magnetic element group forms information which identifies the medium in correspondence with a combination of number of the magnetic elements and length of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group.

11. An information reading apparatus comprising:

an excitation-detection unit that detects a signal generated from a magnetic element group provided in a medium by applying an alternating magnetic field to the medium, the medium being provided with at least one magnetic element group having a plurality of magnetic elements each having a different length and generating the signal in response to a magnetostrictive vibration of the magnetic element when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, and at least one camouflaging pseudo element group having the same number of camouflaging pseudo elements as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group, each of the camouflaging pseudo elements having the same length as that of the magnetic elements included in the magnetic element group and not generating the signal when the alternating magnetic field is applied to the medium, the magnetic element group and the camouflaging pseudo element group being arranged parallel to each other,

an information reading unit that reads information formed by the magnetic element group based on the signal detected by the excitation-detection unit; and

a controller that controls a processing for copying or printing of the medium based on the information read by the information reading unit.

12. The information reading apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:

a moving control unit that causes either one or both of the excitation-detection unit and the medium to move relatively to each other in a predetermined direction, wherein

the information reading unit reads the information formed by the magnetic element group having the magnetic elements provided in the medium when the excitation-detection unit detects signals sequentially generated from the magnetic elements that are excited by the excitation-detection unit.