The entire disclosure of Japanese patent Application No. 2017-032090, filed on Feb. 23, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image formation control program, more particularly to a technique for appropriately handling storing target data by inspecting an image of a sheet on which an image is to be formed and which is to be output.
There is an image forming apparatus in which a reader is connected to, at a subsequent stage, an image former that forms an image on a sheet and an image on the sheet on which the image has been formed is read by the reader.
Such an image forming apparatus is used for referring to a reading result after the image formation, adjusting an image forming position and the image quality, finding a sheet with defective image formation (detecting a defective image), storing an image formation result as an evidence (evidence confirmation image), and so forth.
As this type of technology, various related proposals have been made in JP 2016-206691 A.
JP 2016-206691 A discloses an image processing apparatus that compares first image data (image data for image formation) generated as data representing a reference image to be an inspection reference and second image data (read image data) generated as data representing an inspection image to be an inspection target, and thus automatically extracts difference between the first image data and the second image data.
Thus, as the image forming apparatus, there is a machine having an image inspection function (defect inspection function) for comparing the image data for image formation with the read image data. Further, in this image inspection processing, a large amount of storing target data (inspection result and read image data) is stored in a hard disk drive.
To be noted, in recent years, from the viewpoint of maintaining confidentiality of information, itis becoming common to store encrypted data in a hard disk drive.
Here, when the image formation in the image forming apparatus and the inspection of the image that has been formed are performed in parallel, sometimes a problem arises that, in the case where the above-described encryption setting is turned on and encrypted storing target data is stored in the hard disk drive, time required for inspection including encryption exceeds the time of image formation, it becomes necessary to delay the image formation, and thus the productivity is lowered.
Although JP 2016-206691 A includes a description of, for example, encrypting difference image data at the time of the image inspection processing, any disadvantage such as processing delay due to the encryption processing is not taken into consideration at all.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image formation control program which do not lower the productivity of image formation even in the case of performing image inspection in parallel with image formation and encrypting storing target data.
To achieve the abovementioned object, according to an aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus reflecting one aspect of the present invention comprises: an image former that forms an image on a sheet on a basis of image data for image formation; a reader that reads the image formed on the sheet by the image former to generate read image data; an inspector that compares the read image data with the image data for image formation and outputs an inspection result; an encryptor that encrypts data; a data storage that stores data; and a controller that controls image formation performed by the image former, reading performed by the reader, comparison performed by the inspector, encryption performed by the encryptor, and storing performed by the data storage, wherein the controller performs control such that, when at least one of the inspection result and the read image data is stored in the data storage as storing target data, a size or the storing target data is smaller in a case where the storing target data is encrypted than in a case where the storing target data is not encrypted.
The advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of the invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention:
Hereinafter, one or more embodiments in which an image of a sheet to be output after image formation in an image forming apparatus or an image forming system is efficiently read with a necessary image quality will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.
[Configuration]
Here, a configuration example of an image loaning apparatus will be described in detail with reference to
Here, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a controller 101, a communicator 102, an operation display 103, a storage 104, a sheet feeder 105, a conveyor 110, a document reader 120, an image data storage 130, an image processor 140, an image former 150, an output object reader 160, an inspector 170, an encryptor 180, and a data storage 190. The controller 101 controls each component included in the image forming apparatus 100. The communicator 102 communicates with another apparatus connected thereto. The operation display 103 displays the state of the image forming apparatus, and a user inputs operations through the operation display 103. The storage 104 stores various settings. The sheet feeder 105 is capable of feeding a sheet housed in a sheet feeding tray. The conveyor 110 conveys the sheet in the image forming apparatus 100. The document reader 120 reads a document to generate read image data. The image data storage 130 stores image data for image formation and various data used in image formation. The image processor 140 performs various image processing necessary for image formation. The image former 150 forms an image on a sheet on the basis of an image formation command and the image data for image formation. The output object reader 160 reads an image (output object) formed on a sheet to generate read image data. The inspector 170 compares the image data for image formation with the read image data and thereby inspects the presence or absence of difference therebetween. The encryptor 180 encrypts data. The data storage 190 is constituted by, for example, a hard disc drive, and stores an inspection result.
Here, the encryptor 180 may be configured integrally with the data storage 190, or the encryptor 180 may be configured to be executed by the controller 101 in accordance with encryption software.
As illustrated in
Here, the output object reader 160 is disposed downstream of the image former 150 in a sheet conveyance direction, and is configured to read an image of an output sheet during conveyance. To be noted, the output object reader 160 may read one surface of a sheet or may read both surfaces of a sheet at one time.
Here, a configuration example of an image forming system 1 will be described in detail with reference to
Here, the image forming apparatus 100 is similar to that illustrated in
Here, the reading apparatus 200 is disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus 100 in the sheet conveyance direction. The reading apparatus 200 is configured to include a communicator 202 and an output object reader 260 that reads an image formed on a sheet, so that an image of an output sheet is read during conveyance.
To be noted, a configuration in which the reading apparatus 200 is configured as a subsequent unit to the image forming apparatus 100 and the output object reader 260 is included in a post-processing apparatus including a post-processing unit that is not illustrated may be adopted.
To be noted, the output object reader 160 in
Hereinafter, a first operation example of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to a flowchart of
At the start of image formation, the controller 101 sets or initializes each component in the image forming apparatus 100 in accordance with an image formation mode of a job to be executed (step S101 of
The controller 101 transfers image data for image formation of a page for which image formation is to be performed to a print preparation memory in the image data storage 130 (step S102 of
Here, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) is not designated (NO in step S104 of
In addition, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) is designated (YES in step S104 of
To be noted, in the first operation example, the storing target data is data including at least one of an inspection result and the read image data.
At this time, the controller 101 performs control such that the reading resolution of the output object reader 160 matches the output resolution of image formation by the image former 150. To be noted the controller 101 treats the reading resolution matching the output resolution as a normal reading resolution.
Further, the controller 101 controls the inspector 170 so as to perform inspection by comparing the read image data obtained by the output object reader 160 with the image data for image formation used in the image formation by the image former 150 (Step S107 of
Then, the controller 101 performs control such that the inspection result and read image data are stored in the data storage 190 as storing target data (step S111 of
As described above, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) is designated and encryption is not designated (YES in step S104 of
In contrast, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) is designated (YES in step S104 of
Here, the controller 101 controls the inspector 170 so as to perform inspection by comparing the read image data obtained by the output object reader 160 with the image data for image formation used in the image formation by the image former 150 (Step S109 of
Then, the controller 101 performs control such that the encryptor 180 encrypts the inspection result and the read image data of a reduced data size as storing target data (step S110 of
As described above, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) and storing of the storing target data with encryption are designated (YES in step S104 of
As described above, when comparing the read image data with the image data for image formation and outputting the inspection result, control is performed such that the size of the storing target data is smaller in the case where the storing target data is encrypted than in the case Where the storing target data is not encrypted. As a result of this, even in the case where image inspection is performed in parallel with image formation and the storing target data is encrypted, time for inspection and encryption can be kept at a certain level or lower, and thus lowering the productivity of image formation can be prevented.
In addition, in the present embodiment, when image formation, comparison, encryption, and storing are performed in parallel, time required for comparison, encryption, and storage for one sheet on which an image has been formed does not exceed time for an image former to form an image on one sheet. As a result of this, even in the case where image inspection is performed in parallel with image formation and the storing target data is encrypted, time for inspection and encryption does not exceed time for image formation, and thus lowering the productivity of image formation can be prevented.
That is, even in the case where the storing target data is encrypted, the size of the storing target data is reduced, thus time for inspection and encryption becomes less likely to exceed time for image formation, and lowering the productivity of image formation can be prevented.
In addition, in the case Where encryption of the storing target data is designated, the inspection is performed for pages extracted every n pages instead of all the pages as “reduction of number of samples” of
In addition, in the case where encryption of the storing target data is designated, the inspection is performed for all the pages as “selection by similarity” of
In addition, in the case where encryption of the storing target data is designated, the inspection is performed for all the pages as “selection by similarity” of
In addition, in the case where encryption of the storing target data is designated, the inspection is performed for all the pages after dividing each page into a plurality of blocks as “thinning out in image” of
In addition, in the case where encryption of the storing target data is designated, the inspection is performed for all the pages after dividing each page into a plurality of blocks as “learning thinning out in image” of
Hereinafter, a second operation example of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to a flowchart of
At the start of image formation, the controller 101 sets or initializes each component in the image forming apparatus 100 in accordance with an image formation mode of a job to be executed (step S201 of
The controller 101 transfers image data for image formation of a page for which image formation is to be performed to a print preparation memory in the image data storage 130 (step S202 of
Here, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) is not designated (NO in step S204 of
In addition, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) is designated (YES in step S204 of
To be noted, in the second operation example, both of the image data for image formation and the read image data are the storing target data.
At this time, the controller 101 performs control such that the reading resolution of the output object reader 160 matches the output resolution of image formation by the image former 150. To be noted the controller 101 treats the reading resolution matching the output resolution as a normal reading resolution.
Here, the controller 101 performs control such that the read image data obtained by the output object reader 160 and the image data for image formation used in the image formation by the image former 150 are stored in the data storage 190 as the storing target data (Step S207 of
Then, the controller 101 reads the image data for image formation and the read image data that have been stored from the data storage 190 (step S208 of
As described above, if inspection by comparison between the image data for image formation and the read image data is designated and encryption is not designated (YES in step S204 of
In contrast, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) is designated (YES in step S204 of
In addition, the controller 101 performs resolution conversion of the image data for image formation so that the resolution thereof becomes as low as the resolution of the read image data, performs control such that the read image data of a low resolution and the image data for image formation converted to have a low resolution are encrypted by the encryptor 180 as the storing target data (step S210 of
Then, the controller 101 reads the image data for image formation and the read image data that have been encrypted and stored as the storing target data from the data storage 190 and decrypt these data (step S212 of
As described above, if inspection by comparison between an original image (image data for image formation) and a printed image (read image data) and storing of the storing target data with encryption are designated (YES in step S204 of
As described above, when storing and comparing the read image data of a reduced data size with the image data for image formation as the storing target data and outputting the inspection result, control is performed such that the size of the storing target data is smaller in the case where the storing target data is encrypted than in the case where the storing target data is not encrypted. As a result of this, even in the case where storing target data is encrypted in parallel with image formation, time for encryption can be kept at a certain level or tower, and thus lowering the productivity of image formation can be prevented. That is, even in the case Where the storing target data is encrypted and stored, the size of the storing target data is reduced, thus time for encryption and storing becomes less likely to exceed time for image formation, and lowering the productivity of image formation can be prevented.
In addition, in the case where encryption of the storing target data is designated, storing target data in a state in Which pages are extracted every n pages instead of all the pages is encrypted, stored, decrypted, and then inspected as “reduction of number of samples” of
Although an example in which the storing target data is stored in the data storage 190 has been described in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the storing target data is stored in an external server connected via a network or a storage device such as a network attached storage (NAS) may be adopted.
Although a specific example in which all or a part of the read image data and all or a part of the image data for image formation are stored in a storage as the storing target data has been described in the above embodiment, the configuration is not limited to this.
As the storing target data, any of only the inspection result, only the read image data, the inspection result and the read image data, the image data for image formation and the read image data, the inspection result and the image data for image formation and the read image data, all or a part of these, and so forth may be adopted.
In addition, if there is more time than time required for storing the data encrypted by the above embodiment, image data for image formation corresponding to the read image data is preferably stored in addition to the read image data.
In addition, the specific numerical values (600 dpi of the normal reading resolution, 300 dpi of the reading resolution at the time of encryption, and so forth) used in the above embodiment are mere examples and can be replaced with appropriate other numerical values.
Although embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated in detail, the disclosed embodiments are made for purposes of illustration and example only and not limitation. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted by terms of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2017-032090 | Feb 2017 | JP | national |