Patent Application
20240053931
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus with which deterioration of colorimetric accuracy is suppressed, an image forming system including the information processing apparatus, and a computer readable storage medium.
With an image forming apparatus that forms an image using an electrophotographic process, an output image may have density, tint, and the like changing due to a change over time or a change in the ambient condition. In view of this, the image forming apparatus performs image stabilization control. For example, in density stabilization control, the image forming apparatus forms a test image on a photoconductor, an intermediate transfer belt, and the like, and detects the density of the test image using an optical sensor or the like. Then, the image forming apparatus sets an image forming condition to achieve an appropriate density of the output image, based on the result of detecting the density of the test image. With the result of detection on the test image formed on the photoconductor, the intermediate transfer belt, and the like, the quality of an image finally formed on a recording material cannot be determined. In view of this, an image forming condition is further set based on the result of the detection on the test image formed on the recording material.
US-2019-146735 discloses a configuration for a user to visually check an image formed on a recording material, and designate and adjust a color to be corrected.
A sensor for measuring a color value of an image formed on the recording material irradiates the recording material with light and detects a color in a colorimetric region based on the resultant reflected light. In principle, this process may involve a phenomenon, known as “reflection”, resulting in a color of the detected colorimetric region being blurred due to reflected light from a portion in the vicinity of the colorimetric region. When the reflection occurs, the colorimetric accuracy deteriorates, and an appropriate image forming condition may fail to be set.
According an aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing apparatus includes: a selection unit configured to select, based on a selection criterion, one or more first colorimetric regions in an image to be formed based on image data; an input/output control unit configured to receive a first user input for selecting one or more second colorimetric regions from the one or more first colorimetric regions selected by the selection unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmit a print job including information indicating the one or more second colorimetric regions and the image data, to an image forming apparatus.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but limitation is not made to an invention that requires all such features, and multiple such features may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.
The host computer 101, which is an information processing apparatus, transmits a print job to the image forming apparatus 100 over the network 105. The print job includes various types of information required for printing, such as image data of an image to be formed, the type of sheet on which printing (image forming) is to be performed, the number of printed sheets, and whether double-sided printing or one-sided printing is performed.
The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on the sheet based on the print job received from the host computer 101. The sheet is a target of image forming by the image forming apparatus 100, such as printing paper or an OHP sheet, and can be made of any material. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a controller 110, an operation panel 120, a feeding apparatus 140, a printer 150, and a reading apparatus 160, which can communicate with each other via a system bus 116.
A ROM 112 that is a nonvolatile memory of the controller 110 stores various types of control programs. ARAM 113 is a volatile memory, and functions as a system work memory for reading and storing a control program stored in the ROM 112. A CPU 114 executes the control program read on the RAM 113 to collectively control the entire image forming apparatus 100. An HDD 115 is a large-capacity storage apparatus. The HDD 115 stores various types of data such as control programs and image data used for image forming processing (print processing). An I/O controller 111 is an interface for communicating with the host computer 101 and the like over the network 105. These functional blocks in the controller 110 can communicate with each other via the system bus 116.
The operation panel 120 provides a user interface. As illustrated in
Referring back to
The printer 150 includes four image forming units 222 that form yellow, magenta, cyan and black images. The image forming units 222 basically have a common configuration. A photoconductor 153 of the image forming unit is rotationally driven in a counterclockwise direction in the drawing during an image forming process. A charger 220 charges the surface of the photoconductor 153. An exposing apparatus 223 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 153 by exposing the photoconductor 153 based on image data. A developing unit 152 develops the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 153 using a developing agent (toner). As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 153 is developed, whereby an image is formed on the photoconductor 153.
An intermediate transfer belt 154 is rotationally driven in a clockwise direction in the drawing during an image forming process. The image formed by each of the image forming units 222 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 154. Here, it is possible to form a full-color image on the intermediate transfer belt 154 by transferring the images formed by the image forming units 222 to the intermediate transfer belt 154 in an overlapping manner. The images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 154 are conveyed to an opposing position of transfer rollers 221.
The feeding apparatus 140 includes feeding units 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, and 140e containing sheets. The feeding apparatus 140 feeds a sheet in any feeding unit to the printer 150. The printer 150 conveys the fed sheet toward the opposing position of the transfer rollers 221. The transfer rollers 221 transfer the images on the intermediate transfer belt 154 to the sheet.
The printer 150 includes a first fixing unit 155 and a second fixing unit 156 that heat and pressurize the images transferred to the sheet to fix the images to the sheet. The first fixing unit 155 includes fixing rollers including a heater therein, and a pressure belt for pressing the sheet to the fixing rollers. The rollers are driven by a motor (not illustrated) to convey the sheet. The second fixing unit 156 is disposed downstream from the first fixing unit 155 in the conveyance direction of the sheet. The second fixing unit 156 is provided to increase the gloss of the images on the sheet passing through the first fixing unit 155 and to ensure fixability. The second fixing unit 156 includes a fixing roller including a heater therein, and a pressure roller including a heater therein. The second fixing unit 156 is not required depending on the type of sheet. In this case, the sheet is conveyed to a conveyance path 130 and does not pass through the second fixing unit 156. A flapper 131 switches whether it guides the sheet to the conveyance path 130 or guides the sheet to the second fixing unit 156.
A flapper 132 switches whether it guides the sheet to a conveyance path 135 or guides the sheet to a discharge path 139. The flapper 132 guides, for example, a sheet having an image formed on a first surface in a double-sided printing mode to the conveyance path 135. The flapper 132 also guides, for example, a sheet having an image formed on the first surface in a face-up discharge mode to the discharge path 139. Furthermore, the flapper 132 guides, for example, a sheet having an image formed on the first surface in a face-down discharge mode to the conveyance path 135.
The sheet conveyed to the conveyance path 135 is conveyed to a reversing unit 136. After being conveyed to the reversing unit 136, the sheet conveyance direction is reversed. A flapper 133 switches whether it guides the sheet in the reversing unit 136 to a conveyance path 138 or guides the sheet to the conveyance path 135. The flapper 133 guides, for example, the sheet to the conveyance path 138 in the double-sided printing mode. Furthermore, the flapper 133 guides, for example, a sheet having been switched back in the face-down discharge mode to the conveyance path 135. The sheet conveyed by the flapper 133 to the conveyance path 135 is guided by a flapper 134 to the discharge path 139. The sheet conveyed to the conveyance path 138 by the flapper 133 is again conveyed to the opposing position of the transfer rollers 221, whereby an image is formed on both sides of the sheet.
The sheet guided to the discharge path 139 is conveyed along a conveyance path 313 of the reading apparatus 160. An original detection sensor 311 of the reading apparatus 160 detects a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path 313. The original detection sensor 311 is, for example, an optical sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. A line sensor unit 312a reads one side of the sheet through an original reading glass 314a. A line sensor unit 312b reads the other side of the sheet through an original reading glass 314b. Note that the controller 110 controls the reading timing of the line sensor units 312a and 312b based on a detection timing of the sheet leading end by the original detection sensor 311.
The sheet that has passed through the reading apparatus 160 is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus 100 through the finisher 190. The finisher 190 is a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing on a print product from the printer 150. The finisher 190 can perform staple processing and sort processing on a plurality of sheets on which an image has been formed, based on the print job.
Referring back to
The color detection processing unit 305 outputs detected color information, which is color information on a colorimetric region in the RGB read data on the entire sheet, to the CPU 114. Note that the colorimetric region is notified from the CPU 114 as described below. The color detection processing unit 305 is configured by using an FPGA, an ASIC, a combination of these, or the like. An image memory 303 is used to temporarily store the read data in processing in the color detection processing unit 305. Thus, the reading apparatus 160 also serves as a colorimetric apparatus that measures a color value of the colorimetric region of the sheet.
In the present embodiment, the user operates the host computer 101 to set a color that is a target of image stabilization control (hereinafter, referred to as target color), and set a colorimetric region of the target color on the sheet. The host computer 101 transmits a print job, including colorimetric region information indicating the colorimetric region, to the controller 110 of the image forming apparatus 100. The CPU 114 notifies the reading apparatus 160 of the colorimetric region, and the reading apparatus 160 outputs the detected color information on the colorimetric region to the CPU 114. The CPU 114 performs the image stabilization control of the target color by comparing the detected color information, which is the result of measuring the color value of the colorimetric region, and a data value (color information) on the colorimetric region indicated by the image data included in the print job. More specifically, the CPU 114 sets/adjusts an image forming condition, to make the target color of the image formed by the image forming apparatus 100, close to the color indicated by the image data.
The host computer 101 will be described below.
In S102, the input/output control unit 101c determines whether a confirm button 504 in
When the color value differs among a plurality of pixels in the region 507 designated by the user, the color information determination unit 101a may be configured to count the number of pixels in the region 507 corresponding to each color value, and determine the color value corresponding to the largest number of pixels to be the target color. The color information determination unit 101a may also be configured to determine as the target color, a color value having a ratio of the number of corresponding pixels in the region 507 exceeding a threshold. The input/output control unit 101c may be configured to display on the display, a message prompting the user to re-input the designation information, and cancel the designation information that has been input recently, when the color information determination unit 101a fails to determine the target color, due to a reason such as an absence of the color value having the ratio exceeding the threshold. Although not illustrated in
When the designation information is input, the selection unit 101b selects the colorimetric region of the target color from the image 501 based on a selection criterion in S104. The input/output control unit 101c displays, as a candidate of the colorimetric region, the colorimetric region selected by the selection unit 101b, in an area 503 in
The selection criterion is a criterion for the selection unit 101b to select the colorimetric region in the image 501. This selection criterion is determined and stored in a memory device (not illustrated) of the host computer 101 in advance. The selection criterion includes a condition related to the color value. The condition related to the color value is a condition with which a region in which the variation of color value is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value is selected as the selected region. For example, a maximum tolerable color difference ΔE is determined and stored in advance in the memory device (not illustrated) of the host computer 101. Then, the selection unit 101b selects, as the selected region, a region only including pixels with color values having a color difference from the color value of the target color equal to or smaller than ΔE/2. Under such a condition regarding the color value, the maximum value of the color difference between any two pixels in the selected region would be equal to or smaller than the maximum tolerable color difference ΔE. Note that the maximum tolerable color difference ΔE may be 0.
The selection criterion further includes a condition related to the number of sequential pixels. The condition related to the number of sequential pixels is a condition for selecting, as the colorimetric region, a region that is less likely to be affected by the reflection. For example, the condition related to the number of sequential pixels may include a first condition with which the colorimetric region is selected from regions, of regions satisfying the condition related to the color value, in which the number of sequential pixels in the main scanning direction is larger than a first predetermined number. The first predetermined number can be, in distance, 8 mm, for example. The condition related to the number of sequential pixels may further include a second condition with which the colorimetric region is selected from regions in which the number of sequential pixel arrays, satisfying the first condition, in the sub scanning direction is larger than a second predetermined number. Note that the positions/ranges, in the main scanning direction, of two pixel arrays satisfying the first condition adjacent to each other in the sub scanning direction do not need to be the same. It suffices if the ranges of the two pixel arrays in the main scanning direction include sections with a predetermined number of pixels overlapping. The condition related to the number of sequential pixels may further include a third condition with which the colorimetric region is selected from regions obtained by excluding a third predetermined number of pixels from an edge in the regions of pixels satisfying the second condition. Note that the third predetermined number is smaller than the first predetermined number and the second predetermined number. Note that in the present embodiment, the range of the color values of the pixels in the colorimetric region selected by the selection unit 101b is equal to or smaller than the maximum tolerable color difference ΔE, and includes the color value of the target color.
While the colorimetric region can have any size and shape as long as the selection criterion is satisfied, for example, a configuration may be employed in which the largest one of the regions, under the condition of satisfying the selection criterion, is selected as the colorimetric region. Note that when there are a plurality of regions satisfying the selection criterion, the selection unit 101b may be configured to select some of the regions satisfying the selection criterion as the colorimetric regions, instead of selecting all of such regions. For example, the selection unit 101b can select a predetermined number of regions with large area, from the plurality of regions satisfying the selection criterion, as the colorimetric regions.
When the selection unit 101b selects the colorimetric region, in S105, the input/output control unit 101c receives the selection input (user input) indicating whether the colorimetric region selected by the selection unit 101b is actually used for the image stabilization control. As illustrated in
Thereafter, when the user inputs the execution of printing to the input/output control unit 101c using the input/output unit 101, the input/output control unit 101c transmits, via the communication unit 101f, a print job including the colorimetric region information indicating the colorimetric region selected to be used, to the image forming apparatus 100.
In the present embodiment described above, for the target color designated by the user, the host computer 101 presents, to the user, a region that is less likely to be affected by the reflection as the colorimetric region. With this configuration, an appropriate image forming condition can be set with deterioration of the colorimetric accuracy suppressed. Note that while the user selects the target color on the image 501 in the present embodiment, a mode may be employed in which the color value of the target color is input with a numerical value. Furthermore, a configuration may be employed in which the user can set the maximum tolerable color difference ΔE used for the selection criterion, through user input. With a larger maximum tolerable color difference ΔE, a larger number of colorimetric regions can be selected. On the other hand, with a smaller maximum tolerable color difference ΔE, the number of selectable colorimetric regions can be narrowed down.
Next, a second embodiment will be explained mainly on differences from the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the user inputs the designation information for designating the target color. In the present embodiment, the host computer 101 selects colorimetric regions that satisfy the selection criterion based on the image data, and the user selects the colorimetric region of the target color from the selected colorimetric regions.
The selection unit 101b selects the colorimetric region from the image 501 based on the selection criterion in S104. In the first embodiment, the selection unit 101b selects the colorimetric region corresponding to the target color. Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the color is not limited, and the selection unit 101b selects regions of one or more colors satisfying the selection criterion, as the colorimetric regions. Thus, colorimetric regions of various colors may be selected, with the maximum value of the color difference between pixels in the colorimetric region selected in S104 being equal to or smaller than the maximum tolerable color difference ΔE. The input/output control unit 101c displays, as a candidate of the colorimetric region, the colorimetric region selected by the selection unit 101b, in an area 505 in
When the pixels in the colorimetric region have the same color value, this color value is displayed as the color value of the colorimetric region in the area 505. On the other hand, when the pixels in the colorimetric region have different color values, a representative color value is displayed as the color value of the colorimetric region in the area 505. The representative color value is, for example, the color value corresponding to the largest number of pixels in the colorimetric region. Alternatively, the representative color value is, for example, an average value of the color values of the respective pixels in the colorimetric region. Although not illustrated in
Then, in S105, the input/output control unit 101c receives the selection input indicating whether the colorimetric region selected by the selection unit 101b is actually used for the image stabilization control. As illustrated in
In S200, the input/output control unit 101c determines whether a confirm button 504 in
In the present embodiment described above, the host computer 101 presents to the user, regions that are less likely to be affected by the reflection as the colorimetric regions, and the user selects the target color from the colorimetric regions presented. With this configuration, an appropriate image forming condition can be set with deterioration of the colorimetric accuracy suppressed. Unlike in the first embodiment, the user is not required to input the designation information, whereby the user operation can be reduced.
Note that the first embodiment and the second embodiment can be combined. Specifically, as described in the second embodiment, the host computer 101 presents, to the user, regions that are less likely to be affected by the reflection as the colorimetric regions. When the target color is included in the presented colorimetric regions, the user selects the colorimetric region to be used from the presented colorimetric regions. On the other hand, a configuration may be employed in which when the target color is not included in the presented colorimetric regions, the user can designate the color value of the target color as in the first embodiment. For example, with the configuration of the second embodiment, the colorimetric region with the target color desired by the user may fail to be presented, when the number of colorimetric regions selected by the selection unit 101b is limited. In such a case, a configuration may be employed in which the user designates the color value of the target color as in the first embodiment.
Furthermore, a configuration may be employed in which when the user designates the color value of the target color due to the target color desired by the user not being included in the colorimetric regions selected by the selection unit 101b, the selection criterion for the colorimetric region is relaxed from that before the user designates the color value of the target color. For example, the maximum tolerable color difference ΔE used for the condition related to the color value can be increased, in response to the user designating the color value of the target color. Alternatively, at least one of the first predetermined number to the third predetermined number used for the first condition to the third condition related to the number of sequential pixels may be reduced, in response to the user designating the color value of the target color.
Next, a third embodiment will be explained mainly on differences from the second embodiment.
After the image 501 formed based on the image data is displayed in S101, the user input made by the user for designating the selected region is received in S300. The user designates the selected region by designating a region on the image 501, with a mouse.
As described above, the selection unit 101b selects the colorimetric region in the selected region 506 designated by the user. With a region for selecting the colorimetric region limited within the selected region, the number of colorimetric regions selected by the selection unit 101b can be narrowed down. With the user designating a region including the target color as the selected region, the target color is likely to be included in the colorimetric regions selected by the selection unit 101b. Thus, with a region less likely to be affected by the reflection being selected as the colorimetric region, an appropriate image forming condition can be set with deterioration of the colorimetric accuracy suppressed.
The input/output control unit 101c according to the first to the third embodiments is configured to control the image forming condition based on the result of measuring the color value (detected color information) of the colorimetric region and the data value (color information) of the colorimetric region indicated by the image data. Alternatively, the input/output control unit 101c may be configured to determine whether the color difference between the result of measuring the color value of the colorimetric region acquired from the reading apparatus 160 and a reference color set in advance falls within a tolerable range for example.
The input/output control unit 101c functions as an inspection unit that performs inspection on the tint of the colorimetric region selected by the user. Here, a configuration is employed in which the tolerable range of the color difference can be input by the user. In the following, a print product, output from the image forming apparatus 100, with the color difference between the result of measuring the color value of the colorimetric region and the reference color falling within the tolerable range is referred to as a non-defective product, whereas a print product with the color difference falling outside the tolerable range is referred to as a defective product.
The input/output control unit 101c outputs, to the input/output unit 101d, inspection result information indicating which of the pages of the print products, output from the image forming apparatus 100 based on the print job, is the defective product. The inspection result information may be information indicating which of the pages of the print products, output from the image forming apparatus 100 based on the print job, is the non-defective product.
The CPU 114 of the image forming apparatus 100 may be configured to acquire a result of determining the non-defective product and the defective product (inspection result) from the input/output control unit 101c, and control the conveyance of the sheet in such a manner that the non-defective product and the defective product, conveyed on the conveyance path in the image forming apparatus 100, are discharged onto different trays of the finisher 190.
Miscellaneous
Note that the functions of the host computer 101 described above can be incorporated into the image forming apparatus 100. Specifically, the CPU 114 of the image forming apparatus 100 displays the image, formed based on the image data stored in the HDD 115, on the operation panel 120. The user can operate the operation panel 120 to set the colorimetric region.
The input/output control unit 101c that is configured to acquire the result of measuring the color value of the colorimetric region (inspected color information) in the above description, may be configured to acquire the read data. In this case, the input/output control unit 101c determines the inspected color information indicating the result of measuring the color value of the colorimetric region, based on colorimetric region information indicating the colorimetric region from the read data acquired from the reading apparatus 160.
Embodiment(s) of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-067244, filed Apr. 12, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-067244 | Apr 2021 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17714605 | Apr 2022 | US |
| Child | 18494726 | US |
