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EP-4738809-A1 - INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR INSPECTING PRINT PRODUCT AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING INSPECTION SYSTEM

EP4738809A1EP 4738809 A1EP4738809 A1EP 4738809A1EP-4738809-A1

Abstract

An inspection system includes a storage unit configured to store region information set before a single instruction for transmitting data including an image to be inspected based on the set region information is received. The data sent in response to the single instruction is received via an interface. A controller generates reference data and causes a printing unit to print the image, based on the received data, and inspects a read image generated by reading the printed image, based on the generated reference data and the stored region information.

Inventors

  • OISHI, SHOKO

Assignees

  • Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251030

Claims (17)

  1. An inspection system comprising: a storage unit configured to store region information set before a single instruction for transmitting data including an image to be inspected based on the set region information is received by a computer from a user; an interface configured to receive the data sent in response to the single instruction from the computer; and one or more controllers having one or more processors and one or more memories, the one or more controllers configured to: (a) generate reference data and (b) cause a printing unit to print the image, based on the received data; and inspect a read image generated by reading the printed image, based on the generated reference data and the stored region information.
  2. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs inspection by comparing the generated reference data and the read printed page.
  3. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the reference data is generated from the received data without printing based on the received data.
  4. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the reference data is generated from the received data without using the printing unit.
  5. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein, the one or more controllers is/are configured to, in response to receiving and based on the data, (a) generate reference data and (b) cause a printing unit to print at least one page of images on recording media to create printed media.
  6. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers is/are configured to perform parallel execution of first processing in which the read image is inspected based on the generated reference data and the stored region information, and second processing in which reference data of a page next to a page of the generated image data is generated.
  7. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to receive one print job including at least the received data, and wherein the one print job is a print job for which the set region information is used.
  8. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the one or more controllers is/are further configured to divide the received data included in the one print job into data of a plurality of pages corresponding to the generated reference data, and data of a plurality of pages corresponding to the created printed media.
  9. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the region information is information including an inspection region and an inspection level.
  10. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the data includes images of a plurality of pages, wherein the printed media on which the printing unit has performed printing is print media of a plurality of pages, and wherein the one or more controllers is/are further configured to inspect, based on the generated reference data, each of read images of the plurality of pages formed by reading the created printed media.
  11. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers is/are further configured to perform inspection, whenever reference data of one page is generated, by comparing a read image of a page corresponding to the reference data of the one page, and the reference data of the one page.
  12. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a storage medium for storing data, and wherein the generated reference data is stored in the storage medium.
  13. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers is/are further configured to: determine whether or not the reference data has been generated, and stop execution of the inspection in a case where the reference data has not been generated.
  14. The inspection system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more controllers is/are further configured to: execute the inspection, in a case where it is determined that the reference data has not been generated, and it is determined that the reference data has been generated after the lapse of a predetermined time period from the determination, and stop execution of the inspection, in a case where it is determined that the reference data has not been generated even after the lapse of the predetermined time period from the determination.
  15. The inspection system according to claim 13, wherein, in a case where the execution of the inspection is stopped, the one or more controllers is/are further configured to notify this fact.
  16. The inspection system according to claim 13, further comprising: an image forming unit configured to form images on recording media and create the printed media comprising a plurality of pages; a conveying unit configured to convey the created printed media; and a reading unit configured to read images on each page of the created printed media conveyed by the conveying unit and generate the read image data of the plurality of pages.
  17. A method of controlling an inspection system including: a storage unit configured to store region information set before a single instruction for transmitting data including an image to be inspected based on the set region information is received by a computer from a user, and an interface configured to receive the data sent in response to the single instruction from the computer, the method comprising: (a) generating reference data and (b) causing a print unit to print the image, based on the received data; and inspecting a read image generated by reading the printed image, based on the generated reference data and the stored region information.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to an inspection system that is capable of quickly performing inspection of a print product. BACKGROUND Print products obtained by printing using a printer are sometimes subjected to inspection of quality thereof. In this case, an inspection device compares a read image formed by reading a print product using a scanner or the like and a reference image, and quality inspection is performed on the print product based on a result of the comparison. As the reference image, there is used, for example, a RIP image generated before printing by the printer, a RIP image generated by RIP software, or a like image. For example, in a case where a print product has a stain, a portion corresponding to the statin is reflected on the read image of the print product. Then, in the quality inspection, the read image including the portion corresponding to the stain is compared with the RIP image including no portion corresponding to the stain, so that the inspection result of the print product is no good. Further, the reference image is required to be registered in the inspection device before execution of the equality inspection. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2024-006762 discloses an apparatus that executes a reference image registration job for registering a reference image before the quality inspection. The apparatus described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2024-006762 registers reference images of all pages included in a print job. SUMMARY However, in a case where the apparatus described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2024-006762 is used, it is required to perform job inputting two times, i.e. inputting of a job for reference image registration and inputting of a job for quality inspection. Then, RIP processing for the job of reference image registration (hereinafter referred to as prior RIP processing) and RIP processing for the job of quality inspection (hereinafter referred to as posterior RIP processing) are sequentially executed. For a user who desires quality inspection, there is a problem that time for the prior RIP processing is felt as waiting time until the start of the posterior RIP processing. The waiting time is preferably shorter. The present disclosure is directed to providing an inspection system that is capable of quickly starting inspection of a print product. A first aspect of the present disclosure provides an inspection system as specified in claim 1. Optional features are specified in claim 2 to 16. A second aspect of the present disclosure provides an inspection system as specified in claim 17. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to quickly start inspection of a print product. Features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The following description of embodiments is given by way of example. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an entire configuration of an inspection system according to a first embodiment.FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing hardware configurations of an image forming apparatus, an inspection unit, a large-capacity stacker, an inspection device, an information processing apparatus, a client personal computer (PC), and a reference image generation device.FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing internal configurations of the image forming apparatus, the inspection unit, and the large-capacity stacker.FIGS. 4A to 4D are block diagrams showing functional configurations of central processing units (CPUs) of the information processing apparatus, the image forming apparatus, the reference image generation device, and the inspection device, respectively.FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information related to image allocation.FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process (communication determination process for the reference image generation device) performed by the image forming apparatus.FIG. 7 is a screen for performing an operation for specifying an inspection mode based on job properties of the information processing apparatus.FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a job process performed by the image forming apparatus.FIG. 9A is a flowchart of a synchronization process performed by the reference image generation device for synchronizing with the image forming apparatus.FIG. 9B is a flowchart of a transmission process performed by the reference image generation device for transmitting a reference image to the inspection device.FIG.9C is a flowchart of a transmission process performed by the image forming apparatus for transmitting image allocation information.FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an inspection process performed by the inspection device.FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a process performed between the information processing apparatus, the image forming apparatus, the reference image generation device, the inspection unit, and the inspection devi