KR-20260067346-A - INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR INSPECTING PRINT PRODUCT AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING INSPECTION SYSTEM

KR20260067346AKR 20260067346 AKR20260067346 AKR 20260067346AKR-20260067346-A

Abstract

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

Inventors

오이시 쇼코

Assignees

캐논 가부시끼가이샤

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20251104
Priority Date: 20241105

Claims (17)

As an inspection system, A storage unit configured to store the set area information before a single instruction for transmitting data including an image to be inspected based on the set area information is received by the computer from the user; An interface configured to receive the data transmitted in response to the single instruction from the computer; and It includes one or more controllers having one or more processors and one or more memories, and said one or more controllers: (a) generate reference data, and (b) cause a printing unit to print the image based on the received data; An inspection system configured to inspect a read image generated by reading the printed image based on the generated reference data and the stored area information.
In paragraph 1, The above controller is an inspection system that performs an inspection by comparing the generated reference data with the read printed page.
In paragraph 1, The above reference data is an inspection system that generates data from the received data without printing, based on the received data.
In paragraph 1, The above reference data is an inspection system generated from the received data without using the above printing unit.
In paragraph 1, An inspection system configured such that, in response to receiving the data and based on the data, one or more controllers (a) generate reference data and (b) cause a printing unit to print at least one page of images on a recording medium to create a printed medium.
In paragraph 1, An inspection system configured such that one or more controllers perform in parallel execution of a first process in which the read image is inspected based on the generated reference data and the stored area information, and a second process in which reference data for the page following the page of the generated image data is generated.
In paragraph 1, The above interface is configured to receive at least one print job including the received data, and The above-mentioned printing operation is an inspection system in which the above-mentioned set area information is used.
In Paragraph 7, An inspection system further configured such that the one or more controllers are configured to divide the received data included in the one printing job into a plurality of pages of data corresponding to the generated reference data and a plurality of pages of data corresponding to the created printed medium.
In paragraph 1, The above area information is an inspection system that includes information such as an inspection area and an inspection level.
In paragraph 1, The above data includes images from multiple pages, and The printed medium on which the above printing unit performed printing is a printing medium with multiple pages, and An inspection system further configured such that one or more controllers are configured to inspect each of the read images of the plurality of pages formed by reading a printed medium based on the generated reference data.
In paragraph 1, An inspection system further configured such that the above one or more controllers perform an inspection by comparing the read image of the page corresponding to the reference data of the one page with the reference data of the one page whenever reference data of the one page is generated.
In paragraph 1, It additionally includes a storage medium for storing data, and The inspection system in which the above-generated reference data is stored in the above-mentioned storage medium.
In paragraph 1, The above one or more controllers are: Determine whether the above reference data has been generated, and An inspection system further configured to stop the execution of the inspection when the above reference data is not generated.
In Paragraph 13, The above one or more controllers are: If it is determined that the above reference data has not been generated, and if it is determined that the above reference data has been generated after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the above determination, the above inspection is performed, and An inspection system further configured to stop the execution of the inspection when it is determined from the above determination that the reference data has not been generated even after the expiration of the above-determined time period.
In Paragraph 13, A test system further configured such that, when the execution of the above test is stopped, the one or more controllers notify this fact.
In Paragraph 13, An image forming unit configured to form images on a recording medium and to create the printed medium including a plurality of pages; A return unit configured to return a written printed medium; and An inspection system further comprising a reading unit configured to read images on each page of the written printed medium returned by the above-mentioned return unit and to generate read image data of the plurality of pages.
As a method of controlling an inspection system, the inspection system is, A storage unit configured to store said set area information before a single instruction for transmitting data including an image to be inspected based on the set area information is received by the computer from the user, and It includes an interface configured to receive the data transmitted in response to the single instruction from the computer, and The above method is: (a) generating reference data and (b) causing a printing unit to print the image based on the received data; and A method comprising the step of examining a read image generated by reading the printed image based on the generated reference data and the stored area information.

Description

Inspection system for inspecting printed products, and method of controlling the inspection system The present disclosure relates to an inspection system for performing an inspection of printed materials, and a control method for controlling the inspection system. Printed materials obtained by printing using a printer are sometimes inspected for their quality. In this case, an inspection device compares a read image formed by reading the printed material using a scanner or the like with a reference image, and performs a quality inspection on the printed material based on the comparison result. As the reference image, for example, a RIP image generated before printing by the printer, a RIP image generated by RIP software, or a similar image is used. For example, if the printed material has contamination, the part corresponding to the contamination is reflected in the read image of the printed material. Subsequently, during the quality inspection, the read image containing the part corresponding to the contamination is compared with a RIP image that does not contain the part corresponding to the contamination, and the inspection result of the printed material is found to be unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the reference image needs to be registered with the inspection device before the quality inspection is performed. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-006762 discloses a device for performing a reference image registration operation to register the reference image before the quality inspection. The device described in Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2024-006762 registers reference images of all pages included in a printing operation. However, when using the device described in Japanese Patent Publication (Published) No. 2024-006762, it is necessary to perform two inputs for the operation, namely, input for the operation for registering a reference image and input for the operation for quality inspection. Subsequently, RIP processing for the reference image registration operation (hereinafter referred to as prior RIP processing) and RIP processing for the quality inspection operation (hereinafter referred to as subsequent RIP processing) are executed sequentially. For users who wish to perform quality inspection, there is a problem in that the time for prior RIP processing is perceived as a waiting time until the start of subsequent RIP processing. It is desirable for the waiting time to be shorter. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an inspection system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of an image forming device, an inspection unit, a large-capacity stacker, an inspection device, an information processing device, a client personal computer (PC), and a reference image generating device. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal configurations of an image forming device, an inspection unit, and a large-capacity stacker. FIGS. 4a to 4d are block diagrams illustrating the functional configurations of the central processing units (CPUs) of the information processing device, image forming device, reference image generating device, and inspection device, respectively. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of information related to image allocation. Figure 6 is a flowchart of a process (communication determination process for a reference image generation device) performed by an image forming device. Figure 7 is a screen for performing an operation to specify an inspection mode based on the operation attributes of an information processing device. Figure 8 is a flowchart of the work process performed by the image forming device. FIG. 9a is a flowchart of a synchronization process performed by a reference image generation device and synchronized with an image forming device. FIG. 9b is a flowchart of a transmission process performed by a reference image generation device to transmit a reference image to an inspection device. FIG. 9c is a flowchart of a transmission process performed by an image forming device to transmit image allocation information. Figure 10 is a flowchart of the inspection process performed by the inspection device. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram of a process performed between an information processing device, an image forming device, a reference image generating device, an inspection unit, and an inspection device. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an inspection process performed by an inspection device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a drawing illustrating a screen displayed on a user interface (UI) panel of an inspection device. Figure 14 is a drawing illustrating a screen displayed on the UI panel of an inspection device. Figure 15 is a flowchart of a process (transformation) performed by an inspection device. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a process performed by an inspection device according to a third embodiment. Figure 17 is a flowchart of the proce