Image diagnosis system and image diagnosis method

Abstract

An image diagnostic system and an image diagnostic method, the image diagnostic system including: an operation unit configured to display information; an image forming unit including a plurality of portions and configured to form an image on the sheet; a reading unit configured to read the image formed by the image forming unit; a display control unit configured to cause the operation unit to display a screen for receiving an instruction to start image diagnosis; and a diagnosis unit configured to cause the image forming unit to form a diagnosis image on the sheet if the operation unit receives an instruction to start the image diagnosis, cause the reading unit to read the diagnosis image formed and output by the image forming unit, and cause the diagnosis unit to start the image diagnosis if the operation unit receives the instruction to start the image diagnosis. And diagnosing a faulty portion of the image forming unit based on the read image, in which the screen includes a display of a number of output sheets with a diagnosis image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an image diagnosis system and an image diagnosis method. Background Art

[0002] An image diagnosis technology for an image forming device including a printing unit and an image reading unit is known, wherein the image reading unit reads a diagram for diagnosis (diagnostic diagram) printed by the printing unit to diagnose a faulty part in the image forming device according to image data obtained by reading the diagnostic diagram. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-133020 discusses a technology for reading an image on a recording medium on which patterns each including a horizontal strip diagram and a vertical strip diagram are printed, and identifying items requiring image diagnosis based on the read image. Summary of the invention

[0003] However, the technology discussed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-133020 does not include a means for notifying the user of the number of diagnostic charts to be printed before printing the diagnostic charts. Therefore, since the user does not know the number of diagnostic charts to be printed before printing the diagnostic charts, image diagnosis may be interrupted due to running out of sheets during the printing of the diagnostic charts.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, an image diagnosis system includes: an operation unit, which is configured to display information; an image forming unit, which includes multiple parts and is configured to form an image on a sheet; a reading unit, which is configured to read the image formed by the image forming unit; a display control unit, which is configured to cause the operation unit to display a screen for receiving an instruction to start image diagnosis; and a diagnosis unit, which is configured to cause the image forming unit to form a diagnostic image on the sheet if the operation unit receives an instruction to start the image diagnosis, cause the reading unit to read the diagnostic image formed and output by the image forming unit, and diagnose a faulty part of the image forming unit based on the read image, wherein the screen includes a display of the number of output sheets with diagnostic images.

[0005] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network configuration including a printing system according to the first exemplary embodiment.

[0007] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus.

[0008] Figure 3is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of an image forming apparatus, an external controller, and a client personal computer (PC).

[0009] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of image diagnosis processing.

[0010] Figure 5 : is a figure which shows an example of the diagnosis item selection screen.

[0011] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen displaying the number of test charts to be used for image diagnosis processing.

[0012] Figure 7 : is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen displaying the number of test patterns to be used for an auto-recovery process.

[0013] Figure 8 is a diagram schematically showing a table for calculating the number of test charts to be used for image diagnosis processing.

[0014] Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a table for calculating the number of test patterns to be used for automatic recovery processing.

[0015] Fig.10 is a diagram showing an example of a test chart used for image diagnosis processing.

[0016] Fig.11 : is a figure which shows an example of the diagnosis item selection screen.

[0017] Fig.12 : is a diagram showing an example of a notification screen that displays the range of the number of test charts to be used for image diagnosis processing in a modified example of the first exemplary embodiment.

[0018] Fig.13 : is a diagram showing an example of a warning message screen displayed when notifying the number of test charts used for image diagnosis processing according to a modified example of the first exemplary embodiment.

[0019] Fig.14 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a simple image diagnosis process according to the second exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0021] <Overall system structure>

[0022] Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration including a printing system (image diagnosis system) according to the first exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the printing system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 101 and an external controller 102. The image forming apparatus 101 and the external controller 102 are communicably connected via an internal local area network (LAN) 105 and a video cable 106. The external controller 102 is communicably connected to a client personal computer (PC) 103 via an external LAN 104.

[0023] The client PC 103 can issue a print instruction to the external controller 102 via the external LAN 104. A printer driver is installed in the client PC 103, and the printer driver has a function of converting image data used as a print processing target into a page description language (PDL) that can be processed by the external controller 102. A user who wants to print can issue a print instruction from various applications installed in the client PC 103 via the printer driver by operating the client PC 103. The printer driver sends the PDL data used as print data to the external controller 102 based on the print instruction from the user. When receiving the PDL data from the client PC 103, the external controller 102 analyzes and interprets the received PDL data. The external controller 102 performs rasterization processing based on the result of the interpretation, generates a bitmap image (print image data) with a resolution suitable for the image forming device 101, and issues a print instruction to the image forming device 101 by inputting a print job.

[0024] Next, a description will be given of the image forming apparatus 101. The image forming apparatus 101 is configured in which a plurality of devices (units) having different functions are connected to one another to enable complex printing processing such as bookbinding.

[0025] The image forming apparatus 101 includes a printing unit 107 (image forming unit), a diagnosis unit 108, a stacker 109, and a finisher 110. Next, each module will be described.

[0026] The printing unit 107 prints an image based on a print job, and discharges a printed recording material. The printed recording material discharged from the printing unit 107 is sequentially conveyed through the diagnosis unit 108, the stacker 109, and the finisher 110. In the present exemplary embodiment, the image forming device 101 of the printing system 100 is an example of an image forming device, and the printing unit 107 included in the image forming device 101 may be referred to as an image forming device in some cases. The printing unit 107 forms (prints) an image on a recording material fed and conveyed from a sheet feeding unit arranged at the lower part of the printing unit 107 using toner (color material).

[0027] The diagnosis unit 108 is a device that performs diagnosis to determine whether a faulty part of the image forming device 101 exists based on a printed recording material on which an image is printed by the printing unit 107 and conveyed through a conveying path. More specifically, the diagnosis unit 108 reads an image printed on the conveyed printed recording material and performs diagnosis based on the read image. The fault diagnosis is determined by extracting a diagnosis area from the read image and checking the difference between the read signal values ​​in the extracted diagnosis area. The details of the processing of the diagnosis unit 108 will be described below. However, the use of the diagnosis unit 108 is not limited to the above example. The diagnosis unit 108 may also have an inspection function for checking whether a printing defect of the printed recording material exists.

[0028] The stacker 109 is a device capable of stacking a large amount of printed recording materials. The finisher 110 is a device capable of performing finishing processing (such as stapling processing, punching processing, and saddle stitching processing) on ​​the conveyed printed recording materials.

[0029] The recording material processed by the finisher 110 is discharged to a predetermined discharge tray.

[0030] exist Figure 1 In the configuration example of FIG. 1 , the external controller 102 is connected to the image forming apparatus 101, but the present exemplary embodiment can also be applied to a different configuration. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the image forming apparatus 101 is connected to the external LAN 104, and print data is sent from the client PC 103 to the image forming apparatus 101 without the external controller 102. In this case, data analysis and rasterization processing are performed on the print data by the image forming apparatus 101.

[0031] <Hardware Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus>

[0032] Figure 2 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 101. Figure 2 , a specific operation example of the image forming apparatus 101 will be described.

[0033] <Sheet Feeding Stage>

[0034] The printing unit 107 is provided with a plurality of sheet feeding decks. In the present exemplary embodiment, the printing unit 107 is provided with six decks, namely, a sheet feeding deck 361, a sheet feeding deck 362, a sheet feeding deck 363, a sheet feeding deck 364, a sheet feeding deck 365, and a sheet feeding deck 366. In the sheet feeding decks 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, and 366, various types of recording materials (sheets) are stored. In each of the sheet feeding decks 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, and 366, the uppermost recording material of the recording materials stored in the sheet feeding decks is separated one by one and fed to the conveying path 303. In addition, the printing unit 107 obtains the sheet information of the stored sheets based on the sensors provided on each of the sheet feeding stages 361, 362, 363, 364, 365 and 366 and the instructions from the user. The sheet information in the present exemplary embodiment includes sheet size, basis weight, surface properties and paper color. The printing unit 107 obtains these sheet information and stores them in a hard disk drive (HDD) (described below). The sheet size is the finished dimension of the sheet defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 216. In the present exemplary embodiment, in addition to the A size series and the B size series, the printing unit 107 can also determine the photo paper size series. The basis weight is information represented by the weight of the cardboard used as a sheet reference, and is per 1m 2 In this exemplary embodiment, the basis weight is divided into four levels: 79 g / m 2 or smaller (thin paper), 80g / m 2 or larger and 127g / m 2 or smaller (plain paper), 128g / m 2 or larger and 200g / m 2 or smaller (thick paper) and 201g / m 2 or greater (thick paper 2). The surface property is information indicating the difference in sheet type due to the unevenness of the sheet surface. In the present exemplary embodiment, there are seven types of sheets, namely, premium paper, single-sided coated paper, double-sided coated paper, matte coated paper, embossed paper, film paper, and recycled paper.

[0035] Finally, the paper color is information indicating the whiteness of paper as defined by, for example, ISO 12470, and in the present exemplary embodiment, paper having a whiteness of 70% or more is determined as white paper, and paper having a whiteness of less than 70% is determined as colored paper. An illustrative example of sheet information held in the printing unit 107 is shown in Table 1 below.

[0036] The printing unit 107 uses a sensor to read the position of a guide (not shown) in each sheet feeding stage 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, and 366 to automatically acquire the sheet size. Other information is acquired via a sheet information change screen (described below) on which the user selects and inputs information. In the present exemplary embodiment, a description is given of an example in which only a part of the sheet information is acquired using sensors provided in each sheet feeding stage 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, and 366, but is not limited to the above example. For example, the printing unit 107 may be configured to pass a sheet stored in a sheet feeding stage and determine the sheet information based on an image read by a reading device (described below).

[0037] Table 1

[0038] Station ID Sheet size Basis Weight Surface properties Paper Color 1 A3 <![CDATA[80-90g / m 2 ]]> High-quality paper White 2 A4 <![CDATA[80-90g / m 2 ]]> High-quality paper color 3 A4 <![CDATA[129-150g / m 2 ]]> Embossed paper White 4 A3 <![CDATA[52-63g / m 2 ]]> High-quality paper White 5 A3 <![CDATA[129-150g / m 2 ]]> Single-sided coated paper White 6 13×19 <![CDATA[80-90g / m 2 ]]> High-quality paper White

[0039] Table 1 holds the station identification (ID) and sheet information for each of the six sheet feeding stages 361 to 366. In addition, the determination level for determining the sheet information is not limited to the above example. The determination level may only need to have a sufficient resolution or a higher resolution (which will be described below) that allows determination of whether the consistency condition of the test chart for image diagnosis is met, and a finer classification level may be used to determine the sheet information. As a more ideal example, an example in which a sensor is provided in each of the sheet feeding stages 361 to 366 to automatically acquire information is described above, but the user may register the sheet information by himself.

[0040] In addition, the image forming stations 304 to 307 each include a photosensitive drum (photosensitive member), and form a toner image on the photosensitive drum using toners of different colors. More specifically, the image forming stations 304 to 307 form toner images using yellow (Y) toner, magenta (M) toner, cyan (C) toner, and black (K) toner, respectively.

[0041] The color toner images formed by the image forming stations 304 to 307 are sequentially transferred (primary transfer) onto the intermediate transfer belt 308 in an overlapping manner. The toner images transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 308 are conveyed to the secondary transfer position 309 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 308. At the secondary transfer position 309, the toner images are transferred (secondary transfer) from the intermediate transfer belt 308 onto the recording material conveyed through the conveying path 303. The recording material subjected to the secondary transfer is conveyed to the fixing unit 311. The fixing unit 311 is provided with a pressure roller and a heating roller. While the recording material passes between the pressure roller and the heating roller, a fixing process of fixing the toner image onto the recording material is performed by applying heat and pressure to the recording material. The recording material having passed through the fixing unit 311 is conveyed to the connection point 315 between the printing unit 107 and the diagnosis unit 108 through the conveying path 312'. In this way, a color image is formed (printed) on the recording material.

[0042] In the case where further fixing processing is required according to the type of recording material, the recording material that has passed through the fixing unit 311 is guided to the conveying path 314, on which the fixing unit 313 is arranged. The fixing unit 313 also performs fixing processing on the recording material conveyed through the conveying path 314. The recording material that has passed through the fixing unit 313 is conveyed to the connection point 315. In addition, in the case of setting an operation mode for double-sided printing, an image is printed on the first side of the recording material, and the recording material printed with the image is conveyed through the conveying path 312 or the conveying path 314 and guided to the reversing path 316. The recording material reversed in the reversing path 316 is guided to the double-sided conveying path 317 and conveyed to the secondary transfer position 309. In this way, at the secondary transfer position 309, the toner image is transferred to the second side opposite to the first side of the recording material. Then, after the recording material has passed through the fixing unit 311 (and the fixing unit 313), the formation of the color image on the second side of the recording material is completed.

[0043] The printed recording material on which image formation (printing) by the printing unit 107 has been completed is conveyed to the connection point 315 and then conveyed to the diagnosis unit 108 .

[0044] The diagnosis unit 108 is equipped with an image reading unit 331 and an image reading unit 332, each of which includes a contact image sensor (CIS) on a conveying path 330 through which the printed recording material is conveyed from the printing unit 107. The image reading units 331 and 332 are arranged at relative positions across the conveying path 330. The image reading units 331 and 332 are configured to read the upper surface (first side) and the lower surface (second side) of the recording material, respectively. In addition, each of the image reading units 331 and 332 can be configured by, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor or a line scan camera instead of a CIS.

[0045] The diagnosis unit 108 performs image diagnosis processing (image diagnosis) based on the image printed on the recording material being conveyed through the conveying path 330 to determine whether there is a faulty portion of the image forming apparatus 101. More specifically, the diagnosis unit 108 performs a reading process of reading the image of the printed recording material using the image reading units 331 and 332 at the timing when the printed recording material being conveyed through the conveying path 330 reaches a predetermined position.

[0046] The diagnosis unit 108 performs image diagnosis processing based on an image diagnosis processing instruction from a user. It is desirable to perform image diagnosis processing at a timing such as before a print job starts or when a print defect has occurred continuously. The recording material that has passed through the diagnosis unit 108 is then conveyed to the stacker 109.

[0047] The stacker 109 is provided with a stacking tray 341 for stacking the printed recording material conveyed from the diagnosis unit 108 arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the printed recording material. The printed recording material having passed through the diagnosis unit 108 is conveyed through a conveying path 344 in the stacker 109. The printed recording material conveyed through the conveying path 344 is guided to the conveying path 345 and stacked on the stacking tray 341.

[0048] The stacker 109 also includes an escape tray 346 as a sheet discharge tray. In the present exemplary embodiment, the escape tray 346 is used to discharge a recording material on which a test chart for image diagnosis of the diagnosis unit 108 is recorded. The printed recording material conveyed through the conveying path 344 is guided to the conveying path 347 to be conveyed to the escape tray 346. The printed recording material conveyed without being stacked on the stacking tray 341 or being discharged to the escape tray 346 in the stacker 109 is conveyed to the finisher 110 arranged at a subsequent stage through the conveying path 348.

[0049] The stacker 109 further includes a reversing section 349 for reversing the conveying direction of the printed recording material. For example, the reversing section 349 is used to match the direction of the recording material input to the stacker 109 with the direction of the printed recording material stacked on the stacking tray 341 and to be output from the stacker 109. In addition, for the printed recording material that is not stacked in the stacker 109 but conveyed to the finisher 110, the reversing operation at the reversing section 349 is not performed.

[0050] The finisher 110 performs a finishing function specified by a user on the printed recording material conveyed from the diagnostic unit 108 arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the printed recording material. In the present exemplary embodiment, the finisher 110 has finishing functions such as a stapling function (one or two position stapling), a punching function (two or three holes), and a saddle stitching function. The finisher 110 is provided with two discharge trays 351 and a discharge tray 352. In the case where the finisher 110 does not perform a finishing process, the printed recording material conveyed to the finisher 110 is discharged to the discharge tray 351 through the conveying path 353. In the case where the finisher 110 performs a finishing process such as a stapling process, the printed recording material conveyed to the finisher 110 is guided to the conveying path 354. The finisher 110 performs a finishing process specified by a user on the printed recording material conveyed through the conveying path 354 using the finishing processing unit 355, and discharges the printed recording material subjected to the finishing process to the discharge tray 352.

[0051] <Functional structure>

[0052] Figure 3 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 101 , the external controller 102 , and the client PC 103 .

[0053] The printing unit 107 of the image forming apparatus 101 includes a communication interface (I / F) 201, a network I / F 204, a video I / F 205, a central processing unit (CPU) 206, a memory 207, a hard disk drive (HDD) unit 208, and a user interface (UI) display unit 225. The printing unit 107 also includes an image processing unit 202 and a printing unit 203. These components are connected to each other so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other via a system bus 209. The communication I / F 201 is connected to the diagnosis unit 108, the stacker 109, and the finisher 110 via a communication cable 260. The CPU 206 communicates via the communication I / F 201 to control the apparatus. The network I / F 204 is connected to the external controller 102 via the internal LAN 105, and is used to communicate control data with the external controller 102, etc. The video I / F 205 is connected to the external controller 102 via the video cable 106, and is used to communicate data such as image data with the external controller 102. In addition, the printing unit 107 (image forming device 101) and the external controller 102 may be connected only via the video cable 106 as long as the external controller 102 can control the operation of the image forming device 101. The HDD unit 208 stores various programs or data. The CPU 206 executes the program stored in the HDD unit 208 to control the overall operation of the entire printing unit 107. The memory 207 stores the programs and data required when the CPU 206 performs various processes. The memory 207 operates as a work area of ​​the CPU 206. The UI display unit 225 is used to receive inputs of various settings and instructions for operation from the user, and display various information such as setting information and print job processing status. For example, the UI display unit 225 receives various instructions such as diagnosis execution instructions, diagnosis settings, and sheet information settings from the user.

[0054] The diagnosis unit 108 includes a communication I / F 211, a CPU 214, a memory 215, an HDD unit 216, image reading units 331 and 332, and a UI display unit 241. These devices are connected to each other so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other via a system bus 219. The communication I / F 211 is connected to the printing unit 107 via a communication cable 260. The CPU 214 performs communication required to control the diagnosis unit 108 via the communication I / F 211. The CPU 214 executes a control program stored in the memory 215 to control the operation of the diagnosis unit 108. The memory 215 stores a control program for the diagnosis unit 108. The image reading units 331 and 332 read images on both sides of the conveyed recording material based on an instruction of the CPU 214. The CPU 214 diagnoses whether a faulty part of the image forming apparatus 101 exists based on the diagnostic images read by the image reading units 331 and 332. The UI display unit 241 is used to display, for example, a diagnosis result and a setting screen. The UI display unit 241 also functions as an operation unit, is operated by a user, and receives various instructions from the user such as an instruction to change the settings of the diagnosis unit 108 and an execution instruction of image diagnosis. The HDD unit 216 stores image data and various setting information required for image diagnosis. The various setting information and image data stored in the HDD unit 216 are reusable.

[0055] The stacker 109 controls the printed recording material conveyed through the conveying path to be discharged to the stack tray 341 or the discharge tray 346 , or to be conveyed to the finisher 110 connected on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the printed recording material.

[0056] The finisher 110 controls conveyance and discharge of printed recording materials, and performs finishing processing such as stapling, punching, and saddle stitching on the printed recording materials.

[0057] The external controller 102 includes a CPU 251, a memory 252, an HDD unit 253, a keyboard 256, a display unit 254, network I / Fs 255 and 257, and a video I / F 258. These devices are connected to each other via a system bus 259 so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other. The CPU 251 executes a program stored in the HDD unit 253 to control the overall operation of the entire external controller 102, such as receiving print data from the client PC 103, raster image processor (RIP) processing, and sending print data to the image forming apparatus 101. The memory 252 stores programs and data required when the CPU 251 performs various processes. The memory 252 operates as a work area of ​​the CPU 251.

[0058] The HDD unit 253 stores various programs and data. The keyboard 256 is used to input operation instructions to the external controller 102 by the user. The display unit 254 is, for example, a display, and is used to display information about the application being executed in the external controller 102 and an operation screen. The network I / F 255 is connected to the client PC 103 via the external LAN 104, and is used to communicate data such as a print instruction with the client PC 103. The network I / F 257 is connected to the image forming device 101 via the internal LAN 105, and is used to communicate data such as a print instruction with the image forming device 101. The external controller 102 is configured to communicate with the printing unit 107, the diagnostic unit 108, the stacker 109, and the finisher 110 via the internal LAN 105 and the communication cable 260. The video I / F 258 is connected to the image forming device 101 via the video cable 106, and is used to communicate data such as image data (print data) with the image forming device 101.

[0059] The client PC 103 includes a CPU 261, a memory 262, an HDD unit 263, a display unit 264, a keyboard 265, and a network I / F 266. These devices are connected to each other so as to be able to send and receive data to and from each other via a system bus 269. The CPU 261 executes a program stored in the HDD unit 263 to control the operation of the device via the system bus 269. In this way, various processes are implemented by the client PC 103. For example, the CPU 261 executes a document processing program stored in the HDD unit 263 to generate print data and issue a print instruction. The memory 262 stores programs and data required when the CPU 261 performs various processes. The memory 262 operates as a work area of ​​the CPU 261.

[0060] For example, the HDD unit 263 stores various applications such as a document processing program, programs such as a printer driver, and various data. The display unit 264 is, for example, a display, and is used to display information about the application being executed in the client PC 103 and an operation screen. The keyboard 265 is used to input an operation instruction to the client PC 103 by the user. The network I / F 266 is communicably connected to the external controller 102 via the external LAN 104. The CPU 261 communicates with the external controller 102 via the network I / F 266.

[0061] <Image Diagnosis Processing>

[0062] Will refer to Figures 4 to 11 The image diagnosis process according to the present exemplary embodiment is described. Figure 41 is a flowchart showing a printing operation procedure performed by the printing unit 107 and an image diagnosis processing procedure performed by the diagnosis unit 108 . Figure 4 The entire flow from the operation before the start of image diagnosis to the execution of diagnosis is shown. The CPU 206 of the printing unit 107 and the CPU 214 of the diagnosis unit 108 are executed. Figure 4 The processing in each step.

[0063] In step S401, the printing system 100 receives an instruction for image diagnosis from a user or a service person via the UI display unit 241 which also serves as an operation unit, and checks the settings for the image diagnosis process. In the present exemplary embodiment, the timing for starting the image diagnosis process is, for example, the timing after the main body is powered on and started. After starting, the printing system 100 displays a notification to the user on at least one of the UI display unit 241, the display unit 254 of the external controller 102, and the UI display unit 225 of the printing unit 107 to prompt the user to issue an instruction to start diagnosis. However, the timing for starting the image diagnosis process is not limited to the above example. In the case where the printing system 100 also has an inspection function for checking whether a printing defect of a printed recording material exists and the printing defect is continuously detected by the inspection function, the printing system 100 can prompt the user to start the image diagnosis process. In addition, in addition to the timing of the start of the main body, the time for displaying a notification prompting the execution of the image diagnosis process can be set on the timer, and the notification can be displayed at the set time.

[0064] When the user confirms the notification prompting the user to start diagnosis, CPU 214 displays a screen for receiving selection of diagnostic conditions from the user on UI display unit 241 , receives the selection of diagnostic conditions, and holds the received diagnostic conditions in HDD unit 216 . Figure 5 2 is a schematic diagram of a screen for receiving diagnostic conditions from a user. As diagnostic items, the CPU 214 allows the user to select the shape of each defect to be diagnosed, and the color material to be diagnosed for each shape of the defect. Figure 5 As shown, the CPU 214 prepares check boxes for the respective conditions, and holds the conditions checked when the user presses the next button 501 as diagnosis conditions in the HDD unit 216. When the diagnosis conditions are held, the process proceeds to step S402, where a sheet feeding stage is selected.

[0065] In step S402, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 receives selection of a sheet feeding stage storing sheets for printing a test chart for diagnosis (diagnostic image). The CPU 251 displays a screen for receiving selection of a position of a sheet feeding stage mounted on the image forming apparatus 101 on the UI display unit 241. The user selects the position of the sheet feeding stage storing sheets for printing a test chart from among the sheet feeding stages 361 to 366 mounted on the image forming apparatus 101.

[0066] In step S403, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 performs calculation processing of the number of test charts required for image diagnosis. In the calculation processing of the number of test charts, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 calculates the number of test charts to be output by the test chart printing processing in step S406 based on the image diagnosis conditions. The details of the calculation processing of the number of test charts required for image diagnosis are described below.

[0067] In step S404, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 notifies the user of the number of test patterns. For example, by controlling to display the number of test patterns on the UI display unit 241, Figure 6 The screen shown in step S404 is displayed, and control is performed to display the number of test charts (the number of output sheets) calculated in step S403 in area 601 to notify the number of test charts. Then, the process proceeds to step S405 to receive an image diagnosis start instruction or an image diagnosis cancel instruction. Through this process, the user can confirm the number of test charts to be output before starting to output the test charts for image diagnosis.

[0068] In step S405, the CPU 214 receives an image diagnosis start instruction or an image diagnosis cancel instruction. For example, by pressing Figure 6 The image diagnosis start instruction is given by pressing the start button 602 shown in FIG. 4. In step S405, if the CPU 214 receives the image diagnosis start instruction ("Yes" in step S405), the process proceeds to step S406. In step S406, the CPU 214 starts printing a test chart. For example, by pressing Figure 6 The image diagnosis cancel instruction is given by pressing the cancel button 603 shown. When the CPU 214 receives the image diagnosis cancel instruction (NO in step S405), the process proceeds to step S419. In step S419, the CPU 214 displays measures, and then the image diagnosis process ends.

[0069] In step S406, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 reads a pre-stored test chart, rasterizes the read test chart into a bitmap, and generates a rasterized bitmap of the test chart as a reference image. The test chart is an image used to diagnose a malfunction of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter, also referred to as a test image). Fig.10 1001 is a diagram showing an example of a test chart used for image diagnosis processing according to the present exemplary embodiment. Image portion 1001 shows an area where an image is formed using a color material. For example, image portion 1001 is a monochrome image having an image area ratio of 50%, and based on the number of sheets calculated in step S403, a total of four types of test charts are printed using each of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). CPU 251 sends rasterized bitmap data of the test chart from video I / F 258 to video I / F 205 of printing unit 107 via video cable 106. CPU 206 of printing unit 107 performs halftone processing on the bitmap data of the test chart received by video I / F 205, and prints the test chart based on the image data after the halftone processing in printing unit 203. In addition, the construction of the test chart is merely an example and is not limited to the above example. Under the condition that a defect or malfunction of the printing unit 107 is made apparent or apparent by utilizing a difference image (described below), the ratio and area ratio between the image portion 1001 and the non-image portion may be different, and the image portion 1001 may be an image portion using two or more color materials.

[0070] In step S407, the CPU 214 of the diagnosis unit 108 performs processing for reading the printed test chart by the image reading units 331 and 332. The image of the read test chart is stored as a diagnosis image in the HDD unit 216 of the diagnosis unit 108. After the diagnosis image is stored, the process proceeds to step S408.

[0071] In step S408, the CPU 214 compares the reference image and the read image to determine a malfunction of the printing unit 107. In the present exemplary embodiment, the CPU 214 compares the reference image and each of the read images to calculate a difference.

[0072] When the calculated difference value exceeds a predetermined threshold, the CPU 214 determines that a difference exists and sets "1" as the difference image data. On the other hand, when the calculated difference value is lower than the threshold, "0" is set as the difference image data.

[0073] In addition, the calculation method of the difference image data is not limited to the above example. In the present exemplary embodiment, a description is given of an example in which a reference image and a read image are compared to calculate a difference value. However, an average value may be calculated based on the read image, and the difference value may be calculated using the average value as a reference signal. Alternatively, a value that can be estimated as a reference signal may be maintained in advance in the HDD unit 216. In addition, the diagnosis unit 108 may include a correction unit for correcting the nonlinearity between the signal value and the brightness of the read image obtained by the image reading unit 331 to calculate the difference image data after correcting the signal value of the read image. The CPU 214 stores the difference image data as binary data indicating whether there is a difference in the HDD unit 216, and then the process proceeds to step S409.

[0074] When the generation of the difference image data is completed, in step S409, the CPU 214 determines whether the image forming device 101 is operating normally. The determination is made based on whether there is data including "1" in the difference image data. In the case where the CPU 214 determines that the image forming device 101 is operating normally ("Yes" in step S409), the processing proceeds to step S417. In step S417, the CPU 214 displays the diagnosis result "No Problem" indicating that the diagnosis result is normal on the UI display unit 241 of the diagnosis unit 108. On the other hand, in the case where the CPU 214 determines that the image forming device 101 is not operating normally, that is, if the difference image data includes "1" ("No" in step S409), the processing proceeds to step S410. In the processing performed in step S410 and subsequent steps, the CPU 214 identifies defective components in the image forming device 101 based on the read image data and the difference image data, and indicates measures.

[0075] In step S410, the CPU 214 extracts a feature amount for identifying a defective or faulty component in the printing unit 107 based on the read image data and the difference image data. The CPU 214 extracts the feature of the difference from the read image corresponding to the difference area determined as "there is a difference", which is calculated based on the difference image data in step S408. Examples of the feature information of the difference area obtained by this extraction process include color material information indicating in which color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black the defect has occurred. In addition, examples of the difference information of the difference area include contrast information, in which the defect density contrast is indicated by a positive or negative value indicating whether the difference is in the direction of increasing density (+ direction) or in the direction of decreasing density (- direction). In addition, examples of the feature information of the difference area include size information such as the width (size in the main scanning direction) and height (size in the sub-scanning direction) of the defect, and shape information such as a dot shape, a vertical stripe shape, and a horizontal stripe shape. Examples of the feature information of the difference area also include coordinate information indicating a position in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the test chart in the printing unit 107, and period information indicating that a similar defect having the feature is periodically generated in the conveyance direction of the test chart in the printing unit 107. The CPU 214 stores the extracted features in the HDD unit 216, and the process proceeds to step S411.

[0076] In step S411, the CPU 214 identifies the components (regions) causing the image defect in the printing unit 107 and the image reading unit 331 based on the characteristic information of the difference regions obtained in step S410. The CPU 214 selects a combination of difference regions of the same color having the highest similarity from among the difference regions, and identifies which component causes the failure based on the cycle information of the selected combination.

[0077] In step S412, the CPU 214 determines measures for the image defect based on the components causing the image defect identified in step S411. Measures are classified into measures that allow automatic recovery (automatically recoverable measures) and measures that do not allow automatic recovery (non-automatically recoverable measures). Examples of automatically recoverable measures include automatically recoverable measures in the printing unit 107, such as cleaning the wire or grid of the corona charger, which is a charging unit for the photosensitive drum provided in each image forming station 304 to 307 of the printing unit 107. There are the following two examples as non-automatically recoverable measures. First, for example, there are measures that require user work, such as cleaning the dirty reading glass surface of the image reading units 331 and 332 of the diagnosis unit 108, and adjusting the recording material to be used, or measures that require work of a service person, such as replacing parts. Second, for example, there are measures for reading abnormalities of the image reading units 331 and 332, or measures for fibers or foreign particles included in the recording material before image formation.

[0078] Next, in step S413, the CPU 214 determines whether the measure determined in step S412 is an automatically restorable measure. In a case where the CPU 214 determines that the measure is an automatically restorable measure (YES in step S413), the process proceeds to step S414.

[0079] In step S414, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 performs a calculation process of the number of test patterns (images for restoration) required for automatic restoration (automatic correction). In the calculation process of the number of test patterns, the CPU 251 calculates the number of test patterns to be output in the automatic restoration process in step S418 based on the automatic restoration condition. The details of the calculation process of the number of test patterns will be described below.

[0080] In step S415, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 notifies the number of test patterns required for automatic recovery. For example, by displaying the number of test patterns on the UI display unit 241. Figure 7 The screen shown notifies the number of test patterns by displaying the number of test patterns calculated in step S414 in area 701. Then, the process proceeds to step S416, and the CPU 214 receives an instruction to start or cancel automatic recovery. Through this process, the user can confirm the number of test patterns to be output before the test patterns for automatic recovery start to be output.

[0081] In step S416, the CPU 214 receives an automatic recovery start instruction or an automatic recovery cancel instruction. For example, by pressing Figure 7The automatic recovery start instruction is given by pressing the start button 702 shown in FIG. 214. In the case where the CPU 214 receives the automatic recovery start instruction ("Yes" in step S416), the process proceeds to step S418 to start printing a test chart. Figure 7 The automatic recovery cancel instruction is given by pressing the cancel button 703 shown. In the case where the CPU 214 receives the automatic recovery cancel instruction (NO in step S416), the process proceeds to step S419, measures are displayed, and then the image diagnosis process ends.

[0082] In step S418, the CPU 214 executes automatic recovery control to correct the cause of the image defect.

[0083] On the other hand, in the case where the CPU 214 determines that the measure determined in step S413 is not an automatically recoverable measure ("No" in step S413), the process proceeds to step S419. In step S419, the CPU 214 displays the image diagnosis result and the measure method on the UI display unit 241 of the diagnosis unit 108. In the case where any of the processes in step S417, step S418, and step S419 is completed, Figure 4 The shown flow (flow of the image diagnosis process) ends.

[0084] <Calculation of the number of test charts required for image diagnosis>

[0085] In step S403, the CPU 251 calculates the number of test images required for image diagnosis based on the diagnostic conditions. In the present exemplary embodiment, the diagnostic conditions include diagnostic item information, diagnostic color information, sheet size information, and model type information. In the present exemplary embodiment, the CPU 214 receives a designation of a defect shape as a diagnostic item. Examples of defect shapes include three types, namely vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, and dots. In the diagnosis based on vertical stripes, the diagnostic unit 108 diagnoses the defects of the stripes in the sub-scanning direction to identify the components causing the defects. Since there is no need to check the periodicity, only one image is required for each diagnostic color. On the other hand, in the diagnosis based on horizontal stripes and the diagnosis based on dots, since it is necessary to check the periodicity, it is necessary to output multiple test images in some cases. The number of test images required to determine the periodicity varies according to the component cycle of the printing unit 107, and also varies according to the length of the sheet used in the sub-scanning direction.

[0086] Therefore, the CPU 214 determines the number of sheets by referring to a table of diagnosis conditions held in advance. Figure 8801 and 802. It is a schematic diagram showing a table for determining the number of required sheets based on diagnostic item information, diagnostic color information, sheet size information, and model information. For example, for model A, in the case where the diagnostic condition is set to use A4 sheets to diagnose horizontal stripes of cyan (C), the CPU 214 determines the number of required sheets to be 15 with reference to field 801. In the case where multiple conditions are ON, the CPU 214 determines the number of required sheets by adding the number of required sheets for all conditions. For example, for model A, in the case where the diagnostic condition is set to use A4 sheets to diagnose horizontal stripes of cyan (C) and black (K), the CPU 214 determines the number of required sheets to be 30 by adding the number of sheets (i.e., 15 sheets and 15 sheets) with reference to field 801 and field 802. On the other hand, even in the case where the conditions are different, if the test chart to be used is the same and only the number of sheets is different, the CPU 214 selects the larger number of sheets without adding the number of sheets as the number of required sheets. For example, for Model A, in the case where the diagnosis condition is set to use A4 sheets for diagnosis of vertical streaks and cyan (C) dots, the number of sheets required for vertical streak diagnosis is 1 sheet as shown in field 803, and the number of sheets required for dot diagnosis is 15 sheets as shown in field 804. In the case where the graphs used for these diagnoses are the same but the number of sheets is different, the CPU 214 determines that the number of sheets required is 15 sheets, which is the larger number of sheets between them. In this case, the first sheet to be output can be used for vertical streak diagnosis, and the first to fifteenth sheets can be used for dot diagnosis.

[0087] The method of setting the diagnosis conditions is not limited to the method of referring to the table, and any method can be used as long as the number of required sheets can be calculated. For example, the number of sheets can be calculated by pre-holding component information of each model type.

[0088] In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, the example of specifying the defect shape is described as a diagnostic item, but the component to be diagnosed can be selected. For example, diagnostic target components such as "photosensitive drum" and "intermediate transfer belt" can be displayed on the UI as diagnostic items, and the number of required test charts can be calculated and displayed according to the component selected by the user.

[0089] <Calculation Process of the Number of Test Patterns Required for Automatic Recovery>

[0090] In step S414, the CPU 251 calculates the number of test images required for automatic recovery based on the recovery conditions. In the present exemplary embodiment, the recovery conditions include automatic recovery item information, sheet size information, and model type information. In the present exemplary embodiment, the CPU 251 receives the determination result indicating the automatically recoverable measures obtained in step S412 as the automatic recovery item. According to the automatic recovery item information, the sheet size information, and the model type information, the number of test images required for automatic recovery is different. For example, in the case where the cause of the dot is the photosensitive drum and the photosensitive drum is recovered by idling of the photosensitive drum, a test image is output to check whether the dot has disappeared by recovery. The number of sheets required to check whether the periodically generated defects have disappeared varies according to the cycle of the components, and also varies according to the length of the sheets used in the sub-scanning direction. In addition, according to the automatic recovery items, there may be a case where a test image is required not only for inspection but also for recovery.

[0091] Therefore, the number of sheets is determined with reference to a restoration condition table held in advance. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a table for determining the number of required sheets based on automatic recovery item information, sheet size information, and model type information. For example, for model A, when the automatic recovery condition is set to use A4 sheets for secondary transfer current adjustment, the number of required sheets is determined to be 3 by adding the number of sheets for adjustment and for confirmation with reference to field 901 and field 902. In the case where multiple conditions are ON, the number of required sheets for all conditions is added to determine the number of required sheets. For example, for model A, when the automatic recovery condition is set to use A4 sheets for secondary transfer current adjustment and drum idling, the number of required sheets is determined to be 5 by adding the number of sheets in field 901, field 902, field 903, and field 904. In addition, in the case of retrying when it is determined that the recovery is unsuccessful in the confirmation of the automatic recovery process, the number of required sheets can be determined in consideration of the maximum number of retries. For example, if the maximum number of retries is 3, the number of required sheets is multiplied by 3.

[0092] However, the method of setting the restoration condition is not limited to the method of referring to the table, and any method can be used as long as the required number of sheets can be calculated. For example, the method of pre-holding component information for each model type can be used to calculate the required number of sheets.

[0093] As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, the number of sheets is determined based on the diagnosis condition, and the number of sheets used for image diagnosis is notified to the user. The consumption of sheets not desired by the user can be reduced by making the notification.

[0094] <Modification example of first exemplary embodiment>

[0095] In this exemplary embodiment, the following example is described: Figure 5 When a diagnostic condition is selected on the diagnostic condition selection screen shown in the example, and the next button 501 is pressed, the Figure 6 The screen illustrated in FIG. 1 is used to notify the user of the number of sheets to be used for image diagnosis. However, the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to the above example. For example, in the case where the Figure 6 In the case of the notification screen, you can Fig.11 The number of sheets to be used for image diagnosis is displayed on the diagnosis condition selection screen illustrated in 1100 for notification. According to the selection of the diagnosis item by the user, the number of test charts required for each item of the above-mentioned image diagnosis is calculated in sequence, and the calculation result is displayed in area 1101. In addition, as illustrated in area 1102, the number of test charts required for each diagnosis item and diagnosis color can be displayed in the corresponding selection field.

[0096] In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, a description is given of an example in which the calculation of the number of test images required for image diagnosis and the calculation of the number of test images required for automatic recovery are performed after the diagnosis conditions and the recovery conditions are determined, but the present invention is not limited to the above example. For example, in the construction of the selection box after notifying the number of test images required for image diagnosis, the sheet size is not determined when performing the calculation process of the number of test images required for image diagnosis. Therefore, in the case of performing a diagnosis of horizontal stripes of cyan (C) in model A, the number of test images can be 8 sheets to 15 sheets. In this case, as Fig.12 As illustrated in area 601 in FIG. 8 , a possible range may be displayed.

[0097] In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, a description is given of a configuration in which the user is notified of the calculated number of test charts required for image diagnosis and the number of test charts required for automatic recovery by displaying them, but the effect of the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to the above example. For example, in a case where the number of sheets in the box selected in step S402 is less than the calculated number of test charts required for image diagnosis, the number of test charts required for automatic recovery may be displayed. Fig.13 A warning message is illustrated in area 1301 in the figure to prompt the user to replenish sheets.

[0098] In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, a description is given of a configuration in which the user is always notified of the number of calculations of the test charts required for image diagnosis and the number of test charts required for automatic recovery, but the effect of the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to the above example. For example, the notification of the number of test charts in step S404 and the notification of the number of test charts in step S415 may be performed only when the number of test charts exceeds a predetermined number of sheets.

[0099] The image diagnosis processing according to the second exemplary embodiment will be described. In the first exemplary embodiment, a description of the following example is given: when the image diagnosis processing is performed, the diagnosis items and the diagnosis colors selected and determined by the user are received and the number of test charts is calculated. However, the effect of the first exemplary embodiment is not limited to the above example. For example, before performing image diagnosis, the diagnosis items and the diagnosis colors can be automatically determined by performing simple image diagnosis with a number of test charts less than the number of the above test charts.

[0100] Fig.14 107 and the simple image diagnosis processing by the diagnosis unit 108. Fig.14 The processing in each step.

[0101] In step S1401, the printing system 100 receives an instruction for image diagnosis from a user or a service person via the UI display unit 241 which also serves as an operation unit. Then, the CPU 251 of the external controller 102 reads a pre-stored test chart, rasterizes the read test chart into a bitmap, and generates a rasterized bitmap of the test chart as a reference image. The test chart is an image for diagnosing a malfunction of the image forming apparatus 101 (hereinafter, also referred to as a test image). Fig.10 1001 is a diagram showing a test chart used for image diagnosis processing according to the present exemplary embodiment. Image portion 1001 shows an area where an image is formed using a color material. For example, image portion 1001 is a monochrome image with an image area ratio of 50%, and a total of four types of test charts are printed using each of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). CPU 251 sends rasterized bitmap data of the test chart from video I / F 258 to video I / F 205 of printing unit 107 via video cable 106. CPU 206 of printing unit 107 performs halftone processing on the bitmap data of the test chart received by video I / F 205, and prints the test chart based on the image data after the halftone processing in printing unit 203. In addition, the construction of the test chart is merely an example and is not limited to the above example. Under the condition that a defect or malfunction of the printing unit 107 is made apparent or visible by using a difference image (described below), the ratio and area ratio between the image portion 1001 and the non-image portion may be different, and the image portion 1001 may be formed using two or more color materials. In addition, a plurality of image portions having different color materials may be formed on one sheet.

[0102] In step S1402, the CPU 214 determines the diagnostic items and diagnostic colors that require image diagnosis based on the characteristic information of the difference area obtained in step S410. The CPU 214 determines the diagnostic items and diagnostic colors that require image diagnosis based on the color material information indicating in which color of yellow, magenta, cyan and black a defect has occurred and shape information such as dot shape, vertical stripe shape and horizontal stripe shape extracted in step S410. For example, in the case of extracting yellow vertical stripes, the diagnostic item "vertical stripes" and the diagnostic color "Y" are ON, and the CPU 214 starts the image diagnosis process. In the case of extracting yellow vertical stripes and magenta vertical stripes, the diagnostic item "vertical stripes" and the diagnostic colors "Y" and "M" are turned on, and the image diagnosis process is started. In addition, in the case of extracting yellow vertical stripes and magenta dots, the diagnostic item "vertical stripes" and the diagnostic color "Y" and the diagnostic item "dot" and the diagnostic color "M" are turned on, and the image diagnosis process is started.

[0103] Then, the CPU 214 performs the reference operation in the first exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 The image diagnosis processing described above is performed. Thereafter, the CPU 251 calculates the number of test charts required for image diagnosis in step S403 based on the diagnosis items and diagnosis colors determined in step S1402, and then notifies the number of test charts in step S404. In this way, even in a configuration in which the diagnosis items and diagnosis colors are automatically determined by performing simple image diagnosis, the number of sheets to be used for image diagnosis can be notified to the user, and the consumption of sheets that the user does not want can be reduced.

[0104] <Other Exemplary Embodiments>

[0105] The present invention can be implemented by providing a program for implementing one or more functions of the above exemplary embodiments to a system or device through a network or storage medium, and causing one or more processors in the system or device to read and execute the program. In addition, the present invention can also be implemented by a circuit (such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) capable of implementing one or more functions.

[0106] According to the present invention, the number of sheets with diagnostic images to be output can be confirmed before diagnosis is performed.

[0107] Other embodiments

[0108] The (multiple) embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented as follows: a computer of a system or device, the system or device reads and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be more completely referred to as a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium") to perform one or more functions of the above (multiple) embodiments, and / or the system or device includes one or more circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) for performing one or more functions of the above (multiple) embodiments; and a method performed by a computer of the system or device, for example, reading and executing computer executable instructions from a storage medium to perform one or more functions of the above (multiple) embodiments, and / or controlling the one or more circuits to perform one or more functions of the above (multiple) embodiments. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU)), and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or a storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a memory of a distributed computing system, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), or a Blu-ray disc (BD) TM ), one or more of a flash memory device and a memory card, etc.

[0109] The embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by providing software (program) for performing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and a computer or a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessing unit (MPU) of the system or device reads and executes the program.

[0110] 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.

Claims

1. An image diagnosis system, comprising: an operating unit configured to display information; an image forming unit including a plurality of parts and configured to form an image on a sheet; a reading unit configured to read the image formed by the image forming unit; a display control unit configured to cause the operation unit to display a screen for receiving an instruction to start image diagnosis; a diagnosis unit configured to, if the operation unit receives an instruction to start image diagnosis, cause the image forming unit to form a diagnosis image on a sheet, cause the reading unit to read the diagnosis image formed and output by the image forming unit, and diagnose a faulty portion of the image forming unit based on the read image, The screen includes a display of the number of output sheets with diagnostic images.

2. The image diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein: The number of output sheets is determined based on diagnosis items of the image diagnosis.

3. The image diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein: The number of output sheets is determined based on the type of model for which the image diagnosis is performed.

4. The image diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein: The number of output sheets is determined based on the size of a sheet on which the diagnostic image is formed.

5. The image diagnosis system according to claim 1, further comprising a restoration unit configured to cause the image forming unit to form and output a restoration image on a sheet, cause the reading unit to read the restoration image formed and output by the image forming unit, and restore the faulty portion identified by the diagnosis of the diagnosis unit based on the read image, in, The screen includes a display of the number of output sheets with restored images.

6. The image diagnostic system according to claim 5, wherein: The restoration unit restores the malfunctioning portion of the image forming unit in a case where the malfunctioning portion of the image forming unit is identified as a diagnosis result of the diagnosing unit.

7. The image diagnostic system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The diagnosis item diagnosed by the diagnosis unit is one or more of vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, and dots.

8. An image diagnosis method, comprising: a display control step of controlling the operation unit to display a screen for receiving an instruction to start image diagnosis; a diagnosis step of causing an image forming unit to form a diagnosis image on a sheet if the operation unit receives an instruction to start image diagnosis, causing a reading unit to read the diagnosis image formed and output by the image forming unit, and diagnosing a faulty portion of the image forming unit based on the read image, The screen includes a display of the number of output sheets with the diagnostic image.

9. The image diagnosis method according to claim 8, wherein: The number of output sheets is determined based on diagnosis items of the image diagnosis.

10. The image diagnosis method according to claim 8, wherein: The number of output sheets is determined based on the type of model for which the image diagnosis is performed.

11. The image diagnosis method according to claim 8, wherein: The number of output sheets is determined based on the size of a sheet on which the diagnostic image is formed.

12. The image diagnosis method according to claim 8, further comprising a recovery step: causing the image forming unit to form a restored image; causing the reading unit to read the restored image formed and output by the image forming unit; and restoring the faulty portion identified by diagnosis in the diagnosing step based on the read image, in, The screen includes a display of the number of output sheets with restored images.

13. The image diagnosis method according to claim 12, wherein: In a case where a faulty portion of the image forming unit is identified as a result of the diagnosis in the diagnosing step, restoration in the restoring step is performed.

14. The image diagnosis method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein: The diagnosis items diagnosed in the diagnosing step are one or more of vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, and dots.

Images