Information processing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and program

Abstract

To provide a mechanism that allows a user to easily check an error in colorimetric work while preventing the occurrence of the error in the colorimetric work.SOLUTION: The present information processing apparatus acquires information on a chart that is printed by a printer and has a plurality of patches arranged adjacent to each other. The information processing apparatus causes a display unit to display a plurality of patch displays according to expectation colors of the plurality of acquired patches and the procedure for causing a colorimetric device to sequentially measure the plurality of patches formed on the chart, and sequentially acquires measured values for the respective patches measured by the colorimetric device. An object indicating a measurement color based on the acquired measured value for each of the patches is displayed superimposed on a part of the patch display according to the corresponding expectation color, and after the display of the object, objects are sequentially displayed so that display parts of each other's expectation colors are connected during at least one adjacent patch display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that performs color measurement, a control method thereof, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In printing companies and the like, in order to maintain the quality of color printed materials sold, the color of the printed materials output from the printing apparatus is periodically measured, and the color adjustment of the printing apparatus is performed based on the results. Specifically, original image data called a color chart is output from the printing apparatus, and each patch arranged on the output color chart is measured with a color measuring apparatus. Then, the color deviation amount between the actually measured value and the target value of each patch is evaluated, and the color adjustment of the printing apparatus is carried out according to the result.

[0003] In addition, in order to accurately manage the color management of the printed materials output from the printing apparatus, the case of using a color measuring apparatus (including a scanner) is increasing. Among the color measuring apparatuses to be used, there are some that measure the chart through the manual operation of the user. Since it is necessary to measure a large number of charts in which patches are arranged, there is a possibility of misidentifying the chart to be measured.

[0004] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, in an information processing apparatus, in order to facilitate the visual recognition of color measurement patches, a display surrounded by a thick frame is provided. And in order to detect color measurement operation errors with high accuracy, the color difference between the measurement value and a predetermined reference value is obtained for a plurality of patches, and the color measurement error of the patch is determined by comparing the cumulative color difference with a predetermined threshold value.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has the following problems. In the above-mentioned conventional technology, in order for the information processing device to automatically detect color measurement errors, it is necessary to set reference values ​​for the patch, including the profile conditions during printing, and a color difference threshold for detecting color measurement errors. Therefore, in order to be able to detect work errors caused by measuring the color of a different chart or patch, the color difference threshold to be set becomes complex.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a mechanism that suppresses the occurrence of color measurement errors while allowing for easy confirmation of color measurement errors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to, for example, an information processing apparatus comprising: a first acquisition means for acquiring information about a chart in which a plurality of patches are arranged adjacently and printed by a printing device; a display control means for displaying on a display unit a plurality of patch displays according to the expected colors of the plurality of patches acquired by the first acquisition means, and a procedure for sequentially measuring the plurality of patches formed on the chart by a colorimeter; and a second acquisition means for sequentially acquiring measured values ​​for each patch measured by the colorimeter, wherein the display control means superimposes an object indicating the measured color based on the measured value for each patch acquired by the second acquisition means onto a part of the patch display according to the corresponding expected color, and sequentially displays the objects so that even after the display of the object, the display portions of the expected colors of at least one adjacent patch display are connected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mechanism that suppresses the occurrence of color measurement errors while allowing for easy confirmation of color measurement errors. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1A] A diagram showing an example of the system configuration according to one embodiment. [Figure 1B]A diagram showing an example configuration of an information processing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the functional configuration of a colorimetric application according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example configuration of a colorimeter according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the main body of a colorimeter according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of an operation screen displayed on the display unit by a colorimetric application according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of a data structure stored in a data storage unit according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] A sequence diagram illustrating the processing of the color measurement step in a color measurement application according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] A figure showing an example of displaying the expected colors of a chart according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of displaying the expected color and measured color of a chart according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of a method for displaying the current row and subsequent unmeasured rows according to one embodiment. [Figure 11] A figure showing an example of displaying expected and measured colors in a chart of another patch size according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0012] <Embodiment 1> <System Configuration> Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, an expected color is displayed in the patch layout of a chart to be measured. Then, when the measurement of the patches is completed, the measured color is displayed so as to overlap a part of the expected color while leaving the adjacent state of the expected color between adjacent patches. The expected color indicates the color expected at the time of printing for each patch included in the chart. On the other hand, the measured color indicates the color measured by reading the printed chart with a color measuring device. Note that the components described, including the examples to be described later, are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention thereto.

[0013] <System Configuration> First, referring to FIG. 1A, a configuration example of the system according to this embodiment will be described. This system includes an image forming apparatus 101, a host computer 102, a mobile terminal 103, a server 104, and a color measuring device 108.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 101 prints (forms an image) on the image data received from the host computer 102, the mobile terminal 103, the server 104, etc. via the network 105 or held internally to generate a color measurement object 109 which is a chart. The host computer 102 is an example of an information processing device and installs and executes a color measurement application 106. The mobile terminal 103 is a terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet and is communicably connected to other devices via the network 105. The mobile terminal 103 can, for example, input a print job to the image forming apparatus 101, instruct the host computer 102 to perform color measurement to obtain the result, and display the color measurement result on the display unit. The server 104 is communicably connected to other devices via the network 105, provides various services such as cloud services, holds various data, and provides those data according to requests. Also, it may be configured to execute the color measurement application executed by the host computer 102.

[0015] The color measurement application 106 displays an application operation section on the display section 111 of the host computer 102 and is operated using an input section 110 such as a pointing device, keyboard, touch panel, etc. Further, the color measurement application 106 uses a color measurement device 108 connected to the host computer 102 via USB 107 or the like to measure the patches of the color measurement target 109 printed by the image forming apparatus 101.

[0016] [[ID=,4]]Note that hereinafter, the color measurement application 106 will be described as being configured to operate on the host computer 102. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration and may operate on any of the image forming apparatus 101, mobile terminal 103, and server 104, or may be configured to execute distributed processing in cooperation with these. Further, although the color measurement device 108 is configured to be connected to the host computer 102 via USB 107, it may be configured to be connected to the host computer 102 via the network 105.

[0017] <Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus> Next, referring to FIG. 1B, the hardware configuration of the host computer 102, which is an information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, will be described. The host computer 102 includes a CPU 121, ROM 122, RAM 123, HDD 124, and USB I / F 125 in addition to the input section 110 and display section 111 described in FIG. 1. Each section is connected via a bus 126 so as to be able to exchange data with each other.

[0018] The CPU 121 loads programs stored in the HDD 124 or ROM 122 into the RAM 123 and executes them, controlling the overall processing of the host computer 102. The ROM 122 stores boot programs and various data. The RAM 123 temporarily stores various programs and data when the CPU 121 is executing its processing, and also provides a work area for storing various data used in the CPU 121's processing. The HDD 124 stores the aforementioned colorimetric application 106, the control program (control software) for the colorimetric device described later, and chart information (patch signals, patch layout, patch size, image) related to the object to be measured 109. The USB interface (I / F) 125 is an interface for connecting the colorimetric device 108 and other devices via USB 107.

[0019] <Functional Configuration of Color Measurement Application 106> Next, with reference to Figure 2, the functional configuration of the colorimetric application 106 executed by the host computer 102 according to this embodiment will be described. The colorimetric application 106 has the following functional configuration: an operation control unit 201, a data storage unit 202, an application control unit 203, a colorimetric device control unit 204, and a communication unit 205.

[0020] The operation control unit 201 controls the display of the user operation screen shown on the display unit 111. The operation control unit 201 also receives notifications from the input unit 110 regarding button presses and list selections on the application operation screen, and updates the screen information. Furthermore, the operation control unit 201 has the function of notifying the colorimeter control unit 204 of events from the input unit 110, and the function of receiving event notifications from the colorimeter control unit 204 and updating the screen information.

[0021] Furthermore, the operation control unit 201 has the function of receiving chart information from the data storage unit 202 and converting it into the "expected color (for display on the operation screen)" of the chart. In addition, the operation control unit 201 has the function of receiving the color measurement value of the object to be measured 109 from the colorimeter control unit 204 and converting it into the "measured color (for display on the operation screen)" of the chart.

[0022] The data storage unit 202 stores chart information (patch signals, patch layouts, patch sizes, and images) received from or held internally by the host computer 102, mobile terminal 103, and server 104, etc. It also stores standard profiles for converting patch signals to the device-independent color space, the CIE (International Commission on Illumination) L*a*b* color space. Furthermore, it stores monitor profiles for converting the patch signals converted to the L*a*b* color space into RGB signals that can be displayed on the display unit 111. Hereafter, L*a*b* will be abbreviated as Lab.

[0023] The application control unit 203 controls the operation control unit 201, the data storage unit 202, the colorimeter control unit 204, and the communication unit 205, and comprehensively controls the entire colorimeter application 106. The colorimeter control unit 204 receives event notifications from the operation control unit 201 and controls the colorimeter 108 connected via the communication unit 205. The colorimeter control unit 204 also receives event notifications from the colorimeter 108 via the communication unit 205 and notifies the operation control unit 201 of the occurrence of the event. In addition, the colorimeter control unit 204 receives the colorimeter value Lab of the object to be measured 109 from the colorimeter 108 and notifies the operation control unit 201.

[0024] <Color measurement application operation screen> Next, with reference to Figure 5, an example of the operation screen displayed on the display unit 111 by the colorimetric application 106 according to this embodiment will be described. The operation screen 500 has an area 501 that displays the work steps required for the colorimetric work, and a work step content area 502 that shows the current work step.

[0025] First, an overview of each work process displayed in the work process display area 501 will be provided. Step 1 (Color Measurement Condition Process) involves registering and selecting chart information for the object to be measured based on a notification from the operation control unit 201. Step 2 (Color Measurement Device Preparation Process) involves requesting a connection to the color measurement device from the color measurement application 106. In addition, the selection and confirmation of the color measurement device to be used, and the execution of calibration of the color measurement device are performed based on event notifications from the operation control unit 201 or the color measurement device. This completes the preparation of the parts related to the color measurement device.

[0026] Step 3 (Color Measurement Process) involves using the color measurement device confirmed for use in Step 2 (Color Measurement Device Preparation Process) to measure the color of the printed material, which is the object to be measured, corresponding to the chart information selected in Step 1 (Color Measurement Condition Process). In Figure 5, Step 3 (Color Measurement Process) is highlighted to indicate that the current process is Step 3 (Color Measurement Process). Step 4 (Color Measurement Completion Process) involves receiving notification from the operation control unit 201 and performing tasks such as inputting comments on the color measurement work and saving the color measurement results.

[0027] Next, the contents of the work process content area 502 will be explained. Figure 5 shows the contents of Step 3 (color measurement process). The work process content area 502 consists of a text display area 503, a chart display area 504, a back button 505, and a cancel button 506.

[0028] The text display area 503 and the chart display area 504 display the chart information selected in Step 1 (color measurement conditions process) and the color measurement work information prepared by the color measurement device selected in Step 2 (color measurement device preparation process). The color measurement work information displays the procedure for sequentially measuring multiple patches formed on the chart by the color measurement device. In Figure 5, the color measurement work information is displayed when a handheld manual color measurement device is selected in Step 2 (color measurement device preparation process), but it is not limited to this, and an automatic color measurement device that pulls in the chart to perform color measurement may also be used.

[0029] The chart display area 504 updates information such as the starting position and sliding direction of the colorimeter, the next target patch to be measured, and patches that have been measured or not, as appropriate, according to the colorimetering work on the patches. The specific method of displaying patches, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described later. The back button 505 is a button to return to the previous work process. In the case of Figure 5, the current process is Step 3 (colorimetering process), so it returns to the Step 2 (colorimeter preparation process) screen. The cancel button 506 is a button to cancel the entire colorimetering work process.

[0030] <External configuration of the colorimeter 108> Next, with reference to Figure 3, an example of the external configuration of the colorimeter 108 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the colorimeter 108 has a colorimeter body 30 and a dock 33 on which the colorimeter body 30 is placed. The colorimeter body 30 has a rounded shape and has an opening (not shown) on its lower surface that is positioned relative to the object to be measured. The dock 33 has a white member 34 at a position where color measurement can be performed when the colorimeter body 30 is set.

[0031] The colorimeter unit 30 receives reflected light obtained by irradiating the object to be measured with illumination light from inside the unit, and measures the color of the object based on this reflected light. The colorimeter unit 30 also has a calibration function to stabilize the color measurement value of white by measuring the color of a white component 34 while it is placed on the dock 33. A control button 31 is provided on the side of the colorimeter unit 30, and above this control button 31, a plurality of indicators 32 having LED (light-emitting diode) lamps or the like are arranged.

[0032] The control button 31 controls the execution of the colorimetric function using illumination light or the calibration function of the colorimetric device body 30. The user can manually measure color by pressing the control button 31 and sliding the colorimetric device over patches formed on the chart, which is the object to be measured. The color measurement can be terminated by releasing the control button 31. When the control button 31 is pressed and the color measurement of the patch is successful, the color measurement result is notified to the color measurement application 106 running on the host computer 102 connected to the colorimetric device body 30 via USB 107. The indicator 32 displays the control status of the colorimetric device body 30. The displayed control status may include, for example, success or failure of color measurement of the patch.

[0033] <Hardware configuration of the colorimeter unit 30 of the colorimeter 108> Next, with reference to Figure 4, the hardware configuration of the main body 30 of the colorimeter 108 according to this embodiment will be described. In addition to the control button 31 and indicator 32 described in Figure 3, the colorimeter main body 30 includes a control unit 401, a storage unit 405, a calculation unit 406, an illumination unit 407, a light receiving unit 408, and a communication unit 409.

[0034] The control unit 401 comprehensively controls the entire colorimeter main unit 30 and includes a CPU 402, ROM 403, and RAM 404. The CPU 402 realizes the functions of the colorimeter main unit 30 by operating according to the operation program stored in the ROM 403 or memory unit 405. The RAM 404 provides a workspace for the CPU 402 when it operates according to the operation program.

[0035] The illumination unit 407 is for irradiating the object to be measured 109 with illumination light, and the light receiving unit 408 has a sensor that receives the reflected light obtained by irradiating the object to be measured 109 with illumination light. There may be only one type of illumination light, or multiple types may be selected. The calculation unit 406 performs calculations for color measurement based on the reflected light received by the light receiving unit 408 using a known method. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 406 is implemented as part of the functions of the CPU 402 of the control unit 401. In this embodiment, the color measurement result from the calculation unit 406 is transmitted via the communication unit 409 to a color measurement application 106 running on a host computer 102 connected via USB. Alternatively, instead of the color measurement result from the calculation unit 406, the data received by the light receiving unit 408 may be transmitted to the color measurement application 106, and the color measurement calculation may be performed on the color measurement application 106 side.

[0036] The storage unit 405 has non-volatile memory such as flash memory, NAND memory, or EEROM, and may be contained within the control unit 401. The storage unit 405 stores calculation results from the arithmetic unit 406, etc. The communication unit 409 is a communication interface that connects to a colorimetric application 106 running on the host computer 102 via USB 107 to send and receive data. Note that the connection to the host computer 102 is not limited to USB, but may also be made by a wired or wireless network.

[0037] <Data structure of the data storage unit> Next, with reference to Figure 6, the data structure stored in the data storage unit 202 according to this embodiment will be described. Some or all of the information stored in the data storage unit 202 may be held in advance by the colorimetric application 106, or it may be information received from the host computer 102, mobile terminal 103, and server 104, etc. The data storage unit 202 stores data related to chart information 600, standard profile 610, and monitor profile 620.

[0038] The chart information 600 includes patch size, the number of columns and rows of the patch, the color measurement order, and table information that associates the patch formation position with the signal value, indicating the layout of the chart. The patch formation position is defined by the position in the x-direction and the position in the y-direction. In this embodiment, the patch signal is in CMYK values, but it may also be in RGB values. In this embodiment, the data structure includes the patch signal as part of the chart information, but it is not limited to this. The patch signal may be separated and held as patch definition information, and the chart information may refer to that patch definition information. Unlike the patch size, the number of columns and rows of the patch, the color measurement order, and the patch formation position, the patch signal to be measured does not depend on the colorimeter or color measurement mode, so this format is possible.

[0039] Standard profile 610 is a standard profile used in the printing industry, such as JapanColor, and shows a table of CMYK signal values ​​and corresponding color values ​​(Lab). It is not necessary to prepare a correspondence table for all signal patterns; if you want to refer to a color value for a signal that does not exist, you can obtain it using known interpolation operations.

[0040] Monitor Profile 620 is a common profile used in monitors such as sRGB, and it shows a table of color values ​​(Lab) and their corresponding RGB signal values. It is not necessary to have a corresponding table for all color value patterns; if you want to refer to a color value for a signal that does not exist, you can obtain it using known interpolation operations.

[0041] The patch signal (CMYK signal) of chart information 600 is converted to Lab by standard profile 610, and then to monitor RGB (red, green, blue) signal by monitor profile 620. This allows it to be converted to the "expected color (for operation screen display)" to be displayed on the display unit 111. Although a standard profile is used to convert the CMYK signal to an RGB signal, the essence of the present invention is not limited to this. Known CMYK to RGB conversion formulas may also be used. R=255X(255-C)X(255-K)÷(255×255) G=255X(255-M)X(255-K)÷(255×255) B=255X(255-Y)X(255-K)÷(255×255) Here, the C / M / Y / K / R / G / B signals are 8-bit signals.

[0042] Furthermore, if the colorimetric application 106 is a system that can understand the printing conditions of the chart, the profile used during printing may be used. The colorimetric value Lab obtained by measuring the color of the object to be measured 109 with the colorimetric device 108 can be converted into a monitor RGB signal by the monitor profile 620, and then converted into the "(for operation screen display) measured color" to be displayed on the display unit 111.

[0043] <Processing flow of the color measurement process> Next, referring to Figure 7, we will explain the process of Step 3 (color measurement process) which is performed by the host computer 102 executing the color measurement application 106 according to this embodiment. The process described below is realized, for example, by the CPU 121 of the host computer 102 reading the program of the color measurement application 106 stored in the ROM 122 or HDD 124 into the RAM 123 and executing it.

[0044] First, in S701, the CPU 121 functions as the first acquisition means, and when it moves to Step 3 (color measurement process), it acquires the chart information 600 of the object to be measured selected in Step 1 (color measurement condition process) from the data storage unit 202. Next, in S702, the CPU 121 converts the acquired chart information 600 into "(expected color for operation screen display)" using the standard profile 610 and monitor profile 620 of the data storage unit 202 in the method described above in Figure 6, and displays it on the display unit 111. Details of how to display "(expected color for operation screen display)" will be described later.

[0045] Next, proceeding to S703, the CPU 121 functions as a second acquisition means and uses the colorimeter 108 prepared in Step 2 (colorimeter preparation step) to measure the color of the patch of the object to be measured 109, for example, in units of one row, and sequentially acquires the colorimeter value Lab. In this embodiment, the unit of color measurement is set to one row, but this is not the only option. Depending on the type of colorimeter and the colorimeter operation mode, color measurement may be performed in predetermined units, such as one patch, one row, two rows, or one page.

[0046] Next, proceeding to S704, the CPU 121 converts the acquired colorimetric value Lab into a "(for operation screen display) measurement color" using the monitor profile 620 of the data storage unit 202 in the method described above in Figure 6, and sequentially displays objects indicating the measurement color on the display unit 111. In this embodiment, the display update unit for the measurement color is the same as the colorimetric unit, but is not limited to this. That is, it may be set to match any of the colorimetric units such as 1 patch unit, 1 row unit, 2 row unit, or 1 page unit, or other units may be adopted. However, although there may be some time variation, according to this embodiment, the display of objects indicating the measurement color is performed sequentially in real time in accordance with the measurement. This allows the user to quickly check for errors in the colorimetric work. Details of the display method for objects indicating the "(for operation screen display) measurement color" will be described later.

[0047] Next, the process proceeds to S705, where CPU121 checks if measurements have been completed up to the final patch. If there are still patches that have not been measured, the process returns to S703. On the other hand, if measurements of all patches have been completed, the process in this flowchart ends.

[0048] <How to display patches> Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the display method for the "expected color (for operation screen display)" in S702 and the display method for the "measured color (for operation screen display)" in S704 will be explained. In this invention, we focus not only on the display method for individual patches, but also on the display method for a group of patches. We provide a patch display method that suppresses color measurement errors during the color measurement process (before, during, and after color measurement) while allowing easy confirmation of color measurement errors.

[0049] Figure 8 shows a group of patches including multiple patch displays according to the expected color before color measurement, which are displayed on the display unit 111 in S702 above. Figure 8 shows a chart with a patch size of 10 × 10 mm, 8 patch columns (in the x-direction), 4 patch rows (in the y-direction), and a color measurement order starting from the top left (the xy coordinate origin is the top left). The expected color of the patch coordinates (x,y) is indicated by Pexy; for example, the expected color of the patch coordinates (x,y) = (1,4) is indicated as "Pe14".

[0050] Furthermore, to reduce errors when measuring the color of different charts, the S702 displays multiple patches according to the expected color, allowing users to check the characteristics of the chart, such as patch arrangement, patch size, patch shape, and patch color. At a minimum, the expected color is displayed with the same patch arrangement and patch color as the chart. To further reduce errors, it is desirable to display the patches with the same patch shape and equivalent aspect ratio as the chart, based on the patch size information.

[0051] Figures 9(A) to (E) show an example of displaying an object indicating one row of measurement colors on the display unit 111 in S704. Figure 9(F) shows an example of displaying an object indicating two rows of measurement colors on the display unit 111 in S704. As shown in Figure 9, the object indicating the measurement color is displayed superimposed on a portion of the corresponding expected color patch that has already been displayed. In other words, the number of patches measured in S703 are converted into an object indicating the measurement color in S704 and displayed in a position adjacent to the expected color displayed in S702, making it easy to confirm the difference. The measurement color of a patch coordinate (x,y) is indicated by Pmxy, for example, the measurement color of a patch coordinate (x,y)=(2,1) is indicated by Pm21.

[0052] Generally speaking, the expected color Pexy and the measured color Pmxy are subject to various degradation and fluctuation factors during the printing, color measurement, and display processes. Therefore, even with proper procedures, they will never be exactly the same color and will be displayed as close colors. In other words, a difference in appearance between the expected color and the measured color does not necessarily mean that a color measurement error has occurred.

[0053] The magnitude of the difference in appearance between the expected color and the measured color is crucial for distinguishing whether the difference is due to degradation or fluctuation, or to measurement errors caused by measuring different charts or patches. Therefore, the present invention first displays the expected color and the measured color adjacent to each other to facilitate comparison. Furthermore, when an object indicating the measured color is added to a patch display based on the expected color, the invention provides a method for displaying objects that suppresses changes in the display of the patch group associated with the display of the object, so as to focus on the difference in appearance between the expected color and the measured color. These features will be explained in detail using Figures 9(A) to (F).

[0054] Feature 1: The present invention is characterized in that, even after the display of an object indicating the measured color, the display portions of the expected colors of at least one adjacent patch are connected. For example, in Figures 9(A) to (E), expected color Pe11 and expected color Pe21 are adjacent even after the display of the object for the measured color Pmxy. Also, in Figure 9(F), expected color Pe11 and expected color Pe12 are adjacent even after the display of the object for the measured color Pmxy. Note that, as shown in Figure 5, horizontal text is commonly used in color measurement applications, and the color measurement direction is generally the x-direction. Based on known eye-tracking patterns (such as the Gutenberg diagram and the Z-law / F-law), as shown in Figures 9(A) to (E), the connection of the display portions of the expected colors between adjacent patches, especially in the x-direction, can further suppress the perceived change from before to after color measurement.

[0055] Feature 2: In the present invention, after the object representing the measured color is displayed, for example, as shown in Figures 9(A) to (D), the object representing the measured color Pmxy is characterized by having a different size or shape from the patch display of the corresponding expected color Pexy. If the object representing the measured color Pmxy were the same size and shape as the patch display of the expected color Pexy, as seen in Figure 9(E), it would be necessary to determine the expected color from the arrangement relationship between the measured color and the expected color, requiring the user to determine which part represents the expected color using information different from that before measurement. Therefore, in order to reduce the hassle of such confirmation, the present invention is characterized by displaying the measured color with a different size and shape from the expected color, which is displayed with the size and shape of a patch. This makes it easy for the user to determine which display represents the measured color.

[0056] Feature 3: In this invention, the object indicating the measurement color is displayed while suppressing some chart features (such as connections between patches, patch size, and patch shape). Specifically, for example, as shown in Figures 9(A) to (D), the display portion of the measurement color is not connected between adjacent patches. Furthermore, even if the patch size of chart information 600 is 10 x 20 mm, for example, as shown in Figure 11, the display shape and size of the measurement color Pmxy may be fixed to be the same as in Figure 9(A). Alternatively, the measurement color may be displayed by selecting from a plurality of size patterns according to the patch size of chart information 600.

[0057] By displaying objects that indicate the measured color while suppressing some chart features (such as connections between patches, patch size, and patch shape), it becomes possible to consistently judge the chart of the object being measured based on how the expected color appears, from before measurement to display after measurement. This suppresses changes in the display of the patch group when objects indicating the measured color are added. Since objects indicating the measured color are information that is added later, changes in display will inevitably occur in this area. Therefore, maintaining the connections of the expected color as in Feature 1 is more effective than Feature 3 in suppressing changes in the display of the patch group when objects indicating the measured color are added.

[0058] Feature 4: In the present invention, after the object of the measured color is displayed, there is only one boundary between the expected color Pexy and the measured color Pmxy within the patch in at least one of the x and y directions, for example, as shown in Figures 9(A), (B), (D), (E), and (F). In this embodiment, the boundary between the expected color and the measured color is illustrated as a straight line, but it is not limited to this and may be a curve or have an angle.

[0059] As can be seen in Figure 9(C), if there are multiple boundaries between the expected color Pexy and the measured color Pmxy in a single patch, the difference between the expected color Pexy and the measured color Pmxy is recognized multiple times, which makes the display change of the patch group when the measured color is added seem larger. In particular, the boundary from the expected color to the measured color and the boundary from the measured color to the expected color are recognized as separate differences, so the display change of the patch group when the measured color is added seems larger.

[0060] Feature 5: In this invention, even after the object display of the measured color, the number of colors constituting the left edge of the first column and the top edge of the first row of the patch display group that constitutes the chart remains unchanged, for example, as shown in Figures 9(A) to (C). This is because it is common for users to determine the number of patch rows and patch columns of the patch display group that constitutes the chart by looking at the left edge of the first column and the top edge of the first row, rather than the inside of the patch display group.

[0061] In this invention, the expected color and the measured color are displayed adjacent to each other, while satisfying at least feature 1 above. Furthermore, by satisfying at least one of features 2, 3, 4, and 5, it is possible to further suppress errors in color measurement and to further facilitate the distinction between display differences due to the difference between the expected color and the measured color and display differences due to errors in color measurement. In Figures 9(A) to (F), Figures 9(A) and 9(B) show a method of displaying the measured color that combines all of features 1 to 5, but this is merely an example and is not limited to this. Also, as shown in Figures 9(A), (B), (D) to (F), the object indicating the measured color may be displayed such that one of its vertices coincides with one vertex of a patch display according to the corresponding expected color.

[0062] The above describes the method of displaying the expected color patch and the measured color object in Step 3 (color measurement process) of the color measurement application 106, which is a characteristic of this embodiment. In Figures 8 and 9(A) to (F), the explanation was given without the display of borders surrounding the patches, boundaries between patch displays, or borders surrounding the expected and measured colors. However, even if borders surrounding the patch displays, boundaries between patch displays, or borders surrounding the expected and measured colors are present, it is considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0063] As described above, the information processing device according to this embodiment acquires information about a chart in which multiple patches are arranged adjacently and printed by a printing device. The information processing device also displays multiple patch displays according to the expected colors of the acquired multiple patches, and a procedure for sequentially measuring the multiple patches formed on the chart by a colorimeter, on the display unit, and sequentially acquires the measured values ​​for each patch measured by the colorimeter. An object indicating the measured color based on the acquired measured value for each patch is superimposed on a part of the patch display according to the corresponding expected color, and is sequentially displayed so that even after the display of the object, the expected color display portions of at least one adjacent patch display are connected. Thus, according to this embodiment, the color measurement application 106 displays the expected color patches in the same patch arrangement as the chart at the stage before color measurement. Furthermore, even after the display of the measured color object, the object indicating the measured color is displayed adjacent to the expected color with a different size or shape than the expected color patch display, while maintaining the adjacent state of the expected color between adjacent patch displays. Furthermore, the measured colors may not be connected between patch displays, the boundary between the expected color and the measured color within a patch may be limited to one, and the number of colors constituting the left edge of the first column and the top edge of the first row of the patch display group may remain unchanged before and after the object display of the measured color.

[0064] By maintaining the structural representation of the chart layout based on the expected color before and after displaying the measured color, visual confirmation of the chart of the object to be measured and the current row for measurement becomes easier during the color measurement process, thereby suppressing the occurrence of color measurement errors. Here, the current row for measurement refers to a predetermined row in the chart that is currently prompting measurement. Furthermore, even when a color measurement error occurs, suppressing the display change associated with the display of the measured color makes it easier to focus on the comparison between the expected color and the measured color, and makes it easier to distinguish between display differences due to the difference between the expected color and the measured color and display differences due to color measurement errors. Thus, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of color measurement errors while easily detecting them.

[0065] (Embodiment 2) Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described below. One possible method for displaying the current row is to surround it with a border. However, there is a risk that the border of the current row will not be noticeable due to the boundaries created by the difference in color between patches. In addition, when the expected color and the measured color of a patch are particularly close, the difference between the pre-measurement and measured patch displays is small, which presents the problem that it is not easy to grasp the progress of the color measurement work for all patches.

[0066] Therefore, in this embodiment, in Step 3 (color measurement process) of the color measurement application 106, instead of adding a border to highlight the current row, the current row is highlighted as a surface by differentiating the display color of the patch. Note that the configuration and control are the same as in Embodiment 1 above, so only the differences will be explained.

[0067] In this embodiment, from the patch measurement at S703 in Figure 7 to the completion of the final patch measurement at S705, a patch display is implemented to highlight the current row in a surface area. As a specific method for highlighting the current row in a surface area, for example, for the unmeasured rows following the current row, the expected color is compared with the original display color, and at least one of the color parameters is changed for display. The color parameters include at least one of brightness and saturation. As mentioned above in the explanation of Figure 8, the display of the expected color before color measurement (unmeasured rows) serves to suppress errors in measuring different charts. Therefore, when displaying the expected color before color measurement (unmeasured rows) which differs from the original display color, at least one of the brightness and saturation is changed overall to prevent misrecognition of the chart. Figure 10 shows an example. In Figure 10, the unmeasured rows following the current row are displayed with at least one of the brightness and saturation of the entire row changed. In this embodiment, the color measurement unit and the measurement color update unit are set to one line, but this is not the only option.

[0068] As described above, this information processing device displays unmeasured patches following the current patch display prompting measurement by changing at least one of the color parameters (at least one of brightness and saturation) from the corresponding expected color. For example, in this embodiment, measured rows and the current row are displayed in their original display colors, while subsequent unmeasured rows are displayed with different brightness and saturation than their original display colors. This creates a contrast in display colors across the current row, thereby suppressing the occurrence of work errors such as measuring the wrong row. Furthermore, since measured and unmeasured rows have different display colors across the entire area, the progress of the color measurement work for all patches can be easily confirmed.

[0069] The disclosures herein include the following information processing devices, control methods thereof, and programs.

[0070] (Item 1) An information processing device, A first acquisition means for acquiring information about a chart in which multiple patches are arranged adjacently and printed by a printing device, A display control means that displays on the display unit a plurality of patch displays according to the expected colors of the plurality of patches acquired by the first acquisition means, and a procedure for sequentially measuring the plurality of patches formed on the chart by a colorimeter, A second acquisition means that sequentially acquires the measured values ​​for each patch measured by the aforementioned colorimeter, Equipped with, The display control means is characterized by superimposing an object showing the measured color based on the measured value for each patch acquired by the second acquisition means onto a part of the patch display according to the corresponding expected color, and sequentially displaying the objects so that even after the display of the object, the display portions of the expected colors of at least one adjacent patch display are connected.

[0071] (Item 2) The information processing apparatus according to item 1, characterized in that the object indicating the measured color differs in size or shape from the patch display according to the corresponding expected color.

[0072] (Item 3) The information processing device according to item 1 or 2, characterized in that the objects indicating the respective measurement colors are not connected between adjacent patch displays.

[0073] (Item 4) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized in that the object indicating the measured color has only one boundary with the display portion of the measured color within a patch display according to the corresponding expected color.

[0074] (Item 5) The information processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the number of colors on the upper and left edges of the patch display group including the plurality of patch displays remains unchanged before and after the display of the object indicating the measured color.

[0075] (Item 6) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 5, characterized in that the object showing the measured color is displayed such that one of its vertices coincides with one of the vertices of a patch display according to the corresponding expected color.

[0076] (Item 7) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized in that the display control means displays the procedure for performing measurements for each predetermined unit among the plurality of patches, and displays the unmeasured patch displays following the patch display of the predetermined unit currently prompting measurement by changing at least one of the color parameters from the corresponding expected color.

[0077] (Item 8) The information processing apparatus according to item 7, characterized in that the color parameter includes at least one of brightness and saturation.

[0078] (Item 9) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 8, characterized in that each of the plurality of patch displays is displayed by changing at least one of the size and aspect ratio of the plurality of patches formed on the chart.

[0079] (Item 10) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that the object indicating the measurement color is fixed and does not change according to the size of the plurality of patches or the display of the plurality of patches.

[0080] (Item 11) The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 9, characterized in that the object indicating the measurement color is changed according to the size of the plurality of patches or the display of the plurality of patches.

[0081] (Item 12) A method for controlling an information processing device, The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step of acquiring information about a chart in which multiple patches are arranged adjacently and printed by a printing device, A display control means provides a display control step that displays on the display unit a plurality of patch displays according to the expected colors of the plurality of patches acquired in the first acquisition step, and a procedure for sequentially measuring the plurality of patches formed on the chart by a colorimeter, The second acquisition means is a second acquisition step in which the measured values ​​for each patch measured by the colorimeter are sequentially acquired. Includes, The control method for an information processing device is characterized in that, in the display control step, an object showing the measured color based on the measured value for each patch acquired in the second acquisition step is superimposed on a part of the patch display according to the corresponding expected color, and even after the display of the object, the display portions of the expected colors of at least one adjacent patch display are connected.

[0082] (Item 13) A program for causing a computer to execute each step in a control method for an information processing device, wherein the control method is: The first acquisition means includes a first acquisition step of acquiring information about a chart in which multiple patches are arranged adjacently and printed by a printing device, A display control means provides a display control step that displays on the display unit a plurality of patch displays according to the expected colors of the plurality of patches acquired in the first acquisition step, and a procedure for sequentially measuring the plurality of patches formed on the chart by a colorimeter, The second acquisition means is a second acquisition step in which the measured values ​​for each patch measured by the colorimeter are sequentially acquired. Includes, The program is characterized in that, in the display control step, an object indicating the measured color based on the measured value for each patch acquired in the second acquisition step is superimposed on a part of the patch display according to the corresponding expected color, and even after the display of the object, the display portions of the expected colors of at least one adjacent patch display are connected.

[0083] <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0084] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 101: Image forming apparatus, 102: Host computer, 103: Mobile terminal, 104: Server, 105: Network, 106: Colorimetric application, 107: USB, 108: Colorimetric device

Claims

1. An information processing device, a first generating means for generating a first chart having a first reference patch and a second reference patch; a second generating means for generating a first read patch and a second read patch based on a read result obtained by reading the first reference patch and the second reference patch; a third generating means for generating a second chart including the first reference patch, the second reference patch, the first reading patch, and the second reading patch; In the first chart, the first reference patch and the second reference patch are arranged adjacent to each other; In the second chart, the first reading patch is disposed adjacent to the first reference patch; the second reading patch is disposed adjacent to the second reference patch; 2. An information processing apparatus comprising: a first reference patch and a second reference patch arranged adjacent to each other;

2. An information processing device as described in claim 1, further characterized in having a display means for displaying the procedure for reading the first chart.

3. The information processing device described in Claim 1, characterized in that in the second chart, the first and second reading patches have a size or shape different from the first and second reference patches.

4. An information processing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that in the second chart, the first and second reading patches are not arranged adjacent to each other.

5. An information processing device as described in Claim 1, characterized in that, in the second chart, the first reading patch has one border with the first reference patch, or the second reading patch has one border with the second reference patch.

6. An information processing device as described in Claim 2, characterized in that the number of colors on the upper and left sides of the display groups of the first and second reference patches in the first chart and the second chart is constant.

7. An information processing device as described in Claim 2, characterized in that in the second chart, the first reference patch and the first reading patch share at least one point, and the second reference patch and the second reading patch share at least one point.

8. The information processing device described in Claim 7, characterized in that the display means displays the procedure for measuring a predetermined reference patch among the first and second reference patches, or a row in which a reference patch is arranged, or a page unit in which a reference patch is arranged, and displays the unmeasured reference patches after the reference patch of the unit to be measured by changing at least one of the display parameters related to the reference patch.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8, wherein the display-related parameters include at least one of brightness and saturation.

10. A method for controlling an information processing device, comprising: a first generating step in which a first generating means generates a first chart having a first reference patch and a second reference patch; a second generating step in which a second generating means generates a first read patch and a second read patch based on a reading result obtained by reading the first reference patch and the second reference patch; a third generating step in which a third generating means generates a second chart including the first reference patch, the second reference patch, the first reading patch, and the second reading patch; In the first chart, the first reference patch and the second reference patch are arranged adjacent to each other; In the second chart, the first reading patch is disposed adjacent to the first reference patch; the second reading patch is disposed adjacent to the second reference patch; 2. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus, comprising the steps of: placing the first reference patch and the second reference patch adjacent to each other.

11. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of a control method for an information processing device, the control method comprising: a first generating step in which a first generating means generates a first chart having a first reference patch and a second reference patch; a second generating step in which a second generating means generates a first read patch and a second read patch based on a reading result obtained by reading the first reference patch and the second reference patch; a third generating step in which a third generating means generates a second chart including the first reference patch, the second reference patch, the first reading patch, and the second reading patch; In the first chart, the first reference patch and the second reference patch are arranged adjacent to each other; In the second chart, the first reading patch is disposed adjacent to the first reference patch; the second reading patch is disposed adjacent to the second reference patch; The first reference patch and the second reference patch are arranged adjacent to each other.

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