Image processing device, image processing method, and program

Abstract

To reduce the user burden of redoing the setting work of an inspection region following correction of document data.SOLUTION: An inspection region that has been set to a page image shown by document data of a printed matter is stored in association with the document data, and the stored set inspection region is deformed according to the page image shown by corrected document data obtained by correcting the stored document data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for inspecting printed matter. [Background technology]

[0002] Printed materials output from a printing device may be contaminated by ink, toner, or other coloring materials adhering to unintended locations. Alternatively, insufficient coloring materials may be adhering to areas where an image is to be formed, resulting in a color that is lighter than intended, resulting in color loss. Such print defects, such as stains and color loss, degrade the quality of printed materials. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the quality of printed materials by inspecting for print defects. Visual inspections for print defects require significant time and cost, so inspection systems that perform automatic inspections without relying on visual inspection have been proposed. In such inspection systems, a reference image serving as an inspection standard is generated and registered in advance from the manuscript data used in the printing process, and an area (inspection area) for detecting print defects is preset in the reference image. An image to be inspected (inspection image) obtained by scanning a printed material output from a printing device is then compared with the registered reference image using the preset inspection area, and the presence or absence of print defects is inspected based on the differences between the two images. In this case, the reference image is generated by interpreting the PDL (Page Description Language) included in the manuscript data using a RIP (Raster Image Processor) and converting it into a page image. During this RIP conversion process, misalignment of images and graphics within the page image and garbled text may occur. Techniques for detecting such RIP defects have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for variable printing in which, when a designated area indicated by layout data does not match a print area indicated by the variable data, the user is notified and prompted to edit the print area so that it fits within the designated area. Other techniques include a technique for converting a single manuscript data set using multiple RIPs and comparing the differences between the resulting multiple images (RIP images), and a technique for comparing the OCR results (recognized character strings) of the RIP image with text data accompanying the manuscript data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-1324 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The method in Patent Document 1 detects and prevents defects in variable printing, such as characters being printed with protruding or missing parts, by comparing areas, but cannot detect defects when the areas are consistent. Furthermore, methods that use OCR results cannot properly separate the characters from the background when the color of the background image and the color of the characters drawn over the background image are similar, resulting in a decrease in OCR accuracy and making it impossible to detect garbled characters, etc.

[0005] If the user discovers a RIP problem like the one described above while setting the inspection area, the original data must be corrected. In this case, the user must start over from scratch and set the inspection area based on the corrected original data, which is a significant workload. The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to reduce the burden on the user of having to redo the work of setting the inspection area when correcting the manuscript data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image processing device disclosed herein is an image processing device for inspecting defects in printed matter output from a printing device, and is equipped with an acquisition means for acquiring manuscript data of the printed matter, a setting means for setting an inspection area to be subject to the inspection for a page image indicated by the acquired manuscript data, and a storage means for linking the set inspection area to the manuscript data and storing it, characterized in that when modified manuscript data, which is made by making modifications to the stored manuscript data, is acquired by the acquisition means, the setting means transforms the stored set inspection area in accordance with the page image indicated by the modified manuscript data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user of redoing the setting work of the inspection area in response to correction of the manuscript data. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a software configuration for realizing various processes in an image processing unit of the inspection device. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an inspection process executed by an image processing unit. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing details of an inspection area setting process. [Figure 5] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of a page image, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a content stream of a PDF file. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of an inspection area setting screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of a page image, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a content stream of a PDF file. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the drawing area for each object. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of an inspection area setting screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of a page image, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a content stream of a PDF file. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the drawing area for each object. [Figure 12] 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining setting of an inspection area for multi-page document data. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Note that the same components will be described with the same reference numerals.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] In this embodiment, an aspect will be described in which an inspection area that has been set for document data before correction is automatically adjusted based on document data after correction.

[0011] <System configuration> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an inspection system according to this embodiment. The inspection system 100 shown in Fig. 1 includes a server 101, a printing device 102, and an inspection device 105. In the inspection system 100, the printing device 102 performs printing processing based on a print job generated by the server 101 to output a printed material, and the inspection device 105 inspects the printed material for defects. Types of print defects that can be inspected include, for example, dot-shaped (dot) defects, line-shaped (streak) defects, surface shape defects, image unevenness, etc.

[0012] The server 101 generates a print job and transmits the generated print job to the printing device 102. A client terminal (not shown) is communicably connected to the server 101 via a network. The server 101 receives a print job generation request from the client terminal, generates the print job, and submits it to the printing device 102.

[0013] The printing device 102 performs a printing process to form an image on paper based on a print job received from the server 101. Note that, in this embodiment, an electrophotographic printing method is assumed to be used as the printing method, but other printing methods such as offset printing or inkjet printing may also be used. The printing device 102 includes a paper feed unit 103. Paper according to the purpose is pre-loaded in the paper feed unit 103 by the user. Note that, in this specification, the concept of "paper" includes plastic sheets and the like and is not limited to paper in the strict sense. Based on the print job received from the server 101, the printing device 102 transports paper loaded in the paper feed unit 103 along a transport path 104, forms an image on one or both sides of the paper, and outputs the paper with the image formed (i.e., a printed matter) to an inspection device 105.

[0014] The inspection device 105 includes a CPU 106, a RAM 107, a ROM 108, a main memory unit 109, an image reading unit 110, a printing device I / F 111, a general-purpose I / F 112, a UI panel 113, and an image processing unit 118, which are connected to one another via a main bus 114. The inspection device 105 also includes a conveying path 115 connected to the conveying path 104 of the printing device 102, an output tray 116, and an output tray 117.

[0015] The CPU 106 is a processor that controls the entire inspection device 105. The RAM 107 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 106. The ROM 108 stores multiple programs executed by the CPU 106. The main memory unit 109 stores applications executed by the CPU 106, data used for image processing, etc. The image reading unit 110 performs a scanning process to optically read one or both sides of a printed material to be inspected that is output from the printing device 102, and generates a scanned image of the printed material. For example, one or both sides of the printed material being conveyed are read using one or more reading sensors (not shown) provided near the conveying path 115. The reading sensors may be provided on only one side, or may be provided on both the front and back sides of the printed material being conveyed to simultaneously read both sides. In a configuration in which the reading sensor is provided on only one side of the printed matter, the printed matter having one side read is transported to a double-sided transport path (not shown) in the transport path 115, the printed matter is turned over, and the reading sensor reads the other side.

[0016] The image processing unit 118 compares an image (hereinafter referred to as an "inspection image") obtained by scanning the printed matter to be inspected, which is generated by the image reading unit 110, with a pre-registered image (hereinafter referred to as a "reference image") that serves as a reference for the inspection, to inspect for the presence or absence of printing defects. Prior to the inspection, the image processing unit 118 also sets an inspection area. The reference image is also called a "correct image." Details of the image processing unit 118 will be described later.

[0017] The printing device I / F 111 adjusts (synchronizes) the timing of processing printed materials output from the printing device 102 and notifies each other of their operating statuses. The general-purpose I / F 112 is a serial bus interface such as USB or IEEE 1394. For example, by connecting a USB memory to the general-purpose I / F 112, data such as logs stored in the main memory unit 109 can be written to the USB memory and taken out, or data stored in the USB memory can be imported into the inspection device 105. The UI panel 113 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (display unit) with a touch panel function. The UI panel 113 functions as a user interface for the inspection device 105, displaying the current status and settings to inform the user. The user can also input various instructions by directly operating buttons displayed on the LCD display.

[0018] Overall, the inspection device 105 carries the printed matter sent from the printing device 102 along a transport path 115, while performing the inspection process described below based on an inspection image obtained by reading the printed matter with the image reading unit 110 and a pre-registered reference image. If the result of the inspection process shows that the printed matter passes the inspection, it is discharged into a pass output tray 116, and if not, it is discharged into a fail output tray 117. In this way, only those whose quality has been confirmed can be collected in the output tray 116 as deliverables for delivery.

[0019] <Software configuration> Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a software configuration (functional configuration) for realizing various processes in the image processing unit 118 of the inspection device 105. The software configuration shown in Fig. 2 is realized by the CPU 106 executing a program for realizing the functions. Image processing unit 118 includes software modules 201 to 207 that are responsible for image acquisition, setting inspection items, setting inspection areas, image alignment, setting inspection parameters, performing inspections, and outputting inspection results. The functions of each of these modules are realized by CPU 106 reading a program stored in ROM 108 into RAM 107 and executing it.

[0020] The image acquisition module 201 acquires a scanned image (inspection image) of the printed matter to be inspected and a reference image that serves as the inspection standard. Here, the reference image is raster format image data obtained by interpreting the PDL (Page Description Language) included in the print job using a RIP (Raster Image Processor).

[0021] The inspection setting module 202 sets inspection conditions based on user selections made via a user interface screen for inspection settings displayed on the UI panel 113. Specifically, it is possible to set conditions such as the type of print defect to be detected (inspection item), the desired detection accuracy (inspection level), and the range of the inspection image to be targeted (inspection area). Furthermore, the inspection setting module 202 of this embodiment also performs processing to automatically adjust the set inspection area if the document data is modified after the inspection area has been set. This automatic adjustment of the set inspection area will be described later.

[0022] The parameter setting module 203 sets parameters according to the inspection items set in the inspection setting module 202. In this case, the parameters include a filter for emphasizing the type of print defect selected by the user, a threshold for identifying the print defect, and the like.

[0023] The alignment module 204 performs alignment processing between the inspection image and the reference image. The inspection module 205 performs defect detection processing for the inspection items set in the inspection setting module 202. The inspection result output module 206 displays the results of the defect detection processing performed by the inspection module 205 on the UI panel 113.

[0024] <Inspection process flow> Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the inspection process executed by the image processing unit 118. The series of processes shown in the flowchart in Fig. 3 are realized by the CPU 106 reading a program stored in the ROM 108 into the RAM 107 and executing it. In the following explanation, the symbol "S" means a step.

[0025] In S301, preparation processing is executed. Specifically, based on user selection, processing such as setting of inspection items, setting of parameters corresponding to the inspection items, and setting of inspection areas is performed by the software modules 202 and 203 in charge. The processing for setting the inspection area, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described later.

[0026] In S302, the image acquisition module 201 acquires an inspection image generated by reading the printed matter output from the printing device 102 with the image reading unit 110, and a reference image registered in the preparation process of S301. Note that the inspection images may be acquired sequentially by synchronizing the reading operation of the image reading unit 110 with the conveyed printed matter, or an inspection image that has been read in advance and stored in the main memory unit 109 may be acquired. As will be described later, the reference image is raster-format image data obtained by interpreting the PDL included in the manuscript data of the print job sent from the server 101, and is acquired from the RAM 107 or the main memory unit 109.

[0027] In S303, the registration module 204 performs registration processing between the inspection image acquired in S302 and the reference image. Specifically, the registration is performed on the inspection image using a linear transformation such as an affine transformation or a non-linear transformation such as free-form deformations (FFD).

[0028] In S304, the inspection module 205 executes defect detection processing for the inspection items set in the preparation processing of S301. The defect detection processing generally flows as follows: First, a difference image showing the difference between the aligned inspection image and the reference image is generated. The difference image can be obtained, for example, by comparing corresponding pixels between the aligned inspection image and the reference image and obtaining the difference in pixel values ​​(e.g., density values ​​for each RGB) for each pixel. Next, a filter process is performed on the difference image to emphasize a specific shape corresponding to the print defect to be detected. The filtered difference image is then binarized to generate a binary difference image, and the presence or absence of the defect to be detected is determined based on each pixel value. If a defect is detected through this process, the inspection item (type of print defect) and the position of the detected defect (position coordinates within the image) are associated and stored in RAM 107 or main memory unit 109.

[0029] In S305, the inspection result output module 206 displays the inspection results for the inspection items set in the preparation process of S301 on the UI panel 113. The above is the content of the entire inspection process executed by the image processing unit 118.

[0030] <Inspection area setting process> Next, the inspection area setting process according to this embodiment, which is executed as part of the above-mentioned preparation process (S301), will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 4. In the following description, the symbol "S" means step.

[0031] In S401, manuscript data of a printout to be inspected is acquired. Here, it is assumed that the manuscript data acquired from the printing device 102 is a PDF file of a page image including two text objects 501 and 502 and one image object 503, as shown in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 5(b) shows the content stream of the PDF file, in which the text objects 501 and 502 describe the character code, font type, font size, and so forth of each character constituting the character string to be drawn. Furthermore, the image object 503 describes image data, for example in JPEG format, that represents the image to be drawn.

[0032] In S402, a reference image is generated from the document data acquired in S401 by RIP processing, and is displayed on a user interface screen for setting an inspection area (hereinafter referred to as an "inspection area setting screen") on the UI panel 113. FIG. 6(a) is a diagram showing an example of the inspection area setting screen. The inspection area setting screen 600 has a preview area 601, a temporary save button 602, a cancel button 603, and an OK button 604. The reference image generated from the document data is displayed in the preview area 601. The cancel button 603 is a button for canceling the setting work of the inspection area, and the OK button 604 is a button for finalizing the setting contents of the inspection area. The temporary save button 602 will be described later.

[0033] In S403, a user operation to specify an area on the page image to be used as an inspection area is accepted. The inspection area setting screen 600 in Fig. 6(a) above shows a state in which the user has specified, by operating a mouse or the like, a dashed-line range 605 as an inspection area for the text object 501 in the page image in Fig. 5(a) displayed in the preview area 601.

[0034] In S404, a button operation by the user is accepted, and in the next step S405, the next process is assigned depending on the content of the accepted button operation. If the button operation is for the temporary save button 602, the process proceeds to S406, and information on the inspection area that has been set and specified by the user up to that point (inspection area information) is linked to the manuscript data (before correction) in which the user discovered garbled characters and saved in RAM 107 or the like. Table 1 below is an example of inspection area information, and includes information on the "area ID" of the specified area and the position coordinates (top left coordinate and bottom right coordinate) that identify the "position" of the area.

[0035] [Table 1]

[0036] If the button operation target is the OK button 603, the process proceeds to S412, where the inspection area set by the user in the preview area 601 is confirmed and saved, and then the process exits this flow. If the button operation target is the cancel button 603, the process exits this flow.

[0037] Here, for example, suppose a user who has completed the setting work up to the state shown in FIG. 6(a) discovers a RIP error (erroneously converting “づで” to “XY”) when attempting to specify an inspection area for text object 502. Such a RIP error occurs when the specified font type is not compatible with the implemented RIP. The user who notices the garbled characters selects the temporary save button 602 provided on the inspection area setting screen 600. This causes the inspection area information corresponding to the work performed up to that point, i.e., information representing the set inspection area as shown in Table 1 above, to be stored in RAM 107 or the like. The user who selects the temporary save button 602 then modifies the manuscript data (here, a PDF file) to prevent the garbled characters from occurring. FIG. 7(b) shows the PDF file of FIG. 5(b) after the user has made modifications. In this example, the font type of text objects 501 and 502 has been changed from “F1” to “F2.” This is the modification made to the manuscript data by the user.

[0038] In the next step S407, the revised manuscript data (hereinafter referred to as "revised manuscript data") is acquired. For example, the revised PDF file shown in FIG. 7(b) is acquired by uploading it from a client terminal (not shown) by the user.

[0039] In S408, a reference image is generated by RIP processing from the corrected manuscript data acquired in S407. Figure 7(a) shows a page image as a reference image generated from the corrected PDF file shown in Figure 7(b). While there is no garbled text in text object 502' in the page image in Figure 7(a), the characters in text objects 501' and 502' have become slightly larger due to the change in font type.

[0040] In S409, based on the manuscript data temporarily saved in S406 and the revised manuscript data acquired in S407, identical objects that correspond before and after the revision are identified. In this case, for text objects, mismatches in font type and font size are included in the category of "identical objects." However, if the character code or number of characters is different, it is determined to be a different text object and is not treated as a "same object" that corresponds before and after the revision.

[0041] In S410, a drawing area in the page image represented by the corrected manuscript data is calculated for each identified identical object. In the case of a text object, the drawing area is calculated based on the glyph width of each character and the drawing position origin information of each character. FIG. 8(a) shows the drawing areas of the three objects 501-503 specified in the PDF file before correction shown in FIG. 5(b) by dashed-dotted lines 801-803. FIG. 8(b) shows the drawing areas of the three objects 501', 502', and 503 specified in the PDF file after correction shown in FIG. 7(b) by dashed-dotted lines 811-813. Due to the change in font type, the drawing areas 811 and 812 of the corrected text objects 501' and 502' are larger and extend horizontally than the drawing areas 801 and 802 of the text objects 501 and 502 before correction. On the other hand, there is no change for the image object 503, and the drawing area 813 is the same as the drawing area 803.

[0042] In S411, the inspection area temporarily saved in S406 is modified based on the drawing area for each object calculated in S410. That is, a modification process is performed to enlarge / reduce the set inspection area being temporarily saved in accordance with the drawing area calculated in S410. The modified inspection area is then presented to the user on the above-mentioned inspection area setting screen. FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing an inspection area setting screen 600' in which the modified inspection area is displayed in the preview area 601. A reference image generated from the corrected manuscript data is displayed in the preview area 601 of the inspection area setting screen 600' in FIG. 6(b). Then, for the text object 501' whose font type has been changed, the inspection area that has been enlarged to include its drawing area 811 (see FIG. 8(b)) is shown by the dashed line range 605'. This allows the user to view the inspection area [(X L1’, Y L1’ ),(X R1’, Y R1’ )] can be confirmed. The inspection area information in Table 1 above will also be updated as shown in Table 2 below.

[0043] [Table 2]

[0044] After such display processing, the process returns to S404. Then, if the user confirms that there are no problems with the inspection area after deformation by automatic adjustment and operates the OK button 604, the inspection area will be set according to the contents after deformation (S405, then S412).

[0045] The above is the content of the inspection area setting process according to this embodiment. While this embodiment focuses on text objects as the target of correction in manuscript data, image objects or graphics objects may also be used. In this case, the inspection area may be similarly transformed according to the drawing area calculated from the corrected manuscript data. Specifically, as described in the second embodiment below, the target image or graphics may be transformed (geometrically transformed) while maintaining their identity. In this case, for example, if the transformed inspection area overlaps with an inspection area already set for another object, a warning may be issued to the user, for example, by highlighting that portion. Whether to add / delete (extend / shorten) or geometrically transform a set inspection area can be controlled, for example, by the object attributes contained in the inspection area information described in the second embodiment below. Specifically, if the object attribute is an image or graphics other than text, geometric transformation is performed.

[0046] <Variation 1> In this embodiment, the inspection area is set for a reference image generated from manuscript data, but this is not limiting. For example, a raster image obtained by a simpler rendering method may be displayed in the preview area 601 so that the inspection area can be specified. In this case, the drawing position in the raster image displayed in the preview area 601 is regarded as the drawing position in the reference image, and the area specified by the user is linked to the reference image and set as the inspection area. In this case, too, the inspection area can be automatically adjusted in response to corrections to the manuscript data.

[0047] As described above, according to this embodiment, if an inspection area is set for an object in a page image and garbled characters or the like are discovered and the manuscript data is corrected, the set inspection area is automatically adjusted in accordance with the corrections to the manuscript data, thereby reducing the burden on the user of having to redo the work of setting up the inspection area when correcting the manuscript data.

[0048] [Embodiment 2] In the first embodiment, an example was described in which an inspection area already set for a text object is automatically adjusted in response to a change in the drawing area caused by a user who discovered garbled characters changing the font type of the text object in the manuscript data. Next, as the second embodiment, a mode in which, in response to a modification of manuscript data made regarding a certain text object, the inspection areas already set for other objects affected by the modification are also automatically adjusted. Note that a description of the system configuration and other aspects common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the following description of the inspection area setting process according to this embodiment will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, following the flowchart of FIG. 4 mentioned above.

[0049] <Inspection area setting process> S401 and S402 are the same as in the first embodiment. First, manuscript data to be printed is acquired, and a reference image is generated from the acquired manuscript data. Then, in S403, a user operation to specify an inspection area for the reference image displayed on the inspection area setting screen is accepted. Here, as shown in FIG. 9A, it is assumed that a dashed-line range 605 is specified for a text object 501 in a page image, and then dashed-line ranges 901 and 902 are specified as inspection areas for an image object 503. The dashed-line range 901 specifies the entire image object 503, and the dashed-line range 902 specifies the face portion of the image object 503 as a separate inspection area. Such a specification is performed when different inspection items and inspection levels are desired for different parts of a single object. After completing the specification up to this point, it is assumed that the user attempts to specify an inspection area for the text object 502, but discovers garbled characters (the character "zude" is mistranslated into "XY") and selects the temporary save button 602. As a result, inspection area information indicating the inspection area that has been set up to that point and specified by the user is linked to the manuscript data (before correction) in which the user discovered garbled characters, and is saved in RAM 107, etc. Table 3 below is an example of inspection area information according to this embodiment, and includes information on the "area ID" of the specified area, the position coordinates (top left coordinates and bottom right coordinates) that identify the "position" of the area, as well as information on "object attributes."

[0050] [Table 3]

[0051] Then, the user who selects the temporary save button 602 makes corrections to the manuscript data (here, the PDF file) to prevent garbled characters. Figure 10(b) shows the PDF file after the user has made corrections to the PDF file of Figure 5(b). In this example, the font type of text objects 501 and 502 has been changed from "F1" to "F2," and the font size has also been changed from "50" to "80."

[0052] S404 and S405 are the same as in the first embodiment, and involve accepting a button operation by the user and allocating processing based on the content of the accepted button operation. In S406, when the temporary save button 602 is operated, information about the inspection area that was set at the time the button was operated is linked to the manuscript data and saved in RAM 107 or the like, and in the next S407, revised manuscript data is acquired. Here, it is assumed that the revised manuscript data is acquired by the user uploading, for example, the PDF file shown in FIG. 10(b) from a client terminal (not shown).

[0053] S408 is the same as in the first embodiment, and a reference image is generated by RIP processing from the corrected manuscript data acquired in S407. FIG. 10(a) shows a page image as a reference image generated from the corrected PDF file shown in FIG. 10(b). In text object 502" in the page image in FIG. 10(a), the change in font type has not caused garbled characters. Furthermore, the changes in font type and font size have made the characters in text objects 501" and 502" larger. Furthermore, the line break position for text object 501" has changed, and the number of lines has increased from two to three. Furthermore, although the image data itself of image object 503" has not changed, the display size within the page image has been reduced by the layout adjustment described below.

[0054] S409 is also the same as in the first embodiment, and based on the manuscript data temporarily saved in S406 and the revised manuscript data acquired in S407, identical objects that are in a corresponding relationship before and after the revision are identified.

[0055] In S410, the drawing area for each identified object on the page represented by the revised manuscript data is calculated. As described above, for text objects, the drawing area is calculated based on the glyph width (character shape width) of each character and the drawing position origin information for each character. For image objects, the drawing area is calculated based on the coordinate information indicating the drawing position described in the content stream. The drawing area for each object must be determined so that it fits within the printable area (excluding the margins) specified for the page to be printed. For example, if the drawing area of ​​a text object becomes larger due to a font change, the drawing areas of other objects are reduced. This layout adjustment is performed so that the relative positions of the objects are maintained. Figure 11(b) shows the drawing areas of the three objects 501"-503" specified in the revised PDF file shown in Figure 10(b) by dashed dotted lines 1101-1103. As a result of the change in font type and font size, not only is the drawing area 1101 of the corrected text object 501" larger than the drawing area 801 of the text object 501 before correction (see Figure 11(a)), but its shape has also changed. Furthermore, the drawing area 1102 of the corrected text object 502" is larger than the drawing area 802 of the text object 502 before correction (see Figure 11(a)). Accordingly, the drawing area 1103 of the corrected image object 503" is significantly smaller than the drawing area 803 before correction (see Figure 11(a)), while maintaining the positional relationship between the drawing areas due to layout adjustment.

[0056] In S411, the inspection area that has been set and temporarily saved in S406 is transformed based on the drawing area for each object calculated in S410. At this time, the inspection area that has been set and temporarily saved is transformed so that the positional relationship of the drawing areas of each object is maintained. Now, assume that the inspection area that has been set in the state shown in FIG. 9(a) has been temporarily saved. In this case, first, the drawing area 1101 of the text object 501" has been enlarged due to changes in the font type and font size. Therefore, the inspection area [(X L1, Y L1 ),(X R1, Y R1 )] into the inspection area [(X A1, Y A1 ),(X A2, Y A2 ),(X A3, Y A3 ),(X A4, Y A4 ),(X A5, Y A5 Furthermore, since the drawing area 1103 of the image object 503″ has become smaller due to the layout adjustment, the corresponding inspection area [(X L2, Y L2 ),(X R2, Y R2 )] is also transformed into the inspection area [(X L2’, Y L2’ ),(X R2’, Y R2’ ) )]. Accordingly, the inspection area targeted at the face portion of the image object 503" is also reduced while maintaining its relative positional relationship with the entire object. That is, the inspection area [(X L3, Y L3 ),(X R3, Y R3 )] is the inspection area [(X L3’, Y L3’ ),(X R3’, Y R3’)]. Then, as in the first embodiment, the deformed inspection area is displayed in the preview area 601 of the inspection area setting screen being displayed on the UI panel 113. FIG. 9(b) is a diagram showing an inspection area setting screen 900′ in which the inspection area after deformation is displayed in the preview area 601. The preview area 601 of the inspection area setting screen 900″ in FIG. 9(b) displays a reference image generated from the corrected manuscript data, and the inspection area [(X A1, Y A1 ),···(X A5, Y A5 ) is shown by dashed line 605″. Furthermore, for image object 503″, the search area [(X L2’, Y L2’ ),(X R2’, Y R2’ )] and the correspondingly reduced inspection area [(X L3’, Y L3’ ),(X R3’, Y R3’ ) are indicated by dashed lines 901" and 902", respectively. This allows the user to confirm the inspection area that has been automatically adjusted in accordance with the corrected manuscript data. The inspection area information in Table 3 will then be updated as shown in Table 4 below.

[0057] [Table 4]

[0058] When the changed inspection area is displayed in the preview area 601, a notification regarding the changes may be given, for example, by displaying a message informing the user that the position or size of an image object that has not been modified has been changed by layout adjustment. After such display processing, the process returns to S404, and if the user confirms that there are no problems with the changed inspection area and operates the OK button 604, the inspection area is set with the changed contents (S405 via S412).

[0059] The above is the content of the inspection area setting process according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the case where the inspection area for the unmodified image object is automatically adjusted accordingly by modifying the text object has been described. However, the attributes of the objects subject to such incidental automatic adjustment are not limited to images, and may be, for example, graphics. Also, when one of the temporarily saved set inspection areas corresponds to, for example, a preprint area (an area where a logo or the like is printed on the paper) and is not affected by layout adjustment, the inspection area may be set to be excluded from automatic adjustment.

[0060] <Modification Example>[[ID=б]] In Embodiments 1 and 2, the mode of modifying the manuscript data of one page and automatically adjusting the corresponding inspection area has been described. However, it can be similarly applied to any page in the manuscript data of multiple pages. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the setting of the inspection area in this modification example, and shows manuscript data for n pages including text objects and image objects on each page. String C1 and image I1 are on the first page, string C2 and image I2 are on the second page, ···, string C n and image I n are arranged in this manner. Then, the user designates the ranges RC1, RC2, ···, RC m―1 indicated by the broken lines as the inspection areas for the text objects of the manuscript data from page 1 to page m - 1 out of the manuscript data for n pages through the above-described inspection area setting screen. Further, it is assumed that the ranges RI1, RI2, ··· RI m-1 indicated by the broken lines are designated as the inspection areas for the image objects. Note that m is a positive integer satisfying 1 < m < n. And when trying to specify the inspection area for the string C m on the m-th page in the same way, a character encoding error is found, the inspection area setting work is interrupted, and the temporary save button is selected. In the case of this modification example, at this point, the inspection area information associating each inspection area with the page number as shown in Table 5 below may be temporarily saved.

[0061] [Table 5]

[0062] The user then makes the same corrections to the m-page manuscript data as in the first and second embodiments, and uploads the manuscript data with the corrections made. This makes it possible to perform automatic adjustments to the temporarily saved set inspection area for any page in the multi-page manuscript data, as in the first and second embodiments.

[0063] As described above, according to this embodiment, when a user discovers garbled characters or the like in a text object, the set inspection areas of other objects that are affected by the corrections made to the manuscript data by the user can also be automatically adjusted.

[0064] (Other Examples) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0065] The disclosure of this embodiment also includes the following configurations and methods.

[0066] (Configuration 1) An image processing device for inspecting defects in printed matter output from a printing device, an acquisition means for acquiring manuscript data of the printed matter; a setting means for setting an inspection area to be inspected for the page image indicated by the acquired document data; a storage means for storing the set inspection area in association with the document data; Equipped with When the acquisition means acquires corrected manuscript data obtained by modifying the saved manuscript data, the setting means transforms the saved set inspection area in accordance with the page image indicated by the corrected manuscript data. 1. An image processing device comprising:

[0067] (Configuration 2) the setting means sets an area on the page image designated by a user via a user interface screen as the inspection area; the inspection area modified in accordance with the corrected manuscript data is displayed on the user interface screen. 2. The image processing device according to configuration 1,

[0068] (Configuration 3) The image processing device according to configuration 2, wherein the setting means, in accordance with the save instruction from the user via the user interface screen, saves the inspection area that has been set at the time of the instruction, linked to the document data.

[0069] (Configuration 4) The setting means comparing an object included in a page image indicated by the saved original data with an object included in a page image indicated by the corrected original data to identify an identical object that corresponds to the object; calculating a drawing area in a page image indicated by the corrected document data for each identified identical object; Transforming the stored set inspection area based on the calculated drawing area; 4. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3.

[0070] (Configuration 5) the object included in the page image is a text object whose object attribute is text, If the saved set inspection area includes an inspection area for the text object, and if a correction has been made to the font of the character string represented by the text object in the corrected manuscript data, The setting means If the drawing area of ​​the text object is enlarged due to the correction related to the font, the saved set inspection area is transformed to fit the enlarged drawing area; If the drawing area of ​​the text object is reduced due to the correction related to the font, the saved set inspection area is transformed to fit the reduced drawing area. 5. The image processing device according to configuration 4.

[0071] (Configuration 6) The image processing device according to configuration 5, wherein the setting means transforms the set inspection area for the saved text object based on the glyph width and drawing position origin information of each character constituting the character string represented by the text object.

[0072] (Configuration 7) When the page image further includes other objects having object attributes other than text, If the saved set inspection area further includes an inspection area for the other object, The setting means When a drawing area of ​​the text object is changed due to the correction related to the font, the saved set inspection area for the other object is transformed by geometric transformation so that a positional relationship between the changed drawing area and the drawing area of ​​the other object is maintained. 7. The image processing device according to configuration 6,

[0073] (Configuration 8) 8. The image processing device according to configuration 7, wherein the other object is an image object whose object attribute is image or a graphics object whose object attribute is graphics.

[0074] (Configuration 9) 9. The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the setting means does not perform the deformation if the saved set inspection area is an inspection area for a preprint area.

[0075] (Configuration 10) If the manuscript data includes page images of multiple pages, the storage means stores the set inspection area in association with the page number of the corresponding page image; The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that when the acquisition means acquires modified manuscript data that has been modified from the saved manuscript data, the setting means transforms the set inspection area that has been saved in association with a page number in accordance with the page image of the page number in the modified manuscript data.

[0076] (Method 1) An image processing method for inspecting defects in a printed matter output from a printing device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring manuscript data of the printed matter; a setting step of setting an inspection area to be inspected for the page image indicated by the acquired document data; a storing step of storing the set inspection area in association with the document data; an acquiring step of acquiring corrected manuscript data obtained by correcting the saved manuscript data; a transformation step of transforming the saved set inspection area in accordance with a page image indicated by the corrected manuscript data; An image processing method comprising:

[0077] (Configuration 12) A program for causing a computer to function as the image processing device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects.

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring manuscript data for printing, A setting means for setting an inspection area to be inspected for an image indicated by the acquired manuscript data, Comprising, When the manuscript data is corrected, the setting means updates the set inspection area based on the corrected manuscript data, An image processing apparatus characterized by this.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage means for storing the set inspection area in association with the acquired manuscript data.

3. When the manuscript data is corrected, the setting means deforms the set inspection area based on the corrected manuscript data, The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by this.

4. The setting means sets, as the inspection area, an area on the image specified by the user via a user interface screen, The inspection area deformed according to the corrected manuscript data is displayed on the user interface screen, The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by this.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting means stores the inspection area set at the time of the instruction in association with the manuscript data in accordance with an instruction for the storage by the user via a user interface screen.

6. The setting means, Compares an object included in the image indicated by the acquired manuscript data with an object included in the image indicated by the corrected manuscript data, identifies the same object in a corresponding relationship, For each identified same object, calculates a drawing area in the image indicated by the corrected manuscript data, Based on the calculated drawing area, deforms the set inspection area, The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by this.

7. The object included in the image is a text object whose object attribute is text, The set inspection area includes an inspection area for the text object, and when a correction regarding the font of the character string represented by the text object has been made in the corrected manuscript data, The setting means, When the drawing area of the text object is enlarged due to the correction regarding the font, deforms the set inspection area in accordance with the enlarged drawing area, When the drawing area of the text object is reduced due to the correction related to the font, the set inspection area is deformed according to the reduced drawing area. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that.

8. The setting means deforms the inspection area for the set text object based on the glyph width of each character constituting the string represented by the text object and the drawing position origin information. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. When the image further includes other objects having object attributes other than text, When the set inspection area further includes an inspection area for the other object, The setting means When the drawing area of the text object changes due to the correction related to the font, the inspection area for the set other object is deformed by geometric transformation so that the positional relationship between the changed drawing area and the drawing area of the other object is maintained. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the other object is an image object whose object attribute is an image or a graphics object whose object attribute is graphics.

11. The setting means does not perform the update when the set inspection area is an inspection area for a pre-print area, according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The image processing apparatus described.

12. When the acquired manuscript data includes images of a plurality of pages, The storage means stores the set inspection area associated with the page number of the corresponding image, When the acquired manuscript data is corrected, the setting means deforms the inspection area stored in association with the page number according to the image of the page number in the corrected manuscript data. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that.

13. An acquisition step of acquiring manuscript data for printing, A setting step of setting an inspection area to be inspected for the image represented by the acquired manuscript data, Having In the setting step, when the manuscript data is corrected, the set inspection area is updated based on the corrected manuscript data. An image processing method characterized by the above.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute the image processing method according to claim 13.

Images