Information processing system, method, and program

Abstract

To easily identify setting for acquiring an image desired by a user.SOLUTION: An information processing system comprises: a first image acquisition unit for acquiring a first image, which is an image obtained by first image processing means performing image processing on a read image generated by first image reading means reading a manuscript; a second image acquisition unit for acquiring a second image which is a read image generated by second image reading means reading the manuscript or an image obtained by second image processing means performing image processing on the read image; and an analysis unit for performing comparison analysis using the first image and the second image to determine recommended setting that differs from setting at the time of the second image being obtained and makes an image obtained from the manuscript using the second image reading means and the second image processing means after the recommended setting being applied closer to the first image than the second image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for configuring a device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an apparatus has been proposed that includes an image reading unit that acquires read image data of a target printed matter, a first color conversion unit that performs color conversion using a first color conversion table that represents the correspondence between the signal values ​​of a first color space obtained from the image reading unit and the chromaticity values ​​of a second color space which is a device-independent color space, an image matching unit that matches the positional relationship between the read image data or the read chromaticity value image data converted to chromaticity values ​​and the original image data, and a color conversion table creation unit that creates a second color conversion table that represents the multidimensional correspondence between the third color space of the original image data and the second color space based on the correspondence between the original image data and the chromaticity values ​​of the read image, and creates an output device color conversion table by reading a first printed matter printed by a printing device based on the first image data with the image reading unit (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also proposed is a device (see Patent Document 2) in which an image processing control information acquisition means acquires input characteristic information of the image input means and output characteristic information of the image output means to be used, analyzes the state of the input image (image to be processed) input from the image input means to acquire image analysis information, acquires the operator's wishes for the image output from the image output means as intention information, an image processing parameter inference determination means infers and determines image processing parameters for specified image processing based on each acquired image processing control information, the image processing means executes image processing according to the inferred image processing parameters and outputs the data to the image output means, and the image output means outputs the image data output from the image processing means as an image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-98630 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-150656 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventionally, in an image reading device (image reading system) such as a scanner, there are cases where an output image equivalent to an output image from another image reading device (image reading system) is desired to be obtained. In this way, when an image obtained using an image reading device is desired to be similar to an image obtained using another image reading device, a user may manually set various settings. However, in such a case, the user himself / herself must go through the trouble of estimating (specifying) the settings for obtaining the desired image.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to easily specify settings for acquiring an image desired by a user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One example of the present disclosure includes a first image acquisition means for acquiring one or more first images, which are one or more images obtained by applying image processing by a first image processing means to one or more read images generated by reading one or more sheets of a document by a first image reading means, and one or more read images generated by reading the one or more sheets of a document by a second image reading means, or one or more images obtained by applying image processing by a second image processing means to the one or more read images generated by reading the one or more sheets of a document by the second image reading means. The information processing system includes a second image acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of second images, and an analysis means for determining a recommended setting that is different from the setting when the one or more second images were acquired in the second image reading means and / or the second image processing means, by performing a comparative analysis using the one or more first images and the one or more second images, such that the recommended setting is applied and one or more third images obtained from the one or more documents using the second image reading means and the second image processing means are closer to the one or more first images than the one or more second images.

[0008] The present disclosure can be understood as an information processing device, a system, a method executed by a computer, or a program executed by a computer. The present disclosure can also be understood as a program recorded on a recording medium readable by a computer or other device, machine, etc. Here, a recording medium readable by a computer, etc. refers to a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action and can be read by a computer, etc. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it becomes possible for a user to easily specify settings for acquiring a desired image. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a functional configuration of an information processing device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an LUT between images of each document when an automatic brightness correction function is OFF in the scanner A according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram showing an example of an LUT between images of each document when an automatic brightness correction function is ON in the scanner A according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a method for determining recommended settings for a smoothing function according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended setting generation screen (at the start) according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended setting generation screen (at the start of analysis) according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended setting generation screen (analyzing) according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended settings generation screen (when presenting recommended settings) according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing an overview of the flow of a recommended setting determination process (for N groups) according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart (1) showing an overview of the flow of a recommended setting determination process according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart (2) showing an overview of the flow of the recommended setting determination process according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a functional configuration of a server according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the functional configuration of a scanner according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining the color correspondence between output images before and after replacement. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information processing system, an information processing device, a method, and a program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is an example of an embodiment, and the information processing system, the information processing device, the method, and the program according to the present disclosure are not limited to the specific configuration described below. In carrying out the present disclosure, a specific configuration according to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted, and various improvements and modifications may be made.

[0012] [First embodiment] In this embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which the information processing system, information processing device, method, and program according to the present disclosure are implemented in a system for estimating settings for obtaining an image (image output result) equivalent to an image (image output result) obtained by a scanner before replacement in a scanner after replacement when the scanner is replaced. However, the information processing system, information processing device, method, and program according to the present disclosure can be widely used for technology for estimating settings for obtaining an image (image output result) equivalent to an image (image output result) obtained by another scanner, and the application of the present disclosure is not limited to the examples shown in the embodiment.

[0013] In the past, scanners sometimes needed to be replaced (with a new scanner) due to aging or breakdowns. In such cases, users often wish to carry out the replacement with as little effort as possible. Furthermore, many users wish to obtain images equivalent to those output by the previous scanner after replacement.

[0014] In response to this, a technique has been proposed for matching the color tone output by an image forming device to the color tone of another image forming device. However, for example, if the image reading device before replacement uses a function for adjusting the brightness of the entire image according to the brightness of the entire document, simply creating a color correspondence between the output images before and after replacement for one document does not make the correspondence valid for other documents. Also, for example, assume that a smoothing process was performed on the image reading device before replacement. When smoothing is performed, similar colors within a certain range are output as if they were one color. Therefore, when a color correspondence between both output images is obtained in a case where a smoothing process was performed on the image reading device before replacement but not on the image reading device after replacement, a correspondence of multiple colors to one color is obtained.

[0015] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the color correspondence between output images before and after replacement. FIG. 17 shows the output image before replacement and the output image after replacement for the same region of the same document. The image reading device before replacement performs a smoothing process, and the output image before replacement shown in FIG. 17 is the output image after the smoothing process. On the other hand, the image reading device after replacement does not perform a smoothing process, and the output image after replacement shown in FIG. 17 is the output image without the smoothing process. In this case, when the color correspondence between the corresponding positions between the images is obtained, as shown in FIG. 17, one color in the output image before replacement corresponds to multiple colors in the output image after replacement, and a multiple-color to one-color correspondence is obtained. In this case, inconsistencies occur in the color correspondence in other regions (pixels) where smoothing has not been performed or in other documents.

[0016] In this way, when matching colors, it may be desirable not only to adjust the color tone based on a simple color correspondence, but also to match the image processing settings (with or without smoothing processing). In other words, it is desirable to create a color correspondence in a state where smoothing processing is performed in both devices or where smoothing processing is not performed in both devices. In this way, when it is desired to match an image acquired by an image reading device after replacement with an image acquired by an image reading device before replacement, it is desirable to match (mimic) the image processing settings and image reading settings to the settings of the image reading device before replacement.

[0017] However, when the function names (item names) or item values ​​are different between devices even for the same setting items, or when the default settings of both devices are different, it is expected that the user will have difficulty in setting up to obtain an image equivalent to the output image before the replacement. In other words, there is a problem in that it takes time and effort to estimate (specify) the settings to obtain the image the user desires.

[0018] In view of such circumstances, the information processing system, information processing device, method, and program according to the present embodiment perform a comparative analysis using a first image obtained using the scanner before replacement and a second image obtained using the scanner after replacement for the same document, and determine recommended settings that will make the image obtained using the scanner after replacement closer to the first image obtained using the scanner before replacement, thereby enabling the user to easily specify settings for obtaining a desired image. This allows the user to smoothly carry out replacement without being aware of the settings (image reading settings and / or image processing settings) related to the image reading device before replacement.

[0019] <System configuration> 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a system 9 according to this embodiment. The system 9 according to this embodiment includes a scanner 8 and an information processing device 1 that are communicatively connected to each other via a network or other communication means.

[0020] The information processing device 1 is a computer including a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a read only memory (ROM) 12, a random access memory (RAM) 13, a storage device 14 such as an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM) or a hard disk drive (HDD), an input device 15 such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel, an output device 16 such as a display, and a communication unit 17 such as a network interface card (NIC). However, the specific hardware configuration of the information processing device 1 can be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In addition, the information processing device 1 is not limited to a device consisting of a single housing. The information processing device 1 may be realized by multiple devices using so-called cloud or distributed computing technology.

[0021] The scanner 8 is a device (image reading device) that captures an image (image data) by capturing an image of a document, business card, receipt, or photo / illustration, etc., set by the user, and in this embodiment, it is the scanner after replacement (scanner B). In this embodiment, a scanner is exemplified as an image reading device, but the image reading device is not limited to a scanner and may be a multifunction device or the like. The scanner 8 according to this embodiment has a function of transmitting image data obtained by capturing an image to the information processing device 1 via a network. The scanner 8 may further have a user interface, such as a touch panel display or a keyboard, for enabling character input / output and item selection, as well as a web browsing function and a server function. The communication means and hardware configuration of the scanner that can adopt the method according to this embodiment are not limited to the examples in this embodiment.

[0022] 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment. The information processing device 1 functions as a device including a classification definition storage unit 31, a first image acquisition unit 32, a second image acquisition unit 33, an analysis unit 34, and a presentation unit 35, by a program recorded in the storage device 14 being read into the RAM 13 and executed by the CPU 11, and each piece of hardware included in the information processing device 1 is controlled. The second image acquisition unit 33 includes a read image acquisition unit 33A and a second image processing unit 33B. Note that in this embodiment and other embodiments described later, each function included in the information processing device 1 is executed by the CPU 11, which is a general-purpose processor, but some or all of these functions may be executed by one or more dedicated processors.

[0023] The classification definition storage unit 31 stores a classification definition in which a plurality of setting items (a plurality of setting items that are image reading setting items and / or image processing setting items) are classified into N groups from a first group to an N-th group (N is a natural number of 2 or more). The N groups include a first group and an n-th group (n is a natural number of 2 or more and N or less). The first group is a group (independent group) to which a setting item belongs whose recommended setting is not affected by the setting contents of other setting items (not affected by other settings). The n-th group is a group (subordinate group) to which a setting item belongs whose recommended setting is affected by the setting contents of at least a setting item belonging to the n-1th group (affected by other setting contents). The independent group includes at least any of the setting items (basic parameter setting items) such as color mode, resolution, automatic crop (function), paper size, reading side, blank page deletion (function), front and back composition (function), and top and bottom split (function). In addition, the subordinate group includes setting items related to at least any of punch hole removal (function), orientation correction (function), brightness adjustment (function), automatic brightness correction (function), smoothing (function), background pattern removal (function), noise removal (function), and color tone.

[0024] In this embodiment, the subordinate groups include a first subordinate group that is affected by the setting contents of the setting items belonging to the independent group, a second subordinate group that is affected by the setting contents of the setting items belonging to the first subordinate group, and a third subordinate group that is affected by the setting contents of the setting items belonging to the second subordinate group. In this embodiment, the setting items belonging to the first subordinate group are exemplified as setting items related to a punch hole removal function and a direction correction function, the setting items belonging to the second subordinate group are exemplified as setting items related to a brightness adjustment function, an automatic brightness correction function, a background pattern removal function, and a noise removal function, and the setting items belonging to the third subordinate group are exemplified as setting items related to a smoothing function. Note that in this embodiment, three groups are exemplified as subordinate groups, but the number of subordinate groups may be any number equal to or greater than one. In addition, the setting items are not limited to the above-mentioned items, and any items may be used. Furthermore, the setting items belonging to each group are not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and can be arbitrarily set (selected) by the user.

[0025] The first image acquisition unit 32 acquires one or more first images (hereinafter referred to as "first image group"; however, the first image group may include only one first image) that are one or more images obtained by performing image processing by the first image processing unit on one or more read images generated by reading one or more originals by the first image reading unit. In this embodiment, the read image indicates an image (raw image) that has not been subjected to image processing. In this embodiment, the first image acquisition unit 32 acquires a first image group obtained (output) by reading one or more originals by the scanner A (first image reading unit) that is the scanner before replacement, and then performing image processing by the scanner driver (first image processing unit) of the scanner A (illustration of the first image reading unit and the first image processing unit is omitted). Here, as the scanner before replacement and the scanner after replacement, a scanner made by another company and a scanner made by the same company are exemplified, respectively, but the scanner before replacement and the scanner after replacement are not limited to being scanners made by different companies (manufacturers). As mentioned above, the first image reading means (scanner A) and the second image reading means (scanner B) are not limited to the scanner before replacement and the scanner after replacement, respectively, but may be any scanners that are different from each other (including different scanners of the same model).

[0026] Here, the document used may be any document, for example, a document used when operating the scanner A (customer-operated document), etc. The document used may be one sheet or multiple sheets. The image processing (first image processing) performed by the first image processing means may be any processing, such as image processing according to the image processing settings used when operating the scanner A. In this way, the first image acquisition unit 32 acquires the scanned images (first image group) obtained using the scanner before replacement.

[0027] In this embodiment, "obtain" means obtaining information by various methods, such as obtaining information from a connected device such as scanner A or a scanner driver (information processing device) via a network or the like, or reading information stored in the information processing device 1 or another storage device. In this embodiment, the first image obtaining unit 32 obtains the first image group by reading (loading) the first image group from the storage device 14, but the first image group may be obtained from the first image processing means via a network or the like. In addition, when not only scanner B but also scanner A is connected to the information processing device 1 (when the information processing device 1 also has a driver (first image processing means) for scanner A), the first image obtaining unit 32 may obtain the second image by controlling scanner A to capture an image of a set document.

[0028] The second image acquisition unit 33 acquires one or more second images (hereinafter referred to as "second image group"; however, the second image group may include only one second image), which are one or more read images generated by reading one or more originals by the second image reading means, or one or more images obtained by performing image processing by the second image processing means on one or more read images generated by reading one or more originals by the second image reading means. Note that the first image group and the second image group related to the same original are acquired by reading the same original (one or more originals) in the first image reading means and the second image reading means. In this embodiment, the second image acquisition unit 33 corresponds to a driver of the scanner B (second image reading means (scanner 8 in FIG. 2)) which is the scanner after replacement. The second image acquisition unit 33 acquires a second image group, which is one or more read images generated by scanning one or more original documents with scanner B, or images generated (output) by applying image processing (second image processing) to the one or more read images.

[0029] In this embodiment, the second image acquisition unit 33 includes a read image acquisition unit 33A and a second image processing unit 33B. The read image acquisition unit 33A acquires one or more read images generated by reading one or more originals with the scanner B, and the second image processing unit 33B generates one or more images (processed images) that have been subjected to image processing by performing image processing (second image processing) on ​​the one or more read images. Thus, the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires one or more images that have been subjected to image processing as a second image group. Note that the second image processing may be any processing, and may be, for example, image processing (such as an automatic crop function "ON") that makes it easier to determine recommended settings in the analysis processing (comparative analysis) described later. In this way, the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires the scan images (second image group) obtained using the scanner B after replacement.

[0030] In this embodiment, the second image acquisition unit 33 controls the scanner 8 to capture an image of the set document, thereby acquiring the second image group. In this embodiment, a case is exemplified in which a processed image obtained with the color mode set to "color", the automatic crop function set to "ON", and the orientation correction function set to "automatic" is acquired (used) as the second image (second image group), but the second image is not limited to the processed image and may be a read image. In addition, when a dedicated color chart (test chart) is used as the document, the scan data (scanned image) of the color chart may be stored in advance in the scanner B or the driver of the scanner B. In this case, the second image acquisition unit 33 may acquire the second image by reading out the previously stored scanned image as the second image without scanning the document. In this case, the first image acquisition unit 32 acquires, as the first image, an image output by the first image processing unit after the color chart is read by the first image reading means and image processing is performed by the first image processing means. Furthermore, in the case where the scanner B is provided with a second image processing means for performing image processing on the read image, the second image acquisition unit 33 may be configured to acquire from the scanner B a second image which is the read image or a processed image.

[0031] The analysis unit 34 performs a comparative analysis using the first image group and the second image group to determine a recommended setting (recommended setting for obtaining an output image equivalent to an output image of the scanner A in the scanner B) such that an image (one or more images) obtained using the scanner B (second image reading means and second image processing means) approaches an image (one or more images) obtained using the scanner A (first image reading means and first image processing means). More specifically, the recommended setting such that an image obtained using the scanner B approaches an image obtained using the scanner A is a recommended setting different from the setting when the second image group is obtained in the second image reading means and / or the second image processing means, and is a recommended setting such that one or more third images (third image group) obtained from the one or more originals using the second image reading means and the second image processing means after the recommended setting is applied approaches the first image group more than the second image group. The analysis unit 34 determines this recommended setting by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group (including the second image group to which image processing according to the recommended setting has been performed (the second image group to which the recommended setting is reflected)).

[0032] As described above, some of the setting items (image reading setting items and / or image processing setting items) related to the image reading device are affected by the setting content processing of other setting items. Therefore, in this embodiment, the recommended settings for multiple setting items related to the scanner B are determined in stages. Specifically, when the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for a setting item whose recommended setting is affected by the setting content of another setting item, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the other setting items in advance. Then, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the affected setting items by reflecting the determined recommended settings in the second image group and performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group. In other words, in order to determine the recommended settings for a setting item (e.g., setting item B) that is affected by the setting of another setting item (e.g., setting item A), the recommended settings for the other setting item (setting item A) are determined in advance, and the recommended settings for the setting item (setting item B) are determined by performing an analysis process using the image in which the recommended settings are reflected.

[0033] Therefore, in this embodiment, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the first group by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group, and determines the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the n-th group by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group after the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the groups up to the n-1th group are reflected in the second image group. Below, an example will be given of a method of determining the recommended settings in stages by determining the recommended settings in the order of the independent group, the first dependent group, the second dependent group, and the third dependent group.

[0034] <Independent Group> First, the analysis unit 34 performs a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group to determine a recommended setting (first recommended setting) for the setting item belonging to the independent group. Here, the setting for the setting item basically includes ON / OFF settings of the function and intensity settings (sensitivity settings, strong / weak settings, etc.) when the function is ON. The analysis unit 34 performs a comparative analysis to determine setting values ​​(recommended values) such as ON / OFF settings of the function and intensity settings that are estimated to make the image (one or more images) obtained using the scanner B closer to the image (one or more images) obtained using the scanner A. Note that there are three types of methods for determining the recommended setting (recommended value): a method (method 1) for determining based on the image (first image group) related to the scanner A, a method (method 2) for determining by comparing the characteristics of the image (first image group) related to the scanner A with the characteristics of the image (second image group or the second image group in which the recommended setting is reflected) related to the scanner B, and a method (method 3) for determining by performing image processing while changing the setting value (candidate value) and then performing image comparison.

[0035] In method 2, the analysis unit 34 acquires features (features related to setting items) of images to be compared in the comparative analysis, and compares the features between the images to be compared to determine the recommended settings. In method 3, the analysis unit 34 executes a process for a setting item one or more times while changing the setting value of the setting item for at least one image of images to be compared that relate to the same document, and determines the recommended setting for the setting item based on the degree of similarity between the images related to the same document after the process is executed. As a rough directionality, method 1 or method 2 is used for setting system setting items (color mode, resolution, orientation correction, etc.), method 3 is used for detection system setting items (blank page deletion function, etc.), and method 2 or method 3 is used for processing system setting items (smoothing function, etc.). However, depending on the setting item, there may be cases where the above directionality does not apply. Below, a specific method for determining the recommended setting for each setting item belonging to the independent group will be described.

[0036] (Color mode) The setting item related to the color mode (image type) (hereinafter simply referred to as "color mode") is a setting item for setting the color of the output image, and examples of setting values ​​include "binary", "gray", and "color". The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting by checking the number of colors of the first image from the pixel information of the first image group. For example, when pixel information attached (embedded) to the first image group is obtained and the obtained pixel information includes information indicating that the number of image colors is 2 (1 BitsPerPixel), it is possible to identify (estimate) that the setting value of the color mode in the scanner A (first image reading means or first image processing means) is binary. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the color mode to be "binary (or a setting value equivalent to binary)" (Method 1).

[0037] (resolution) The resolution setting item (hereinafter simply referred to as "resolution") is a setting item for setting the resolution of the output image, and examples of setting values ​​include "300 dpi", "600 dpi", "normal", and "fine". When resolution information is embedded in the first image group, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting using the resolution information. For example, when the resolution information indicates that the image resolution is "300 dpi x 300 dpi", it is possible to identify (estimate) that the resolution setting value in the scanner A is 300 dpi. Therefore, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the resolution to be "300 dpi (or a setting value equivalent to 300 dpi)" (Method 1). Note that when the resolution information is not embedded, it is possible to estimate the resolution of the first image (the resolution setting related to the scanner A) from the image size information.

[0038] Specifically, the analysis unit 34 acquires features (image size) of the images (first image group and second image group) to be compared in the comparative analysis, compares the features between the images related to the same document among the images to be compared, and determines the recommended resolution setting based on the comparison result and the setting status of the resolution in the scanner B (second image reading means or second image processing means). For example, when the resolution setting value in the scanner B is 300 dpi and the image size of the second image is 2492×1753 px, and the image size of the first image is 4974×3408 px, the ratio of the image size (number of pixels) (number of pixels of the first image / number of pixels of the second image) is about twice in both the vertical and horizontal directions. Therefore, it is possible to estimate that the resolution of the first image, that is, the resolution setting value in the scanner A is 600 dpi (=300 dpi×2). In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended resolution setting to be "600 dpi (or a setting value equivalent to 600 dpi)" (Method 2). When adjusting the resolution by scaling, it is desirable to use a method that uses average scaling (for example, when halving the resolution, the average pixel value of 2 x 2 pixels (4 pixels) is used as the changed pixel value).

[0039] The recommended setting for the resolution can be determined by a comparative analysis of one first image and one second image related to the same document. Therefore, when the first image group and the second image group each include a plurality of first images and a plurality of second images, the recommended setting is determined for each set of the first image and the second image related to the same document (page), and when there is a difference (inconsistency) between the recommended settings determined between the sets (between pages), one of the determined recommended settings is selected and presented to the user. However, all the determined recommended settings may be presented to the user. In addition, for a setting item that can be determined by a comparative analysis using one first image and one second image, such as the resolution, the recommended setting may be determined by selecting one first image and one second image related to the same document (page) from the plurality of first images and the plurality of second images, and then performing a comparative analysis between the selected images. A specific method for determining one recommended setting from a plurality of different recommended settings will be described later.

[0040] (Paper size) The setting item related to the paper size (hereinafter, simply referred to as "paper size") is a setting item for setting the size of the document to be scanned, and examples of setting values ​​include "A4", "A5", and "postcard". The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the paper size based on the image size of the first image and the recommended setting for the resolution determined above (estimated resolution setting in scanner A) (method 1). For example, assume that the image size of the first image is 1744 x 2476px and the resolution of the first image is estimated to be 300dpi. Here, when the paper size is A5 size (148mm x 210mm) and the resolution is desired to be 300dpi, the required number of pixels (image size) is approximately 1748 x 2480px. From this, since the image size (1744 x 2476px) of the first image with a resolution of 300dpi is equivalent to the image size of A5 size with a resolution of 300dpi, it is possible to estimate that the setting value of the paper size in scanner A is A5. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the paper size to be "A5" (method 2).

[0041] (Auto crop function) The setting item related to the automatic cropping function (hereinafter simply referred to as the "automatic cropping function") is a setting item for making settings regarding the function of automatically extracting the image area of ​​the document portion from the image read by detecting the edges of the document, etc., and examples of setting values ​​include "(automatic cropping function) ON (enabled)" and "(automatic cropping function) OFF (disabled)." The analysis unit 34 performs the following comparative analysis (comparison between images after actually performing automatic cropping) between images related to the same document (page) (between a first image and a second image related to the same document) among the images to be compared in the comparative analysis. The analysis unit 34 basically sets the recommended setting for the automatic cropping function to "ON (enabled)." However, since the second image is an image acquired with the automatic crop function ON, if the image size difference between the images (first image and second image) related to the same document is equal to or larger than a certain size (a certain size) and the image size difference after the automatic crop process is applied to the first image is less than a certain size (the similarity between the images in terms of size is higher than a predetermined similarity), it is possible to estimate that the setting value of the automatic crop function in the scanner A is OFF (disabled). In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the automatic crop function to be "OFF (disabled)" (method 3). Note that, if the second image is an image acquired with the automatic crop function OFF, if the image size difference between the first image and the second image is equal to or larger than a certain size and the image size difference after the automatic crop process is applied to the second image is less than a certain size, it is possible to estimate that the setting value of the automatic crop function in the scanner A is ON (enabled). In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the automatic crop function to be "ON (enabled)" (method 3). It should be noted that any size may be used as each of the fixed sizes to be compared with the image size difference above.

[0042] In addition to the above-mentioned methods, a document edge analysis may be performed on the first image to estimate the setting value (whether or not automatic cropping is performed) for the automatic cropping function of Scanner A (Method 1). For example, if a document edge is extracted in the first image as a result of performing document edge analysis on the first image (if a white or black area exists around the document area in the first image), it is possible to estimate that automatic cropping has not been performed on Scanner A, that is, the automatic cropping function is OFF.

[0043] (Reading surface, blank page deletion function) The setting item related to the reading surface (hereinafter simply referred to as "reading surface") is a setting item for setting the reading surface when scanning a document, and examples of the setting values ​​include "double-sided" and "single-sided". The setting item related to the blank page deletion function (hereinafter simply referred to as "blank page deletion function") is a setting item for setting the automatic deletion of blank pages (e.g., white or black paper) from a scanned image, and examples of the setting values ​​include "(deletion function) ON (enabled)" and "(deletion function) OFF (disabled)". The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the reading surface and the blank page deletion function by using multiple documents (pages). The analysis unit 34 determines whether the number of images matches between the first image group and the second image group, thereby determining the recommended settings for the reading surface and the blank page deletion function (method 2). Note that when determining the recommended settings for the reading surface and the blank page deletion function, it is assumed that the second image group is an image obtained as a result of scanning multiple documents (pages) by double-sided scanning. In order to estimate the setting for the blank page deletion function, it is assumed that the multiple sheets of documents used include blank pages.

[0044] The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the reading side and the blank page deletion function by comparing the number of images in the first image group with the number of images in the second image group. That is, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the reading side and the blank page deletion function by comparing the number of images obtained by scanning a plurality of documents with the scanner A with the number of images obtained by scanning the plurality of documents with the scanner B. When the comparison of the number of images shows that the number of images is the same and the number of images is twice the number of documents (for example, when the number of images is four when scanning two documents), the analysis unit 34 can estimate that the reading side in the scanner A is double-sided and the blank page deletion function is OFF. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the reading side to be "double-sided" and the recommended setting for the blank page deletion function to be "OFF" (method 2). It is also possible to estimate that the reading side in the scanner A is double-sided and the blank page deletion function is OFF simply because the number of images in the first image group is twice the number of documents (method 1).

[0045] On the other hand, if the comparison of the number of images shows a difference (the number of images in scanner A is smaller than that in scanner B), the blank page deletion process is actually performed on the second image group, and the number of images is compared again. If the comparison shows that the number of images is the same, it is possible to estimate that the reading side in scanner A is double-sided and the blank page deletion function is ON, while if the number of images is different, it is possible to estimate that the reading side in scanner A is single-sided (method 3). If it is estimated to be single-sided, it is possible to estimate whether the front or back side is being read by scanner A by performing image comparison using a pattern matching method. For example, if it is estimated to be the front side, the recommended setting for the reading side is determined to be "single-sided (front side)". In this case, for example, regarding the setting of the blank page deletion function, if the first image group includes an image related to a blank page, it is possible to estimate that the blank page deletion function in scanner A is OFF. In addition, if the blank page deletion function has a sensitivity setting value for detecting blank pages (ease of becoming blank), when performing the above-mentioned method, the sensitivity setting value can also be tried to identify (estimate) the setting that will result in the same number of images.

[0046] (Front and back composition function) The setting item related to the front and back compositing function (hereinafter simply referred to as the "front and back compositing function") is a setting item for setting the function of automatically compositing the images (image data) of the front and back of a document and outputting them as one image data, and the setting values ​​are exemplified as "(compositing function) ON (enabled)" and "(compositing function) OFF (disabled)". The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the front and back compositing function by using a plurality of documents (pages). The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the front and back compositing function by comparing the number of images and the aspect ratio between the images (between the first image group and the second image group) that are to be compared in the comparative analysis (method 2). More specifically, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the front and back compositing function by determining whether the number of images in the first image group is half the number of images in the second image group and whether the aspect ratios of the first image and the second image are different.

[0047] For example, if the number of images in the first image group is half the number of images in the second image group, and the aspect ratio of two second images combined vertically or horizontally is equal to the aspect ratio of the first image (the difference in aspect ratio is less than a certain amount), it is possible to estimate that the front and back compositing function of scanner A is ON. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the front and back compositing function to be "ON." If the above conditions are not met, it is estimated that the front and back compositing function of scanner A is OFF, and the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the front and back compositing function to be "OFF."

[0048] (Top and bottom split function) The setting item for the top-bottom split function (hereinafter simply referred to as the "top-bottom split function") is a setting item for setting the function of automatically splitting an image (image data) into top and bottom, and examples of setting values ​​include "(split function) ON (enabled)" and "(split function) OFF (disabled)". The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the top-bottom split function by using multiple sheets of original. The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the top-bottom split function by comparing the number of images and the aspect ratio between images (between the first image group and the second image group) that are to be compared in the comparative analysis (Method 2). More specifically, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the top-bottom split function by determining whether the number of images in the first image group is a multiple of the number of images in the second image group and whether the aspect ratios of the first and second images are different.

[0049] For example, if the number of images in the first image group is a multiple of the number of images in the second image group, and the aspect ratio of two first images combined vertically or horizontally is equivalent to the aspect ratio of the second image (the difference in aspect ratio is less than a certain amount), it is possible to estimate that the top-bottom splitting function of scanner A is ON. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the top-bottom splitting function to be "ON." If the above conditions are not met, it is estimated that the top-bottom splitting function of scanner A is OFF, and the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the top-bottom splitting function to be "OFF."

[0050] The analysis unit 34 performs processing (e.g., image processing) for reflecting the first recommended settings (e.g., recommended settings for color mode, resolution, automatic crop function, paper size, reading side, blank page deletion function, front / back composition function, and top / bottom split function) in the second image group, thereby acquiring one or more first processed images (hereinafter referred to as "first processed image group") that are the second image group in which the first recommended settings are reflected. Reflecting the recommended settings in an image (image group) means adjusting the image (image group) to the recommended settings, for example, making the image (image group) an image (image group) obtained with the recommended settings. For example, if the second image group is acquired with a resolution of 600 dpi and the recommended settings (estimated settings in Scanner A) are determined to be 300 dpi, reflecting the recommended settings in the second image group means converting the resolution of the second image group to 300 dpi, which is the recommended setting (performing image processing to convert). Also, for example, if the recommended setting for the blank page deletion function is ON, blank pages are deleted from the second image group by performing a blank page deletion process (image processing) on ​​the second image group, thereby reflecting the recommended setting of the blank page deletion function "ON" in the second image group.

[0051] In addition, when the second image group is acquired after the same settings as the first recommended settings are performed in the scanner B (when the first recommended settings are already reflected in the second image group), the process for reflecting the first recommended settings in the second image group may be omitted. In other words, the analysis unit 34 executes a process for reflecting in the second image group the recommended settings (settings different from the settings when the second image is acquired by the scanner B) that have not yet been reflected in the second image group among the determined recommended settings, and does not need to execute a process for the recommended settings that have already been reflected. In this manner, the analysis unit 34 executes a process based on the recommended settings as necessary. In addition, in this embodiment, an example is given of a case in which the first processed image group is acquired by performing image processing based on the recommended settings for the setting items in the group (independent group) on the second image group. However, as described above, when the process for reflecting the first recommended settings is omitted, the first processed image group (the second image group in which the first recommended settings are reflected) becomes the second image group.

[0052] <First Subordinate Group> The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings (second recommended settings) for the setting items belonging to the first subordinate group by performing a comparative analysis between the first and second image groups after the first recommended settings are reflected in the second image group (the processing by the first recommended settings is performed on the second image group). That is, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the first subordinate group by performing a comparative analysis between the first and second processed images. The setting items belonging to the first subordinate group are setting items related to detection system processing, and when determining the recommended settings for the setting items, it is assumed that the recommended settings for the independent group are reflected in the second image group (image processing by the recommended settings is completed). For example, by matching the automatic crop function and paper size between the first and second image groups, it is possible to appropriately determine the recommended settings for the setting items of the first subordinate group. Hereinafter, a specific method for determining the recommended settings for each setting item belonging to the first subordinate group will be described.

[0053] (Punch hole removal function) The setting item related to the punch hole removal function (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "punch hole removal function") is a setting item for setting the function of filling in punch holes in an image to make them less noticeable when there are punch holes in the document, and the setting values ​​are, for example, "ON (enabled)" and "OFF (disabled)". The analysis unit 34 performs the following comparative analysis (comparison between images after actually performing punch hole removal processing) between images related to the same document (between a first image and a first processed image related to the same document) among the images to be compared in the comparative analysis. The analysis unit 34 performs a punch hole removal process on the first processed image (if there are multiple removal modes, it performs processing related to each mode) and determines whether the punch holes have been removed. If the punch holes have been removed, the analysis unit 34 compares the area in the first processed image from which the punch holes have been removed with the area in the first image corresponding to that area, and determines whether the color information between the two areas approaches (the degree of similarity of the color information). For example, if the color information between both regions becomes closer (similar) by performing the punch hole removal process on the first processed image than before the process, it can be estimated that the punch hole removal function in scanner A is ON. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the punch hole removal function to be "ON" (method 3). Note that, for example, any method may be used to determine whether the color information becomes closer, such as a method of generating and comparing histograms of each region, or a method using pattern matching. Note that the recommended setting for the punch hole removal function may be determined in conjunction with the recommended setting of the setting item in the independent group. For example, if the recommended setting for the automatic crop function belonging to the independent group is "OFF (disabled)", the recommended setting for the punch hole removal function may be set to "OFF (disabled)" in conjunction with the recommended setting.

[0054] (Orientation correction function) The setting item related to the orientation correction function (hereinafter simply referred to as the "orientation correction function") is a setting item for setting the method of rotating an image, and examples of setting values ​​include "automatic," "rotate 90 degrees right," "rotate 180 degrees right," and "rotate 90 degrees left." The analysis unit 34 performs the following comparative analysis between images related to the same document (between the first image and the first processed image related to the same document) among the images to be compared in the comparative analysis. As described above, since the second image according to this embodiment is an image obtained after the orientation correction function is set to "automatic," it is assumed that the first processed image is an image whose orientation has been automatically corrected as necessary.

[0055] First, the analysis unit 34 determines whether the image orientations of the first image and the first processed image are the same. For example, the analysis unit 34 determines whether the orientations of both images are portrait (or landscape) or one image is portrait and the other image is landscape based on the image sizes (aspect ratios) of both images. This determines whether the difference in the orientations of both images (the rotation angle for matching the orientations of both images) is 0 degrees or 180 degrees, or 90 degrees or 270 degrees, and narrows down the rotation candidate angles in the next pattern matching. Then, the analysis unit 34 rotates one of the images based on the determined rotation angle, and performs pattern matching (image comparison) on both images. For example, when the determined rotation angle is 90 degrees or 270 degrees, the first processed image (or the first image) is rotated at rotation angles of 90 degrees and 270 degrees, and then the first image and the first processed image are pattern matched. Specifically, for each of the two images, feature points and feature amounts are calculated from the entire image (calculated using a method such as AKAZE), the calculated feature points of both images are compared, and the rotation angle at which the most feature points with matching positions and orientations are determined. For example, if it is determined that the rotation angle at which the most feature points with matching positions and orientations are the most is 90 degrees (when the first processed image is rotated 90 degrees to the right), the orientation of the first image is determined to be the orientation of the first processed image rotated 90 degrees to the right. In this way, the relative relationship between the orientations of both images can be determined (determined) by the above-mentioned method.

[0056] When the above-mentioned method determines that the orientations of both images are the same, it is possible to estimate that the setting of the orientation correction function in the scanner A is automatic (a setting that automatically rotates the orientation of the image when the document is set sideways or upside down and scanned). In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the orientation correction function to be "automatic" (Method 2, Method 3). On the other hand, when the orientations of both images are determined to be different, it is possible to estimate that the setting of the orientation correction function in the scanner A is a fixed rotation setting, and in this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the fixed rotation setting (fixed value of the rotation angle) that matches the orientation of the first image as the recommended setting for the orientation correction function (Method 2, Method 3). For example, when the orientations of both images differ by 180 degrees, the recommended setting is fixed rotation of 180 degrees. However, the above-mentioned method is based on the premise that the document (paper) is inserted in the same orientation in the scanners A and B. In addition, if the second image is an image that has not been subjected to image processing for automatic orientation correction, it is possible to determine the recommended setting for the orientation correction function in a manner similar to the above-mentioned method by performing image processing for automatic orientation correction on the first processed image before comparing the aspect ratios in advance (Method 3).

[0057] The analysis unit 34 performs a process (e.g., image processing) for reflecting the second recommended settings (e.g., recommended settings for the punch hole removal function and the orientation correction function) in the first processed image group, thereby acquiring one or more second processed images (hereinafter referred to as the "second processed image group") that are the second image group in which the first recommended settings and the second recommended settings are reflected. Note that, if the second image group is acquired after the same settings as the second recommended settings are performed in the scanner B (if the second recommended settings are already reflected in the second image group), the process for reflecting the second recommended settings in the first processed image group may be omitted. That is, similar to the description of the first group, the analysis unit 34 performs a process based on the recommended settings as necessary. Note that, in this embodiment, an example is given of a case in which the second processed image group is acquired by performing image processing based on the recommended settings for the setting items in the group (first subordinate group) on the first processed image group, but as described above, if the process for reflecting the second recommended settings is omitted, the second processed image group (the second image group in which the first recommended settings and the second recommended settings are reflected) becomes the first processed image group. The analysis unit 34 may acquire a second post-processing image group by performing processing (image processing) based on the first recommended settings and the second recommended settings on the second image group.

[0058] <Second Subordinate Group> The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings (third recommended settings) for the setting items belonging to the second subordinate group by performing a comparative analysis between the first and second image groups after the first and second recommended settings are reflected in the second image group (the processing by the first and second recommended settings is performed on the second image group). That is, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the second subordinate group by performing a comparative analysis between the first and second processed image groups. The setting items belonging to the second subordinate group are setting items related to image quality, and the setting items are targeted at the contents (content information) of the images, so it is assumed that the recommended settings up to the first subordinate group are reflected in the second image group (image processing by the recommended settings is completed). A specific method for determining the recommended settings for each setting item belonging to the second subordinate group will be described below.

[0059] (Brightness adjustment function, background pattern removal function, noise removal function) The setting items related to the brightness adjustment (tone adjustment) function (hereinafter simply referred to as the "brightness adjustment function") are setting items for setting the brightness (tone) of the output image, and examples thereof include setting items for using a predetermined brightness conversion table (look-up table (LUT)) and other various setting items related to brightness adjustment (brightness, color depth, hue, color temperature, etc.). The analysis unit 34 performs the following comparative analysis between images related to the same document (page) among the images to be compared in the comparative analysis (between the first image and the second processed image related to the same document). Below, the method of determining the recommended setting will be explained separately for the case where the recommended setting of the color mode in the recommended setting in the independent group is determined to be "color" or "gray" (Case 1) and the case where the recommended setting of the color mode is determined to be "binary" (Case 2).

[0060] In case 1, the analysis unit 34 calculates (generates) a brightness histogram in a grayed state for each of the images (the first image and the second processed image) to be compared in the comparative analysis. Then, by comparing the two histograms, a brightness correspondence relationship (brightness conversion table) is created such that the two histograms generally match. As a result, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the setting item related to the brightness adjustment to be a setting that uses the generated brightness conversion table (method 2). In case 2, the analysis unit 34 performs image processing related to a combination of setting values ​​of one or more parameters related to the brightness adjustment (including other parameters related to image quality such as a background pattern removal function and a noise removal function) on the second processed image in a brute-force manner, and determines the setting (combination of setting values) that most closely matches the character recognition results (OCR results) for the first image and the second processed image after the image processing is performed as the recommended setting for the brightness adjustment function (method 3). In the above, the first image and the second processed image are compared, and the setting when the two are most similar is determined as the recommended setting. Therefore, other than when the character recognition results are most similar, the setting when the pattern matching results are the best may be determined as the recommended setting.

[0061] The brightness adjustment function includes an automatic brightness correction function that automatically sets (corrects) appropriate brightness for each document (image), and the setting items related to the automatic brightness correction function (hereinafter simply referred to as the "automatic brightness correction function") are exemplified as "ON (enabled)" and "OFF (disabled)". The analysis unit 34 uses multiple documents to determine recommended settings for the setting items related to the automatic brightness correction function. More specifically, the analysis unit 34 first compares the image brightness histograms between images related to the same document (between the first image and the second processed image) among the images to be compared in the comparative analysis. The analysis unit 34 then calculates the brightness correspondence (LUT) between the images related to the same document obtained by the comparison, and compares the calculated brightness correspondence between the documents to determine the recommended settings for the automatic brightness correction function.

[0062] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the LUT between images of each document when the automatic brightness correction function is OFF in the scanner A according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3A is an LUT showing the brightness correspondence relationship between the first image (image related to the scanner A) and the second processed image (image related to the scanner B) of the first document, and FIG. 3B is an LUT showing the brightness correspondence relationship between the first image and the second processed image of the second document. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the horizontal axis is the luminance value (tone value) in the second processed image, and the vertical axis is the luminance value in the first image. As shown in FIG. 3, when the automatic brightness correction is not performed in the scanner A (and also in the scanner B), it can be seen that the brightness correspondence relationship between images is generally consistent for all documents.

[0063] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an LUT between images of each document when the automatic brightness correction function is ON in the scanner A according to this embodiment. Fig. 4A is an LUT showing the brightness correspondence relationship between the first image and the second processed image of the first document, and Fig. 4B is an LUT showing the brightness correspondence relationship between the first image and the second processed image of the second document. In Figs. 4A and 4B, the horizontal axis is the luminance value in the second processed image, and the vertical axis is the luminance value in the first image. As shown in Fig. 4, when automatic brightness correction is performed in the scanner A, the brightness correspondence relationship between images may vary greatly depending on the document.

[0064] From the above, the analysis unit 34 determines whether the brightness correspondence between images (between the first image and the second processed image) generally matches between documents (pages), and if the brightness correspondence between documents generally matches, it can be estimated that the automatic brightness correction function in scanner A is OFF. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the automatic brightness correction function to be "OFF" (method 2). On the other hand, if the brightness correspondence between documents does not generally match, it can be estimated that the automatic brightness correction function in scanner A is ON. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the automatic brightness correction function to be "ON" (method 2). It should be noted that whether the brightness correspondence (LUT) between documents generally matches can be determined by using, for example, a correlation coefficient. For example, a correlation coefficient is calculated between the gradation values ​​of the image related to scanner A that correspond to each gradation value of the image related to scanner B in the LUT related to the first document, and the gradation values ​​of the image related to scanner A that correspond to each gradation value of the image related to scanner B in the LUT related to the second document, and if the calculated correlation coefficient is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (threshold value), it can be determined that the LUTs are generally consistent between the documents. Note that any method other than the method using the correlation coefficient may be used to determine whether the brightness correspondence relationships are generally consistent between the documents.

[0065] The analysis unit 34 performs processing (e.g., image processing) for reflecting the third recommended settings (e.g., recommended settings for the brightness adjustment function, the background pattern removal function, the noise removal function, and the automatic brightness correction function) in the second processed image group, thereby acquiring one or more third processed images (hereinafter referred to as the "third processed image group") which are the second image group in which the first recommended settings, the second recommended settings, and the third recommended settings are reflected. Note that, if the second image group is acquired after the same settings as the third recommended settings are performed in the scanner B (if the third recommended settings have already been reflected in the second image group), the processing for reflecting the third recommended settings in the second processed image group may be omitted. In other words, similar to the explanation for the first group, the analysis unit 34 performs processing based on the recommended settings as necessary. In this embodiment, an example is given of a case where a third processed image group is obtained by applying image processing based on the recommended settings for the setting items in the group (second subordinate group) to the second processed image group, but as described above, if the processing for reflecting the third recommended settings is omitted, the third processed image group (the second image group reflecting the first recommended settings, the second recommended settings, and the third recommended settings) becomes the second processed image group. Note that the analysis unit 34 may obtain the third processed image group by applying processing (image processing) based on the first recommended settings, the second recommended settings, and the third recommended settings to the second image group.

[0066] <Third Subordinate Group> The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings (fourth recommended settings) for the setting items belonging to the third subordinate group by performing a comparative analysis between the first and second image groups after the first, second, and third recommended settings have been reflected in the second image group (after processing has been performed on the second image group using the first, second, and third recommended settings). In other words, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the third subordinate group by performing a comparative analysis between the first and third processed image groups. A specific method for determining the recommended settings for each setting item belonging to the third subordinate group will be described below.

[0067] (smoothing function) The setting item related to the smoothing function (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "punch hole removal function") is a setting item for setting the function of performing a smoothing process on an image, and examples of the setting values ​​include "ON (enabled)", "OFF (disabled)", and various setting values ​​related to the smoothing function (edge ​​emphasis, moire removal, background smoothing, etc.). The analysis unit 34 performs the following comparative analysis between images related to the same document (page) among the images to be compared in the comparative analysis (between the first image and the image after the third process related to the same document). The analysis unit 34 extracts a predetermined area (partial area) from each of the images related to the same document among the images to be compared (the first image and the image after the third process), and compares the degree of variation in color (pixel value) in the predetermined area between the images, thereby determining the recommended setting for the smoothing function (method 2). Note that when determining the recommended setting for the smoothing function, it is assumed that the resolutions of the images match in advance. This is because the appearance of moire fringes and color shifts varies depending on the resolution. Similarly, when determining the recommended settings for the smoothing function, it is assumed that the brightness (tone) between images is consistent in advance. This is because, for example, if the contrast is strong in the first image to improve the appearance of the output image, most of the colors close to white are output in white, and if the brightness adjustment according to the first image is not performed on the image after the third processing (second image), when comparing the two images, it may be erroneously determined that the first image has been subjected to smoothing processing. Therefore, it is assumed that the recommended settings up to the second subordinate group are reflected in the second image group (image processing according to the recommended settings is completed). On the above assumption, the analysis unit 34 extracts partial areas in each image and calculates the degree of variation in gradation (color) for the partial areas of each image (for example, the standard deviation of the center color gradation value (RGB gradation value)).

[0068] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining recommended settings for the smoothing function according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 shows a partial region of the output image (first image) of scanner A on which smoothing processing has been performed, and a partial region of the output image (image after third processing) of scanner B on which smoothing processing has not been performed. As shown in Fig. 5, it can be seen that the degree of variation in gradation (standard deviation) is smaller in the partial region of the first image than in the partial region of the image after third processing due to the influence of the smoothing processing.

[0069] Thus, if (standard deviation of gradation values ​​in a partial region of the first image)÷(standard deviation of gradation values ​​in a partial region of the image after the third processing) is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the analysis unit 34 can estimate that the smoothing process is being performed in the scanner A. In this case, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the smoothing function to be "ON" or the like so that the smoothing process is performed in the scanner B (method 2). The analysis unit 34 may change the degree of smoothing in the recommended setting depending on the value of (standard deviation of gradation values ​​in a partial region of the first image)÷(standard deviation of gradation values ​​in a partial region of the image after the third processing). Also, instead of "(standard deviation of gradation values ​​in a partial region of the first image)÷(standard deviation of gradation values ​​in a partial region of the image after the third processing)", the difference between both standard deviations may be used. Also, any value may be used as the predetermined threshold.

[0070] In the above-mentioned method, a partial region (predetermined region) is selected in each image (first image and third processed image), but it is desirable to select a partial region related to the same (approximately the same) part (for example, the same object or character, etc.) between images. The selection method of the predetermined region (Methods A and B) will be described below. In the first method (Method A), an edge is extracted in each image, and a region surrounded by a certain edge is set as the predetermined region. For example, in each image, a predetermined frame line (black line) in a form is detected as an edge, and a region within the predetermined frame line (edge) is selected as the predetermined region. In the second method (Method B), color clustering is performed in each image, and a region of the same color of a certain size or more is set as the predetermined region. For example, if a green region, which is the background color, exists in each image and is equal to or larger than a certain size, this green region, which is the background color, is selected as the predetermined region. Instead of using method A or method B, a method may be used in which a partial area specified by specified coordinates in both images is selected as the specified area, or a method may be used in which a specified area is selected by aligning (aligning coordinates) the specified areas between the images using pattern matching or the like.

[0071] In addition to the above-mentioned method, a method (method 3) may be used in which image processing is performed on the third processed image using candidate values ​​(combinations of candidate values ​​(setting values)) of parameters (setting items) related to the smoothing function in a brute force manner, the first image is compared with the third processed image after the image processing is performed, and the candidate value (combination of candidate values) when the third processed image is closest (similar) to the first image is determined as the recommended setting for the smoothing function. Examples of parameters (setting items) related to the smoothing function include setting items related to sharpness such as "edge emphasis" which is a function for emphasizing edges by applying a filter and "moire removal function (moire filter)" which is a function for blurring the entire image by applying a filter, and setting items related to a function for suppressing color unevenness and density unevenness by smoothing the background of the image (hereinafter referred to as "color cleanup"). Color cleanup is, for example, a function for performing color clustering on an image and replacing colors around peaks with the peak color (adjusting peripheral values ​​by smoothness), a function for replacing areas that are thought to be background with white, etc. Examples of setting values ​​for the setting items related to sharpness and color cleanup include "disabled (none)" and multiple setting values ​​(level (Lv) and smoothness) as intensity setting values ​​(sensitivity setting values) when "ON (enabled)".

[0072] The analysis unit 34 sets possible setting values ​​for each of these setting items as candidate values, performs processing (image processing) on ​​the third processed image using combinations (e.g., all combinations) of candidate values ​​related to the multiple setting items, and determines (adopts) the combination of candidate values ​​when the third processed image is closest to the first image after the processing as the recommended setting for the multiple setting items. For example, the analysis unit 34 calculates the standard deviation (standard deviation of color) in a partial area (predetermined area) of the third processed image after image processing for all combinations, and determines the combination of candidate values ​​when the calculated standard deviation is closest to the standard deviation in the partial area of ​​the first image as the recommended setting for the smoothing function. Note that in this embodiment, the smoothing function is exemplified as a setting item belonging to the third subordinate group, but the recommended setting for color may be determined by including a setting item related to color in the third subordinate group.

[0073] The analysis unit 34 performs processing (e.g., image processing) for reflecting the fourth recommended setting (e.g., the recommended setting for the smoothing function) in the third processed image group, thereby acquiring one or more fourth processed images (hereinafter referred to as the "fourth processed image group") which are the second image group in which the first recommended setting, the second recommended setting, the third recommended setting, and the fourth recommended setting (recommended settings for the entire group) are reflected. Note that, if the second image group is acquired after the same setting as the fourth recommended setting is performed in the scanner B (if the fourth recommended setting has already been reflected in the second image group), the processing for reflecting the fourth recommended setting in the third processed image group may be omitted. In other words, similar to the explanation for the first group, the analysis unit 34 performs processing based on the recommended setting as necessary. In this embodiment, an example is given of a case where a fourth processed image group is obtained by performing image processing based on the recommended settings for the setting items in the group (third subordinate group) on the third processed images, but as described above, if the processing for reflecting the fourth recommended settings is omitted, the fourth processed image group (the second image group reflecting the first recommended settings, the second recommended settings, the third recommended settings, and the fourth recommended settings) becomes the third processed image group. Note that the analysis unit 34 may obtain the fourth processed image group by performing processing (image processing) based on the first recommended settings, the second recommended settings, the third recommended settings, and the fourth recommended settings on the second image group.

[0074] (How to determine a single recommendation in case of inconsistencies) When the recommended settings determined between documents (pages) are different (when there is an inconsistency), two methods (methods) for determining one recommended setting from multiple different recommended settings are illustrated. In the first method, the recommended setting with the least overall impact (the recommended setting that can be performed without problems) is selected from multiple different recommended settings. For example, in the first document (page), if there is no punch hole in the first image but there is a punch hole in the second image, the recommended setting for the punch hole removal function for the first document is "ON (enabled)". On the other hand, in the second document, if there is no punch hole in both the image related to scanner A and the image related to scanner B, the recommended setting for the punch hole removal function for the second document may be "OFF (disabled)". In such a case, if the user is suggested to "turn off the punch hole removal function", the punch holes will not be removed for documents such as the first document, which will have an impact (the images obtained between the two scanners will not be the same). On the other hand, in this case, if the user is suggested to "turn on the punch hole removal function", the punch hole removal process will be performed when a punch hole is detected, so there will be no impact whether the document is the first document or the second document. Therefore, in such a case, the recommended setting that has the least overall impact (obtaining an image equivalent to that of Scanner A for the entire document) will be adopted (proposed).

[0075] In the second method, one recommended setting is statistically selected from a number of different recommended settings. For example, when five originals are used, if the recommended setting for one original is determined to be the smoothing function disabled (none), and the recommended setting for the remaining four originals is determined to be the smoothing function enabled (enabled), the smoothing function enabled setting is adopted (proposed) by majority vote. Note that the method for determining the recommended setting for each setting item is not limited to the method described above, and various other methods may be used.

[0076] In this manner, in this embodiment, the recommended settings for scanner B are determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group (or the second image group in which the recommended settings are reflected) while gradually applying each recommended setting (processing based on the recommended settings) to the second images.

[0077] The presentation unit 35 presents the recommended settings (first recommended setting, second recommended setting, third recommended setting, and fourth recommended setting) determined by the analysis unit 34 to the user. Any method may be used to present the recommended settings. For example, a method of presenting the recommended settings by displaying the setting items and their setting values ​​(recommended values) in a list format on the setting screen via the output device 16, or a method of providing information on the recommended settings to the user via the communication unit 17 may be used. If the user checks the presented recommended settings and notices an error (a point where a setting change is required), the setting content of any item can be changed. In addition, the presentation unit 35 may present to the user one or more images (fourth processed image group) obtained by applying processing (image processing) based on the recommended settings determined by the analysis unit 34 to the second image group. This allows the user to check the effect of the setting change on the output image from the presented image (image subjected to image processing), and therefore it is possible to determine whether or not to change the settings while checking the effect of the setting change on the output image. Hereinafter, a recommended setting generation screen (recommended setting decision screen), which is a user interface (UI) for presenting recommended settings to the user by the presentation unit 35, will be illustrated.

[0078] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended setting generation screen (at the start) according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the recommended setting generation screen displayed when starting the recommended setting determination process displays a button ("Scan" button) that the user presses to obtain (scan) a scanned image (second image group) by the scanner after replacement (scanner B) and a button ("Select from file" button) that the user presses to obtain a scanned image (first image group) by the scanner before replacement (scanner A). When the user presses the "Scan" button, one or more sheets of a document are read by scanner B to obtain a second image group. Also, when the user presses the "Select from file" button and selects a target image (first image group) from a folder, a scanned image (first image group) by scanner A stored in advance in storage device 14 is obtained.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended setting generation screen (at the start of analysis) according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the recommended setting generation screen displayed when the analysis process is started displays the acquired first image group (within the frame of "Previous Scanner") and the second image group (within the frame of "New Scanner"). FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which scanned images of multiple documents (pages) are acquired (the first page of four pages is displayed in the figure), and the scanned images (first image and second image) of each document (page) can be viewed by the user by pressing the page forward button in the screen. When the user presses the "Start Analysis" button in a state in which the first image group and the second image group are acquired and displayed as in FIG. 7, the analysis process (comparison analysis) is performed by the analysis unit 34. Also, when the user presses the "Cancel" button, the recommended setting determination process is terminated, and the recommended setting generation screen is closed (hidden).

[0080] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended setting generation screen (analyzing) according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, when the analysis process is being performed by the analysis unit 34, the recommended setting generation screen displays information indicating that the analysis process is being performed and information indicating the progress of the analysis process. In FIG. 8, the text "analyzing..." and the text "estimated remaining time: 10 seconds" are displayed as an estimated time remaining until the analysis process is completed. In addition, the text "68 / 100" and a progress bar are displayed as information indicating the progress (for example, 68% of 100% has been completed). Note that, when the user presses the "Cancel" button, the analysis process is terminated at that point in time, and the recommended setting generation screen is closed (hidden).

[0081] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a recommended setting generation screen (when the recommended settings are presented) according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, when the analysis process is completed, the recommended settings determined by the analysis process are presented (displayed) on the recommended setting generation screen. In the example of FIG. 9, recommended settings (recommended values) for setting items such as image type (color mode), resolution, paper size, and punch hole removal are displayed. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the recommended setting generation screen displays, for example, an image that can be output by the recommended settings determined by the analysis process (a second image (a fourth processed image) subjected to image processing by the recommended settings) and a target image (a first image). When the user presses the "Register Profile" button on the screen in FIG. 9, a profile (driver profile) consisting of recommended settings (setting items and recommended values ​​shown in FIG. 9) for multiple setting items is registered (stored) in the storage device 14. This allows the user to perform scanning (including image processing) using the registered profile (set of settings), and therefore allows the scanner B to obtain an image equivalent to an image output by the scanner A. If the user presses the "Cancel" button on the screen shown in Fig. 9, the recommended settings determination process (profile registration process) is terminated, and the recommended settings generation screen is closed (hidden). In this embodiment, the presentation unit 35 generates and displays the recommended settings generation screen, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the recommended settings generation screen may be generated and displayed by a display unit (not shown) other than the presentation unit 35 that presents the recommended settings. In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the recommended settings generation screen changes (transitions) in the order of Fig. 6 to Fig. 9 as the process progresses, but each of the screens shown in Fig. 6 to Fig. 9 may be displayed individually and together with other screens.

[0082] <Processing flow> Note that the specific contents and processing order of the processes described below are an example for implementing the present disclosure. The specific contents and processing order may be appropriately selected depending on the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an outline of the flow of the recommended settings determination process (for N groups) according to this embodiment. The process shown in this flowchart is started when the information processing device 1 receives an instruction to determine the recommended settings from the user. When the instruction from the user is received, the presentation unit 35 displays a recommended settings generation screen (see Fig. 6) via the output device 16. The process shown in this flowchart may be executed for each document type (business type).

[0084] In steps S101 and S102, a first image group and a second image group are acquired (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). The first image acquisition unit 32 acquires the first image group, which is an image obtained by scanning one or more sheets of a document with the scanner A (step S101), and the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires the second image group, which is an image obtained by scanning the same document (one or more sheets of a document) as the document scanned with the scanner A with the scanner B (step S102). In this embodiment, the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires the second image group in the maximum paper size that can be output by the scanner B. Thus, when the paper size setting (estimated setting) in the scanner A is smaller than the maximum size, it is possible to perform image processing on the second image group in the image processing (step S106) described later and cut out according to the paper size setting. In addition, the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires the second image group with the double-sided scanning and blank page deletion functions OFF (i.e., acquires all images). Furthermore, the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires the second image group at the highest resolution (e.g., 600 dpi) of scanner B. Thus, if the resolution setting (estimated setting) of scanner A is lower than the highest resolution, it is possible to reduce the resolution to a lower one by performing image processing on the second images in image processing (step S106) described below. After that, the process proceeds to step S103 when the user presses the "start analysis" button on the screen of FIG. 7, for example.

[0085] In steps S103 to S106, a comparative analysis is performed to determine a recommended setting for each setting item (see FIG. 8). In step S103, it is determined whether the processing for all groups (N groups) has been completed. The analysis unit 34 determines whether the comparative analysis for all groups (when a plurality of setting items are classified into N groups according to the classification definition, all N groups) defined in the classification definition stored in the classification definition storage unit 31 and the processing (image processing) using the recommended setting determined by the comparative analysis have been completed. If the processing for all groups has not been completed (NO in step S103), the process proceeds to step S104 for the groups for which the processing has not been completed. On the other hand, if the processing for all groups has been completed (YES in step S103), the process proceeds to step S107.

[0086] In step S104, it is determined whether the recommended settings for all setting items in the group have been determined. The analysis unit 34 determines whether the recommended settings for all setting items belonging to the target group have been determined. If the recommended settings for all setting items in the group have not been determined (NO in step S104), the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if the recommended settings for all setting items in the group have been determined (YES in step S104), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0087] In step S105, the recommended settings for the setting items for which the recommended settings have not yet been determined are determined. The analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the setting items for which the recommended settings have not yet been determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group acquired in step S101 and the second image group acquired in step S102 (including the second image group subjected to image processing in step S106). More specifically, when a plurality of setting items are classified into N groups by the classification definition, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for all groups in stages, starting from the first group. At this time, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the Nth group by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group in which the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the N-1th group are reflected. Note that, in the case of N=1, that is, the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the first group are determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group. Thereafter, the process returns to step S104.

[0088] In step S106, processing (image processing) according to the recommended settings is performed. The analysis unit 34 performs processing (image processing) according to the recommended settings so that the recommended settings for all setting items belonging to the target group (Nth group) determined in step S105 are reflected in the second image group. In this embodiment, image processing is performed so that the result of the Nth group (recommended settings) is further reflected in the second image group in which the results (recommended settings) up to the N-1th group are reflected. As described above, if the result of the Nth group has already been reflected in the second image group, the image processing for reflecting the result of the Nth group may be omitted. In this embodiment, image processing is performed as processing for reflecting the recommended settings, but when the recommended settings for the image reading items are to be reflected, the document may be rescanned with the recommended settings. Thereafter, the process returns to step S103.

[0089] In step S107, a presentation process is executed (see FIG. 9). The presentation unit 35 presents the recommended settings (recommended values) for the setting items in all the groups and the second image group reflecting the recommended settings for the setting items in all the groups to the user by displaying them on the screen. After that, the process shown in this flowchart ends. Below, a specific process flow will be described for the case where multiple setting items are classified into four groups, that is, independent groups and subordinate groups (first subordinate group, second subordinate group, and third subordinate group) in the classification definition as described above.

[0090] 11 and 12 are flowcharts showing an outline of the flow of the recommended settings determination process according to this embodiment. The process shown in this flowchart is started when the information processing device 1 receives an instruction to determine the recommended settings from the user. When the instruction from the user is received, the presentation unit 35 displays a recommended settings generation screen (see FIG. 6) via the output device 16. The process shown in this flowchart may be executed for each document type (business type).

[0091] In steps S201 and S202, a first image group and a second image group are obtained. The processes in steps S201 and S202 are generally similar to the processes in steps S101 and S102 in Fig. 10, and therefore will not be described. In this flow, a case is illustrated in which a first image group and a second image group for a plurality of originals are obtained by reading the plurality of originals with each scanner. Then, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0092] In steps S203 to S208, recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the first group (independent group) are determined. The analysis unit 34 performs a comparative analysis between the first image group acquired in step S201 and the second image group acquired in step S202, thereby determining the recommended settings for each setting item belonging to the first group. In this embodiment, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended setting for the color mode (step S203), the recommended setting for the resolution (step S204), the recommended setting for the paper size (step S205), the recommended setting for the automatic crop function (step S206), the recommended setting for the reading surface (step S207), and the recommended setting for the blank page deletion function (step S208). In this embodiment, the recommended settings for the color mode, resolution, paper size, and automatic crop function are determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image and the second image for each document, and if there is an inconsistency in the recommended settings between the documents, the recommended settings are narrowed down (selected) to one by the above-mentioned method. For the scanning side and blank page deletion function, the recommended settings are determined by performing a comparative analysis (comparison of the number of images) between the first and second image groups for multiple documents. In addition to the above-mentioned setting items, recommended settings may be determined for setting items such as a front / back compositing function and a top / bottom split function. After that, the process proceeds to step S209.

[0093] In step S209, image processing is performed on the second group of images based on the analysis results (recommended settings) of the first group. The analysis unit 34 applies (performs) image processing according to the recommended settings determined in steps S203 to S208 to the second group of images acquired in step S202. As a result, the analysis unit 34 acquires a first post-processing image group, which is the second group of images reflecting the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the first group. Note that if the recommended settings of the first group have already been reflected in the second group of images, the image processing in step S209 may be omitted. After that, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0094] In steps S210 and S211, recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the second group (first subordinate group) are determined. The analysis unit 34 performs a comparative analysis between the first image group acquired in step S201 and the first processed image group acquired in step S209, thereby determining the recommended settings for each setting item belonging to the second group. In this embodiment, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the punch hole removal function (step S210) and the recommended settings for the orientation correction function (step S211). In this embodiment, the recommended settings for the punch hole removal function and the orientation correction function are determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image and the first processed image for each document, and if there is an inconsistency in the recommended settings between the documents, the recommended settings are narrowed down (selected) to one by the above-mentioned method. After that, the process proceeds to step S212.

[0095] In step S212, image processing is performed on the first processed image group based on the analysis results (recommended settings) of the second group. The analysis unit 34 applies (performs) image processing according to the recommended settings determined in steps S210 and S211 to the first processed image group acquired in step S209. As a result, the analysis unit 34 acquires a second processed image group, which is the first processed image group reflecting the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the second group. Note that if the recommended settings for the second group have already been reflected in the second image group, the image processing in step S212 may be omitted. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S213.

[0096] In step S213, the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the third group (second subordinate group) are determined. The analysis unit 34 performs a comparative analysis between the first image group acquired in step S201 and the second processed image group acquired in step S212, thereby determining the recommended settings for each setting item belonging to the third group. In this embodiment, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the brightness adjustment function (including the automatic brightness correction function) (step S213). In this embodiment, the recommended settings for the brightness adjustment function are determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image and the second processed image for each document, and if there is an inconsistency in the recommended settings between the documents, the recommended settings are narrowed down (selected) to one by the above-mentioned method. Note that, for the automatic brightness correction function, the recommended settings are determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group for multiple documents (comparison of LUTs between documents). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S214.

[0097] In step S214, image processing is performed on the second processed images based on the analysis results (recommended settings) of the third group. The analysis unit 34 applies (performs) image processing according to the recommended settings determined in step S213 to the second processed images acquired in step S212. As a result, the analysis unit 34 acquires a third processed image group, which is the second processed image group reflecting the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the third group. Note that if the recommended settings for the third group have already been reflected in the second image group, the image processing in step S214 may be omitted. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S215.

[0098] In step S215, the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the fourth group (third subordinate group) are determined. The analysis unit 34 performs a comparative analysis between the first image group acquired in step S201 and the third processed image group acquired in step S214, thereby determining the recommended settings for each setting item belonging to the fourth group. In this embodiment, the analysis unit 34 determines the recommended settings for the smoothing function (step S215). In this embodiment, the recommended settings for the smoothing function are determined by performing a comparative analysis between the first image and the third processed image for each document, and if there is an inconsistency in the recommended settings between the documents, the recommended settings are narrowed down (selected) to one by the above-mentioned method. In addition to the above-mentioned setting items, the recommended settings for the setting items related to color may be determined. After that, the process proceeds to step S216.

[0099] In step S216, image processing is performed on the third processed images based on the analysis results (recommended settings) of the fourth group. The analysis unit 34 applies (performs) image processing according to the recommended settings determined in step S215 to the third processed image group acquired in step S214. As a result, the analysis unit 34 acquires a fourth processed image group, which is the third processed image group reflecting the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the fourth group. Note that if the recommended settings of the fourth group have already been reflected in the second image group, the image processing in step S216 may be omitted. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S217.

[0100] In step S217, a presentation process is executed. The presentation unit 35 presents the recommended settings (recommended values) for the setting items belonging to the first group to the fourth group, and the fourth processed image group, which is the second image group in which the recommended settings are reflected, to the user by displaying them on the screen. After that, the process shown in this flowchart ends. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the recommended settings are determined stepwise by dividing into independent groups and subordinate groups, but the recommended settings may be determined stepwise by dividing into groups arbitrarily set by the user. In addition, without dividing into groups, the order in which the recommended settings are determined stepwise for each setting item may be determined, and the recommended settings may be determined stepwise according to the order. In addition, in this embodiment, when the recommended settings for all setting items in a group are determined, image processing for the group is performed, but image processing may be performed as soon as the recommended settings for each setting item are determined.

[0101] As described above, according to this embodiment, by performing a comparative analysis between a first image group obtained using scanner A (the scanner before replacement) and a second image group obtained using scanner B (the scanner after replacement) for the same document, recommended settings are determined such that the image group obtained using scanner B (third image group) is closer to the first image group than the second image group, making it possible to easily identify settings for obtaining the user's desired image (image output result from scanner B equivalent to the image output result from scanner A). This allows the user to smoothly carry out replacement without being aware of the settings (image reading settings and / or image processing settings) related to the image reading device before replacement.

[0102] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, the analysis process (comparison analysis) is performed in the information processing device 1 having a driver for scanner B, but the configuration of the system 9 is not limited to this configuration, and the analysis process may be performed in an information processing device that does not have a driver for scanner A and a driver for scanner B. In the present embodiment, an example will be given of the case where the analysis process is performed in an information processing device (e.g., a server) that does not have a driver for scanner A and a driver for scanner B.

[0103] <System configuration> FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a system 9 according to this embodiment. The system 9 according to this embodiment includes a scanner A (scanner 8A), a scanner B (scanner 8B), an information processing device 1A, an information processing device 1B, and a server 2, which are communicatively connected to each other via a network or other communication means. In FIG. 13, the information processing device 1A is connected to the scanner 8A via a router (or gateway) 7A, and the information processing device 1B is connected to the scanner 8B via a router (or gateway) 7B. Note that, although two information processing devices are illustrated in FIG. 13, when the scanner A and the scanner B are connected to the same information processing device (when one information processing device is provided with a first image processing means and a second image processing means), the system 9 may include only one information processing device. Note that the configurations of the scanner 8A, the scanner 8B, the information processing device 1A, and the information processing device 1B are generally similar to the scanner 8 and the information processing device 1 in the embodiment described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, the information processing device 1A includes the first image processing means, and the information processing device 1B includes the second image processing means.

[0104] The server 2 acquires a first image group acquired by the information processing device 1A and a second image group acquired by the information processing device 1B, and performs a comparative analysis between the first image group and the second image group to determine the above-mentioned recommended settings. The first image group and the second image group may be acquired from the information processing device 1A and the information processing device 1B, respectively, or the first image group and the second image group may be acquired from the information processing device 1B (or the information processing device 1A). The server 2 is a computer including a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a storage device 24, an input device 25, an output device 26, a communication unit 27, and the like. However, the specific hardware configuration of the server 2 may be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment. In addition, the server 2 is not limited to a device consisting of a single housing. The server 2 may be realized by a plurality of devices using so-called cloud or distributed computing technology, etc.

[0105] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the server 2 according to this embodiment. The server 2 functions as a device including a classification definition storage unit 31, a first image acquisition unit 32, a second image acquisition unit 33, an analysis unit 34, and a presentation unit 35, by a program recorded in the storage device 24 being read into the RAM 23 and executed by the CPU 21, and each hardware included in the server 2 is controlled. In this embodiment and other embodiments described later, each function included in the server 2 is executed by the CPU 21, which is a general-purpose processor, but some or all of these functions may be executed by one or more dedicated processors. The functional configuration (each functional unit) of the server 2 is roughly similar to the functional configuration (each functional unit) of the information processing device 1 in the first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, the first image acquisition unit 32 acquires a first image group from the information processing device 1A (first image processing means) via a network, and the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires a second image group from the information processing device 1B (second image processing means) via a network or the like. However, the first image acquisition unit 32 and the second image acquisition unit 33 may acquire the first image group and the second image group by reading them out, respectively, stored in the storage device 24. In the present embodiment, the presentation unit 25 may present the recommended settings and the second image group reflecting the recommended settings (fourth processed image group) to the user by transmitting them to the information processing device 1B.

[0106] [Third embodiment] In the first embodiment, the analysis process is performed in the information processing device 1 having a driver for the scanner B, but the configuration of the system 9 is not limited to this configuration, and the analysis process may be performed in the scanner B. In the present embodiment, the case where the analysis process is performed in the scanner B will be illustrated.

[0107] <System configuration> FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a system according to this embodiment. The system according to this embodiment includes a scanner B (scanner 8b). The configuration of the scanner 8b is generally similar to that of the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described. However, the scanner 8b is a computer (information processing device) including a CPU 81, a ROM 82, a RAM 83, a storage device 84, an input device 85, an output device 86, a communication unit 87, a reading unit (a unit that reads an original (an image of an original) by an imaging element) 88 (a second image reading means), and the like. However, the specific hardware configuration of the scanner 8 can be omitted, replaced, or added as appropriate depending on the embodiment.

[0108] 16 is a diagram showing an outline of the functional configuration of the scanner according to this embodiment. The scanner 8b functions as a device including a classification definition storage unit 31, a first image acquisition unit 32, a second image acquisition unit 33, an analysis unit 34, and a presentation unit 35, by a program recorded in a storage unit 84 being read into a RAM 83 and executed by a CPU 81, which controls each piece of hardware included in the scanner 8b. Note that in this embodiment and other embodiments described later, each function included in the scanner 8b is executed by the CPU 81, which is a general-purpose processor, but some or all of these functions may be executed by one or more dedicated processors.

[0109] The functional configuration (each functional unit) of the scanner 8b is generally similar to the functional configuration (each functional unit) of the information processing device 1 in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, the second image acquisition unit 33 includes a second image reading unit (second image reading means) 33C and a second image processing unit (second image reading means) 33B. The second image reading unit 33C reads one or more originals (images of the originals) using an imaging element, and the second image processing unit 33B performs image processing on one or more read images generated by reading one or more originals by the second image reading unit 33C. Thus, the second image acquisition unit 33 acquires a second image group that is one or more read images generated by reading one or more originals by the second image reading unit 33C or images obtained by performing image processing on the one or more read images by the second image processing unit 33B. In addition, in this embodiment, the presentation unit 25 may present the recommended settings or the second group of images (the fourth processed image group) reflecting the recommended settings to the user, for example, by displaying them on a touch panel provided on the scanner 8b.

[0110] 1. Information processing device 2 Server 8. Scanner

Claims

1. Computer, a first image acquisition means for acquiring a first image obtained by performing image processing by a first image processing means on a first read image generated by reading a document by a first image reading means; a second image acquisition means for acquiring a second image, which is a second read image generated by reading the document by a second image reading means or an image obtained by performing image processing on the second read image by a second image processing means; an analysis means for determining recommended settings for the second image reading means and / or the second image processing means, where the recommended settings are such that an image obtained using the second image reading means and the second image processing means is similar to an image obtained using the first image reading means and the first image processing means, by performing a comparative analysis using the first image and the second image; A program that functions as a

2. The analysis means determining the recommended settings for each of a plurality of setting items in the second image reading means and / or the second image processing means; When determining the recommended settings for a setting item whose determination of the recommended settings is affected by the setting contents of other setting items, the recommended settings for the other setting items are determined in advance, and the determined recommended settings are reflected in the second image, and then the comparative analysis of the first image and the second image is performed to determine the recommended settings for the affected setting items, thereby determining the recommended settings for the plurality of setting items in stages. The program according to claim 1.

3. In addition to the first image acquisition means, the second image acquisition means, and the analysis means, the computer is made to function as classification definition storage means for storing classification definitions that classify the plurality of setting items into N groups from a first group to an Nth group (N is a natural number of 2 or more), the first group included in the N groups is a group to which setting items belong whose recommended setting determination is not affected by the setting contents of other setting items; an n-th group (n is a natural number between 2 and N) included in the N groups is a group to which setting items whose recommended settings are affected by the settings of setting items belonging to at least the n-1-th group belong; The analysis means determining the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the first group by performing the comparative analysis between the first image and the second image; determining the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to the n-th group by performing the comparative analysis of the first image and the second image after the recommended settings for the setting items belonging to groups up to the n-1th group are reflected in the second image; The program according to claim 2.

4. Computer, a program that functions as an output means for displaying, side by side, a first image and a second image used in an analysis for determining recommended settings for a second image reading means and / or the second image processing means, where the image obtained using the second image reading means and the second image processing means is similar to an image obtained using the first image reading means and the first image processing means, the first image is an image obtained by performing image processing by the first image processing means on a first read image generated by reading an original document by the first image reading means, the second image is a second read image generated by reading the document by the second image reading means or an image obtained by performing image processing on the second read image by the second image processing means; program.

5. the output means displays the determined recommended settings after the analysis is performed. The program according to claim 4.

6. the output means displays, together with the recommended settings, an image obtained by processing the second image using the recommended settings. The program according to claim 5.

7. When the change in the recommended settings is accepted, an image obtained by processing the second image with the changed recommended settings is displayed instead of the image obtained by processing the second image with the recommended settings. The program according to claim 6.

8. the output means displays the first image and the image obtained by processing the second image using the recommended settings side by side. The program according to claim 6.

9. the output means displays an operation area in which the recommended settings can be changed together with the recommended settings. The program according to claim 5.

10. the output means displays an operation area for acquiring the first image and an operation area for acquiring the second image before displaying the first image and the second image side by side; The program according to claim 4.

11. the operation area for acquiring the second image is an operation area for reading the document by the second image reading unit; The program according to claim 10.

12. an output unit that displays a first image and a second image next to each other, the first image and the second image being used in an analysis to determine recommended settings for a second image reading unit and / or the second image processing unit, where the image obtained using the second image reading unit and the second image processing unit is similar to an image obtained using a first image reading unit and the first image processing unit; the first image is an image obtained by performing image processing by the first image processing means on a first read image generated by reading an original document by the first image reading means, the second image is a second read image generated by reading the document by the second image reading means or an image obtained by performing image processing on the second read image by the second image processing means; Information processing system.

Images