Information processing device, information process system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information process system, an information processing method, and a program, capable of reducing a skew without using an imaging device for imaging an another script.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: an acquisition part that acquires an image to be read of a color chart to which a plurality of patches read by an imaging reading device is printed from the image reading device; an extraction part that extracts each patch from the reading image acquired by the acquisition part; a determination part that determines whether or not fault of an extraction is due to an influence of a skew of each patch in the reading image in the case where the extraction of a color of each patch by the extraction part is in fault; and a display control part that makes a display device display an instruction of a re-reading of the color chart by the image reading device so that an influence of the skew at a printing of the color chart is reduced by the skew at the reading by the image reading device in the case where it is determined by the determination part that the fault of the extraction is due to the influence of the skew of each patch.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to maintain the quality of printed matter at a printing company, it is necessary to print a specified color chart, read it using a color measuring device that reads colors, such as a scanner, and perform color adjustment according to the difference from the quality target color. In this case, in order to create a profile with high accuracy through color adjustment, it is necessary to appropriately deal with the skew that occurs when the color chart is printed and when it is read by the color measuring device.

[0003] One technique for dealing with such skew is disclosed in patent document 1, which includes a transport means for transporting the document, a reading means for reading the image surface of the document while the document is transported by the transport means, an imaging means for photographing the image surface of the document, and a display means for displaying the image surface of the document photographed by the imaging means, and in which the display means displays a mark for adjusting the position of the document together with the image surface of the document. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that, in order to accurately fine-tune the document set position and correct the skew, in addition to the device that reads the actual document, a separate imaging means is required to photograph the document in order to determine the document position.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that can reduce skew without using a separate imaging device that images the document. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an acquisition unit that acquires a read image of a color chart on which a plurality of patches are printed and read by an image reading device from the image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a judgment unit that, if the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, determines whether the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; and, if the judgment unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch, a display control unit that causes a display device to display an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device due to skew when it is read by the image reading device. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce skew without using a separate imaging device for imaging the document. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration and overall operation of an image forming system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of setting a color chart in the image reading device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of functional blocks of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a color chart. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the patch images and pixels of the color chart read by the image reading device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an operation of extracting the color of a patch of a color chart in the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a skew occurs in a patch of a color chart read by the image reading device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an operation of extracting the color of a patch when the color chart is skewed in the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a mechanism by which skew occurs when reading a color chart. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining skew when printing and reading patches of a color chart. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of setting a color chart to reduce skew during reading. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing re-reading of a color chart displayed on the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing reprinting of a color chart displayed on the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the entire operation of the image forming system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and the components in the following embodiments include those that a person skilled in the art can easily conceive, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalent. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the following embodiments.

[0010] (Overall configuration of image forming system) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration and overall operation of an image forming system according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram explaining the operation of setting a color chart in an image reading device according to an embodiment. An overview of the overall configuration and overall operation of an image forming system 1 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

[0011] The image forming system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an information processing system that uses a color chart to perform color adjustment of an image forming device. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming system 1 includes an image forming device 10, a DFE (Digital Front End) 11, an information processing device 20, and an image reading device 30. The devices included in the image forming system 1 are capable of data communication with each other via a network (network N shown in Fig. 5 described later).

[0012] The image forming apparatus 10 is an image forming apparatus such as a commercial printing apparatus that is the target of color adjustment processing. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 receives image data of color charts (hereinafter, may be referred to as color chart data) held in an information processing apparatus 20, and prints out a color chart CC used for color adjustment based on the color chart data. The specific configuration of the color chart will be described later with reference to Fig. 6.

[0013] 1, one image forming apparatus 10 is shown as the image forming apparatus, but the number is not limited, and multiple image forming apparatuses 10 may be included. In this case, a color chart is printed for each image forming apparatus 10, and color adjustment is performed for each image forming apparatus 10 using the color chart.

[0014] The DEF 11 is an information processing device that performs predetermined image processing on print job data received from a PC (Personal Computer) or the like, and then issues a print command to the image forming apparatus 10.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 10 has been described above as a commercial printing apparatus that executes printing processing in response to a print command from the DEF 11, but is not limited thereto. For example, the image forming apparatus 10 may be a normal electrophotographic or inkjet printer having a printer function as its main function, or an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral). Here, an MFP is a multifunction machine having at least two of the following functions: copy function, printer function, scanner function, and fax function. The function of the DFE 11 may be included in the image forming apparatus 10, and the image forming system 1 may not include the DFE 11.

[0016] The information processing device 20 is an information processing device such as a PC or a workstation that generates color chart data to be printed out by the image forming device 10. When performing color adjustment processing for the image forming device 10, the information processing device 20 transmits the generated color chart data to the image forming device 10. The information processing device 20 performs color adjustment processing for the image forming device 10 using image data obtained by reading processing of the color chart CC printed out from the image forming device 10 by the image reading device 30. The information processing device 20 also creates an ICC (International Color Consortium) profile by the color adjustment processing, and transmits it to the corresponding image forming device 10 as the application destination of the ICC profile. The image forming device 10 then performs printout using the received ICC profile (hereinafter simply referred to as a profile).

[0017] The device to which the profile is applied may be other devices such as the DFE 11, a print server, etc., in addition to the image forming device 10. The information processing device 20 may be a terminal device such as a PC or a smartphone used by a user, or may be a cloud server device that provides functions as a cloud service.

[0018] The image reading device 30 is a device that performs a reading process on the color chart CC printed out by the image forming device 10 and set in the paper feed tray shown in FIG. 2, and generates a read image composed of color information data obtained by converting the read values ​​into colorimetric values ​​such as L*a*b* values, XYZ values, or RGB values. In this case, the image reading device 30 performs the reading process in response to a command from the information processing device 20 (for example, a command based on a reading operation via a keyboard 611 and a mouse 612 shown in FIG. 4 described later). The image reading device 30 transmits the read image composed of the generated colorimetric values ​​to the information processing device 20. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, when a user sets the color chart CC in the paper feed tray to have the image reading device 30 read the color chart CC, the user slides the left guide plate 31a and the right guide plate 31b in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction, respectively, to match the paper size of the color chart CC.

[0019] The image reading device 30 may be, for example, an image scanner, a colorimeter, or an in-line sensor provided on the paper transport path inside the image forming device 10, but is not limited thereto, and may be any device capable of acquiring color information data of the color chart CC. In addition, the read values ​​(colorimetric values) obtained by the reading process by the image reading device 30 will be described below as L*a*b* values ​​(hereinafter simply referred to as Lab values) in the L*a*b* color system. In addition, the read values ​​read by the image reading device 30 are not limited to being converted by the image reading device 30 itself into colorimetric values ​​such as Lab values, and the image reading device 30 may transmit the read values ​​as RAW data to the information processing device 20, and the RAW data may be converted into colorimetric values ​​such as Lab values ​​on the information processing device 20 side.

[0020] (Hardware configuration of image forming device) Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that the hardware configuration will be described assuming that the image forming apparatus 10 is an MFP, but the same configuration applies to other types of printing apparatuses.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is configured such that a controller 500, an operation display unit 510, an FCU (Facsimile Control Unit) 520, a plotter 531 (printing device), and a scanner 532 are connected via a PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) bus.

[0022] The controller 500 is a device that controls the entire image forming apparatus 10 , and controls drawing, communication, and input from the operation display unit 510 .

[0023] The operation display unit 510 is, for example, a touch panel, and is a device that accepts input to the controller 500 (input function) and displays the status of the image forming apparatus 10 (display function), and is directly connected to an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 506 described later.

[0024] The FCU 520 is a device that realizes a fax function, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0025] The plotter 531 is a device that realizes a printing function of forming and printing an image on a recording medium such as paper, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus. The scanner 532 is a function that realizes a scanner function, and is connected to the ASIC 506 via, for example, a PCI bus.

[0026] The controller 500 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501, a system memory (MEM-P) 502, a north bridge (NB) 503, a south bridge (SB) 504a, a network I / F 504b, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) I / F 504c, a Centronics I / F 504d, an ASIC 506, a local memory (MEM-C) 507, and an auxiliary storage device 508.

[0027] A CPU 501 performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 10, and is connected to a chip set consisting of a system memory 502, a north bridge 503, and a south bridge 504a, and is connected to other devices via this chip set.

[0028] The system memory 502 is used as a memory for storing programs and data, a memory for expanding programs and data, a memory for printer drawing, etc., and has a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). Of these, the ROM is a read-only memory used as a memory for storing programs and data, and the RAM is a writable and readable memory used as a memory for expanding programs and data, a memory for printer drawing, etc.

[0029] The north bridge 503 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 501 with the system memory 502, the south bridge 504a, and an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 505, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the system memory 502, a PCI master, and an AGP target.

[0030] The south bridge 504a is a bridge for connecting the north bridge 503 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The south bridge 504a is connected to the north bridge 503 via a PCI bus, and a network I / F 504b, a USB I / F 504c, a Centronics I / F 504d, etc. are connected to the PCI bus.

[0031] The network I / F 504b is an interface for communicating data with an external device such as the information processing device 20 by using the network N. The network I / F 504b supports, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and is capable of wired communication or wireless communication in accordance with TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol) or the like.

[0032] The USB I / F 504c is an interface capable of communicating with devices that comply with the USB standard.

[0033] The Centronics I / F 504d is an interface having parallel port specifications capable of transmitting multiple bits.

[0034] The AGP bus 505 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to accelerate graphic processing. The AGP bus 505 is a bus that accelerates the graphics accelerator card by directly accessing the system memory 502 at high throughput.

[0035] The ASIC 506 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing purposes having hardware elements for image processing, and serves as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 505, the PCI bus, the auxiliary storage device 508, and the local memory 507. The ASIC 506 is composed of a PCI target and an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of the ASIC 506, a memory controller that controls the local memory 507, a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that rotate image data using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the plotter 531 and the scanner 532 via the PCI bus. For example, the FCU 520, the plotter 531, and the scanner 532 are connected to the ASIC 506 via the PCI bus.

[0036] The local memory 507 is a memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer.

[0037] The auxiliary storage device 508 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an SD (Secure Digital) card, or a flash memory, and is a storage for storing image data, programs, font data, and forms, etc.

[0038] The program for the image forming apparatus 10 described above may be distributed by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium (such as the auxiliary storage device 508) as a file in an installable or executable format.

[0039] Furthermore, the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 3 is just an example, and it is not necessary for the image forming apparatus 10 to include all of the components shown in FIG. 3, and the image forming apparatus 10 may include other components.

[0040] (Hardware configuration of information processing device) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. The hardware configuration of an information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Note that while Fig. 4 shows functional blocks of an image forming device 10, these may be considered to be functional blocks of a DFE 11.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the information processing device 20 includes a CPU 601, a ROM 602, a RAM 603, an auxiliary storage device 605, a media drive 607, a display 608 (an example of a display device), a network I / F 609, a keyboard 611, a mouse 612, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) drive 614.

[0042] The CPU 601 is a calculation device that controls the overall operation of the information processing device 20. The ROM 602 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs for the information processing device 20. The RAM 603 is a volatile storage device that is used as a work area for the CPU 601.

[0043] The auxiliary storage device 605 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD that stores various data, programs, etc. The media drive 607 is a device that controls reading and writing of data from and to a recording medium 606 such as a flash memory under the control of the CPU 601.

[0044] The display 608 is a display device configured with liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) or the like, which displays various information such as a cursor, a menu, a window, characters, or an image.

[0045] The network I / F 609 is an interface for communicating data with external devices such as the image forming device 10 and the image reading device 30 by using the network N. The network I / F 609 supports, for example, Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and is capable of wired communication or wireless communication in accordance with TCP / IP or the like.

[0046] The keyboard 611 is an input device for selecting letters, numbers, and various instructions, moving the cursor, etc. The mouse 612 is an input device for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving the cursor, etc.

[0047] The DVD drive 614 is a device that controls reading and writing of data from and to a DVD 613 such as a DVD-ROM or a Digital Versatile Disk Recordable (DVD-R) as an example of a removable storage medium.

[0048] The above-mentioned CPU 601, ROM 602, RAM 603, auxiliary storage device 605, media drive 607, display 608, network I / F 609, keyboard 611, mouse 612 and DVD drive 614 are communicatively connected to each other via a bus 610 such as an address bus and a data bus.

[0049] It should be noted that the hardware configuration of the information processing device 20 shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and it is not necessary for the information processing device 20 to include all of the components shown in FIG. 4, or it may include other components.

[0050] (Configuration and operation of functional blocks of image forming system) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a functional block of an image forming system according to an embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a color chart. The configuration and operation of the functional block of the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a communication unit 101, a job acquisition unit 102, a print control unit 103, a profile acquisition unit 104, and a storage unit 105.

[0052] The communication unit 101 is a functional unit that performs data communication with the information processing device 20 via the network N. The communication unit 101 is realized by the network I / F 504b and the CPU 501 shown in FIG.

[0053] The job acquisition unit 102 is a functional unit that acquires a print job such as color chart data from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 101. The job acquisition unit 102 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 501 shown in Fig. 3. Note that the job acquisition unit 102 may be one of the functional units possessed by the DFE 11. In this case, a print job such as color chart data and print setting information may be transmitted from the information processing device 20 to the DFE 11, and a user may perform an operation to execute a print job such as color chart data on the image forming device 10 at a desired timing on an operation screen of the DFE 11 or the like.

[0054] The print control unit 103 is a functional unit that causes the plotter 531 to print out a color chart CC based on a print job of the color chart data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102. When the print control unit 103 prints out the color chart CC, it also causes a color code including identification information of the image forming device 10, identification information of the paper type, the date and time of printing out, and identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart CC to be printed out. The identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart identifies, for example, the number of rows and columns of the color patches of the patch arrangement (a color adjustment patch group CP to be described later), the size of the color patches, and the size of the entire color chart CC. The identification information of the patch arrangement of the color chart CC also serves as identification information for distinguishing the color chart CC itself, and can therefore be regarded as identification information of the color chart as a page. The print control unit 103 is realized, for example, by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0055] Fig. 6 shows an example of a color chart CC that is printed out under the control of the print control unit 103. As shown in Fig. 6, the color chart CC includes, for example, a color code C and a color adjustment patch group CP.

[0056] As described above, the color code C is obtained by coding, as color patches, the identification information of the image forming device 10 that printed out the color chart CC, the identification information of the type of paper on which the color chart was printed, the date and time of printing, and the identification information of the arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP. Note that, hereinafter, the information coded by the color code C may be referred to as color code information.

[0057] Note that, although the color code C is assumed to be a coded version of identification information for the image forming device 10 that printed out the color chart CC, identification information for the type of paper on which it was printed, the date and time of printing, and identification information for the arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP, this is not limiting. For example, the color code C may also include identification information for print settings (density, etc.). Also, if there is no need to manage the date and time of printing in the color code C, then the color code C may not include any content indicating the date and time.

[0058] The color adjustment patch group CP is a group of patches P used in the information processing device 20 to execute color adjustment processing on the image forming device 10 identified by the color code C. As will be described later, the patch extraction unit 206 of the information processing device 20 identifies the position of the color adjustment patch group CP in the color chart CC based on the identification information of the color adjustment patch group CP included in the color code C, and extracts individual color patches from the identified color adjustment patch group CP.

[0059] The arrangement of the color patches of the color adjustment patch group CP in the color chart CC shown in FIG. 5 is one example, and the arrangement, colors, and numbers are not limited to those shown in FIG.

[0060] Returning to FIG. 4, the functional blocks will be described further. The profile acquisition unit 104 is a functional unit that acquires, via the communication unit 101, a profile created by the information processing device 20 through color adjustment processing using the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of the color chart CC. The profile acquisition unit 104 stores the acquired profile in the storage unit 105. The profile stored in the storage unit 105 is applied to the control of print output onto paper by the print control unit 103. The profile acquisition unit 104 is realized, for example, by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 executing a program.

[0061] The profile is created by the information processing device 20 for each model of image forming device 10 indicated by the color code and for each paper type used in that model, and then is acquired, stored, and applied by the image forming device 10 (or DFE 11). At this time, profiles for multiple paper types may be stored in one image forming device 10, and when a print job is executed, a profile may be switched and used for each print job of a different paper type before the print job is executed. For example, when a print job accepted by the image forming device 10 includes information specifying a specific paper type or information specifying a specific paper feed tray, the profile to be used may be changed according to that information before the print job is executed.

[0062] The storage unit 105 is a functional unit that stores the profile acquired by the profile acquisition unit 104, various data, programs, etc. The storage unit 105 is realized by the auxiliary storage device 508 shown in FIG.

[0063] At least a portion of the functional units of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5 that are implemented by software (programs) may be implemented by hardware circuits such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an ASIC.

[0064] Moreover, the functions of each functional unit of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5 are conceptually shown, and the configuration is not limited to this. In other words, each functional unit of the image forming apparatus 10 does not need to be configured as a clear software module as the block shown in FIG. 5, and the function of each functional unit as a whole may be realized by executing a program in the image forming apparatus 10. For example, multiple functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5 may be configured as one functional unit. On the other hand, the function of one functional unit in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5 may be divided into multiple functions and configured as multiple functional units.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 5, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 201, a chart generation unit 202, a chart transmission unit 203, a color information acquisition unit 204 (acquisition unit), an identification unit 205, a patch extraction unit 206 (extraction unit), a skew direction identification unit 207 (identification unit), a skew effect determination unit 208 (determination unit), a color adjustment unit 209 (creation unit), a profile transmission unit 210 (transmission unit), an input unit 211, a display control unit 212, and a memory unit 213.

[0066] The communication unit 201 is a functional unit that performs data communication with the image forming apparatus 10 and the image reading apparatus 30 via the network N. The communication unit 201 is realized by the network I / F 609 and the CPU 601 executing a program shown in FIG.

[0067] The chart generating unit 202 is a functional unit that generates data of the color chart CC (hereinafter, may be referred to as color chart data) shown in Fig. 6. The chart generating unit 202 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in Fig. 4 executing a program.

[0068] The chart sending unit 203 is a functional unit that sends a print job of the color chart data generated by the chart generating unit 202 to the image forming apparatus 10 via the communication unit 201 in order to print out the color chart CC in the image forming apparatus 10. The chart sending unit 203 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0069] The color information acquisition unit 204 is a functional unit that acquires a read image constituted by color information data indicating colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each color patch of the color chart CC, which is obtained by a reading process performed by the image reading device 30 on the color chart CC printed out by the image forming device 10, from the image reading device 30 via the communication unit 201. The color information acquisition unit 204 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0070] The identification unit 205 is a functional unit that identifies color code information of the color code C from the color information data of the read image of the color chart CC acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, digitizes (decodes) the color code information, and identifies the image forming apparatus 10 (model, etc.), paper type, patch arrangement of the color chart CC (arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP), date and time of printout, etc. The identification unit 205 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0071] The patch extraction unit 206 is a functional unit that specifies the colorimetric values ​​of each patch P of the color adjustment patch group CP in the color information data of the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, and extracts the color of each patch P. Details of the process of extracting the color of each patch by the patch extraction unit 206 will be described later with reference to Figs. 7 to 10. The patch extraction unit 206 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in Fig. 4 executing a program.

[0072] The skew direction identifying unit 207 is a functional unit that, when the patch extraction unit 206 is unable to extract the color of a patch in the color adjustment patch group CP, identifies the direction of skew for each patch in the color adjustment patch group CP in the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204. The skew direction identifying unit 207 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0073] The skew influence determination unit 208 is a functional unit that determines whether or not extraction was not possible due to the influence of skew of a patch when the patch extraction unit 206 was unable to extract the color of the patch of the color adjustment patch set CP. The skew influence determination unit 208 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0074] The color adjustment unit 209 is a functional unit that executes color adjustment processing using the color of each patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP extracted by the patch extraction unit 206. Specifically, since the color values ​​of each color patch in the color chart data of the color chart CC are known, the color adjustment unit 209 creates a profile by performing color adjustment processing using a known technique such that the color of each color patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP (the color extracted by the patch extraction unit 206) reproduces the color value. The color adjustment unit 209 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG. 4 executing a program.

[0075] The profile transmission unit 210 is a functional unit that transmits the profile created by the color adjustment unit 209 to the image forming device 10 identified by the identification unit 205 via the communication unit 201 in order to apply the profile to the image forming device 10. The profile transmission unit 210 is realized, for example, by a program being executed by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0076] The input unit 211 is a functional unit that accepts operational inputs from a user. The input unit 211 is realized by a keyboard 611 and a mouse 612 shown in FIG.

[0077] The display control unit 212 is a functional unit that controls the display of various screens and information on the display 608. The display control unit 212 is realized, for example, by the CPU 601 shown in FIG.

[0078] The storage unit 213 is a functional unit that stores color chart data, and a profile created by the color adjustment unit 209. The storage unit 213 is realized by the auxiliary storage device 605 shown in FIG.

[0079] At least a part of the functional units of the information processing device 20 shown in FIG. 5 that are implemented by software (programs) may be implemented by a hardware circuit such as an FPGA or an ASIC.

[0080] Moreover, each functional unit of the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 5 is conceptually shown, and is not limited to such a configuration. That is, each functional unit of the information processing device 20 does not need to be configured as a clear software module as a block shown in Fig. 5, and the function of each functional unit may be realized as a whole by executing a program in the image forming device 10. For example, multiple functional units illustrated as independent functional units in the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 5 may be configured as one functional unit. On the other hand, the function of one functional unit in the information processing device 20 shown in Fig. 5 may be divided into multiple functions and configured as multiple functional units.

[0081] (Extraction of color from patches on color chart) FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the image of a patch of a color chart read by the image reading device according to the embodiment and pixels. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an operation of extracting the color of a patch of a color chart in the image forming system according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a skew occurs in a patch of a color chart read by the image reading device according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an operation of extracting the color of a patch in a state in which the color chart is skewed in the image forming system according to the embodiment. With reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, the extraction process of the color of a patch P of a color chart CC by the patch extraction unit 206 of the information processing device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0082] The image portion of patch P included in the read image read by image reading device 30 is read as an area spanning multiple pixels as shown in Fig. 7 based on the resolution of the reading process of image reading device 30. The pixels in the first and sixth rows and the pixels in the first and sixth columns in the image of patch P shown in Fig. 7 correspond to patch P and an area outside patch P, and therefore are not detected as the correct color of patch P. Specifically, they are detected as a mixture of the color of patch P and the color outside patch P. Therefore, in theory, the pixel values ​​of the pixels in the second to fifth rows and second to fifth columns in the image area of ​​patch P indicate the correct color of patch P.

[0083] However, in reality, there is a possibility that the color may not be detected as the correct color due to external factors such as background stains on the paper of the color chart CC, uneven printing, and fine dust attached to the color chart CC. In order to suppress the influence of such external factors, when extracting the color of the patch P, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts a color based on each pixel value as the correct color of the patch P if the difference between the pixel values ​​of a predetermined area composed of adjacent pixels is a difference that can be determined to be the same color (for example, a predetermined value or less). In this case, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts, for example, a color indicated by the average value, median value, or representative value of the pixel values ​​of the adjacent pixels as the correct color of the patch P. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, a 2×2 area is considered as the predetermined area composed of adjacent pixels for obtaining the above-mentioned difference. In this case, nine patterns can be taken as a 2×2 area from the area of ​​pixels in the second row to the fifth row and the second column to the fifth column. In this case, even if there is a pixel of an incorrect color due to the above-mentioned external factor in the pixel region of the second to fifth rows and second to fifth columns, if the difference in any one of the nine patterns is large enough to determine that the colors are the same, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts the correct color of patch P based on the pixel value of that pattern (determines extraction OK).On the other hand, if the difference in none of the nine patterns is large enough to determine that the colors are the same, the patch extraction unit 206 determines that extraction of the correct color of patch P has failed (determines extraction NG).

[0084] The examples shown in the above-mentioned FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are examples in which there is no skew when the color chart CC is printed and when it is read by the image reading device 30, and there is no inclination of the patch P in the read image. In reality, as shown in FIG. 9, there is a case where skew occurs when the color chart CC is printed and when it is read by the image reading device 30, and the patch P is inclined in the read image. In this case, in the state shown in FIG. 9, each pixel in the region of the pixels in the second to fifth rows and the second to fifth columns does not include the region outside the patch P, so there is no problem because nine patterns of regions can be taken as in FIG. 8. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, when the end of the patch P crosses multiple rows and columns, only seven patterns of 2×2 regions can be taken. Therefore, when a skew occurs in the color chart CC, the success rate of the patch P color extraction process by the patch extraction unit 206 decreases compared to when there is no skew. In addition, the probability that the end of the patch P crosses multiple rows and columns increases as the magnitude of the skew increases.

[0085] (How skew occurs and how it affects color extraction accuracy) Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a mechanism by which skew occurs when reading a color chart. Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining skew when printing and reading patches of a color chart. Fig. 13 is a diagram for explaining an operation of setting a color chart to reduce skew when reading. The mechanism by which skew occurs and the effect of skew on color extraction accuracy will be described with reference to Figs. 11 to 13.

[0086] First, with reference to Fig. 11, a skew that occurs during reading in the image reading device 30 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as skew during reading) will be described. For example, as shown in Fig. 11(a), when a color chart CC is set in the paper feed tray of the image reading device 30, a certain gap is assumed to be generated between the left guide plate 31a and the left end of the color chart CC by abutting the right end of the color chart CC against the right guide plate 31b. In this case, the end of the color chart CC on the paper feed side is clamped by the paper feed rollers, and the color chart CC is sent into the image reading device 30, so that the end of the color chart CC on the opposite side to the paper feed side is deflected to the left as shown in Fig. 11(b), which may cause skew during reading of the patch P in the read image read by the image reading device 30.

[0087] Here, FIG. 12 describes the relationship between the above-mentioned skew at the time of reading, the skew occurring when printing the color chart CC (hereinafter, may be referred to as the skew at the time of printing), and the inclination of the patch in the read image. As shown in FIG. 12, the inclination of the patch P with respect to the end of the color chart CC (the "paper end" in FIG. 12) is the skew occurring when printing the color chart CC, that is, the skew at the time of printing. Also, as shown in FIG. 12, the inclination of the end of the color chart CC with respect to the end of the read image is the skew occurring when reading the color chart CC, that is, the skew at the time of reading. That is, the inclination of the patch P in the read image (hereinafter, may be referred to as the skew of the patch P) is the sum of the skew at the time of printing and the skew at the time of reading. Therefore, the skew direction specification unit 207 calculates the inclination of the end of the color chart CC with respect to the end of the read image as the skew at the time of reading, calculates the inclination of the patch P in the read image (the skew of the patch P), and can calculate the difference between the calculated inclination of the patch P and the skew at the time of reading as the skew at the time of printing. This allows the skew direction identifying unit 207 to identify the direction of skew during reading and the direction of skew during printing.

[0088] 12, the color chart CC is set in the paper feed tray of the image reading device 30 so as to reduce the effect of at least the skew at the time of reading, and the image reading device 30 is made to re-read, which may resolve the extraction NG by the patch extraction unit 206. For example, as shown in FIG. 13(a), when the color adjustment patch group CP is printed with a skew to the left with respect to the color chart CC (i.e., when a skew occurs at the time of printing with a skew to the left), as shown in FIG. 13(b), the skew of the patch P can be reduced by generating a skew at the time of reading (i.e., a skew at the time of reading with a skew to the right) so as to be opposite to the skew at the time of printing, thereby improving the accuracy of extraction of the color of the patch P by the patch extraction unit 206.

[0089] However, when the patch extraction unit 206 fails to extract the patch P, even if the image reading device 30 is randomly made to re-read the color chart CC, the probability of the patch extraction being successful remains the same compared to the first read, since the read conditions may change and the patch extraction may be successful. Therefore, the patch extraction unit 206 fails to extract the patch P again, which results in unnecessary work for the user. The skew influence determination unit 208 determines whether the failure to extract the patch P is due to the influence of the skew of the patch P based on the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the skew at the time of reading specified by the skew direction determination unit 207, and the display control unit 212 displays instructions for the next appropriate work to the user based on the determination result by the skew influence determination unit 208, thereby suppressing unnecessary work for the user. The following describes the operation of the skew influence determination unit 208.

[0090] (Judgment of the impact of skew when extraction fails, and display of work instructions) Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing rereading of a color chart displayed on the information processing device according to the embodiment. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for instructing reprinting of a color chart displayed on the information processing device according to the embodiment. With reference to Figs. 14 and 15, the following describes the determination of the effect of skew by the skew effect determination unit 208 when extraction is NG by the patch extraction unit 206, and the display operation of the work instruction by the display control unit 212.

[0091] First, when the patch extraction unit 206 fails to extract the color of the patch P, the skew direction specification unit 207 specifies the direction of skew at the time of reading and the direction of skew at the time of printing, as described above. Next, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines whether or not the failure to extract the patch P is due to the influence of the skew of the patch P, based on the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the direction of the skew at the time of reading specified by the skew direction specification unit 207. Specifically, if the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the direction of the skew at the time of reading are the same, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure to extract the patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the influence of the skew of the patch P. On the other hand, if the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the direction of the skew at the time of reading are opposite directions, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure to extract the patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch P.

[0092] The skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading being the same does not mean that the degree of inclination of the skew at the time of printing and the degree of inclination of the skew at the time of reading are the same, but means that they are the same in terms of whether they are tilted to the left or to the right. That is, as in the example shown in FIG. 12, if the skew direction at the time of printing is tilted to the left and the skew direction at the time of reading is also tilted to the left, the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading are the same. Similarly, if the skew direction at the time of printing is tilted to the right and the skew direction at the time of reading is also tilted to the right, the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading are the same. On the other hand, if the skew direction at the time of printing is tilted to the left and the skew direction at the time of reading is tilted to the right, the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading are opposite to each other. Similarly, if the printing skew direction is to the right and the reading skew direction is to the left, then the printing skew direction and the reading skew direction are opposite directions.

[0093] Here, it is assumed that the patch extraction unit 206 has determined that the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading specified by the skew direction specifying unit 207 are both tilted to the left as shown in FIG. 12, and therefore both are in the same direction. That is, the skew influence determining unit 208 determines that the extraction failure by the patch extraction unit 206 is caused by the skew of the patch P. In this case, by setting the color chart CC in the paper feed tray of the image reading device 30 with the right end abutting against the right guide plate 31b and re-reading the color chart, a skew at the time of reading that tilts to the right occurs, the skew of the patch P is reduced, and the patch extraction unit 206 is more likely to be able to extract the color of the patch P. Therefore, the display control unit 212 causes the display 608 to display a color chart re-read instruction screen 1000 as shown in FIG. 14. The color chart reread instruction screen 1000 shown in FIG. 14 is a screen for instructing the user to insert the color chart CC into the paper feed tray, adjust the left guide plate 31a and the right guide plate 31b to the paper size of the color chart CC, and then abut the color chart CC against the right guide plate 31b. That is, the color chart reread instruction screen 1000 is a screen for instructing the image reading device 30 to reread the color chart CC so that the influence of the skew when the color chart CC is printed is reduced by the skew when the image reading device 30 reads it. The user can improve the accuracy of extraction of the color of the patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 by setting the color chart CC in the paper feed tray and having the image reading device 30 reread it as instructed on the color chart reread instruction screen 1000, and can increase the possibility of extracting the color of the patch P. This can reduce the occurrence of unnecessary work for the user. In addition, if the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading identified by the skew direction identification unit 207 are both tilted to the right and therefore both are in the same direction, the display control unit 212 can display a screen instructing the user to press the color chart CC against the left side guide plate 31a.

[0094] On the other hand, assume that the patch extraction unit 206 has determined that the extraction is NG, and the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the direction of the skew at the time of reading, which are determined by the skew direction determination unit 207, are opposite to each other. That is, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction NG by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch P. In this case, it is determined that the possibility that the color of the patch P will be extracted OK by rereading the color chart CC is low. Therefore, the display control unit 212 displays a color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 as shown in FIG. 15 on the display 608. The color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 shown in FIG. 15 is a screen that instructs the user to start work again from printing the color chart CC by the image forming device 10. That is, the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 is a screen that instructs the image forming device 10 to reprint the color chart CC and to newly read the color chart CC by the image reading device 30. The user can improve the accuracy of extraction of the color of the patch P by the patch extraction unit 206 and increase the possibility of extracting the color of the patch P by reprinting the color chart CC in accordance with the instructions on the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 using the image forming device 10 and having the image reading device 30 read the newly printed color chart CC. This can eliminate the need for wasteful work such as having the image reading device 30 reread the original color chart CC and again failing to extract the color, thereby reducing the need for the user to take extra steps.

[0095] The display control unit 212 is not limited to displaying the color chart reread instruction screen 1000 and the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 on the display 608, and for example, the image reading device 30 may be equipped with a display (an example of a display device) and the color chart reread instruction screen 1000 and the color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 may be displayed on the display.

[0096] (Overall operation flow of the image forming system) 16 is a flow chart showing an example of the overall operation flow of the image forming system according to the embodiment. The overall operation flow of the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0097] <Step S11> The print control unit 103 of the image forming apparatus 10 causes the plotter 531 to print out the color chart CC based on the print job of the color chart data acquired by the job acquisition unit 102. Then, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0098] <Step S12> The user places the color chart CC printed out by the image forming apparatus 10 in the paper feed tray of the image reading apparatus 30, and causes the image reading apparatus 30 to read the color chart. In this case, the image reading apparatus 30 performs the reading process in response to an instruction based on a reading operation via the keyboard 611 and mouse 612 of the information processing apparatus 20. Note that the reading process by the image reading apparatus 30 is not limited to being performed in response to an instruction based on a reading operation on the information processing apparatus 20, and may be performed in response to an operation on an operation panel provided on the image reading apparatus 30, for example. Then, the color information acquisition unit 204 of the information processing apparatus 20 acquires a read image obtained by the reading process by the image reading apparatus 30, which is configured with color information data indicating the colorimetric values ​​(Lab values) of each color patch of the color chart CC, from the image reading apparatus 30 via the communication unit 201. Then, the identification unit 205 of the information processing device 20 identifies the color code information of the color code C from the color information data of the read image of the color chart CC acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, digitizes (decodes) the color code information, and identifies the image forming device 10 (model, etc.), paper type, patch arrangement of the color chart CC (arrangement of the color adjustment patch group CP), date and time of printout, etc. Then, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0099] <Step S13> The patch extraction unit 206 of the information processing device 20 initializes a loop counter n to 1. Then, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0100] <Step S14> The patch extraction unit 206 specifies the colorimetric values ​​of each patch P of the color adjustment patch group CP in the color information data of the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, and extracts the color of the n-th patch P from each patch P. The method for extracting the color of the patch P is as described above. Then, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0101] <Step S15> If the patch extraction unit 206 can extract the color of the n-th patch P (extraction OK) (step S15: Yes), the process proceeds to step S16; if extraction is not possible (extraction NG) (step S15: No), the process proceeds to step S19.

[0102] <Step S16> The patch extraction unit 206 determines whether the loop counter n is less than the number of patches P (the number of patches) in the color adjustment patch group CP. If the loop counter n is less than the number of patches (step S16: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18, and if the loop counter n is equal to or greater than the number of patches (step S16: No), the process proceeds to step S17.

[0103] <Step S17> When the patch extraction unit 206 completes the extraction of the color of each patch P of the color adjustment patch group CP, that is, when the reading of the color chart CC is completed, the color adjustment unit 209 of the information processing device 20 executes color adjustment processing using the color of each patch P corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP extracted by the patch extraction unit 206. Specifically, since the color values ​​of each color patch in the color chart data of the color chart CC are known, the color adjustment unit 209 creates a profile by performing color adjustment processing of a known technique such that the color (Lab value) of each color patch corresponding to the color adjustment patch group CP reproduces the color value. The profile transmission unit 210 of the information processing device 20 transmits the profile created by the color adjustment unit 209 to the image forming device 10 identified by the identification unit 205 via the communication unit 201. Then, the profile acquisition unit 104 of the image forming device 10 acquires the profile from the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 101 and stores the profile in the storage unit 105. The profile stored in the storage unit 105 is applied to the control of the print output onto paper by the print control unit 103 .

[0104] <Step S18> The patch extraction unit 206 increments the loop counter n, and then returns to step S14.

[0105] <Step S19> The skew direction specification unit 207 of the information processing device 20 specifies the skew direction at the time of reading and the skew direction at the time of printing for the n-th patch P of the color adjustment patch group CP in the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204. Here, the method of specifying the skew direction at the time of reading and the skew direction at the time of printing is as described above. Then, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0106] <Step S20> The skew influence determination unit 208 of the information processing device 20 determines whether the extraction failure of the patch P is due to the influence of the skew of the patch P, based on the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the skew at the time of reading specified by the skew direction specification unit 207. Specifically, if the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the direction of the skew at the time of reading are the same, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the influence of the skew of the patch P. On the other hand, if the direction of the skew at the time of printing and the direction of the skew at the time of reading are opposite directions, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch P. If the extraction failure by the patch extraction unit 206 is due to the influence of the skew of the patch P (step S20: Yes), the process proceeds to step S22, and if the extraction failure is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch P (step S20: No), the process proceeds to step S21.

[0107] <Step S21> The display control unit 212 of the information processing device 20 causes the display 608 to display a color chart reprint instruction screen 1100 as shown in Fig. 15 in order to have the user reprint the color chart CC and then read the newly printed color chart CC into the image reading device 30. Then, the process returns to step S11.

[0108] <Step S22> The display control unit 212 of the information processing device 20 displays on the display 608 a screen for instructing the user to have the image reading device 30 reread the color chart CC. In this case, when the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading specified by the skew direction specifying unit 207 are both tilted to the right and are the same direction, the display control unit 212 displays a screen for instructing the user to reread the color chart CC in a state where the color chart CC is abutted against the left guide plate 31a. On the other hand, when the skew direction at the time of printing and the skew direction at the time of reading specified by the skew direction specifying unit 207 are both tilted to the left and are the same direction, the display control unit 212 displays a screen (for example, a color chart reread instruction screen 1000 shown in FIG. 14) for instructing the user to reread the color chart CC in a state where the color chart CC is abutted against the right guide plate 31b. Then, the process returns to step S12.

[0109] As described above, in the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment, the color information acquisition unit 204 acquires from the image reading device 30 a read image of the color chart CC on which a plurality of patches read by the image reading device 30 are printed, the patch extraction unit 206 extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the color information acquisition unit 204, the skew influence determination unit 208 determines whether the failure of extraction is due to the influence of the patch skew in the read image when the patch extraction unit 206 fails, and the display control unit 212 displays on the display 608 an instruction to re-read the color chart CC by the image reading device 30 so as to reduce the influence of the skew when the color chart CC is printed by the skew when the image reading device 30 reads it, when the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the failure of extraction is due to the influence of the patch skew. This makes it possible to reduce the skew without using a separate imaging device for imaging the color chart CC, which is an original. Furthermore, the accuracy of patch color extraction can be improved, and the possibility of successfully extracting the patch color can be increased, thereby reducing the need for the user to do unnecessary work.

[0110] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, when the skew influence determination unit 208 determines that the extraction failure is not due to the influence of patch skew, the display control unit 212 causes the image forming device 10 to reprint the color chart CC and displays an instruction on the display 608 to cause the image reading device 30 to newly read the color chart CC. This makes it possible to eliminate the wasteful work of having the image reading device 30 reread the original color chart CC without reprinting it, which would result in extraction being NG again, and thus reduces the need for the user to take extra steps.

[0111] In the above-mentioned embodiment, when at least one of the functional units of the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 is realized by executing a program, the program is provided by being pre-installed in a ROM or the like. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the program executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) in an installable or executable format. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the program executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the program executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the programs executed by the image forming apparatus 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 have a modular configuration including at least any one of the above-described functional units, and in terms of actual hardware, the CPU 501 (CPU 601) reads out and executes the programs from the above-described storage devices (e.g., system memory 502, auxiliary storage device 508, auxiliary storage device 605, etc.), so that each of the above-described functional units is loaded onto the main storage device and generated.

[0112] The aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> an acquisition unit that acquires, from an image reading device, a read image of a color chart on which a plurality of patches are printed and read by the image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a determination unit that, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, determines whether or not the failure of the extraction is due to an effect of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch, causes a display device to display an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device. The information processing device is provided with: <2> the display control unit, when the determination unit determines that the failure in extraction is not due to the influence of the skew of the patch, causes the image forming device to reprint the color chart and causes the image reading device to newly read the color chart, to be displayed on the display device. <1> The present invention relates to an information processing device. <3> a determination unit that determines a direction of skew during printing and a direction of skew during reading, When the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, the determination unit If the direction of the skew at the time of printing is the same as the direction of the skew at the time of reading, it is determined that the failure in extraction is due to the influence of the skew of the patch; If the direction of the skew at the time of printing is opposite to the direction of the skew at the time of reading, it is determined that the failure in extraction is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch. <1> or <2> The present invention relates to an information processing device. <4> the extraction unit determines whether a difference between pixel values ​​of a predetermined region formed from adjacent pixels in an image portion of the patch in the read image is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value; If the difference is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, a color based on each pixel value of the predetermined area is extracted as a correct color of the patch. <1> ~ <3> 1 is an information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. <5> The method further includes a creating unit that creates a profile such that the color extracted by the extracting unit reproduces the color values ​​of the plurality of patches of the color chart. <1> ~ <4> 1 is an information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. <6> a transmission unit that transmits the profile created by the creation unit to an image forming apparatus that printed the color chart in order to apply the profile to the image forming apparatus. <5> The present invention relates to an information processing device. <7> An information processing device; an image forming apparatus for printing a color chart including a plurality of patches; an image reading device for reading the color chart to obtain a read image; Including, The information processing device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires, from the image reading device, the read image of the color chart read by the image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a determination unit that, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, determines whether or not the failure of the extraction is due to an effect of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch, causes a display device to display an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device. It is an information processing system equipped with the above. <8> an acquisition step in which an acquisition unit acquires, from an image reading device, a read image of a color chart on which a plurality of patches are printed and read by the image reading device; an extraction step in which an extraction unit extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a determining step of determining, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to an effect of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control step of causing a display device to display an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the effect of skew at the time of reading by the image reading device, when the determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the effect of skew of the patch. The information processing method includes the steps of: <9> On the computer, an acquisition step of acquiring, from the image reading device, a read image of a color chart on which a plurality of patches are printed and read by the image reading device; an extraction step of extracting the color of the patch from the acquired read image; a determining step of determining, when the extraction of the color of the patch has failed, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control step of displaying on a display device an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the effect of the skew at the time of reading by the image reading device, when it is determined that the failure of the extraction is due to the effect of the skew of the patch; This is a program for executing the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1. Image forming system 10 Image forming device 11 DFE 20 Information processing device 30 Image reader 31a Left guide plate 31b Right side guide plate 101 Communications Department 102 Job Acquisition Department 103 Printing control unit 104 Profile Acquisition Unit 105 Storage section 201 Communications Department 202 Chart Generation Unit 203 Chart transmission unit 204 Color information acquisition unit 205 Identification Unit 206 Patch Extraction Section 207 Skew direction determination unit 208 Skew effect judgment section 209 Color adjustment section 210 Profile Transmitter 211 Input section 212 Display control unit 213 Storage section 500 Controller 501 CPU 502 System Memory (MEM-P) 503 Northbridge (NB) 504a South Bridge (SB) 504b Network I / F 504c USB I / F 504d Centronics I / F 505 AGP 506 ASIC 507 Local Memory (MEM-C) 508 Auxiliary storage 510 Operation display section 520 FCU 531 Plotter 532 Scanner 601 CPU 602 ROM 603 RAM 605 Auxiliary storage 606 Recording Media 607 Media Drive 608 Display 609 Network Interface 610 Bus 611 Keyboard 612 Mouse 613 DVD 614 DVD drive 1000 Color chart re-read instruction screen 1100 Color chart reprint instruction screen C Color Code CC Color Chart CP color adjustment patches N Network P patch [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0114] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-082717 A

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires, from an image reading device, a read image of a color chart on which a plurality of patches are printed and read by the image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a determination unit that, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, determines whether or not the failure of the extraction is due to an effect of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch, causes a display device to display an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device. An information processing device comprising:

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit, when the judgment unit determines that the extraction failure is not due to the effect of the patch skew, causes the image forming device to reprint the color chart and displays on the display device an instruction to cause the image reading device to newly read the color chart.

3. a determination unit that determines a direction of skew during printing and a direction of skew during reading, When the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, the determination unit If the direction of the skew at the time of printing is the same as the direction of the skew at the time of reading, it is determined that the failure in extraction is due to the influence of the skew of the patch; 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the direction of the skew during printing and the direction of the skew during reading are opposite directions, it is determined that the failure in extraction is due to a cause other than the skew of the patch.

4. the extraction unit determines whether a difference between pixel values ​​of a predetermined region formed from adjacent pixels in an image portion of the patch in the read image is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the difference is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, a color based on each pixel value in the predetermined area is extracted as a correct color of the patch.

5. 3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a creating unit that creates a profile such that the color extracted by the extracting unit reproduces color values ​​of the plurality of patches of the color chart.

6. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a transmission unit that transmits the profile created by the creation unit to an image forming apparatus that printed the color chart so as to apply the profile to the image forming apparatus.

7. An information processing device; an image forming apparatus for printing a color chart including a plurality of patches; an image reading device for reading the color chart to obtain a read image; Including, The information processing device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires, from the image reading device, the read image of the color chart read by the image reading device; an extraction unit that extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a determination unit that, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, determines whether or not the failure of the extraction is due to an effect of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch, causes a display device to display an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the influence of skew when the color chart is printed by the image reading device. An information processing system comprising:

8. an acquisition step in which an acquisition unit acquires, from an image reading device, a read image of a color chart on which a plurality of patches are printed and read by the image reading device; an extraction step in which an extraction unit extracts the color of the patch from the read image acquired by the acquisition unit; a determining step of determining, when the extraction unit fails to extract the color of the patch, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to an effect of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control step of causing a display device to display an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the effect of skew at the time of reading by the image reading device, when the determination unit determines that the failure of the extraction is due to the effect of skew of the patch. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

9. On the computer, an acquisition step of acquiring, from the image reading device, a read image of a color chart on which a plurality of patches are printed and read by the image reading device; an extraction step of extracting the color of the patch from the acquired read image; a determining step of determining, when the extraction of the color of the patch has failed, whether or not the failure in extraction is due to the influence of skew of the patch in the read image; a display control step of displaying on a display device an instruction to re-read the color chart by the image reading device so as to reduce the effect of the skew at the time of reading by the image reading device, when it is determined that the failure of the extraction is due to the effect of the skew of the patch; A program for executing the above.

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